There is hereby created the hazardous substance information and education office. Through this office the department shall:

     (1) Facilitate access to existing information on hazardous substances within a community;

     (2) Request and obtain information about hazardous substances at specified locations and facilities from agencies that regulate those locations and facilities. The department shall review, approve, and provide confidentiality as provided by statute. Upon request of the department, each agency shall provide the information within forty-five days;

     (3) At the request of citizens or public health or public safety organizations, compile existing information about hazardous substance use at specified locations and facilities. This information shall include but not be limited to:

     (a) Point and nonpoint air and water emissions;

     (b) Extremely hazardous, moderate risk wastes and dangerous wastes as defined in chapter 70.105 RCW produced, used, stored, transported from, or disposed of by any facility;

     (c) A list of the hazardous substances present at a given site and data on their acute and chronic health and environmental effects;

     (d) Data on governmental pesticide use at a given site;

     (e) Data on commercial pesticide use at a given site if such data is only given to individuals who are chemically sensitive; and

     (f) Compliance history of any facility.

     (4) Provide education to the public on the proper production, use, storage, and disposal of hazardous substances, including but not limited to:

     (a) A technical resource center on hazardous substance management for industry and the public;

     (b) Programs, in cooperation with local government, to educate generators of moderate risk waste, and provide information regarding the potential hazards to human health and the environment resulting from improper use and disposal of the waste and proper methods of handling, reducing, recycling, and disposing of the waste;

     (c) Public information and education relating to the safe handling and disposal of hazardous household substances; and

     (d) Guidelines to aid counties in developing and implementing a hazardous household substances program.

     Requests for information from the hazardous substance information and education office may be made by letter or by a toll-free telephone line, if one is established by the department. Requests shall be responded to in accordance with chapter 42.56 RCW.

     This section shall not require any agency to compile information that is not required by existing laws or rules.

[2005 c 274 § 339; 1985 c 410 § 1.]

NOTES:

     Part headings not law -- Effective date -- 2005 c 274: See RCW 42.56.901 and 42.56.902.

Worker and community right to know fund, use to provide hazardous substance information under chapter 70.102 RCW: RCW 49.70.175.