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AN ORDINANCE relating to the sale of environmental attributes held by the county; authorizing the King County executive to enter into a new short-term agreement in substantially the same form as the current agreement approved under Ordinance 17022 for the sale of emissions credits, also known as environmental attributes, to Puget Sound Energy, that are associated with the beneficial use of gas derived from landfill gas produced by the Cedar Hills regional landfill.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The solid waste division of the department of natural resources and parks operates the Cedar Hills regional landfill, accepting municipal solid waste from unincorporated King County and thirty-seven cities.
2. As authorized by Ordinance 15872, the solid waste division contracted with Bio Energy (Washington), LLC, to build a landfill gas purification facility, purchase landfill gas produced at the Cedar Hills regional landfill and purify the landfill gas to a product gas quality that meets natural gas pipeline quality standards. The contract, the Amended and Restated Project Development and Gas Sales Agreement, was signed on February 29, 2008. The contract continues until 2030 and allows up to two additional five-year extensions.
3. Bio Energy (Washington), LLC, subsequently entered into a contract with Puget Sound Energy to sell the purified landfill gas, referred to as product gas, to Puget Sound Energy. The county is not a party to that contract, the Cedar Hills - Pipeline Quality Gas Purchase and Sale Agreement, dated October 9, 2008.
4. The landfill gas generated from decomposing waste buried in the Cedar Hills regional landfill is classified as a "renewable resource" as defined in RCW 19.285.030(21) of chapter 19.285 RCW, the Energy Independence Act. Given this status as a renewable resource, the landfill gas has associated environmental attributes, which are a form of intangible property that has economic value.
5. Under 4.13 of the Amended and Restated...
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