BILL REQ. #:  H-2687.2 

READ FIRST TIME 3/5/07.   

     AN ACT Relating to expediting the cleanup of hazardous waste and creating incentives for Puget Sound cleanups; and amending RCW 70.105D.010, 70.105D.030, and 70.105D.070.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 70.105D.010 and 2002 c 288 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Each person has a fundamental and inalienable right to a healthful environment, and each person has a responsibility to preserve and enhance that right. The beneficial stewardship of the land, air, and waters of the state is a solemn obligation of the present generation for the benefit of future generations.
     (2) A healthful environment is now threatened by the irresponsible use and disposal of hazardous substances. There are hundreds of hazardous waste sites in this state, and more will be created if current waste practices continue. Hazardous waste sites threaten the state's water resources, including those used for public drinking water. Many of our municipal landfills are current or potential hazardous waste sites and present serious threats to human health and environment. The costs of eliminating these threats in many cases are beyond the financial means of our local governments and ratepayers. The main purpose of chapter 2, Laws of 1989 is to raise sufficient funds to clean up all hazardous waste sites and to prevent the creation of future hazards due to improper disposal of toxic wastes into the state's land and waters.
     (3) Many farmers and small business owners who have followed the law with respect to their uses of pesticides and other chemicals nonetheless may face devastating economic consequences because their uses have contaminated the environment or the water supplies of their neighbors. With a source of funds, the state may assist these farmers and business owners, as well as those persons who sustain damages, such as the loss of their drinking water supplies, as a result of the contamination.
     (4) It is in the public's interest to efficiently use our finite land base, to integrate our land use planning policies with our clean-up policies, and to clean up and reuse contaminated industrial properties in order to minimize industrial development pressures on undeveloped land and to make clean land available for future social use.
     (5) Because it is often difficult or impossible to allocate responsibility among persons liable for hazardous waste sites and because it is essential that sites be cleaned up well and expeditiously, each responsible person should be liable jointly and severally.
     (6) Because releases of hazardous substances can adversely affect the health and welfare of the public, the environment, and property values, it is in the public interest that affected communities be notified of where releases of hazardous substances have occurred and what is being done to clean them up.
     (7) To achieve and protect the state's long-term ecological health, the department shall prioritize sufficient funding to clean up hazardous waste sites and prevent the creation of future hazards due to improper disposal of toxic wastes on land or in water. The department shall accelerate clean-up efforts throughout Washington, and create financing tools to clean up large-scale hazardous waste sites requiring multiyear commitments. To effectively monitor toxic accounts expenditures, the department shall develop a comprehensive ten-year financing report that identifies long-term remedial action project costs, tracks expenses, and projects future needs.

Sec. 2   RCW 70.105D.030 and 2002 c 288 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The department may exercise the following powers in addition to any other powers granted by law:
     (a) Investigate, provide for investigating, or require potentially liable persons to investigate any releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances, including but not limited to inspecting, sampling, or testing to determine the nature or extent of any release or threatened release. If there is a reasonable basis to believe that a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance may exist, the department's authorized employees, agents, or contractors may enter upon any property and conduct investigations. The department shall give reasonable notice before entering property unless an emergency prevents such notice. The department may by subpoena require the attendance or testimony of witnesses and the production of documents or other information that the department deems necessary;
     (b) Conduct, provide for conducting, or require potentially liable persons to conduct remedial actions (including investigations under (a) of this subsection) to remedy releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances. In carrying out such powers, the department's authorized employees, agents, or contractors may enter upon property. The department shall give reasonable notice before entering property unless an emergency prevents such notice. In conducting, providing for, or requiring remedial action, the department shall give preference to permanent solutions to the maximum extent practicable and shall provide for or require adequate monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of the remedial action;
