This bill requires the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to relocate the Bob Oke game farm (a pheasant-rearing facility in Lewis County) to a new site that won't risk contaminating municipal or residential drinking water supplies. It mandates hydrogeologic assessments of candidate locations, consultation with local communities and water utilities, and a relocation plan due by December 2026. The farm must move fully by 2029, with interim measures like reduced bird populations and expanded manure disposal to minimize groundwater contamination during transition. The bill directly affects the game farm's operations, state agencies managing it, and nearby residents whose private wells have exceeded federal nitrate limits.
HB 2516 places a two-year moratorium (January 2027-December 2028) on the use of anticoagulant rodenticides and rodenticides containing bromethalin, prohibiting their sale and application except for limited emergencies like drinking water protection or disease control. The bill requires the Washington State Academy of Sciences to study rodenticide impacts on wildlife and research safer alternatives, with findings due by December 2028. This directly affects pest control professionals, property managers, and agricultural operations that currently use these chemicals. The moratorium expires June 30, 2029, unless extended by future legislation.
HB 2343 requires publicly owned game farms in Washington (like those operated by the Department of Fish and Wildlife) to obtain water quality permits under the state's concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) program, which they currently avoid. It mandates these facilities to implement specific manure pollution prevention plans, groundwater monitoring, and reporting protocols - similar to private farms - when housing over 5,000 game birds. The bill explicitly includes pheasants and similar game birds in CAFO regulations and ensures public facilities meet the same water quality standards as private operations to prevent nitrate contamination of drinking water wells. This aligns public game farm management with existing environmental protections for private agricultural operations.
HB 2279 requires Washington's Department of Agriculture to evaluate the use of PFAS chemicals (known as "forever chemicals") in agricultural fertilizers and pesticides. By December 2026, the department must establish criteria to assess these chemicals, and starting in December 2027, it will review new fertilizer and pesticide registrations against these standards. Products containing PFAS that fail to meet the criteria may be refused or canceled for registration. This directly affects fertilizer and pesticide manufacturers, as well as farmers who rely on these agricultural products. The bill does not ban PFAS outright but creates a new review process for future product registrations.
SB 6088 requires publicly owned game farms (like those operated by Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife) to obtain permits under the state's concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) program, which they were previously exempt from. This applies specifically to facilities raising pheasants or similar game birds, now explicitly included in CAFO regulations. The bill mandates these public facilities to implement manure management plans with runoff controls, dead animal protocols, and groundwater monitoring to prevent nitrate pollution in drinking water wells. It directly affects state-run game farms by aligning their environmental regulations with private agricultural operations to protect public water quality.
HB 2668 requires the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to relocate the Bob Oke game farm - a pheasant rearing facility in Lewis County - from its current site to a new location that won’t risk contaminating municipal or residential drinking water supplies. The bill mandates the department to identify a suitable alternate site by December 2026, conduct environmental assessments to avoid groundwater contamination, and develop a relocation plan with cost estimates and timelines for state budget consideration. It also requires remediation of the current site to stop nitrate leaching from manure, restore groundwater quality, and prepare the land for future use, with funding requests submitted in upcoming state budget cycles. The measure directly affects the department, local water utilities, and residents relying on wells in the Fords Prairie area.
HB 1690 requires Washington's Department of Ecology and Department of Health to jointly conduct a comprehensive assessment of the state's water and sewer systems by June 2027. The assessment will identify critical infrastructure gaps, analyze upgrade costs, and evaluate funding options to address issues like aging systems, septic maintenance challenges, and water quality concerns affecting public health. It directly impacts local governments, water utilities, and residents in communities facing infrastructure limitations, particularly in urban growth areas and small towns. The bill mandates gathering data from cities, counties, health boards, and utilities to inform recommendations for protecting environmental resources and supporting economic development. This assessment aims to provide a data-driven foundation for future investments in water and sewer infrastructure.
SB 5635 streamlines approval for alternative on-site sewage systems (like advanced treatment units) by requiring local health officers to respond to permit applications within 30 days, provide written justification for denials or delays, and avoid arbitrary limits on such systems. It specifically mandates approval for alternative systems near water bodies with established phosphorus limits if they meet state treatment standards and won't violate water quality rules. The bill directly affects property owners, developers, and local governments managing septic permits, aiming to reduce water pollution from outdated systems while ensuring public health protections. It does not alter existing septic system regulations but clarifies local officials' responsibilities for reviewing modern alternatives.
HB 2010 creates a state grant program to help public water systems in economically distressed communities fix unsafe drinking water infrastructure. Eligible systems must be located in distressed areas and fail to meet current state drinking water standards. The program provides grants covering capital costs for building, repairing, or redesigning water systems, requiring applicants to first secure a planning grant or submit construction documents. Projects will be prioritized based on water quality issues and financial need, with applications due by 2026 and funding requests starting in 2027.
Senate Bill 5033 establishes requirements for sampling and testing biosolids for PFAS chemicals in Washington state. It directs the Department of Ecology to issue guidance on PFAS sampling for facilities that generate biosolids by July 2026. These facilities will then be required to conduct quarterly PFAS chemical testing of their biosolids from January 2027 to June 2028, submitting the results to the department. Septic tank sludge is excluded from these specific sampling requirements. Based on the collected data, the Department of Ecology must report to the legislature by July 2029 with a summary of PFAS levels and recommendations for future actions.
