S-4654.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6666
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State of Washington 54th Legislature 1996 Regular Session
By Senators Winsley, Haugen, Fairley, Swecker, McDonald, Fraser, McAuliffe and Rasmussen
Read first time 01/23/96. Referred to Committee on Ecology & Parks.
AN ACT Relating to nuisance aquatic weeds; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that Washington's lakes, particularly urban lakes, are experiencing a pollution problem. There are frequent conflicts between shoreline property owners, who want a lake free of nuisance aquatic weeds for health and recreation purposes, and local and state agencies, who are charged with protecting water quality in the lakes. Man-made pollution and natural factors that cause the growth of the nuisance aquatic weeds in lakes are often diffuse and create dangerous conditions.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. There is created a legislative committee to develop a Washington state lake health plan. The committee will address long-term solutions, especially funding concerns, to deal with these urban lake problems. The committee consists of the chair and ranking minority member of the senate agriculture and agricultural trade and development, ecology and parks, and government operations committees, and the house of representatives agriculture and ecology, natural resources, and government operations committees. The committee must also include one representative each from the departments of ecology, natural resources, and agriculture, and one county and one city representative. The committee must submit a plan to the legislature by January 1, 1998.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Until the legislative committee created in section 2 of this act develops long-term recommendations and funding solutions for the urban lake problems described in section 1 of this act, the department of ecology must permit the application of pesticides to control nuisance weeds in lakes managed under chapter 90.24 RCW. This includes consideration of the use of herbicides such as copper sulfate or diquat. The department of ecology may condition the permit on a requirement that there be a biennial sampling, beginning January 1998, by the local health department to assess the biological effects of pesticide treatments.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.
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