Legislators in Olympia weigh the price of stormwater clean-up

"Packed in a fluorescent-lit conference room, legislators, lobbyist, citizens, and environmentalists wait patiently to voice their views and questions regarding House bill 3181.

The newly proposed legislation, sponsored by Rep. Timm Ormsby, D-Spokane, has caused a flurry of controversy since its proposal last week. At a hearing Wednesday, it generated a constant parade of people waiting to testify, even if only for a moment.

The bill would increase a tax on hazardous substances in Washington state from 0.7 percent to 2 percent in order to fund stormwater clean-up and other environmental programs. This alone makes the bill controversial, provoking opposition from state oil refineries, truckers, airlines, and other petroleum reliant industries. But an additional layer of contention has emerged because of how the funds generated from the tax would be distributed...."