SHB 1309
An association of environmental coalitions in Puget Sound, Hood Canal and Port Angeles worked together to stop SHB 1309. The bill directs over $200,000 of scarce general fund dollars and a budget proviso of $2,000,000 to fund this effort.
The bill argues that private business is due these funds since the Department of Ecology denied their ability to spray potent noenicitinoid pesticides over tidelands where shellfish are grown. The bill uses Model Toxic Control Act (MTCA) dollars to eradicate a Washington native species called the burrowing shrimp, for the benefit of a small group of private business interests.
SHB 1309 is contrary to the Declaration of Policy for MTCA. The policy language is very clear about its intention to “clean up all hazardous waste sites” and “prevent the creation of future hazards due to the improper disposal of toxic wastes.” Neither “clean ups” nor management of toxic waste “disposal” are intended by SHB 1309.
During the session we testified in the house and senate, trying to stop the bill from getting out of the chambers. The Shellfish industry wanted this pretty badly as it zoomed through these committees to the governor’s desk.
We sent e-mails to the governor and used all the electronic options to ask the governor to spend the $200,000 on other General Fund projects. Not sure at this point if the governor vetoed the funding, but we did our best to ask him to spend the funding on salaries for state employees rather than eliminating the native ghost shrimp and eelgrass that is essential for birds and fish in these coastal bays.
Note! Information for this update was provided by Marcella Buser the State Organizer for Futurewise and by Kirk Kirkland with the Environmental Coalition of Pierce County.