Ecology has received inquiries about the possibility of extending the comment period on the draft rule beyond September 6th. It is necessary to move forward now so that the rest of the rulemaking pieces can fall into place. It is important to remember that the draft rule released to stakeholders at the end of June was not a formal rule proposal. The workshops held in July were intended to give stakeholders an understanding of the changes we are considering, and to generate discussion based on the draft rule.
We received some really good feedback during the workshops. We are hoping that stakeholders will follow through with constructive comments. There will be another opportunity for review and comments when an actual proposed rule is released. That is a more formal process that will include hearings and the opportunity to testify, if desired. We will do our best to consider all comments on the draft rule, including those that arrive after September 6. Based on stakeholder feedback, it is clear that we have some work to do on the draft we shared before we can consider making a formal rule proposal. We are continuing to work with stakeholders as we make those changes.
The best way to remain informed about the rule process is to sign up for our Solid Waste Handling ListServ. If you receive this message directly, you are a member already. If you know someone who may be interested, please forward this message to them.
You can find details on this rulemaking, including videos and information shared at recent workshops on our web pages:
- For an overview of this rulemaking activity, go to http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/rules/wac173350/1308ov.html
- To view available documents (including the rule text and focus sheets) for this rulemaking activity, go to http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/rules/wac173350/1308docs.html
- For more information on the workshops, including videos and handouts go to http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/rules/wac173350/1308inv.html
Please submit comments to w2rrulemaking@ecy.wa.gov. Thank you for continuing interest and participation in this rulemaking process.