Is Washington State a National Environmental Leader?

Judging from the past two sessions, the answer is clearly “Yes, Washington State is a national environmental leader.” In the last two years, the Legislature passed a number of bills that make Washington a national leader solving environmental problems. Some represent local problems with our own solutions, such as the bill to limit the phosphorus content of automatic dishwashing detergent. Others represent national issues where we’re on the cutting edge of environmental policy, like requiring manufacturers to pay for electronic waste recycling programs.

Here’s a summary of some of the more nationally significant environmental bills that have passed in the last two years:

• Clean cars—Last year, Washington became the 9th state overall and the second west of the Mississippi, to adopt the greenhouse gas reducing California auto emissions standards.
• Green buildings—Washington became the first state to pass stand-alone legislation that requires state-funded construction projects be built to a “green standard,” requiring better water and energy efficiency and the use of sustainably produced raw materials.
• Limiting phosphorus—Washington is the first state to limit the phosphorus content of automatic dishwashing detergent. Phosphorus stimulates the excessive growth of algae in water bodies. The algae can be toxic, and robs the water of essential oxygen.
• E-waste recycling—While other states have programs requiring recycling of electronic waste (computers and TVs), Washington is the first state that requires the manufacturers, not the consumers or retailers, to pay for these programs.
• Renewable fuels—Several states have a minimum fuel requirement for ethanol in gasoline. Washington became just the second state, however, to require a minimum amount of ethanol and biodiesel (Minnesota is the other state).