HOUSE BILL REPORT

SSB 6611

BYSenate Committee on Energy & Utilities (originally sponsored by Senators Benitz, Conner, Metcalf and Hansen)

Requiring notice of fee and charge increases by disposal facilities.

House Committe on Environmental Affairs

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  (12)

      Signed by Representatives Rust, Chair; Valle, Vice Chair; D. Sommers, Ranking Republican Member; Brekke, G. Fisher, Fraser, Phillips, Pruitt, Schoon, Sprenkle, Van Luven and Walker.

House Staff:Rick Anderson (786-7114)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS

FEBRUARY 22, 1990

BACKGROUND:

Comprehensive rules, adopted by the Department of Ecology in 1985, require landfills to meet extensive standards.  Compliance with these phased standards is causing landfill disposal rates to increase significantly.

Most solid waste landfills in the state are owned and operated by cities and counties.  Solid waste is collected primarily by private companies.  Unless under contract with a city, the rates charged by private solid waste collection companies are regulated by the Utilities and Transportation Commission.  Any proposed rate change must be approved by the commission.  Rate approval takes a minimum of 30 to 45 days.  Rate changes allowed by the commission do not apply retroactively.

State law does not require landfill owners or operators to provide advance notice of changes in disposal rates to solid waste collection companies.  As a result, solid waste collection companies are sometimes forced to bear the added disposal costs until the commission approves a new collection rate.

SUMMARY:

BILL AS AMENDED:  Owners or operators of solid waste disposal sites must notify the Utilities and Transportation Commission and the appropriate solid waste collection entities of any changes in the rates charged for disposal.

Rate changes will take effect 90 days after the notice has been sent, unless the site owner/operator and the appropriate collection companies agree to an earlier date and the commission has approved the affected collection company rates.

AMENDED BILL COMPARED TO SUBSTITUTE:  The striking amendment makes technical and grammatical changes.

Fiscal Note:      Available.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Senator Max Benitz, prime sponsor; and John Paul Jones III, Washington Waste Management Association.

House Committee - Testified Against:      No one.

House Committee - Testimony For:    The bill is necessary to allow garbage collection companies to recover expenses to which they are legally entitled.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None.