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Water Quality and Conservation "It is a curious situation that the sea, from which life first arose, should now be threatened by the activities of one form of that life." ~ Rachel Carson Whatcom County Council cast an irresponsible vote against clean water and working families February 11, 2010 By Kevin Ranker and David Dicks Washington Conservation Voters http://wcvoters.org/press-room/press-releases/whatcom-county-council-cast-an-irresponsible-vote-against-clean-water-and-working-families Bellingham, WA – The Whatcom County Council cast a vote Tuesday to approve a resolution against a bill in Olympia that is strongly supported by other local governments across Washington. The proposed Working for Clean Water legislation (HB 3181/ SB 6851) would provide funding assistance to the county for addressing toxic stormwater pollution in Lake Whatcom and Puget Sound. The resolution was authored by representatives of the oil industry, who would be required to help pay for the cleanup costs. Each year millions of gallons of petroleum pollution wash into our lakes, rivers, and streams. Polluted stormwater is often cited as our state’s biggest water quality problem. "Whatcom County Council did a disservice to the community with this vote," said Kurt Fritts, Executive Director for Washington Conservation Voters. "They blindly supported a misleading resolution that was written by the oil industry. The people of Whatcom County certainly deserve better leadership than that." Working for Clean Water is a win-win for Whatcom County. This bill will clean up polluted waterways like Lake Whatcom and create thousands of good paying construction jobs to improve infrastructure. "It is unfortunate that the Council chose the interests of big oil companies over those of working families and clean water," Fritts added. The Council’s non-binding vote has no impact on the bills currently in the legislature. They are also the only county to oppose this measure. The proposal is an increase of the voter-approved Hazardous Substance tax. It is levied on petroleum, pesticides, and other toxic pollutants that end up in our waterways. The legislation in Olympia is a top priority for cities and counties across the state because it helps local governments fund clean water projects that they are required by law to complete. Working for Clean Water is a top priority for the Environmental Priorities Coalition, Washington State Labor Council, Washington State Building and Construction Trades, Association of Washington Cities, and Washington State Association of Counties. Download a fact sheet and learn more about Working for Clean Water at www.wcvoters.org/priority-issues/.