ANALYSIS OF HB 2408

House Agriculture & Ecology Committee                                        February 4, 1998

BACKGROUND:

Washington law on waste reduction requires users or generators of hazardous substances  to prepare a plan for the voluntary reduction of the use and generation of these substances.  The law prescribes a process for developing the plan, but actual use reduction targets are not established. 

A related law governs the required certification of incinerator and landfill disposal operators.  The Department of Ecology=s review of voluntary waste reduction plans, as well as its implementation of the certification program, are both funded through fees collected from hazardous waste generators and users.

Total fees collected may not exceed the cost of implementing these programs and may not exceed one million dollars per year.  The annual fee collected from a single facility may not exceed $10,000 per year.  Small quantity hazardous substance generators and users are assessed no more than fifty dollars per year.  The schedule for assessing annual fees from individual facilities is determined by the department by rule.

SUMMARY:

The maximum annual fee that can be charged to a single hazardous waste facility is raised from $10,000 to $15,000.