WSR 17-17-036

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Order 17-01—Filed August 9, 2017, 1:01 p.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Amendment of chapter 173-166 WAC, Emergency drought relief.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 43.83B.420.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: The rule enables the department of ecology to take timely and expeditious actions to alleviate hardships and reduce burdens on various water users and uses arising from drought conditions. This amendment is needed to eliminate conflict with statutory authority, reflect current practices, improve clarity, and to update agency information.

Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: Federal drought regulations and assistance programs are separate, distinct, and have no bearing on the Washington state drought emergency relief rule.

Process for Developing New Rule: Ecology will follow the standard process for the amendment of rules under the Administrative Procedure Act (chapter 34.05 RCW).

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Rebecca Inman, Department of Ecology, Water Resources Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, phone 360-407-6450, TTY 877-833-6341, email Rebecca.Inman@ecy.wa.gov, web site http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/rules/wac173166.html. Sign up for the WRP listserv https://listserv.wa.gov/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=WATER-RESOURCES&A=1.

August 8, 2017

C. T. Laurie

Water Resources

Acting Program Manager