Lobby Day Recap

Clean and Abundant Waters Lobby Day is a hopeful example of what we can accomplish when we come together to protect what we love. 

Clean and Abundant Waters Lobby Day Brings Constituents Face to Face with Washington Legislators

Clean and Abundant Waters Lobby Day, photo by Puget Soundkeeper
Clean and Abundant Waters Lobby Day, photo by Puget Soundkeeper

Think lobbying is just for lobbyists? Think again. On February 25, 2020, Columbia Riverkeeper teamed with five nonprofits (Center for Environmental Law & Policy, North Sound Baykeeper, Puget SoundkeeperSpokane Riverkeeper, and Twin Harbors Riverkeeper) to house Washington state’s second Clean and Abundant Waters Lobby Day.

People from across the state joined us in Olympia to: 
  1. Learn about bills impacting clean water,
  2. How to advocate and lobby for these bills, and
  3. Talk with elected officials about passing new legislation to protect clean and abundant waters.

Together, we sent a strong message to Washington state legislators: people care deeply about clean water. Seventy people turned out and had 42 meetings with their representatives. We focused on six bills impacting the health of Washington waters—from a plastic bag ban to clean energy resilience and financing.

Our waterways are the life source of the Pacific Northwest and our planet. Clean and abundant waters are a critical factor in protecting the health of our ecosystems, from the once abundant salmon and orca to the tribal nations and river communities who depend on them. 

The current condition of many of our region’s waterways is dismal. As the degradation of our waterways continues to outpace restoration efforts, salmon runs are at record lows and river and stream levels often lack minimum flows. It is more critical than ever that we step up and take action together to fight for the health of our waters and our communities. Clean and Abundant Waters Lobby Day is a hopeful example of what we can accomplish when we come together to protect what we love. 

Check out details on the Clean and Abundant Lobby Day bills below:
  • Water Withdrawals for Commercial Bottled Water Production Ban (SB 6278)
    • The practice of permitting the extraction of local water supplies in plastic bottles to be shipped out of watersheds and around the country for corporate profit is not in the best interests of communities or the ecosystems that sustain them. This bill would ban new water rights permits for withdrawals for bottled water extraction, and states any use of water for the commercial production of bottled water is deemed to be detrimental to the public welfare and the public interest.
  • Styrofoam Ban (SB 6213 / HB 2429)
    • Styrofoam is made out of styrene, a petroleum-based product which contains chemicals that are harmful to human health and the environment. Styrofoam is slow to degrade, and when disposed of improperly, the foam can leach chemicals into the environment harming water sources. This legislation would apply to food containers, plates, cups, packing peanuts, Styrofoam ice coolers, and other food-service products. Containers for raw foods, such as eggs and meat, would be exempt.
  • Plastic Bag Ban (SB 5323 / HB 1205)
    • Bags are made from finite, nonrenewable natural gas and oil resources. We use these plastic bags for a few minutes and then discard them. Only 6% ever get recycled. Plastic bags are one of the most commonly-found items that litter state roads, beaches, and other public spaces. Bags blow into our waterways and the ocean, clog the stomachs of wildlife, and break down into smaller pieces that also get eaten. They break up but do not biodegrade, lasting for years. This legislation aims to reduce pollution from plastic bags by establishing minimum state standards for the use of carryout bags at retail establishments. The bill prohibits the use of thin single-use plastic carryout bags. It requires a pass-through charge of 8 cents on paper carryout bags and 2.25-mil thick durable plastic film carryout bags (to encourage shoppers to bring their own reusable carryout bags). Some exemptions apply including recipients of food assistance programs. As of August 2019, there are 32 jurisdictions, including Seattle, that have instituted plastic-bag ban laws.
  • Motorized/Suction Dredge Mining Ban (SB 5322 / HB 1261)
    • Suction dredge mining takes place directly in river and stream channels using a floating, gas-powered vacuum attached to a sluice box. The miner vacuums up the river bottom and runs the sediment through a mechanized sluice to separate out gold flakes. The sediment is then spit back into the river in long, murky plumes. This causes harmful water quality impacts including turbidity, and occurs in areas designated as critical habitat for threatened or endangered steelhead, salmon, and bull trout, including spawning areas for Chinook salmon relied on by southern resident orcas. This legislation bans this type of mining in streams that are critical habitat for endangered salmon.
  • Ecology Drought Preparedness Response Bill (HB 1622 / SB 5675)
    • Modernizing Washington’s drought statutes is important to effectively prepare for and respond to drought emergencies. This bill will create tools and resources to help build long-term drought resiliency among water users and communities throughout the state, improve the state’s ability to effectively respond to drought in the short term, and codify the best practices identified in the updated 2018 Washington State Drought Contingency Plan.
  • Clean Energy and Resilience Financing Bill (SB 6222/ HB 2405)
    • This legislation would allow counties to establish C-PACER programs and cooperate with local lenders on loans secured by the property tax obligation, similar to a local improvement district. The obligation to repay the improvements loan is tied to the property, rather than the owner, which makes longer term financing more attractive because no debt is added onto an owner’s balance sheet. If the building is sold, the loan repayment obligation stays with the property rather than the owner.  Eligible properties include new and existing commercial, industrial, non-profit, and multifamily buildings.

Columbia Riverkeeper fights for clean water.