Open Letter to Editors - Working for Clean Water Bill - Lets Pass This Bill, It's a No Brainer!

This important bill is now before our State Legislators. Sightline Institute's Daily has been covering this issue extensively.

"Oil's Slick Politics" by Eric DePlace

 Please send your letter to your local paper, like this -
(Should be 250 words or less for Seattle Times).

Dear Editor,

The Working for Clean Water Bill is the best chance in decades for our
State to truly make a difference for Puget Sound and other important
waterways. But now, the industries that cause the most harm are 
making excuses and asking to avoid responsibility.

It is well known that toxics like oil and fertilizers are the greatest
cause of our water quality problems, killing wildlife and making our
beaches and shellfish habitat off limits. But, as described in the
Jim Brunner article "Gas-station owners want tax overturned", oil companies
and gas station owners are now suing the State to "get out of jail
free". They want to undermine the Hazardous Substances Tax passed 22
years ago.

I have worked for over 20 years on restoration projects in the Thornton
Creek Watershed, most notably to get the Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel at Northgate done.
This prize-winning project is universally seen to benefit to our urban watershed.
I've also worked in Shoreline to get LID (Low Impact Development) technologies used in our 
Aurora Phase II project, providing big water quality benefits to both Boeing and
McAleer Creeks. So I know that these are exactly the types of projects
this bill could fund, bringing many green jobs to our communities.

I hope that this bill passes and that the gas and oil companies will
accept their responsibilities. It will impose a "user fee" in effect on
the very industries that are destroying our precious water resources. It
makes sense!

Sincerely,

Janet Way
Shoreline, WA