The Climate Action Team

The fourth meeting of the Climate Action Team (CAT) will be October 14-15 in Renton. Meeting materials will be posted as they become available on the CAT website at www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/2008CAT_meetings.htm.

The CAT’s Implementation Working Groups (IWGs) are finalizing their draft recommendations. Several groups are holding meetings in the next two weeks. The public is welcome to attend these meetings. Check the above website for meeting information and materials.

The SEPA IWG will meet next Tuesday, September 30, from 9 am – 4:30 pm in-person, in Seattle.
The Beyond Waste IWG is tentatively scheduled to meet the morning of Wednesday, October 1. However, to allow members time to further refine their proposals, the IWG is considering postponing this meeting until the following week. Check the website for updates.
The Energy Efficiency/Green Buildings IWG will meet on Monday, October 6, from 9 am – 11 am by teleconference.
The Transportation IWG has expanded their next meeting to two days, and will meet in-person from 9 am – 4:30 pm on October 9 and 10. Location details will be posted as they are confirmed.

The Western Climate Initiative (WCI)

On September 23, 2008, the WCI Partner jurisdictions released their final design for the regional market-based climate program. The WCI cap-and-trade program will cover emissions of the six main greenhouse gases from the following sectors of the economy:

Electricity generation, including imported electricity
Industrial and commercial fossil fuel combustion
Industrial process emissions
Gas and diesel consumption for transportation
Residential fuel use

The program includes a phased approach. The first phase of the cap-and-trade program begins on January 1, 2012, covering emissions from electricity, including imported electricity, industrial combustion at large sources, and industrial process emissions for which adequate measurement methods exist. The second phase begins in 2015, when the program expands to include transportation fuels and residential, commercial and industrial fuels not otherwise covered.

The program includes features such as allowance banking and offsets. A limited number of allowances will be available to entities and facilities covered by the program. It is important to note that emissions allowances are not considered property rights. Rather, they are permits that authorize firms to emit a specified amount of greenhouse gases. Companies covered by the rules will be able to purchase allowances at auction, buy and sell them on secondary markets, or bank them for future use.

In certain cases, companies also will be able to purchase a limited number of offset credits that reflect reduced carbon emissions elsewhere. They may also be able to purchase allowances from other comparable cap-and-trade programs approved in the future.

You can view the report at www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/wci_stakeholders.htm. In addition, AWC has put together a Cap and Trade Primer to help explain the basics of a cap and trade program. It can be found at www.awcnet.org/climatechange.

Puget Sound Partnership

The Partnership is moving forward quickly to develop the Action Agenda for Sound restoration, due by December 1, 2008. The Action Agenda will impact the future land use policies, capital projects, permit obligations and funding opportunities for cities in the 12 counties adjacent to the Sound.

There have been a few changes to the Partnership’s schedule through December 1 (the Action Agenda due date). The Partnership now plans to release a Draft Action Agenda on November 6 with a 14-day public comment period. As soon as the draft becomes available, we will be sending it to cities on a tight turnaround for review and comment. Below is the current timeline and key updates.

October 1 – Ecosystem Coordination Board (ECB) Meeting and Preview of "Partnership Initiatives"

The ECB is meeting on October 1 in Sequim where the Partnership is previewing a list of 75 "Initiatives," which will be narrowed to approximately 25 items for inclusion in the Action Agenda. According to the Partnership, these "Initiatives" will be a top list (e.g., a top 25 or something like it) of programs, policies, and projects that the Partnership will push to implement in the near term. Initiatives will identify who is responsible, partners, timeframes for action, cost, and performance measures. There will be a mix of capital projects, incentives, regulatory programs, education/outreach/stewardship, and science.

Following the Oct 1 meeting, we will share the list of 75 "Initiatives" and ask for your feedback.

November 6 – Draft Action Agenda

The Partnership is releasing the Draft Action Agenda on November 6, with a 14-day public comment period. As soon as the draft becomes available, we will send it to cities on a quick turn-around for review and comment.

High Priority Strategies and Actions for each Action Area

At the August 22 Ecosystem Coordination Board meeting, the Partnership shared their current Action Agenda outline, which can be found at www.psp.wa.gov/downloads/EC2008/082208/04Outline.pdf.

In addition to the "Initiatives" noted above, a key component of the Action Agenda for cities will be "High Priority Strategies and Actions for each Action Area."

According to the Partnership, this section of the Action Agenda will contain an overall strategy for each Action Area to address the Partnership’s four strategic priorities (www.psp.wa.gov/aa_priorities.php), including key actions and implementer activities for the following three of the four priorities:

Protect intact ecosystem processes, structure and function
Restore ecosystem processes, structure and function
Reduce the sources of water pollution

To ensure your input is included in the development of these strategies and actions in your Action Area, please contact your Regional Liaison as soon as possible. Contact information for the Regional Liaisons can be found at www.psp.wa.gov/staff.html. If you are having trouble identifying your Regional Liaison or have questions about this request, please contact AWC staff Tim Gugerty at timg@awcnet.org or 1-800-562-8981.

Ecology Issues Clarification on Car Washing and Stormwater

Below is an update from the Department of Ecology Regarding Car Washing and Stormwater.

Contrary to a story in today's USA Today, Washington has not banned residential car washing.

Last week, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) provided guidance about residential car washing to cities and counties covered by the state's municipal stormwater permit.

Ecology emphasized informing and educating people about the problem of polluted runoff, and precautions everybody can take to keep our waters clean.

Ecology said it would take a public education approach to proper car washing and it urged local governments to do the same and not issue tickets, fines or other penalties. See the news release: www.ecy.wa.gov/news/2008news/2008-259.html.

Most people want to do the right thing for the environment. If they have the facts, they will act on them to solve a problem. Dumping used motor oil down the storm drain used to be common practice, but now the public knows better.

There are a number of simple ways to wash cars that don't result in soapy wash waters getting into our creeks and rivers. Wash your car over grass or any other surface where the wash water seeps into the ground. Or lay something on the ground to divert the wash water away from the storm drain. Another option is to use a commercial car wash.

Soapy, dirty car wash water, carrying with it oils, grease and toxic metals is a serious pollution source when it occurs on a large scale. Since most storm drains run directly into local streams or marine waters - without treatment - storm drains are direct extensions of those local waters.

Ecology has posted additional guidance about car washing on its website at www.ecy.wa.gov under "Spotlight."

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