Washington § 15.35.105 - Minimum milk price — Competition from outside the marketing area.

(1) In establishing a minimum milk price or a formula to determine a minimum milk price, as provided under RCW 15.35.060 and 15.35.100, the director shall, in addition to other appropriate criteria, consider the:

(a) Cost of producing fluid milk for human consumption;

(b) Transportation costs;

(c) Milk prices in states or regions outside of the state that influence prices within the marketing areas;

(d) Demand for fluid milk for human consumption;

(e) Alternative enterprises available to producers; and

(f) Economic impact on milk dealers.

(2) A milk dealer who believes that actual competition from outside the marketing area is having a significant economic impact on that milk dealer, may petition the director for a public hearing on an expedited basis to consider whether the minimum milk price in the market plan should be changed relative to the milk price to a competitor located outside the state plus transportation costs for that competitor to compete with the petitioning milk dealer.

(a) To be considered, the petition must identify the specific action requested, and must be accompanied by a statement summarizing the facts and evidence that would be provided at a public hearing by or on behalf of the petitioner to support the need for the requested action, including an identification of circumstances that have changed since the last rule-making proceeding at which the minimum price was established.

(b) Within twenty-one days of receiving the petition, the director shall either:

(i) Adopt rules on an emergency basis, in accordance with RCW 34.05.350;

(ii) File, and distribute to all milk dealers and other interested parties, notice that a hearing will be held within sixty days of receiving the petition;

(iii) Advise the petitioner in writing that the request for rule making is denied, and explain the reasons for the denial; or

(iv) Advise the petitioner in writing that the petition provides insufficient information from which to find that rule making should be initiated, and request that the petition be resubmitted with additional information.

(c) Except as otherwise specifically provided in this section, this petition must be handled in accordance with RCW 34.05.330, and the rule-making procedures of chapter 34.05 RCW.

(3) The director may adopt rules of practice or procedure with respect to the proceedings.