WASHINGTON STATE ENVIRONMENTAL PRIORITIES COALITION
2010 LEGISLATIVE ISSUES
The Environmental Priorities Coalition is a network of 25 leading environmental groups in Washington state (including Audubon) that influence policy at the state level. Each year, the Coalition selects several priority issues that receive the collective support of this network during the legislative session. For more information, visit: www.environmentalpriorities.org. Below are descriptions of the three environmental legislative issues chosen for this year.
HB 1180 and SB 6248: Safe Baby Bottle Act This act would phase out BPA in baby bottles, food and beverage cans, and other consumer products.
UPDATES: On Jan. 25th the House passed this bill 75 to 1. The Senate passed this bill, excluding sports water bottles, on Jan. 29th.
More and more evidence shows that the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) is harmful to children’s health. Laboratory studies have linked BPA to cancer, miscarriage, obesity, reproductive problems, and hyperactivity. Yet manufacturers can still legally use BPA in products such as baby bottles, infant formula cans, and other food containers.
The Safe Baby Bottle Act would address this problem by phasing out BPA in baby bottles, food and beverage cans, and other consumer products. Learn more about the bill here.
Unfortunately, opposition from chemical companies and Wal-Mart blocked the Safe Baby Bottle Act of 2009 from becoming law in 2009. We will work hard to generate even more support for the legislation to pass in 2010 and to protect children's health.
Campaign Contact: Ivy Sager-Rosenthal
(206) 632-1545 ext. 122 isagerrosenthal@watoxics.orgisagerrosenthal@watoxics.orgHB 1614 and SB 5518: Working for Clean Water Bill - More popularly known as the Stormwater Bill
With the rain in the state of Washington, comes a clean sweep of our streets, rooftops, and parking lots, sending engine oil, grease, and overspill from gas stations straight into the Spokane River, Puget Sound and anything else downhill.
Contaminated runoff from our roads and urban areas is the number one water pollution problem in the state, and top threat to the health of Puget Sound.
We have a solution that will help prevent this pollution and create jobs to do it. By imposing a $1.50 per barrel fee on petroleum products that contribute to stormwater pollution, the Working for Clean Water bill would address one of the most pressing water quality problems in the state. The fee would raise over $120 million a year in critical funds for cities, counties, ports, and the Department of Transportation. From the Spokane River to Puget Sound, it will fund money for jobs to build stormwater infrastructure projects and Low Impact Development programs.Nicole Fallat, Environmental Priorities Coalition
Sustain Environmental Protections in the Budget
We aim to ensure Washington's budget sustains core environmental protections that safeguard the health of our families, communities and economy.
Our state is in the midst of an economic recession that threatens safeguards we all depend on, including core environmental protections. Washingtonians rely on protections that keep our families healthy: clean water to drink, unpolluted air to breathe, and the clean-up of toxic contaminations. Maintaining Washington’s clean environment also attracts business and qualified workers to our state, making us a driver in the new green economy.
While environmental protection programs are a small part of the state budget, they are critical in terms of public health, economic opportunity, and quality of life in Washington. Last year, the budget decimated many environmental programs, and we cannot afford to further impair these critical protections. The Environmental Priorities Coalition will work to ensure that our state budget sustains the core environmental protections we depend on to keep our communities healthy and safe.
Campaign Contact: Kerri Cechovic, Washington Environmental Council
(206) 631-2607 kerri@wecprotects.org kerri@wecprotects.org