     (c) Indemnify contractors retained by the department for carrying out investigations and remedial actions, but not for any contractor's reckless or wilful misconduct;
     (d) Carry out all state programs authorized under the federal cleanup law and the federal resource, conservation, and recovery act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 6901 et seq., as amended;
     (e) Classify substances as hazardous substances for purposes of RCW 70.105D.020(7) and classify substances and products as hazardous substances for purposes of RCW 82.21.020(1);
     (f) Issue orders or enter into consent decrees or agreed orders that include, or issue written opinions under (i) of this subsection that may be conditioned upon, deed restrictions where necessary to protect human health and the environment from a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance from a facility. Prior to establishing a deed restriction under this subsection, the department shall notify and seek comment from a city or county department with land use planning authority for real property subject to a deed restriction;
     (g) Enforce the application of permanent and effective institutional controls that are necessary for a remedial action to be protective of human health and the environment and the notification requirements established in RCW 70.105D.110, and impose penalties for violations of that section consistent with RCW 70.105D.050;
     (h) Require holders to conduct remedial actions necessary to abate an imminent or substantial endangerment pursuant to RCW 70.105D.020(12)(b)(ii)(C);
     (i) Provide informal advice and assistance to persons regarding the administrative and technical requirements of this chapter. This may include site-specific advice to persons who are conducting or otherwise interested in independent remedial actions. Any such advice or assistance shall be advisory only, and shall not be binding on the department. As a part of providing this advice and assistance for independent remedial actions, the department may prepare written opinions regarding whether the independent remedial actions or proposals for those actions meet the substantive requirements of this chapter or whether the department believes further remedial action is necessary at the facility. The department may collect, from persons requesting advice and assistance, the costs incurred by the department in providing such advice and assistance; however, the department shall, where appropriate, waive collection of costs in order to provide an appropriate level of technical assistance in support of public participation. The state, the department, and officers and employees of the state are immune from all liability, and no cause of action of any nature may arise from any act or omission in providing, or failing to provide, informal advice and assistance; and
     (j) Take any other actions necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, including the power to adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW.
     (2) The department shall immediately implement all provisions of this chapter to the maximum extent practicable, including investigative and remedial actions where appropriate. The department shall adopt, and thereafter enforce, rules under chapter 34.05 RCW to:
     (a) Provide for public participation, including at least (i) public notice of the development of investigative plans or remedial plans for releases or threatened releases and (ii) concurrent public notice of all compliance orders, agreed orders, enforcement orders, or notices of violation;
     (b) Establish a hazard ranking system for hazardous waste sites;
     (c) Provide for requiring the reporting by an owner or operator of releases of hazardous substances to the environment that may be a threat to human health or the environment within ninety days of discovery, including such exemptions from reporting as the department deems appropriate, however this requirement shall not modify any existing requirements provided for under other laws;
     (d) Establish reasonable deadlines not to exceed ninety days for initiating an investigation of a hazardous waste site after the department receives notice or otherwise receives information that the site may pose a threat to human health or the environment and other reasonable deadlines for remedying releases or threatened releases at the site;
     (e) Publish and periodically update minimum cleanup standards for remedial actions at least as stringent as the cleanup standards under section 121 of the federal cleanup law, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 9621, and at least as stringent as all applicable state and federal laws, including health-based standards under state and federal law; and
     (f) Apply industrial clean-up standards at industrial properties. Rules adopted under this subsection shall ensure that industrial properties cleaned up to industrial standards cannot be converted to nonindustrial uses without approval from the department. The department may require that a property cleaned up to industrial standards is cleaned up to a more stringent applicable standard as a condition of conversion to a nonindustrial use. Industrial clean-up standards may not be applied to industrial properties where hazardous substances remaining at the property after remedial action pose a threat to human health or the environment in adjacent nonindustrial areas.
