HB 2634

This bill addresses contamination at Washington State's commercial radioactive waste disposal facility, which is leaking radioactive and chemical substances into soil and groundwater that flows to the Columbia River. The legislation establishes that companies and entities who contributed waste to this unlined landfill are strictly liable for cleanup costs under the state's Model Toxics Control Act, and requires that cleanup standards incorporate tribal exposure scenarios when contamination affects treaty-protected lands and resources of federally recognized tribes, specifically the Yakama Nation and Umatilla tribes. The bill also appears to set requirements for fees on radioactive waste generators and approval processes for new waste sources before disposal, while recognizing the state's ultimate responsibility for remediation of the site located on the Hanford nuclear reservation.