§ 70.105E.090. Advisory board -- Public involvement -- Funding
(1) At any site or facility at which there has been a release of mixed wastes, permits issued under chapter 70.105 RCW for mixed waste facilities shall provide for the operation and funding of a broadly representative advisory board. The board shall be composed of representatives chosen by: Potentially affected tribes; regional and statewide citizen groups with an established record of concern regarding human health or the environment impacted or potentially impacted by releases from the site; local groups concerned with health and resource impacts; local governments; and the state of Oregon if that state may be, or has been, impacted by the release or threatened release of waste. Such permits shall specify that the advisory board be continued with adequate funding, provided by the owner or operator of the site, to perform its chartered functions until final closure or certification of the completion of remedial or corrective action.
(2) The department shall request the advisory board created or maintained at a facility pursuant to this section to advise it on procedural and substantive matters necessary for informed public comment. The department shall formally consider and respond to any comments from the advisory board regarding exposure scenarios prior to issuing any decision on a remedial, corrective, or closure action.
(3) The department shall base planning for its own oversight and permitting functions utilizing an assumption that mixed waste facility service charges established pursuant to RCW 70.105.280 should not be less than one percent of the first two hundred million dollars of the estimated annual site clean-up budget for the coming year, and one-half of one percent of the estimated annual site clean-up budget above that level. If the department determines that a lower or higher level of service charges is necessary to support its oversight and public involvement functions, then it shall seek comment from any advisory committee established for the site, and from the public, regarding the appropriate level of support.
(4)(a) Due to the complexity of issues involving mixed waste storage, treatment and disposal facilities, at such facilities, the department shall make available annual local government and public participation grants for both: (i) Assistance in public review of mixed waste permit, closure, and clean-up decisions; and, (ii) review of, and public comment on, site budgets, compliance costs and funding priorities. Public participation grants pursuant to this section shall be provided as determined by the criteria adopted by the department pursuant to RCW 70.105D.070(5). Local government grants pursuant to this section shall be made available to either a local government or a coalition of local governments. Grants under this section may be renewed annually at a level two times that permitted under RCW 70.105D.070(5), and shall not be subject to annual appropriation by the legislature.
(b) Local government and public participation grants established under this chapter shall be funded through the state toxics control account, by charging an applicant or permit holder a mixed waste surcharge added to the service charge established by RCW 70.105.280. This surcharge shall be collected and administered consistent with the procedures and requirements established in this section and RCW 70.105.280 to ensure adequate public and local government involvement. This mixed waste surcharge shall be no less than fifteen one-hundredths of one percent of the first two hundred million dollars of annual site budget for all related clean-up activities, of which five one-hundredths of one percent shall be available for grants to local government. The mixed waste surcharge for public and local government participation grants shall be five one-hundredths of one percent of the portion of any estimated annual site clean-up budget exceeding two hundred million dollars. Any unused mixed waste surcharges assessed under this section shall remain in the state toxics control account established pursuant to chapter 70.105D RCW, and shall be utilized to reduce the mixed waste surcharge assessed the owner or operator of the facility in future years.
(5) For federal facilities with releases of mixed wastes or hazardous substances owned or operated [by] a federal agency, such as Hanford, the annual site clean-up budget shall be determined by the department, for purposes of this section, based upon the greater of the congressional budget request or appropriations of the federal government for activities at the site related to cleanup or waste management. If the appropriation amount for a fiscal year exceeds the congressional budget request, the department shall adjust the assessment of the mixed waste surcharge within thirty days of final enactment of the appropriation.
[2005 c 1 § 9 (Initiative Measure No. 297, approved November 2, 2004).]
Notes:
Reviser's note: Initiative Measure No. 297 was declared unconstitutional in its entirety in United States of America, et al. v. Manning, et al., U.S.D.C. No. CV-04-5128-AAM (E.D. Wash. 2006).
Sections: Previous 70.105E.010 70.105E.020 70.105E.030 70.105E.040 70.105E.050 70.105E.060 70.105E.070 70.105E.080 70.105E.090 70.105E.100 70.105E.900 70.105E.901 70.105E.902 Next
Last modified: April 7, 2009