AN ACT Relating to environmental statistics and trends; adding a new chapter to Title 43 RCW; and creating new sections.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that in the nearly twenty years since Earth day and the creation of the state department of ecology in 1970, environmental quality programs have often been created in the absence of generally accepted information on data and trends regarding environmental parameters in the state. The legislature further finds that nearly all local, state, and federal environmental quality programs contain data collection, evaluation, and dissemination functions, but that there is no comprehensive data system whereby the public and their elected officials may assess environmental quality trends in the state and the success of public programs intended to address the state's environmental quality. It is the intent of this chapter to create a single administrative authority responsible for maintaining environmental statistics, to which the public, local governments, and other state agencies will have ready access. The office of environmental trends and statistics created by this chapter is intended to perform its functions with total objectivity and without regard to the objectives and performance of other agencies administering environmental quality programs. To ensure that the information compiled by the office meets the highest standards of objectivity and statistical accuracy, the activities of the office will be periodically reviewed by an interagency committee of those agencies administering environmental quality or natural resource programs, and which provide in part the data compiled by such office.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Director" means the director of the department of ecology;

(2) "Office" means the office of environmental statistics and trends created in section 3 of this act;

(3) "Interagency committee" means the committee created in section 5 of this act;

(4) "Department" means the department of ecology.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. There is created in the department of ecology, the office of environmental statistics and trends. The director of the department shall be responsible for the activities of the office, subject to the review functions by the interagency committee created in section 5 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The office shall be responsible for maintaining comprehensive environmental statistics for the state of Washington. On or before June 30, 1995, the office shall have created a single, state-wide, geographically based system for the maintenance of environmental quality data, statistics, and trends. The system shall include all related environmental parameters including but not limited to the following:

(a) Water quality;

(b) Air quality;

(d) Environmentally sensitive areas;

(e) Water resources;

(f) Threatened and endangered species;

(g) Wetlands; and

(h) Sites which are of historic or cultural significance.

(2) To the maximum extent practicable, the system shall incorporate existing data maintained by the department and other state and local agencies responsible for the collection, evaluation, and dissemination of environmental quality data.

(3) The office of environmental statistics and trends shall serve as the central repository for environmental quality data. The office shall enter data into the system which is generated by the department, other state agencies, local governments, and private entities pursuant to local, state, or federal reporting requirements. The office shall not be engaged in the collection of raw data in the field nor in the enforcement of data collection laws. It is the intent of the legislature that the collection and determination of the accuracy of raw data remain the primary responsibility of other state and local agencies pursuant to statutory directives other than this chapter.

(4) In consultation with the interagency committee created in section 5 of this act, the director shall report to the legislature on or before June 30, 1990, on legislative and administrative actions necessary to fully implement this chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) There is created the interagency committee on environmental statistics, which shall consist of the following:

(a) The director of the department of ecology;

(b) The commissioner of public lands;

(d) The director of the department of fisheries;

(e) The secretary of the department of social and health services;

(f) The director of the state parks and recreation commission;

(g) The secretary of the department of transportation;

(h) A representative appointed by the Washington state association of counties; and

(i) A representative appointed by the association of Washington cities.

(2) Any member of the committee may designate an alternate to fulfill the member's duties on the committee.

(3) The duties of the committee shall be to:

(a) Regularly review the progress of the office in creating the comprehensive data system required under section 2 of this act;

(b) Review the quality of the environmental statistics maintained by the office, including the statistical methodologies employed;

(c) Advise the director as to existing environmental data system and collection methods to ensure maximum compatibility with the comprehensive data system to be created in section 2 of this act; and

(d) Assist the director in the preparation of the annual report required under section 6 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. (1) On or before October 1 of each year, the director shall submit a report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature regarding environmental quality trends in the state.

(2) On or before June 30, 1990, the office shall establish baseline data for each of the parameters listed in section 4 of this act, and for such other parameters as the director shall determine. The baseline data shall be used in the determination of environmental quality trends related to such parameters in the annual report required under this section.

(3) The report shall describe trends during the previous fiscal year, including information on changes in the parameters listed in section 4 of this act. The report shall identify specific geographic locations within the state in which significant improvements or degradation in one or more environmental quality parameters has occurred.

(4) The report may incorporate data and trends compiled in compliance with other state and federal reporting requirements. It shall identify when possible the causes for significant trends in environmental quality parameters. It shall be prepared in a manner which is readily understandable by lay persons without advanced training in statistics or the environmental sciences.

(5) Prior to submission of the report to the legislature it shall be reviewed by the interagency committee. The committee may submit comments on the report, which shall be included in the final report submitted to the legislature.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. (1) All state agencies administering environmental quality and natural resource programs are directed to cooperate with the director and the office of environmental trends and statistics in the establishment of a single, geographically based data system for environmental quality parameters in the state. Consistent with other program requirements each agency shall explore alternatives to ensure that its data system relating to environmental quality parameters is compatible with the comprehensive system to be created in section 4 of this act.

(2) On or before June 30, 1993, all local governments shall have access to the comprehensive data system to be created in section 4 of this act, and to other environmental quality data systems maintained by state agencies. All state agencies are directed to facilitate access through available information sharing methods such as computerized data exchange. Conditions may be imposed upon such access to ensure that such access is available only for appropriate local government needs and to ensure that information regarding environmentally sensitive sites may not be accessed in a manner which may jeopardize such site.

(3) Biennially on or before October 1 of each odd-numbered year, the interagency committee shall report to the legislature on progress among state agencies in the implementation of this section, and any legislative or administrative actions recommended as necessary to fully implement this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. On or before October 1, 1990, the director shall submit a report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature on the effectiveness of existing regulatory programs in reducing risk to public health and the environment. In preparing the report, the director shall review existing studies regarding comprehensive risk assessment methods and the effectiveness in risk reduction by environmental programs relying primarily upon limitations of emissions. The report shall also review the relationship between environmental quality trends during the past twenty years and regulatory programs intended to improve environmental quality. The report shall make recommendations regarding improvements in existing regulatory strategies, including alternatives which may achieve greater reductions in environmental and health risks per unit of public investment.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Sections 2 through 7 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 43 RCW.