Environment & Water

AWC Priority
Clean Up and Protection of the Puget Sound (SHB 1374/SSB 5372)

Both of these somewhat different versions of Puget Sound clean-up bills are moving forward. In the House, AWC testified in overall support of SHB 1374 before the Appropriations Committee. In the Senate, a number of suggested modifications to SSB 5372 made by AWC in tandem with counties and ports were incorporated into the bill. SSB 5372 has been referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

AWC has been invited by the sponsor of SHB 1374, Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D-Des Moines, to a "stakeholder" meeting on Monday, March 5 to discuss outstanding issues. As with the Senate version of the bill, we continue to seek clarification about how any new Puget Sound plan will complement and not contradict land use and shoreline planning and activities by cities. Cities wanting more information are encouraged to contact Dave Williams, davew@awcnet.org.

AWC Priority
Residential Yard Waste Burning in Small Cities (SB 6081)

Sen. Linda Evans Parlette (R-Wenatchee) and her staff are to be commended for their work on this important bill to many smaller cities and towns outside of highly urbanizing areas. As negotiated with the Department of Ecology, a new version of this bill would extend allowing such burning until July 1, 2008 in all cities of 2500 or fewer in population in all fully-planning GMA counties except King, Pierce, Snohomish, Kitsap, Thurston, Clark, Yakima, Walla Walla and Spokane. A task force would be created to assess the issues around burning in these small and often isolated communities and would report findings to the 2008 Legislature. The Legislature would have an opportunity then to address whether or not to extend the ban beyond July 2008.

AWC is working to get a hearing on this bill in the Senate Ways and Means Committee by Monday March 5, which is the cutoff for bills out of fiscal committees. For more information, please contact either Tim Gugerty, timg@awcnet.org, or Dave Willliams, davew@awcnet.org.

NPDES Phase II Stormwater Permit Appeal by Cities

We reported in last week’s Bulletin that at least 32 cities in both western and eastern Washington have filed an appeal of portions of the NPDES Phase II stormwater permit. The list of participating cities and the filed appeal can be found on the Department of Ecology’s Municipal Stormwater Permits website. We will provide a summary of the appeal issues in an upcoming edition of the Bulletin.

[ previous article ] [ return to top ] [ next article ]