1087-S.E AMS SCHO GODW 045

ESHB 1087 - S AMD TO S COMM AMD (S2838.3) 371

By Senators Schoesler, Hatfield, Rockefeller

ADOPTED 04/18/2011

    On page 97, after line 2, insert

    "New Section. Sec. 312. For the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Ecology, and the State Conservation Commission

    (1) The directors of the department of agriculture, the department of ecology, and the conservation commission shall coordinate a process to examine the issue of achieving the state's water quality objectives relating to livestock operations. The directors shall determine what personnel are assigned to this activity and may provide oversight to the process. In implementing this process, the directors shall involve representatives of involved agencies, stakeholders, and tribes. The topics to be considered include:

    (a) The appropriate background and training for personnel that conduct inspections of and provide technical assistance to livestock operators and whether personnel need to be specifically trained and assigned to serve this function;

    (b) The roles and relationships between technical assistance, inspection, and enforcement, and the concept of customer service;

    (c) The use, availability, and limitations of DNA testing as a water quality diagnosis tool and the recommendation of water quality testing protocols needed for livestock operations investigations;

    (d) The availability and constraints of state and federal programs for planning, installation, maintenance of conservation and pollution control practices, and review of alternative practices;

    (e) The extent of known water quality problems relating to livestock operations;   

    (f) Best methods to achieve state water quality objectives in the context of a system that includes both regulatory and incentive-based approaches;

    (g) A review of considerations used to determine water quality standards, including those applicable to the shellfish industry; and

    (h) The availability of state and federal funding and whether it is being appropriately allocated.

    (2) The directors identified in subsection (1) of this section shall develop recommendations for the administration and improvement of the program, including recommendations on the use of DNA technology. The directors shall provide a written summary of the activities and recommendations to the legislature and the governor by December 1, 2011.

    (3) The activities under this section must be completed to the extent feasible from within existing fiscal resources available to the involved state agencies.

    (4) This section expires December 31, 2011."

EFFECT:  Requires the department of agriculture, the state conservation commission and the department of ecology to collaborate for a process and report about water quality activities as they related to livestock operations. The report shall be provided to the Legislature by December 31, 2011. 

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