(1) The department shall establish annual fees to collect expenses for issuing and administering biosolids permits under this chapter. An initial fee schedule shall be established by rule and shall be adjusted no more often than once every two years. This fee schedule applies to all permits, regardless of date of issuance, and fees shall be assessed prospectively. Fees shall be established in amounts to recover expenses incurred by the department in processing permit applications and modifications, reviewing related plans and documents, monitoring, evaluating, conducting inspections, overseeing performance of delegated program elements, providing technical assistance and supporting overhead expenses that are directly related to these activities.
(2) The annual fee paid by a permittee for any permit issued under this chapter shall be determined by the number of residences or residential equivalents contributing to the permittee's biosolids management system. If residences or residential equivalents cannot be determined or reasonably estimated, fees shall be based on other appropriate criteria.
(3) The biosolids permit account is created in the state treasury. All receipts from fees under this section must be deposited into the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation. Expenditures from the account may be used only for the purposes of administering permits under this chapter.
(4) The department shall make available on the website information on fees collected, actual expenses incurred, and anticipated expenses for the current and following fiscal years.
(5) The department shall work with the regulated community and local health departments to study the feasibility of modifying the fee schedule to support delegated local health departments and reduce local health department fees paid by biosolids permittees.
[ 2014 c 76 § 7; 1997 c 398 § 1. Formerly RCW 70.95J.025.]