SSB 5723 -
By Senator Schoesler
NOT CONSIDERED 05/25/2011
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (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."
SSB 5723 -
By Senator Schoesler
NOT CONSIDERED 05/25/2011
On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "operations;" strike "amending RCW 90.48.144;"
EFFECT: Removes provision that prior to imposing a civil penalty for a water quality violation to a livestock operation as a nonpoint source, the department of ecology must have received certain testing results. Adds the following to the topics to examine for livestock operations: (a) The recommendation of water quality testing protocols needed for livestock operations investigation; and (b) recommendations on the use of DNA technology.