Natural Resources Committee Report – Week 5, 2018

SSB 3068 – Fees allowed under Land Recycling Program administered by DNR.

COMMITTEE ACTION:

SSB 3068 increases fees the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) can collect under the Land Recycling Program (LRP) from up to $7,500 to up to $25,000. Site developers who voluntarily enroll in the LRP pay the fees. The increase will allow DNR to recoup more of the costs they incur from the program. Almost half of the sites issued certificates through the LRP program exceed the existing fee cap, so approximately $30,000 per year must be covered by the DNR’s Hazardous Waste Remedial Fund. Very few projects would exceed the new fee cap level.

The Land Recycling Program allows site developers to receive the state “sign-off” on the completion of a site cleanup. Upon DNR review and verification of the cleanup process, the developer is issued a “No Further Action” certificate, which helps them prove that known environmental contamination issues have been sufficiently addressed. This adds value to the site for future development opportunities. Fees collected by the DNR in association with the site development are limited to actual costs incurred for services rendered by the DNR, and are a small part of the overall costs environmental cleanup. This increase is unlikely to impact a company’s decision to participate in the program.
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