The Washington Department of Ecology is updating the hazardous waste fee regulations that apply to the roughly 400 businesses in the state required to complete pollution prevention plans.
The total amount collected by the fee, currently about $2 million annually, comes from a formula set in statute and would not change through this rulemaking. Facilities in the state that report toxic releases and that generate 2,640 pounds of hazardous waste per year – or that meet certain other criteria – are subject to the fee. Each facility’s portion is based on the amount of emissions reported and how much hazardous waste is generated.
The proposed changes to the regulation would codify the agency’s existing practices for calculating how much each facility pays by excluding some types of waste from the fee calculations, and would also update the definition of the inflation measure used to calculate the overall fee.
Comments will be accepted on the proposed changes until Jan. 23. Ecology is holding a combined public hearing and webinar on the proposed changes at 10 a.m. Jan. 4 at the Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, Wash.
Review proposed changes
- Ecology’s website
- By appointment – 300 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, WA 98503; contact John Ridgway, 360-407-6713, or email hwtrrulemaking@ecy.wa.gov
- Watch a previously recorded informational webinar held Sept. 8, 2016 (Video no longer available - 2/12/2019.)
Public hearing and webinar
- 10 a.m. Wednesday Jan. 4, 2017 Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey, WA 98503
- Sign up for the webinar
Submit comments
- Email hwtrrulemaking@ecy.wa.gov
- By mail: Hazardous Waste Fee Regulation, c/o John Ridgway, HWTR, Department of Ecology, PO Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600
- Fax 360-407-6715