Concerning fair treatment of municipal solid waste systems.

SB 5703 exempts Washington’s only waste-to-energy municipal solid waste facility from the state’s cap-and-invest program requirements. The bill adds a narrow exemption for this specific facility, based on a 2024 Ecology study finding it emits fewer greenhouse gases than landfill alternatives. It directly affects the county and city solid waste management program operating this facility by removing its emissions reporting obligations under the cap-and-invest program. The exemption applies to the facility’s emissions exceeding 25,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent, aligning it with other covered entities under the program. This change ensures the facility is treated equally with other waste systems under the cap-and-invest framework.