Call to Action! Employers understand the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but House Bill 2957 is not right for Washington

What is House Bill 2957

A Washington Supreme Court ruling in January found the state Department of Ecology did not have the authority to regulate indirect air emissions, but the Legislature could grant them that authority.

House Bill 2957 is the Legislature’s response to that ruling. Rather than restricting the Department of Ecology’s authority to implement a new rule, it would grant the Department the extremely broad authority to regulate “direct and indirect” emissions across the economy. This unrestrained authority would allow the Department sweeping new powers to regulate businesses and would saddle employers with new compliance costs.

It even allows the Department to implement a low-carbon fuel standard by administrative rule, completely bypassing the Legislature.

The Department’s own low-end estimate of the cost compliance for businesses under the 2016 Clean Air Rule was $1.34 billion. But an independent study by Energy Strategies found that a more accurate cost for the business community was in the range of $5.13 to $6.84 billion. Passage of HB 2957 would allow the Department of Ecology to re-implement the Clean Air Rule and all of its associated costs to comply.

Why it matters to business

Washington businesses have seen permitting costs skyrocket over the past 20 years. The authority granted under this bill would further complicate the permitting process, jeopardizing job-creation and economic growth.

Contact your legislators today and tell them HB 2957 is not right for Washington.