Clean Water bill helps both environment and state economy
Guest Column in The News Tribune by Joan Crooks, Washington Environmental Council, and David Johnson, Washington State Building & Construction Trades Council.
"State legislators and Gov. Chris Gregoire have an opportunity to make real and lasting progress on their commitment to clean up Puget Sound by 2020 while putting our state back to work. That’s a smart way of doing business in these tough economic times.
Each time it rains, millions of gallons of petroleum wash from our roads and urban areas into Puget Sound, lakes, and rivers, threatening our public health and environment. Estimates show that petroleum pollution accounts for more than half of all toxins in Puget Sound. It doesn’t come as a tanker spill, but as a slow trickle down drains and sewer outfalls.
Fortunately, we know how to solve this problem. Shovel-ready infrastructure and low-impact development projects are lined up in cities and counties across Washington..."
