Statutory Authority: RCW
43.20.050(2)
SBOH Contact: Ned Therien, 360-236-4103
DOH Contact: Ron
Wohrle, 360-236-3369
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Drinking Water Laboratory Certification
The Board's
chapter 246-390 WAC, Drinking Water Laboratories,
and the Department of Ecology’s
chapter 173-50 WAC on environmental laboratory
certification overlap. The Board filed a CR-101 in
November 2006 to consider a revision to its rule,
primarily to remove duplication with Ecology’s rule.
CR-101 filed on November 13, 2006 as
WSR-06-23-077.
Statutory Authority:
RCW 43.20.050
SBOH Contact:
Ned Therien, 360-236-4103
DOH
Contact:
Theresa Phillips, 360-236-3147
Food Service
The Board adopted
comprehensive revisions to the food service regulations,
Chapter 246-215 WAC, in September 2004. For
more information, visit the
DOH Rule Development Web Site. The Department will
be meeting with stakeholders in 2009 to solicit input
about whether to ask the Board to open the rule for
consideration of updating provisions to correspond with
the most recent FDA Food Code, which is expected to be
published by FDA in mid-2009.
Statutory Authority:
RCW 43.20.050
SBOH Contact:
Ned Therien, 360-236-4103
DOH Contact: Dave
Gifford, 360-236-3074
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Human Remains
The Board adopted
amendments to chapter
246-490 WAC, Vital Statistics, and a new
chapter 246-500 WAC, Handling of Human Remains, in
July 2006. This rule revision makes the Board’s rules
consistent with 2005 changes in laws for funeral
directors resulting from the passage of
Substitute Senate Bill 5752. Other goals of the rule
changes are to provide regulatory flexibility that
respects cultural and religious mourning practices;
update the rule language for clarity; and provide
authority for local health officers to add provisions or
suspend provisions during emergency situations.
-
CR-103 filed August 23, 2006 as
WSR 06-17-182
Statutory Authority:
RCW 43.20.050
SBOH Contact:
Ned Therien, 360-236-4103
DOH Contact:
Philip Freeman, 360-236-4330
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Onsite
Sewage Systems: Smaller
The Board adopted
comprehensive revisions to
chapter 246-272 WAC in July 2005, which became
completely effective in July 2007. The Department of
Health briefed the Board on the implementation of this
rule chapter in October 2007.
http://www.sboh.wa.gov/Meetings/2007/10-10/materials.htm
In September 2005, the
Board adopted an emergency rule revising the protocol
for bacteriologic testing of treatment devices and
delegated rule making to the Department of Health on
that date for a "permanent" revision of
WAC 246-272A-0130 for this provision.
-
Emergency rule CR-103 filed September 15, 2005 as WSR 05-19-047
-
Permanent rule CR-103 filed December 12, 2005 as WSR 06-01-020
In 2004, the Board filed a CR-101 for the combination
activities of revising rules for large on-site sewage
systems and developing a rule for septic tank
construction standards. In 2006, the Board filed a
CR-101 to develop a new chapter 246-272C WAC for septic
tank design and construction standards. In May 2007, the
Department released a draft guidance document that will
serve as the basis for further development of a septic
tank rule proposal. For additional information, visit
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/WW/tanks/tanks-rap.htm.
In the 2007 legislative session, the Board’s authority
for adopting rules for large on-site systems was
transferred to the Department.
In March 2006, the Board received a petition for rule
making from the Lt. Governor and members of the Select
Committee on Hood Canal regarding approving aerobic
bacteria generator proprietary technology for
remediation of drainfields. The Board asked the
Department to initiate development of a rule, but to
expand the scope to include all types of technologies
that might be used to remediate drainfields. In July
2007, the Department distributed Recommended Standards
and Guidance for Performance, Application, Design, and
Operation and Maintenance Proprietary On-site Wastewater
Treatment Products as an interim measure to development
of proposed rules.
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/WW/Proprietary_8-29-07.pdf
Statutory Authority:
RCW 43.20.050
SBOH Contact:
Ned Therien, 360-236-4103
DOH Contact:
Maryanne Guichard, 360-236-3391
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Onsite Wastewater Sewage Systems:
Large
Comprehensive revisions to
Chapter 246-272B WAC are being developed by the
Department of Health. The Board’s authority for the
rules was transferred to the Department in the 2007
legislative session.
