Referred to the Senate Agriculture, Water & Rural Economic Development Committee on January 18, 2017
Substitute offered in the Senate on February 9, 2017
Ensures that water is available to support development by revising the law that was under review by the state supreme court in Whatcom County v. Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board (No. 91475-3, October 6, 2016), also known as the Hirst opinion, to make certain that prospective application of the law is not controlled by the Hirst opinion.
Referred to the Senate Ways & Means Committee on February 10, 2017
Substitute offered in the Senate on February 23, 2017
Removes the requirement that Ecology must establish a mitigation program to mitigate the cumulative impacts of domestic groundwater withdrawals in areas where Ecology has adopted a minimum flow or minimum level rule, and the rule is being applied to prohibit groundwater withdrawals.
Referred to the Senate Rules Committee on February 24, 2017
Amendment offered by Sen. Judy Warnick (Grant) (R) on February 28, 2017
Clarifies that evidence of potable water for a building permit may include a water well report for a permit-exempt groundwater withdrawal that is not prohibited by applicable water resources management rules adopted by the department of ecology, not specifically rules adopted under chapter 90.54 RCW.
The amendment passed by voice vote in the Senate on February 28, 2017