Washington Revised Code Title 79. Public Lands § 79.160.020. Department’s authority to acquire lands and facilities

(1) To the extent not granted under other statutes, the department is granted authority to purchase, or acquire through gift, exchange, or other transfer, lands and facilities to carry out the purposes of this title. Following purchase or acquisition, the department also has the authority, subject to the processes and limitations of this chapter, to remove, salvage, scrap, dispose of, refurbish, or repurpose a derelict aquatic structure found on or above aquatic lands within the jurisdiction of the department. Any removal and disposal must be done in an environmentally sound manner and in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws, including the state solid waste disposal provisions provided for in chapter 70A.205 RCW.

(2) The primary responsibility to remove a derelict aquatic structure belongs to the owner or lessee of the structure, and secondarily to the department when it has jurisdiction over the aquatic lands on which the structure lies.