Thank you for your interest in this rulemaking process. Ecology is soliciting comments on draft rule language developed in the Organic Materials Management rulemaking process. Please review the draft rule language using the link below. As you review the proposed rule language, you may notice some sections with extensive revisions. To better standardize sections throughout the chapter, Ecology made some non-substantive changes to the format, language, and structure of all sections. In some cases, Ecology repositioned the order of requirements to align the format of a section with that of other sections within the chapter. Ecology encourages review of the substantive amendments in this draft. However, please disregard any errors in formatting, numbering, or grammar. Ecology will make these types of corrections before finalizing the rule proposal.


Below is a summary of changes to the rule proposed in this draft. This list is intended to provide a summary of changes only and does not represent an exhaustive list of every change in the draft. Ecology reserves the right to make further changes to the draft language after reviewing public comments.


• Language to clarify the entity responsible for rejected loads, and expectations for containers to collect recyclables at sites of generation.
• Language to clarify that deliverers of rejected loads due to physical contamination limits or other acceptance criteria are responsible for proper management of the rejected load and not the organic materials management facility.
• Definitions either revised or created – agricultural waste, clean wood waste, food waste, land clearing debris, livestock mortalities, low-grade wood, manure and bedding, meat processing waste, municipal solid waste, on-farm, organic materials, organic materials management, organic materials pre-processing, pre-consumer vegetative food wase, physical contaminants, piles, recyclable materials, residuals, source separation, tip floor, vermiculture, and worm castings.
• Physical contaminant limits at all organic materials handling facilities:
o Feedstocks must contain 2% or less physical contaminants by volume;
o Finished materials must contain 0.5% or less physical contaminants by dry weight, not to exceed 0.1% film plastics by dry weight.
• Require the inclusion of all laboratory test results in annual reports.
• Revised and added new permit-exempt activities. Require more detail in notifications of exemption to ensure good operating practices.
• Created a new section for organic materials pre-processing, which are operations that remove physical contaminants from organic materials down to 2% or less by volume prior to becoming feedstocks at organic materials management facilities. Such operations require a permit and have design and operating standards.
• For other organics materials handling activities (vermiculture, black soldier fly production, other conversion technologies, etc.) that require a permit, there are now permit, design,
and operating standards in the section. The section previously had no standards and directed operators to obtain a permit under WAC 173-350-490, Other methods of solid waste handling.


This comment period has been extended. Comments now are due by 11:59 PM (PST) on December 12, 2025
To make a comment, please enter comment(s) in the text area. To submit attachments use the "upload a file" button below. Then hit 'Continue' to review your comments(s).


Next steps:
After the close of the comment period, Ecology will review and consider comments. We will send out a notice about the next steps to anyone who provided contact information above. Any information (e.g., personal or contact) you provide on this comment form or in an attachment may be publicly disclosed and posted on the Internet.