ESWG Priorities
The ESWG priorities are based on the Friends Testimonies of Simplicity, Justice, Peace and Stewardship
Our testimony evolves in new ways of understanding the roll of humans in community, when we fully understand that humans are part of the natural world. (paraphrased from Faith and Practice page 109)
Our Priorities in General
- Meet with key legislators who are chairs of environmentally based committees
- Follow implementation of bills from last session
Progress on Priority Bills 2023
Success – Reducing plastic pollution (SHB 1085). This bill will reduce plastic waste and pollution, which endanger human’s and other animals’ health. It will remove some single-use plastic water bottles by requiring water-bottle filling stations in new commercial buildings where drinking fountains are required, phase out some small plastic containers for personal health and beauty products in lodging establishments, and disallows thin-walled or soft-shell floating plastic foam structures which contribute to small and microplastic pollution of marine and shoreline environments.
Sponsors:
Mena, Bateman, Reed, Fitzgibbon, Ramel,
Peterson, Pollet, Berry, Walen, Doglio, Macri,
Simmons, Thai, Cortes, Kloba, Ormsby
Continuing Effort – While Right to Repair (HB1392 & SB 5464) was not passed this session, it made progress. We will continue to champion it in 2024.
House Sponsors:
Gregerson, Kretz, Ryu, Dent, Berry, Fitzgibbon,
Reed, Ramel, Pollet, Macri.
Senate Sponsors:
Stanford, Hasegawa, Nguyen, Keiser, Conway,
Hunt, Kuderer, Liias, Lovelett, Randall, Rolfes,
Salomon, Shewmake, Valdez, Wilson, C.
Our supported second-tier bills were these:
This bill has been continued in an altered form into 2024. We will continue to monitor it. HB 1589 & SB 5562 Supporting Washington’s Clean Energy Economy and Transitioning to a Clean, Affordable, and Reliable Energy Future. In order to phase out gas service, this bill says that no large gas company can provide new gas service to any commercial or residential location that didn’t receive gas service and hadn’t filed an application for gas service before June 30, 2023. It requires that such gas companies have to file a decarbonization plan by January 2026 and every four years after that and makes special provisions for supporting vulnerable populations who will have greater difficulty to transition from dependence on gas appliances. It says, further, that all charges must be just.
HB 1389 Sponsors:
Doglio, Fitzgibbon, Berry, Alvarado, Bateman,
Ramel, Peterson, Lekanoff, Hackney, Macri, Kloba.
SB 5562 Sponsors:
Nguyen, Lovelett, Hunt, Keiser, Liias, Saldaña,
Wllman, Wilson C.
HB 1433 continues to be bill we will support in 2024. HB 1433 – Concerning energy labeling of residential buildings. Sponsors: Duerr, Ramel, Fitzgibbon,
Berry, Reed, Doglio
After meeting with Rep. Dye we have dropped this from our support list because it has no Senate companion and she had no plans to get that. HB 1381 – Concerning salmon-safe communities.
Sponsors: Dye, Lekanoff, Pollet
We will continue to monitor progress on HB 1170 – Improving climate resilience through updates to the state’s integrated climate response strategy.
Sponsors:
Street, Couture, Berry, Ramel, Fitzgibbon,
Lekanoff, Duerr, Thai, Pollet
In addition, we continued to monitor implementation of and funding for the Climate Commitment Act, Clean Fuel Standards, Clean Energy Transformation, and the HEAL act.
Environmental Stewardship Progress for 2022
HB1663 Reducing methane emissions from landfills. Passed.
Establishes requirements related to methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills by requiring measurement of methane gas emissions and installation of controls.
Sponsors:
Duerr, Fitzgibbon, Ryu, Berry, Leavitt, Ramel,
Thai, Walen, Valdez, Goodman, Gregerson,
Macri, Peterson, Slatter, Tharinger, Kloba,
Pollet, Harris-Talley, Hackney
HB1619 Appliance efficiency standards. Passed.
Establishes new or updated energy efficiency standards for air purifiers, commercial ovens, and electric vehicle supply equipment, commercial hot food holding cabinets, portable electric spas and residential ventilating fans.
Sponsors:
Fitzgibbon, Hackney, Ryu, Berry,
Wicks, Duerr, Ramel, Valdez, Fey,
Goodman, Gregerson, Macri, Simmons,
Kloba, Pollet, Riccelli, Ormsby,
Harris-Talley
Bill that did not pass – Efforts to continue in 2023
HB1810 Right to Repair
Right to repair addresses issues of economic inequality and environmental stewardship. Manufacturers currently make their products harder to repair so that they can monopolize the repair market. Promoting the fair servicing and repair of digital electronic products in a safe, secure, reliable, and sustainable manner to increase access to appropriate and affordable digital products, support small businesses and jobs, and enhance digital connectivity in Washington state.
