Stormwater legislation seeks a new funding source

Working for Clean Water legislation will put people to work building stormwater infrastructure. This is a good bill. Stormwater is the number one threat to the health of Puget Sound. Every time it rains, stormwater carries the crud from the streets, construction projects, and farms straight into Puget Sound, where we like to paddle and where the fish, birds and marine mammals are struggling to survive.

Working for Clean Water raises the hazardous-substance tax on petroleum, pesticides and other chemicals that cause harm to Washington's waterways in order to fund projects that will capture and treat stormwater before it reaches the water.

In order for this bill to pass, your state legislators need to hear from you. Please call them right now and tell them to support Working for Clean Water legislation: 1-800-562-6000.

Initially, the bill proposed creating a new barrel fee on petroleum products. Now, the measure proposes to increase the hazardous-substance tax instead. This change is in response to concerns raised that a new barrel fee would be the same as a gas tax, which is restricted for supporting road-building projects.

To learn more, see today's Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010910892_oiltax28m.html