In a letter sent to Washington Governor Jay Inslee on September 13, NWEA took the Governor to task for setting up a process to bring yet more political influence to the already fraught “political football” of Washington’s fish consumption-based toxic criteria for the protection of human health. The letter first criticizes the Governor for not allowing environmental groups to choose their own representative to his process, in which the groups are now represented by . . . an industry attorney! It goes on to point out that the group’s meeting behind closed doors with the intent to affect the rulemaking process appears inconsistent with the purpose of open government under the state’s laws. And it makes suggestions: that the group’s meetings be open for observation, that environmental organizations be allowed to choose their own representative, and that the Governor’s office explain the relationship between his advisory group and the public process underway by the Department of Ecology (DOE).
Finally, the letter points out that the only so-called “implementation tools” that are being evaluated by Ecology and by the Governor’s group are for the purpose of de-regulating permitted sources of toxic pollution. NWEA urges that the discussion be broadened to include putting currently un-regulated sources of pollution “on the hook” to reduce toxic pollution.