Environmental group highlights goals for upcoming legislative session

OLYMPIA — The 2025 Washington legislative session will begin Monday and the Washington Conservation Action’s Environmental Priorities Coalition has four goals for the upcoming session: advanced clean trucks and climate progress, climate action, sewage spill right-to-know and the recycling reform act. The EPC met for a press conference Tuesday to discuss its legislative initiatives.  

The briefing can be viewed at bit.ly/EPCEnvironmental. 

Clean trucks and climate progress 

The first goal of EPC’s environmental initiatives is to continue to encourage clean trucks and climate progress within the state.  

“Transportation is still our largest source of climate pollution,” Washington Deputy Policy Director for Climate Solutions Leah Missik said. “Probably a lot of you saw that the Department of Ecology just released a new greenhouse gas emission inventory and transportation is still up there. It accounts for about 40% of our total climate pollution here in Washington state.”  

The coalition aims to bolster the Advanced Clean Truck Rule, which seeks to reduce tailpipe emissions from medium- and heavy-duty vehicles such as buses and trucks. Missik said delays in implementing these regulations could exacerbate air quality issues, particularly in overburdened communities located near freight corridors.  

"We are defending our progress and working hard to prevent any attempts to delay these essential standards," she said.  

Missik said the emissions are causing real health problems for people now and, in the group’s opinion, will continue to get worse if regulations are not set in place or current laws are overturned regarding emissions.  

“In Washington, we are on the path to address it in the past handful of years,” Missik said. “We have passed a number of policies that will chip away at this problem but just as we’ve been doing for other kinds of policies, we really need to be wary of attempts to delay or repeal this progress. Which again would have very real impacts on people right now in terms of pollution that they are unfortunately breathing in.”  

EPC’s policy framework addresses reducing emissions by transitioning to vehicles that cost less fuel and are cleaner for the environment. Specifically, Missik said the group proposes a focus on large diesel trucks and the impact on air quality.  

“We will invest climate commitment act revenue into deep pollution cuts, including a voucher program for zero pollution vehicles – including large vehicles like school buses and heavy-duty trucks,” Missik said. “Investing this into more electric vehicle charging and helping folks who are living on low incomes access these vehicles.” 

Climate action 

Darcy Nonemacher, government affairs director at Washington Conservation Action, addressed the state’s current financial challenges, including a projected $12 billion budget shortfall. Nonemacher said the group has concerns that environmental programs they support may be at risk during budget negotiations.  

"Historically, environmental programs have faced significant cuts during funding crises, and we need to ensure that the Climate Commitment Act funds are protected," she said. 

Nonemacher referenced recent surveys that she said indicated strong public backing for the Climate Commitment Act, legislation passed in 2021 that its supporters say is aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  

"The public is clear: they support climate action and initiatives that improve air quality," she said. “The coalition will ensure that funding linked to the Climate Commitment Act remains dedicated to its intended purposes, focusing on clean energy and emissions reduction.” 

Sewage spill right-to-know 

Mindy Roberts, program director at Washington Conservation Action presented the Sewage Right to Know initiative. Roberts said the group is supporting a proposal to establish a publicly accessible website to centralize information about sewage spills across the state. 

"Currently, hundreds of sewage spills occur each year, often without public knowledge until after the fact," she said. 

Roberts discussed the dangers associated with sewage contamination, including harmful bacteria and other pollutants. 

"This initiative is about empowering the public to make informed decisions regarding their health and safety,” she said.  

If state officials require the Department of Ecology to compile and share sewage spill information, Washington will be joining states like South Carolina and Connecticut. 

Recycling Reform Act  

The Recycling Reform Act, House Bill 1150, formerly known as the re-WRAP Act, has been adjusted and will be seen in the Washington Legislature again this year.  

“Presentations we have done, people are extremely frustrated with the excess of packaging they’re getting and the plastic pollution they are seeing on our roads and in our environment,” Zero Waste Washington Executive Director Heather Trim said. “Right now, more than 50% of our consumer packaging and paper products are being either landfilled or incinerated which accounts for about 104 million worth of materials that could be recycled.”  

Trim contended the act would promote better recycling practices, mitigate plastic pollution, and ultimately provide economic benefits by recovering valuable materials. 

"This bill will require manufacturers to fund our recycling system, ensuring a more consistent approach across the state," Trim said. 

By establishing a uniform recycling process and funding educational programs, Trim said the act’s supporters are optimistic about its chances of success.  

"There is overwhelming public support for addressing plastic pollution, and our reduced, streamlined bill should resonate with lawmakers," she said.  

    Recycling will be among the areas of focus for environmental groups in the 2025 legislative session.