We wanted to update you on progress toward revising the rules in Chapter 173-350 WAC – Solid Waste Handling Standards.
Outcome of July Meetings
More than a hundred stakeholders attended three meetings across the state in July. The purpose of the meetings was to inform stakeholders about possible changes, and why, and to generate discussion. Participants raised good questions, and helped the agency identify aspects of the draft rule needing more consideration. As a result, lead staff are already working on some changes to the draft rule.
Updated Web Site
There have been some important updates on our web pages. If you need a refresher, or were unable to attend the meetings there is a way for you to learn more about the rule. We have added video clips and pdfs of individual presentations from the Lacey meeting to our public involvement page. You can choose your area of interest in order to make the best use of your time.
We have also posted a revised version of the draft rule to our documents page. The new version reflects errors noted in the draft that were corrected following the meetings. Errors to date are generally minor. There were several corrections in new section 995 – Soil and sediment screening levels, which is used in conjunction with new section 235 – Soil and sediment criteria and use. Some threshold levels and footnotes for chromium, lead, and molybdenum were corrected, and additional information was added in the reference portion following the criteria table. These are detailed in the errata sheet included with the revised draft. If you find any errors in the draft rule, please let us know.
Next Steps
We will be evaluating any comments we receive by early September. We have asked for comments from stakeholders by September 6. Ecology plans to move forward with drafting formal rule revisions this fall, and we hope to make a formal rule proposal later this year or early in 2017. The formal proposal will include public hearings and an additional comment period before and after the hearings. We are continuing to work with stakeholders to improve rule language in the interim.
As always, this ListServ remains the best source of information for updates on rule development. If you know others who may be interested, please forward this message. Anyone can subscribe or manage their subscription from the log in – registration page.
The Department sincerely thanks those who made the effort and could take time to attend the informational meetings. We look forward to hearing from anyone who has comments on the preliminary draft rule. If you have questions about the rule process or where to direct questions, please send email to w2rrulemaking@ecy.wa.gov or phone 360-407-6559.
Thank you!
Kyle Dorsey
Rules & Policy Specialist
Waste 2 Resources Program
Washington State Department of Ecology
PO Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
360-407-6559