Muzzall: Proposed DEQ Rule Change Very Concerning

In December, the Washington state Department of Environmental Quality announced plans to change rules when it comes to livestock water rights. The DEQ’s proposed changes would have required, among other things, livestock producers to monitor and report how much water was being consumed by livestock. Oak Harbor Senator Ron Muzzall said such a rule would have a detrimental impact on the state’s farming community.

In response, he proposed Senate Bill 5882.

Muzzall noted Washington water rights currently fall under land law, and are recognized twice by state law, that property owners have the right to use water sources for livestock. And his legislation would recognize existing law, and ensure the legislature recognizes those laws. Muzzall said during a recent meeting with lawmakers, DEQ apologized for not including stakeholders and trying to rush the process.

“They said they were going to make a good faith effort to correct that and go forward with a new process.  Which several of the legislators told DEQ, we can’t accommodate this process and our legislative duties during session, so this is going to have to move to after session.  And they agreed they would do that.”

Muzzall said what DEQ tried to do cannot be taken lightly.

“This is a threat; I don’t think there is any doubt.  And coupled with the riparian bill which the Governor has pushed, which came out of the House as House Bill 1838, we see this as a concerted effort to lock agricultural producers away from streams and to then take land that lies continuous to those streams.”

Muzzall said his legislation is getting bipartisan support, not only from those connected to the agriculture community, but also lawmakers concerned about agencies changes rules without legislation to do so.

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