I didn’t think that in a short session we could improve upon all the forward-thinking environmental work we did last session. As you may recall, last year we:

• Became the first state in the nation to adopt “green” building standards for new state-funded buildings and public schools.
• Adopted tougher auto emission standards to reduce air pollution, improve the mileage of new cars and phase out emission testing.
• Passed bold new measures to encourage energy conservation and the development of wind, solar and biomass power.

But arguably, we made even more progress this session. Below is a list of the top 10 accomplishments the Legislature made to better our environment.

1. Phosphates-free dish detergent. Phosphates spur the growth of algae in lakes and rivers, resulting in ailing or dead fish. Thanks largely to an effort spurred in Spokane County, Washington became the first state in the country to phase out the amount of phosphates in automatic dishwashing detergent. The bill (sponsored by my seatmate, Rep. Timm Ormsby) says that in Spokane, Clark and Whatcom counties, detergents sold after July 1, 2008, may not contain more than 0.5 percent phosphorus by weight. The limitation, which applies only to residential consumers, goes into effect statewide in 2010.

2. Spokane River cleanup funding. The supplemental budget includes:

• $1.1 million for cleanup of the Spokane River.
• An additional $1.2 million to speed up the cleanup of toxic contamination in the area.
• $750,000 for the Little Spokane River.

3. Columbia River water management. For 25 years, political and legal wrangling has held up progress on one of the most critical issues facing our state: water. After months of negotiations, we forged a landmark bipartisan agreement that will increase water storage, help improve fish runs and require mitigation for new water withdrawals from the Columbia River.

4. Renewable fuels standard. This session, Washington became the second state in the country to mandate the use of more biofuels. Starting in 2008, all automotive fuels in our state must contain at least 2 percent biofuels: either biodiesel – a fuel made from vegetable oil – or, in the case of gasoline, ethanol made from the byproduct of crops such as wheat and corn. This translates into 20 million gallons per year added to our fuel supply. And that will gradually increase over time. The standard will assure a steady demand for biofuels and a date certain so farmers and developers of biofuel refineries know there’s a market for their product.

5. Spokane County Conservation District. The district will receive a $2 million loan for a biodiesel seed-crushing facility in the Spokane Valley.

6. Energy Freedom Fund. This new program within the Department of Agriculture will provide low-cost financing for the infrastructure needed to create biofuels.

7. Recycling electronic waste. Improperly disposed “e-waste” can release dangerous heavy metals into the environment. We passed a bill that calls for manufacturers of TVs, computers and monitors to establish and fund collection and recycling programs for unwanted items in each county in the state.

8. State parks fees eliminated. Responding to a dramatic decrease in state park attendance since fees were initiated, we repealed the unpopular $5 parking fee.

9. Spokane County Air Pollution Control Board. We expanded the makeup of the agency so cities will have greater representation and required that at-large members have professional experience in public health, air quality and meteorology.

10. Transportation funding and policies reduce traffic, pollution. Children need safe ways to walk and bike to school, and the Safe Routes to School program provides funding for this purpose. Spokane County will receive $40,000 for an improved pedestrian pathway along Green Bluff Road. This session we also made several improvements to the Commute Trip Reduction (CTR) program, which requires employers with more than 100 employees to reduce vehicle trips taken by their employees during commute hours. In Spokane County alone, this program helped reduce 1,663 trips per day in 2005. And, you may recall that the 2005 transportation package included $1.7 million for Spokane Transit for special needs transit.

Sincerely,
Lisa

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