This bill seeks to repeal the pollution prevention planning requirements established in chapter 70A.214 RCW, which was originally intended to reduce hazardous waste generation but has since been deemed obsolete and overly administrative. The legislature aims to alleviate unnecessary costs for businesses and the Department of Ecology by removing these requirements. Key amendments are made to various sections of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), including the deletion of references to the now-repealed chapter 70A.214, which will streamline the regulatory framework for hazardous waste management. The bill also modifies the fee structure for hazardous waste generators and clarifies the allocation of collected funds towards relevant environmental programs.

In addition to repealing outdated statutes, the bill introduces new requirements for metals mining and milling operations, mandating pollution prevention measures for tailings facilities and waste rock management plans. It emphasizes citizen involvement in monitoring water sampling related to these operations and establishes a framework for funding local governments in environmental initiatives, including cleanup activities for contaminated sites and toxic air pollutant reduction programs. The bill also allows the Department of Ecology to provide grants and loans for remedial actions and outlines strategies for expediting cleanups, while allocating funds from the model toxics control capital account to assist local governments in wildfire aftermath efforts, such as hazardous materials testing and debris removal.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 70A.15.2280, 70A.218.020, 70A.218.040, 70A.218.050, 43.17.240, 70A.218.070, 70A.300.350, 78.56.100