A 1988 citizens' initiative requires that fees for permits cover the costs of operating Ecology's program for administering wastewater-discharge permits. Ecology is now proposing adjustments in the fees so it can spend the money the Legislature appropriated for managing the permit program for the next two years. Ecology will hold eight public workshops to discuss the proposed amendments to the permit-fee rule. Ecology is proposing an increase in fees that will allow us to keep up with growing work demands and costs and better protect clean water in Washington. The workshops are one of the first steps in making changes to the permit fees.
Ecology hopes to get comments and advice from people at the workshops on the following issues.
Increasing fees for fiscal years 2000 and 2001 to fund services such as permit writing, inspections and technical assistance. Using an automatic fiscal-year fee change without a rule amendment process. Streamlining the fee collection system by eliminating prorated fees for terminated permits and issuing refunds that are more costly to administer than the refund itself. Creating some new fee categories such as portable asphalt batch plants, portable concrete batch plants and portable rock crushing operations. The legislature determines Ecology's operating budget.