Section 70.105D.170. Environmental legacy stewardship account.

(1) The environmental legacy stewardship account is created in the state treasury. Beginning July 1, 2013, and every fiscal year thereafter, the annual amount received from the tax imposed by RCW 82.21.030 that exceeds one hundred forty million dollars must be deposited into the environmental legacy stewardship account. The state treasurer may make periodic deposits into the environmental legacy stewardship account based on forecasted revenue. Moneys in the account may only be spent after appropriation.

(2) Moneys in the environmental legacy stewardship account may be spent on:

(a) Grants or loans to local governments for performance and outcome-based projects, model remedies, demonstration projects, procedures, contracts, and project management and oversight that result in significant reductions in the time to complete compared to baseline averages;

(b) Purposes authorized under RCW 70.105D.070 (3) and (4);

(c) Grants or loans awarded through a competitive grant program administered by the department to fund design and construction of low-impact development retrofit projects and other high quality projects that reduce storm water pollution from existing infrastructure. The competitive grant program must apply criteria to review, rank, and prioritize projects for funding based on their water quality benefits, ecological benefits, and effectiveness at reducing environmental degradation; and

(d) Cleanup and disposal of hazardous substances from abandoned or derelict vessels, defined for the purposes of this section as vessels that have little or no value and either have no identified owner or have an identified owner lacking financial resources to clean up and dispose of the vessel, that pose a threat to human health or the environment.

(3) Except as provided under RCW 70.105D.070(3) (k) and (q), nothing in chapter 1, Laws of 2013 2nd sp. sess. expands the ability of a potentially liable person to receive public funding.

(4) Moneys in the environmental legacy stewardship account may also be used as follows:

(a) During the 2013-2015 fiscal biennia, shoreline update technical assistance and for local government shoreline master program update grants;

(b) During the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium, solid and hazardous waste compliance at the department of corrections;

(c) During the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium, activities at the department of fish and wildlife concerning water quality monitoring, hatchery water quality regulatory compliance, and technical assistance to local governments on growth management and shoreline management;

(d) During the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium, forest practices regulation and aquatic land investigation and cleanup activities at the department of natural resources.

(5) For the 2013-2015 fiscal biennium, moneys in the environmental legacy stewardship account may be transferred to the local toxics control account.

[ 2013 2nd sp.s. c 28 § 1; 2013 2nd sp.s. c 19 § 7042; 2013 2nd sp.s. c 4 § 991; 2013 2nd sp.s. c 1 § 10.]

NOTES:

Reviser's note: This section was amended by 2013 2nd sp.s. c 4 § 991, 2013 2nd sp.s. c 19 § 7042, and by 2013 2nd sp.s. c 28 § 1, each without reference to the other. All amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section under RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1).

Effective date—2013 2nd sp.s. c 19: See note following RCW 43.34.080.

Effective dates—2013 2nd sp.s. c 4: See note following RCW 2.68.020.

Findings—Intent—Effective date—2013 2nd sp.s. c 1: See notes following RCW 70.105D.020.

2013 2nd sp.s. c 28 § 1; 2013 2nd sp.s. c 19 § 7042; 2013 2nd sp.s. c 4 § 991; 2013 2nd sp.s. c 1 § 10.