Legislative Priorities

 The Food and Water Watch (FWW) & 350 Seattle campaign have asked us to support their campaign to get several blue state governors to petition the EPA to monitor micro-plastics in drinking water. Under the Clean Water Act, every five years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to issue a list of up to 30 new unregulated contaminants that drinking water systems must test for in their water supply. The EPA must issue a draft proposal of the new list of contaminants to test under the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR) of the Safe Drinking Water Act by August 2025, and a final rule is anticipated in December 2026.

FWW is targeting state governors, because there is a specific provision in federal law that requires the EPA to include a contaminant on the monitoring list if the EPA receives a petition from the governors of at least seven states asking for that contaminant to be monitored, unless the EPA can show that there are 30 contaminants that present greater public health concerns.

Here is more about the campaign.   

And below is a letter you could use to write to the different groups:

Dear ____:

As I’m sure you know, microplastics are widespread in our environment and water supplies are linked to many human health problems. Plastics are also closely tied to the fossil fuel industry. We are writing to you to see if your group would be willing to support an effort to require microplastic monitoring in drinking water.

In November 2024, Food & Water Watch led a legal petition, joined by 175 other organizations, asking the EPA to include microplastics in the next round of testing required by EPA regulations.  

A key piece of this campaign involves several state governors, including Governor Ferguson. There is a specific provision in the Safe Drinking Water Act that requires the EPA to include a contaminant on the monitoring list if the EPA receives a petition from the governors of at least seven states, unless the EPA can show that there are 30 contaminants that present greater public health concerns. We believe Governor Governor Ferguson could be one of the seven.

2025 Washington State Legislation:  Priority Climate Bills

*Choose one or more bills; then call, write, share with your elected representatives!

*See your State Senator/Reps email and phone number below or look up at: https://leg.wa.gov/legislators/

*See phone/letter message template at the end

1. Protect Advanced Clean Trucks and Climate Progress
   In President Trump’s first term in office, he rolled back more than 100 environmental laws and regulations. As he gears up for a second term, he has appointed an oil company executive to head the Department of Energy and an EPA Director with an extreme directive to deregulate and make polluters richer. Washington State will not follow that path, and we need steadfast leadership to safeguard vulnerable rules like the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, clean energy policies, and programs to lower costs by supporting energy efficiency in our homes and businesses.
2. Invest in Climate Action
   62% of voters – a clear super majority – upheld the state’s program to reduce dangerous climate pollution and invest in clean air, public health, job creation, and transportation. As the state faces a large funding shortfall, we will make sure that budget writers uphold the people’s will. Climate funds should be used for their intended purpose.
3. Sewage Spill Right-to-Know
   Hundreds of sewage overflows occur every year.  Few are widely reported to the general public. Too often, the public only finds out about these spills when their local beach or fishing area is closed because of contaminated water. This legislation will create a public website and information system to improve public access to timely information about sewage releases in their communities.
4. The Recycling Reform Act (formerly the WRAP Act)
   People are frustrated with excess packaging and plastic pollution. More than 50% of Washington’s consumer packaging and paper products are landfilled or incinerated, wasting an estimated $104 million in valuable materials. The Recycling Reform Act will require packaging and paper product companies and brands to fund our recycling system. This will bring consistent and accessible recycling to all state residents. It will reduce packaging and excess waste and create education programs to reduce confusion.

*Cumulative Risk Burden (CURB) Pollution Act, HB1303: from Front & Centered, would build on the success of the Healthy Environmental for All (HEAL) Act by: requiring the consideration of health impacts that are caused by certain pollutants and which currently go unaddressed by the permitting process; specifying communities that have been disproportionately harmed by pollution for specific protections; requiring a lead agency to conduct a detailed environmental justice impact statement that analyzes what cumulative effects a potentially impactful project would have on a pollution-burdened community; elevating voices of community members through frontline community participation in the permit evaluations process; and requiring the denial of certain air pollution permits for a limited number of new facilities seeking to build in communities ranked 9–10 on the Washington Environmental Health Disparities Map.

 

*Stop investing in coal: The Washington Coal Act, SB 5439, would require the Washington State Investment Board to move an estimated $2.6 billion in assets out of coal companies and stop any new investments. Washington utilities can no longer burn coal after 2025, so we should not be investing in coal in other places. From the Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement action (PSARA), Third Act Washington, Divest Washington, 350 Washington, Sierra Club Washington, Stop the Money Pipeline, union locals, faith communities, and state pension.

