Washington State is behind the eight ball when it comes to protecting people who eat locally caught fish.
This month the journalists at InvestigateWest released a hard-hitting report on how industry is trying to derail new restrictions to keep toxic pollution out of our fish. Here’s an excerpt from the report, Business Interests Trump Health Concerns in Fish Consumption Fight:
"The Washington State Department of Ecology has known since the 1990s that its water-pollution limits have meant some Washingtonians regularly consume dangerous amounts of toxic chemicals in fish from local waterways.
At least twice, Ecology has been told by its overseers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fix the problem and better protect people’s health. Ecology was close to finally doing that last year — until Boeing and other business interests launched an intense lobbying campaign aimed not just at Ecology but also at the Washington Legislature and then-Gov. Christine Gregoire. That is the picture that emerges from recent interviews as well as government documents obtained by InvestigateWest under the Washington Public Records Law."
Other states use accurate, protective toxic pollution limits to reduce pollution without driving industry out of town. In fact, in 2011 the State of Oregon adopted the nation’s most protective toxic pollution limits. And industry’s arguments against accurate toxic pollution limits conveniently ignore the reality: high levels of toxic pollution lead to higher healthcare costs and a less productive workforce.
Now Washington has a new governor at the helm. The question remains open: will Governor Inslee stand up for cancer prevention?
