Chopp likes polluter tax; refineries lobby Gregoire

"OLYMPIA -- State House Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle, is blessing a proposal to triple the state's tax on oil, pesticides and other chemicals.

House Bill 3181 would triple the "hazardous substances" tax, raising up to $250 million a year. In the long run, the bill would devote that money to cleaning up polluted stormwater cited as the leading threat to the health of Puget Sound and other waterways.

But in the short term, the proposal would allow legislators to divert much of the money to the state general fund, which faces a $2.7 billion shortfall this year.

At his regular briefing with statehouse reporters Wednesday, Chopp endorsed the proposal. "We really need to move forward to make sure our water is clean and that we not only do that for Puget Sound, but for clean water projects around the state," he said..."