Statutory Authority:
RCW 43.20.050
SBOH Contact:
Ned Therien, 360-236-4103
DOH Contact:
Maryanne Guichard, 360-236-3391
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Primary and Secondary School Environmental Health and
Safety
Chapter 246-366 WAC is the Board’s environmental
health and safety rule for primary and secondary
schools. The Board initiated a rule revision in October
2004. The Department convened a School Rule Development
Committee (SRDC) to provide advice on rule changes. The
committee included representatives from public health,
school agencies and organizations, parent/teacher
associations, parents, and school staff. The SRDC
recommendations were considered by the Department in
developing a first draft rule revision proposal,
released in March 2006, and a second draft, released in
August 2007. The Department and Board received much
public comment on the drafts and possible costs. The
Board formed another stakeholder workgroup called the
School Rule Revision Team (SRRT) with similar
representation, which met 6 times from April to June
2008 to help standardize assumptions about proposed rule
provisions. A completed rule proposal was filed July 23,
2008. The Board received public testimony at rule
hearings on August 27 and September 10, 2008. It
deliberated about adopting the rule on October 8, 2008
but decided to delay a vote on rule adoption to a future
meeting, not later than June 2009. In June 2009 the
Board directed staff to file a supplemental proposal for
the rule, which was done on July 1, 2009.
On
August 12, 2009, the Board adopted an
amended, blended version of the alternatives in the
supplemental rule proposal,
as recommended by the Board's Environmental Health
Committee. Existing chapter 246-366 WAC will remain in
place until superseded by new provisions of chapter
246-366A WAC. The Board's Executive Director will file a
rule order (CR103) by the end of 2009 indicating an
effective date of July 1, 2010. This order could be
amended before July 1, 2010 to delay the effective date
of all or some of the new sections, depending on the
status of legislative restrictions and funding to public
schools for new or amended rule provisions.
Board activities:
Statutory Authority:
RCW 43.20.050
SBOH Contact:
Ned Therien, 360-236-4103
DOH Contact:
Nancy Bernard, 360-236-3072, or
Mark Soltman, 360-236-3366
More information about
this rule revision available.
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Public Water
Supplies: Group A
The Board has rules for
large public water supply systems in
chapter 246-290 WAC. The Board received a request
from the Department of Health in 2007 for delegation to
revise this rule chapter to adopt new US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) provisions for groundwater
source protection. The Board had already delegated
authority to the Department to revise these rules to be
consistent with the 2003 Municipal Water Law and to
adopt the Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment
Rule as required by EPA. The Department of Health has
formally adopted the Municipal Water Law, Planning and
Engineering portions of chapter 246-290 (WAC) to be
consistent with the 2003 Municipal Water Law. At the
same time, it adopted the federal Long Term 2 Enhanced
Surface Water Treatment Rule (also known as LT2), and
made minor technical modifications to the rule to
correct errors and clarify requirements. The Department
is currently developing a proposed rule to adopt the EPA
groundwater provisions.
Statutory Authority:
RCW
43.20.050
SBOH
Contact:
Ned Therien,
360-236-4103
DOH
Contact:
Theresa Phillips, 360-236-3147 or
Michelle K.
Austin, 360-236-3156
More information is
available about this rule revision at:
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/our_main_pages/regula.htm.
Public Water
Systems: Group B
Statutory Authority:
RCW 43.20.050
SBOH Contact:
Ned Therien, 360-236-4103
DOH Contact:
Theresa
Phillips, 360-236-3147
More information about this
rule revision is available at:
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/groupb.htm
For additional information
about arsenic in drinking water, please go to the DOH
Web page at
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/dw/our_main_pages/arsenic.htm
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Transient Accommodations
The Board adopted revisions to
chapter 246-360 WAC, the rules for transient
accommodations, in September 2004. The possibility of
regulating homeless shelters separately was discussed
with stakeholders during this process. The Board
initiated formal consideration of special rules for
homeless shelters in 2007.
Statutory Authority:
RCW 43.20.050 and
Chapter 70.62 RCW
SBOH Contact:
Ned Therien, 360-236-4103
DOH Contact:
Shannon
Walker, 360-236-2933
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Water Recreation Facilities
The Board has rules for
water recreation facilities in
Chapter 246-260 WAC
and
Chapter 246-262 WAC.
In November 2008, the Board was briefed by the
Department on implementation of the rules and some
inconsistency with the federal
Virginia Graham
Baker Act regarding pool and spa drain safety. The
Department may recommend that the water recreation rules
be opened for possible revisions in 2009.
Statutory Authority:
RCW 43.20.050
and
Chapter 70.90 RCW
SBOH Contact:
Ned Therien, 360-236-4103
DOH Contact:
Vicki Bouvier, 360-236-3011
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Zoonotic
Diseases
The Board filed a CR-101 in
April 2007 to initiate a revision of its rules (WAC
246-100-191 and
246-100-201) to help prevent the transmission of
diseases of pet animals to humans, particularly rabies
and psittacosis. The Board identified the need to
update these rules in its 2004 report, Zoonotic
Diseases and Exotic Pets: A Public Health Policy
Analysis.
The Department has formed
an interagency workgroup to gain input on developing
concepts for a rule revision proposal.
Statutory Authority: RCW
43.20.050(2)
and
RCW 16.70.040(1).
SBOH Contact: Ned
Therien, 360-236-4103
DOH Contact: Dorothy
Tibbitts, 360-236-3361
More information about this
rule revision is available at:
http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/ts/Zoo/rulerrevision.html
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