     (3) Before ((November 1st)) December 20th of each even-numbered year, the department shall ((develop, with public notice and hearing, and submit to)):
     (a) Develop a comprehensive ten-year financing report in coordination with all local governments with clean-up responsibilities that identifies the projected biennial toxic site remedial action needs that are eligible for funding from the local toxics control account;
     (b) Work with liable local governments to develop working capital reserves to be incorporated in the ten-year financing report;
     (c) Identify the projected remedial action needs for orphaned, abandoned, and other clean-up sites that are eligible for funding from the state toxics control account;
     (d) Project the remedial action need, cost, revenue, and any recommended working capital reserve estimate to the next biennium's long-term remedial action needs from both the local toxics control account and the state toxics control account, and submit this information to the ((ways and means and)) appropriate standing fiscal and environmental committees of the senate and house of representatives ((a ranked list of projects and expenditures recommended for appropriation from both the state and local toxics control accounts. The department shall also)). This submittal must also include a ranked list of such remedial action projects for both accounts; and
     (e) Provide the legislature and the public each year with an accounting of the department's activities supported by appropriations from the state and local toxics control accounts, including a list of known hazardous waste sites and their hazard rankings, actions taken and planned at each site, how the department is meeting its ((top two)) waste management priorities under RCW 70.105.150, and all funds expended under this chapter.
     (4) The department shall establish a scientific advisory board to render advice to the department with respect to the hazard ranking system, cleanup standards, remedial actions, deadlines for remedial actions, monitoring, the classification of substances as hazardous substances for purposes of RCW 70.105D.020(7) and the classification of substances or products as hazardous substances for purposes of RCW 82.21.020(1). The board shall consist of five independent members to serve staggered three-year terms. No members may be employees of the department. Members shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.
     (5) The department shall establish a program to identify potential hazardous waste sites and to encourage persons to provide information about hazardous waste sites.

Sec. 3   RCW 70.105D.070 and 2005 c 488 s 926 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The state toxics control account and the local toxics control account are hereby created in the state treasury.
     (2) The following moneys shall be deposited into the state toxics control account: (a) Those revenues which are raised by the tax imposed under RCW 82.21.030 and which are attributable to that portion of the rate equal to thirty-three one-hundredths of one percent; (b) the costs of remedial actions recovered under this chapter or chapter 70.105A RCW; (c) penalties collected or recovered under this chapter; and (d) any other money appropriated or transferred to the account by the legislature. Moneys in the account may be used only to carry out the purposes of this chapter, including but not limited to the following activities:
     (i) The state's responsibility for hazardous waste planning, management, regulation, enforcement, technical assistance, and public education required under chapter 70.105 RCW;
     (ii) The state's responsibility for solid waste planning, management, regulation, enforcement, technical assistance, and public education required under chapter 70.95 RCW;
     (iii) The hazardous waste cleanup program required under this chapter;
     (iv) State matching funds required under the federal cleanup law;
     (v) Financial assistance for local programs in accordance with chapters 70.95, 70.95C, 70.95I, and 70.105 RCW;
     (vi) State government programs for the safe reduction, recycling, or disposal of hazardous wastes from households, small businesses, and agriculture;
     (vii) Hazardous materials emergency response training;
     (viii) Water and environmental health protection and monitoring programs;
     (ix) Programs authorized under chapter 70.146 RCW;
     (x) A public participation program, including regional citizen advisory committees;
     (xi) Public funding to assist potentially liable persons to pay for the costs of remedial action in compliance with cleanup standards under RCW 70.105D.030(2)(e) but only when the amount and terms of such funding are established under a settlement agreement under RCW 70.105D.040(4) and when the director has found that the funding will achieve both (A) a substantially more expeditious or enhanced cleanup than would otherwise occur, and (B) the prevention or mitigation of unfair economic hardship; and
     (xii) Development and demonstration of alternative management technologies designed to carry out the top two hazardous waste management priorities of RCW 70.105.150.
     (3) The following moneys shall be deposited into the local toxics control account: Those revenues which are raised by the tax imposed under RCW 82.21.030 and which are attributable to that portion of the rate equal to thirty-seven one-hundredths of one percent.
