6123-S.E AMH WINE ANDE 1

ESSB 6123 - H AMD TO ENVIR. AFF. COMM AMD(H4448.1)1275RULSCPOBJ3494

By Representative Wineberry and others

    On page 12, after line 18 of the amendment, insert the following:

    "NEW SECTION. Sec. 8.  The legislature finds that environmental policies are to protect human health and the environment for all areas of the state.  The legislature finds that no analysis has been undertaken to determine if the state's environmental policies are adequately and equitably protecting people who live adjacent to industrial areas.  The legislature therefore finds it in the public interest to identify and make recommendations for those areas of the state that:  (1) Are subject to the highest reported releases of toxic chemicals; and (2) Contain the greatest number of environmental facilities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9.  Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout sections 10 and 11 of this act.

    (1) "Environmental facility" means a facility that:

    (a) Is required to report under the toxic release inventory pursuant to the federal emergency planning and community right-to-know act (100 Stat. 1729; 42 U.S.C. Sec. 11001 et seq.);

    (b) Is placed on the hazardous sites list as maintained by the department of ecology pursuant to RCW 70.105D.030; or

    (c) Has an interim status or a final permit from either the department of ecology or the environmental protection agency as a treatment, storage, or disposal facility pursuant to chapter 70.105D RCW.

    (2) "Toxic chemicals" means any substance reported under the toxic release inventory of the federal emergency planning and community right-to-know act (100 Stat. 1729; 42 U.S.C. Sec. 11001 et seq.).

    (3) "Census tract" means a geographical area identified and designated in the state by the United States census bureau in the latest available census.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10.  By June 30, 1995, the department of ecology and the department of health shall jointly submit a report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature providing information on the distribution of reported toxic chemical releases and environmental facilities.  At a minimum, the report shall include the following elements:

    (1)  A list of census tracts ranked in order by the number of permitted environmental facilities and by the amount of toxic chemicals released during the previous five years; and

    (2)  Recommendations on further studies or actions that could be taken by the legislature or the departments of ecology and health to address environmental equity concerns.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11.  The study authorized under section 10 of this act shall not apply to toxic chemical releases or environmental facilities associated with agricultural operations, including those that use, store, or dispose of pesticides or herbicides."