As the new home of WashPIRG's environmental work, Environment Washington can be contacted regarding this news release.
Olympia—Gov. Locke
today proposed to fully fund in the 2004 supplemental state budget a critical
state program that will eliminate toxic pollution, such as mercury, dioxin,
lead, and PCBs. Despite strong public support, the Legislature eliminated funding
for the program in the last legislative session. The environmental community
has designated restoring the funding as one of its top legislative priorities
for the 2004 legislative session.
Ecology’s program,
a first-of-its-kind in the nation, develops state plans to phase out persistent
toxic chemicals. The program is responsible for monitoring fish for toxic contamination,
reducing toxic discharges from sources of the chemicals, implementing a recently
completed plan to eliminate mercury pollution, and developing additional chemical
phase out plans.
"Hopefully, House and
Senate leaders will follow the Governor’s lead and restore funding this
session," said Ivy Sager-Rosenthal, environmental advocate for the Washington
Public Interest Research Group (WashPIRG). "Without the funding, we cannot
protect our children and the environment from the dangers of toxic pollution."
Gov. Locke’s budget
proposal proposes to fully fund the program with $436,000 in fiscal year 2005.
Funding for the program comes from the state’s tax on hazardous substances,
not from general tax dollars.
Persistent toxic chemicals
are among the most dangerous chemicals on the planet. They build up in the food
chain and are extremely toxic even in very small quantities and are passed to
children through the womb and breast milk. They have been linked to birth defects,
reproductive failure, learning and behavioral problems in young children, cancer,
and other health problems.
Ecology’s program has
broad public support from more than forty environmental and public health organizations,
including the American Lung Association of Washington, Breast Cancer Fund, Institute
of Neurotoxicology and neurological Disorders, League of Women Voters, Pacific
Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Organizations, Washington Association of
Churches, and Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility.
