WAC 173-360-510   Environmentally sensitive areas.  (1) An environmentally sensitive area is an area, proposed by a city, town or county, and designated by the department, which possesses physical characteristics that make it especially vulnerable to threats from leaking underground storage tanks, and in which local underground storage tank requirements more stringent than statewide requirements are necessary.

     (2) Any city, town, or county may apply to the department to have an area within its jurisdictional boundaries designated an environmentally sensitive area. A city, town, or county may submit a joint application with any other city, town, or county for joint administration under chapter 39.34 RCW of a single environmentally sensitive area located in both jurisdictions.

     (3) An area that has been designated a sensitive area for the purposes of protecting groundwater or surface water from pollution under another statute or regulation will, upon request for designation by the local government, be approved as an environmentally sensitive area for the purposes of WAC 173-360-510. Those areas may include, but are not limited to:

     (a) An aquifer identified as the primary source of supply for public water supply systems;

     (b) An aquifer underlying a critical water supply service area where the coordinated water system plan established pursuant to chapter 70.116 RCW has identified a need for a groundwater management program;

     (c) An aquifer designated as a sole source aquifer by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency;

     (d) An area designated a certified groundwater management area identified under chapter 173-100 WAC; and

     (e) An area designated an aquifer protection area, under chapter 36.36 RCW.

     (4) The agency requesting designation shall comply with WAC 173-360-530.



[Statutory Authority: Chapter 90.76 RCW. 90-24-017, § 173-360-510, filed 11/28/90, effective 12/29/90.]