Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research | BILL ANALYSIS |
Environment Committee |
SSB 6027
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
Brief Description: Concerning publicly owned industrial wastewater treatment facilities.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Environment (originally sponsored by Senator Honeyford).
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
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Hearing Date: 2/17/12
Staff: Anna Jackson (786-7194).
Background:
Under state law, the Department of Ecology (DOE) is authorized to make grants or loans for water pollution control facilities and activities to any state agency, local government, conservation district, or other political subdivision, municipal corporation, quasi-municipal corporation, or federally recognized tribe [RCW 70.146.030]. A water pollution control facility is defined as any facility or system for the control, collection, storage, treatment, disposal, or recycling of wastewater, including sanitary sewage, storm water, residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural wastes that are causing water quality degradation due to concentrations of pollutants [RCW 70.146.020(8)].
In addition, the DOE administers the state Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund, which was created to receive federal capitalization grants to provide financial assistance to the state and local governments for the planning, design, acquisition, construction, and improvement of water pollution control facilities and related activities in the achievement of state and federal water pollution control requirements for the protection of the state's waters [RCW 90.50A.005].
Currently, publicly-owned industrial wastewater treatment facilities are ineligible for these funding programs, unless the project under consideration is shown to directly benefit residential ratepayers. The use of state funds for publicly-owned facilities serving industrial wastewater is not authorized by the DOE's policies and rules, with priority instead given for funding publicly-owned residential wastewater treatment facilities.
Summary of Bill:
The DOE is authorized to provide loans to publicly-owned industrial wastewater treatment facilities that relieve a city of the burden of processing industrial wastewater.
The DOE is authorized to use moneys in the Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund to make loans for the planning, design, and construction of publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities, including publicly-owned industrial wastewater treatment facilities that relieve a city of the burden of processing industrial wastewater.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.