Sponsors:
Gregerson, Chase, Ryu, Berry, Taylor,
Fitzgibbon, Cody, Macri, Peterson, Ramel,
Paul, Simmons, Bergquist, Valdez, Pollet,
Stonier, Ormsby, Harris-Talley, Kloba,
Frame
Environmental Stewardship also followed: Climate change, salmon and dams, invasive species, battery recycling and reduction and less use of precious metals.
Environmental Stewardship Progress for 2021
Successful bills:
- Clean Fuel Standard HB 1091: limits greenhouse gas emissions per unit of transportation fuel energy to 10 percent below 2017 levels by 2028 and 20 percent below 2017 levels by 2035. The transportation sector is responsible for roughly 45% of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will also help reduce the state’s contributions to climate change. This legislation will spur innovation and adoption of clean technologies in oil and gas industries and the development and use of low-carbon fuels to reduce greenhouse gas. Washington joins California, Oregon and Canada which already have clean fuel standards in place.
- Climate Justice HEAL ACT SB 5141, to reduce environmental health impacts on Washington communities and improve access to clean air, clean water and a healthy environment throughout the state. This legislation will center on those most affected by pollution as Washington transitions to a green economy. Environmental Justice will be defined in state law, outline how agencies should consider community needs and environmental justice in their work. It will establish a permanent Environmental Justice Council to work with state agencies and expand equitable community participation.
- Phase out Hydro Fluorocarbons (HFCs) HB 1050 HFCs are primarily used in cooling and refrigeration, HFCs are roughly 1,400 times more damaging to the climate than carbon dioxide. The Legislature first regulated HFCs in 2019, but this legislation goes a step further by officially designating them as an ozone depleting substance and setting maximum thresholds. The bill also directs the Department of Ecology to set up a refrigerant management program to safely manage and dispose of HFCs going forward. The reduction called for in HB 1050 will reduce the climate impact of refrigerants used in air conditioners by roughly 70% and in commercial refrigeration systems by around 90%. The bill is modeled on regulations recently approved by the California Air Resources Board
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Environmental Stewardship Progress for 2020
HB 1110 and SB 5412 clean transportation fuels, disappointedly stalled for the second year in the Senate transportation committee. The groups opposed to the bill were well strategized and timed their opposition for maximize effect. If we need to support this bill it will take strong support and organization
HB2472 controlling methane leaks from pipelines etc. There is funding for the Governors Directive in the budget
SB5947 Establishing the sustainable farms and fields grant program passed with bi-partisan support and funded $690K for grants
Other notable successes:
SB-5323 ban of single use plastic bags
HB-2311 Increases the States Emissions reductions targets beyond the Paris Accords
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Environmental Stewardship Progress for 2019
On May 7th. 2019 Gov. Jay Inslee signed an unprecedented suite of clean energy legislation into law, ushering in aggressive timelines for decarbonizing Washington’s economy and transforming the state’s energy. Together, these measures represent the greatest step Washington has ever taken toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Successful bills:
SB 5116 Establishes the clean energy transformation act. Addresses the elimination of coal-fired electricity and the transition of the state’s electricity supply to one hundred percent carbon neutral by 2030. Prime sponsor, Sen. Carlyle, passed the Senate 28-19, House 56-42.
HB 1112 Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from hydrofluorocarbons. Rep Fitzgibbon , prime sponsor. Passed the house 55-39, Senate 30-19.
SB 5397 Reducing Plastic pollution by responsible management of plastic packaging . Rep. Wolfes prime sponsor. Passed the house 75-23, Senate 45-4
HB 1257 Increases energy efficiency of buildings and the use of renewable fuels that reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions. Rep. Doglio prime sponsor. Passed the House 55-37, Senate 25-23.
HB 1114 Reducing food waste in order to fight hunger and reduce environmental impacts, Rep. Doglio, prime sponsor. Passed the House 95-0, Senate 96-0.
HB 1579 Implementing recommendations of the southern resident killer whale task force related to increasing chinook abundance. Prime Sponsor, Rep.Fitzgibbon, passed the House 59-39, Senate 26-20
HB 1578 Reducing threats to southern resident killer whales by improving the safety of oil transportation. Rep.Lekanoff prime sponsor, passed the House 70-28, Senate 32-13