 

*Building Decarbonization: bills from Shift Zero, Zero Carbon Building Alliance

2025 Session Buildings Priorities Email to Legislators – Google Docs

• Weatherization Plus Health,$36 million: This proven program keeps housing affordable, creates family-wage careers, reduces energy bills, and improves health and safety for thousands of Washingtonians living on low incomes.
• Building Energy Upgrade Navigator Funding:Reappropriate $3.5 millionfor the Navigator one-stop-shop to increase access to electrification, weatherization, and efficiency services, and prioritize outreach to low income and overburdened communities. This funding was placed on hold last year, and needs more time to be used in conjunction with federal dollars to make the best use of both sources of funding. 
• Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) program. HEAR funding supports programs across the state offering rebates and incentives to households and small businesses to purchase and install high-efficiency electric equipment and appliances, leveraging federal dollars. Current modeling shows that $200M is needed for HEAR this biennium to reach eligible residents and keep us on track towards our State Energy Strategy climate targets.   
• Community Energy Efficiency Program (CEEP),$5 million. Since 2009, CEEP has funded innovative, community-based programs providing education, outreach, technical assistance for electrification and energy efficiency projects targeted towards low and middle income households and underserved businesses and nonprofits.

* Switch to trains! Washington Short Line Railroad Modernization Act, HB 1058, SB 5063 from: Rail Can’t Wait Coalition, 350 Seattle, etc.  2025 legislative rail priorities : Pro on House Bill 1058 by going to this page and on SB 5063 by going to this page.   “Mode shift” from cargo planes and trucks to trains is a critical climate and environmental issue. Trains are very efficient in terms of energy use, at least 3 times more fuel efficient than trucks. Though they run on diesel now, they can be electrified without over-reliance on resource-intensive batteries because, different from trucks, they operate on a “fixed” system. Mode shift of freight from trucks would reduce wear and tear caused by trucks on highways and help solve the problem of salmon-death due to tire erosion chemicals running off into waterways.  2025 RCW Priorities – Google Docs

* Build Transit Oriented Development now!  HB 1491 We need to increase housing choices near transit investments in light rail, bus rapid transit, and commuter rail, making it easier for Washington families to get to where they need to go without relying on a car. This bill also has a provision for affordable housing units.

Do you support other bills?

Please send to us at admin@southseattleclimate.org

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Act Now for Climate Justice: Message Template                                                              

Call or write your State Rep or Senator to advocate and vote for your bill

Sample phone or email message:

               Please vote for (choose bill). As a ______(describe yourself by role, identity) and member of South Seattle Climate Action Network,  I urge you to advocate and vote for (this bill) because ………( explain why you care & your experience)

            Please let me know what you think about this bill and what you will do. Thank you!  Sincerely,

 (Your name, address, email)

 

Look up your state legislators here: https://leg.wa.gov/legislators/

Call or write to your 37th District Legislators:

Senator Rebecca Saldana, 360-786-7688, Rebecca.saldana@leg.wa.gov

Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, 360-786-7944, sharontomiko.santos@leg.wa.gov

Representative Chipalo Street, 360-786-7838, chipalo.street@leg.wa.gov

Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000, 8:00 am-7:00 pm Monday-Friday

*Sign up for the 350 WA Civic Action Team (CAT) Action Alerts The 350 WA Civic Action Team invites us to call, write, or testify to support sound and just climate policy in the Washington State Legislature. SIGN UP to receive Action Alerts during the session! 

 Act Now for Climate Justice                                                                                           

Ask your State Representatives to advocate and vote for:

Sample Message:

               As a ______(describe yourself) and member of South Seattle Climate Action Network,  I urge you to…..because I………

            Please let me know what you think about this bill and what you will do. Thank you!  Sincerely,

 (Your name, address, email)

 

Your 37th District Legislators:

Senator Rebecca Saldana, 360-786-7688, Rebecca.saldana@leg.wa.gov

Representative Sharon Tomiko Santos, 360-786-7944, sharontomiko.santos@leg.wa.gov

Representative Eric Pettigrew, 360-786-7838, eric.pettigrew@leg.wa.gov

Legislative Hotline: 1-800-562-6000, 8:00 am-7:00 pm Monday-Friday