February 8 - Hot List for State Senate

STATE SENATE

SB 6851: The Clean Water Act of 2010 funding cleanup of water pollution and other programs necessary for the health and well-being of Washington citizens through an increase in the hazardous substance tax.

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• SB 6851 will put Washington back to work. By increasing the existing tax on Hazardous Substances (levied on petroleum and other toxic chemicals), the state can raise $450 million per biennium to fund job-creating clean water projects in every district and temporarily provide much needed dollars for the General Fund.
• This bill will create jobs, rebuild local economies, and clean up polluted waterways like Puget Sound and the Spokane River. It is supported by environmentalists, labor, local governments, and the Rebuilding our Economic Future Coalition.

POSSIBLE SENATE FLOOR ACTION

SSB 6301: Concerning the designation of urban growth areas outside the hundred year floodplain by counties.

POSITION: OPPOSE

• Currently counties are not allowed to extend urban areas into areas that are not already characterized by urban growth. This helps to prevent sprawl and focus development in existing cities.
• This bill creates a new exception to this law and allows urban growth to leapfrog over undeveloped land in a manner that will encourage sprawl and could harm water quality.

SSB 6350: Relating to Marine Waters Planning and Management.

Position: SUPPORT

• This bill establishes an interagency planning process to better coordinate federal, state, and local government management programs designed to protect marine ecosystems and fisheries in Puget Sound and in the open ocean.

SSB 6468: Coordinating the weatherization and structural rehabilitation of residential structures.

POSITION: SUPPORT

• This bill allows weatherization providers to use weatherization funds for costly repairs that will maximize energy efficiency efforts.

SSB 6656: Energy efficiency financing- Authorizing a local financing tool to fund energy efficiency upgrades and removing financial barriers to implementing conservation programs.

POSITION: SUPPORT with amendments

• This bill allows a Western Washington pilot project for a program that could unlock job-creating potential of making our homes and businesses more energy efficient by allowing municipalities to set up revolving loan programs that overcome the biggest barrier to money-saving conservation projects in Washington- the lack of up-front financing. Conservation loans are paid back with energy savings through utility or property tax bills.

SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION

SSB 5279: Providing safe collection and disposal of unwanted drugs from residential sources.

Ways & Means: Public hearing

POSITION: SUPPORT

• Drug producers will provide and pay for program to collect unneeded medicines including controlled substances such as narcotics. Important public safety measure supported by WACOPS and many other organizations. The collected medicines will not cause accidental poisonings, be used illicitly by a teenager, or contaminate our water.

SSB 5543: Reducing the release of mercury into the environment.

Ways & Means: Public hearing

POSITION: SUPPORT

• Creates a producer-provided recycling program for CFLs and other mercury-containing lights from residents who currently have limited or no recycling options across the state.
• Budget-neutral to the State. A fee paid by producers of mercury-containing lights recovers agency oversight costs.

SB 6448: Concerning permitting of hydraulic projects.

Ways & Means: Public hearing

POSITION: OPPOSE

• As referred from committee, the bill now exempts certain forest practices from the HPA process if the forest practice permit contains requirements for the protection of fish life.
• An independent biologist-conducted WDFW Hydraulics Permit review is and was an integral part of the Forest and Fish HCP. The bill now substantially undermines protection afforded by the HCP.

SB 6547/ EHB 2561: Funding construction of energy cost saving improvements to public facilities.

Ways & Means: Possible public hearing

POSITION: SUPPORT

• This bill is a referendum to the voters to authorize the state to issue bonds for building upgrades and energy conservation retrofits in schools across the state; and will create thousands of jobs.
• This bill can save taxpayers $190 million a year in energy costs and cut CO2 emissions equivalent to taking 158,000 cars off the road a year.

SSB 6557: Phasing out copper brake pads.

POSITION: SUPPORT

• This bill calls for the eventual phase-out of auto brake-pads containing copper. Copper is a very significant pollutant in stormwater runoff that is highly toxic to salmon and other aquatic life.