2020 legislative review
Committee , where concerns from select Senate Democrats stopped it .
HB 2957 was introduced much later in session on March 2 . In addition to granting DOE the authority to regulate indirect emissions , it also directed Ecology to adopt portions of the Clean Air Rule and rely on market-based mechanisms to achieve emission reductions . This bill was an attempt to try to resolve some of the concerns of the Senate Democrats who were opposed to SB 6628 . HB 2957 passed the House Appropriations Committee but did not advance past the House Rules Committee . The session ended without any of the bills passing .
AWB agrees with the Supreme Court that the Legislature should provide clarity to the Department of Ecology through legislation . The original Clean Air Rule ( CAR ) contained a high number of errors , mistaken assumptions , and core problems that would have made implementation extremely expensive and burdensome to regulated entities . AWB discussed these concerns with legislators and detailed some areas where they could provide direction to the agency as it moved to implement the CAR . Without the specific direction to the legislature , there was concern that any version of the CAR which moved forward would suffer from those same implementation problems . Since none of those areas were addressed by any of the three bills , AWB remained opposed to the bills .
environmental bills
SB 6213 concerning certain expanded polystyrene products
Failed / AWB Opposed
Senate Bill 6213 , sponsored by Sen . Mona Das , D-Kent , banned the use of expanded polystyrene ( EPS ) food service products , packaging , and coolers in Washington state . Further versions of the bill created a series of exemptions to allow grocery stores , the fruit industry , and medical transports to use EPS products and also allowed a more measured phase-in of the compostable alternatives .
AWB opposed this bill because several members manufacture or depend on the use of these products . While the advocates of this bill were pushing for the increased use of compostable food products , the increased cost and lack of availability of these alternative products meant there would be significant impacts on Washington businesses which use these products . Also , while some counties have the necessary composting facilities , some parts of the state do not . Without those facilities , the compostable products just end up as trash , negating many of the benefits . The bill made it out of the Senate but did not advance in the House .
HB 2656 reducing waste associate with single-use food service products
Failed / AWB Opposed
While Senate Bill 6213 focused on EPS products , House Bill 2656 , sponsored by Rep . Mia Gregerson , D-SeaTac , had a much wider scope and phased out the use of a wider variety of plastic food service items in both restaurants and grocery stores . Included in the ban were plastic containers , plates , bowls , cups , clamshells , and plastic wrap . If a plastic product was sold after 2022 , the Department of Ecology was authorized to impose a fee on a per item basis . By 2030 , retail establishments were not allowed to sell or provide any of the listed plastic items across the state and earlier if the county had an approved plan to utilize compostable containers .
Rep . Joe Fitzgibbon , D-West Seattle , is chair of the House Environment & Energy Committee .
AWB opposed this bill for many of the same reasons as SB 6213 , the availability , performance , and cost of the alternative containers as well as the incredibly aggressive timeline . Additionally , in 2019 ,
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