The odd saga of a democratic governor arbitrarily suspending rule making for a year continues. The governor, apparently out of left field, decided that suspending rule making at the state level was needed, which is, to say the least, unprecedented. This has left departments scrambling to decide what this really means. After viewing the list below of exceptions to this rule by the Governor, I think that the whole exercise was a political stunt that created a bunch of bureaucratic work to determine what she meant and for virtually no positive gain to us.
In short, who loses? Your lungs, and our rivers. Some aspects of Puget Sound protection. Also, citizens who’s beaches are a battleground of geoduck farmers vs the local shore owners. Those folks were hoping for some relief from the government.
Who wins? Business, Geoduck growers, some aspects of Puget Sound, Columbia groundwater users.dam safety, green house gas reporting.
Department of Ecology chief Ted Sturdevant has been put in a quandary, as rule making is essential in DOE to protect the health of citizens. So DOE has decided what they will and won’t protect us from this year. Here’s the list, the source material is here http://www.ecy.wa.gov/laws-rules/rulemaking_suspension.html
What they will attempt to continue protecting us from, in spite of the Governor’s mandate:
- Lower emission vehicles
- Matching California for clean air emissions because the Feds require it.
- Sediment management standards
- Addressing the impact of bioaccumulative chemicals is
an important step needed to restore and protect Puget Sound. - Underground storage tanks
- Mandated by the feds
- Expand vehicle air emission test facilities.
- Essentially outsourcing government functions.
- Clarify water quality standards
- Court case rules clarification is driving this.
- Clarifying Columbia River Groundwater withdrawls.
- The side of the state that least wants ‘government interference’ is begging for the government to clarify it’s rules… go figure.
- Other Columbia River issues are also discussed
- Brake Pad Toxic Metal phase out
- With recent banning of toxic brakepads manufacturers are begging for clarification of the rules so they can produce brake pads that meet standards, which are not yet set.
- Municipal solid waste landfill clarification
- The Feds ride to our rescue by demanding that the State so we can get more money from the Feds.
- Industrial Air Quality permit fees
- Business is demanding fees to increase so the workload can be funded, and reduced.
- Dam Safety
- Fees to be collected so that the rules and regs process can continue and a backlog reduced.
- Greenhouse Gas reporting
- This helps businesses that must align with the feds align the state requirements to the Feds.
- And an additional 4 more items
- What they are putting on a back burner, pending “determination”
- Elwha-Dungeness instream rule
- While global warming affects stream recharge and flow, we put this off. nice.
- Shellfish shoreline management act
- Expect the Tribes to have something to say about this.
- Geoduck./ Shellfish operations siting rules.
- The ongoing battle between shoreline owners and geoduck farming helps the farmers and puts off aiding shoreline owners. Expect more lawsuits on this.
- Diesel engine idle reduction
- The health of your lungs isn’t of much concern, apparently.
- Solid wood burning devices
- additional rules will be tabled for a year. These rules would help all of us by strengthening wood burning stove pollution, which is more pronounced outside the urban areas.