     (a) Moneys deposited in the local toxics control account shall be used by the department for grants or loans to local governments for the following purposes in descending order of priority: (i) Remedial actions; (ii) hazardous waste plans and programs under chapter 70.105 RCW; (iii) solid waste plans and programs under chapters 70.95, 70.95C, 70.95I, and 70.105 RCW; (iv) funds for a program to assist in the assessment and cleanup of sites of methamphetamine production, but not to be used for the initial containment of such sites, consistent with the responsibilities and intent of RCW 69.50.511; and (v) cleanup and disposal of hazardous substances from abandoned or derelict vessels that pose a threat to human health or the environment. For purposes of this subsection (3)(a)(v), "abandoned or derelict vessels" means vessels that have little or no value and either have no identified owner or have an identified owner lacking financial resources to clean up and dispose of the vessel. Funds for plans and programs shall be allocated consistent with the priorities and matching requirements established in chapters 70.105, 70.95C, 70.95I, and 70.95 RCW. During the 1999-2001 fiscal biennium, moneys in the account may also be used for the following activities: Conducting a study of whether dioxins occur in fertilizers, soil amendments, and soils; reviewing applications for registration of fertilizers; and conducting a study of plant uptake of metals. During the 2005-2007 fiscal biennium, the legislature may transfer from the local toxics control account to the state toxics control account such amounts as specified in the omnibus capital budget bill. During the 2005-2007 fiscal biennium, moneys in the account may also be used for grants to local governments to retrofit public sector diesel equipment and for storm water planning and implementation activities.
     (b) Funds may also be appropriated to the department of health to implement programs to reduce testing requirements under the federal safe drinking water act for public water systems. The department of health shall reimburse the account from fees assessed under RCW 70.119A.115 by June 30, 1995.
     (c) To expedite cleanups throughout the state, the department shall partner with local communities and liable parties for cleanups. The department is authorized to use the following additional strategies in order to ensure a healthful environment for future generations:
     (i) The director may alter grant-matching requirements to create incentives for local governments to expedite cleanups when one of the following conditions exists:
     (A) Funding would prevent or mitigate unfair economic hardship imposed by the clean-up liability;
     (B) Funding would create new substantial economic development, public recreational, or habitat restoration opportunities that would not otherwise occur; or
     (C) Funding would create an opportunity for acquisition and redevelopment of vacant, orphaned, or abandoned property under RCW 70.105D.040(5) that would not otherwise occur;
     (ii) The use of outside contracts to conduct necessary studies;
     (iii) The purchase of remedial action cost-cap insurance, when necessary to expedite multiparty clean-up efforts.
     (4) Except for unanticipated receipts under RCW 43.79.260 through 43.79.282, moneys in the state and local toxics control accounts may be spent only after appropriation by statute.
     (5) One percent of the moneys deposited into the state and local toxics control accounts shall be allocated only for public participation grants to persons who may be adversely affected by a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance and to not-for-profit public interest organizations. The primary purpose of these grants is to facilitate the participation by persons and organizations in the investigation and remedying of releases or threatened releases of hazardous substances and to implement the state's solid and hazardous waste management priorities. However, during the 1999-2001 fiscal biennium, funding may not be granted to entities engaged in lobbying activities, and applicants may not be awarded grants if their cumulative grant awards under this section exceed two hundred thousand dollars. No grant may exceed sixty thousand dollars. Grants may be renewed annually. Moneys appropriated for public participation from either account which are not expended at the close of any biennium shall revert to the state toxics control account.
     (6) No moneys deposited into either the state or local toxics control account may be used for solid waste incinerator feasibility studies, construction, maintenance, or operation.
     (7) The department shall adopt rules for grant or loan issuance and performance.
     (8) During the 2005-2007 fiscal biennium, the legislature may transfer from the state toxics control account to the water quality account such amounts as reflect the excess fund balance of the fund.