1. (1) The department and the health officer for each local health jurisdiction shall develop a joint plan of operation designating the roles of each agency for administering chapter 246-280 WAC. This plan shall:

   1. (a) Specifically designate those recreational shellfish beaches included in the joint plan;
   2. (b) Establish whether the department or the health officer shall assume primary responsibility for an identified beach;
   3. (c) Provide for a minimum acceptable frequency of beach evaluation;
   4. (d) Specify who has responsibility for water quality studies, sanitary surveys, PSP monitoring, beach classification, and public notification;
   5. (e) Be signed by the secretary and the chairperson of the local board of health;
   6. (f) Be updated as needed to ensure proper operation of the plan; and
   7. (g) Identify a process for implementing remedial actions to correct pollution sources where deemed appropriate by the department for those beaches classified as closed or conditionally open.
2. (2) If the local board of health adopts rules governing recreational shellfish harvest within its jurisdiction, the adopted rules shall be consistent with chapter 246-280 WAC.
3. (3) The department shall develop guidelines on water quality monitoring, PSP monitoring, shoreline survey procedures, public information/notification, and other topics.
4. (4) Throughout this chapter, the term "health officer" may be substituted for the term "department" if the joint plan of operation delegates authority for action to the health officer.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 43.20.050. WSR 92-02-019 (Order 225B), § 246-280-015, filed 12/23/91, effective 1/23/92; WSR 91-02-051 (Order 124B), recodified as § 246-280-015, filed 12/27/90, effective 1/31/91. Statutory Authority: Chapter 90.70 RCW. WSR 89-20-020 (Order 335), § 248-52-010, filed 9/27/89, effective 10/28/89.]