2010 Priority: Working for Clean Water

is about creating jobs, rebuilding our local economy, and cleaning up polluted waterways like Puget Sound and the Spokane River. Each year millions of gallons of petroleum pollute our water through storm runoff, a serious threat to our health and environment. Working for Clean Water will fund shovel-ready, local projects all over the state to stop this contamination. Now is the time to put Washington back to work by building storm water infrastructure that we’ll be proud of for generations.

Update as of March 11 (last day of the 2010 regular Legislative Session):

From Brendon Cechovic, WCV Program Director and campaign director for the Clean Water Act of 2010 (aka Working for Clean Water):

The Clean Water Act is very much alive, and will be one of the limited items that the legislature will consider during the special session. That credit goes to you. We asked you to make your voice heard, and you responded with an overwhelming push for clean water in Washington. You and I know that we can't wait any longer to address the biggest water pollution problem in the state - toxic stormwater runoff.

The odds have been stacked against us from the first day of session. Big oil companies have run every play in their book against our proposal to raise the hazardous substance tax for clean water funding. They now realize that we are close to passing the bill, and will stop at nothing to avoid paying their share of pollution clean-up costs.

We've rolled with the punches over the past two months, and will need to stay vigilant to see this landmark legislation to the finish. Even in these tough times, we can pass a bill that is a substantial win for clean water, jobs and local economies around the state.

You've heard from us a lot these past weeks, especially if your legislator's support has been on the fence. But we can't let our guard down now. We'll be asking you to stand up again for clean water over the coming week, and will keep you informed as we make the final push for the Clean Water Act. The Environmental Priorities Coalition will also be working hard to make sure core environmental protections are sustained in the final state budget. You can always find the most updated information on our coalition's website at www.environmentalpriorities.org.

Thank you again for your strong support this session.

Brendon Cechovic
Washington Conservation Voters

Update as of March 5:

Last Monday, the bill was significantly weakened in the House Finance Committee. Simply put: the money allocated would not be enough to meet the growing problem of stormwater.  In response, Washington Conservation Voters launched a paid media campaign in 5 districts in support of the bill.   

Since then we have been working around the clock with our coalition partners and key legislators to develop a new proposal that would address this great need. Time is running out to meet our clean water goals like restoring Puget Sound by 2020 and the longer we delay on clean up, the more expensive it becomes.

This new proposal is the right solution at the right time for our state’s largest water quality problem. Please call your legislators and urge them to support the new proposal, which generates $100 million a year for stormwater pollution cleanup.

Key Points about the New Proposal:

• Generates $100 million a year (.85% increase in the Hazardous Substance Tax) for stormwater and other essential clean water programs.
• This bill is a significant job creator – building new clean water infrastructure and putting Washingtonians to work.
• The new proposal has broad support from the continuing coalition of environmental organizations, labor, cities, and counties.  It is also strongly supported by commercial fisherman and shellfish growers.
  

Download original 2010 Working for Clean Water Fact Sheet