H‑1116.1   _____________________________________________

 

HOUSE BILL 1921

 

           _____________________________________________

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Linville, Kagi, Ruderman, Simpson, Dunshee, Murray and Veloria

 

Read first time 02/08/2001.  Referred to Committee on Agriculture & Ecology.

_1      AN ACT Relating to greenhouse gases affecting climate change;

_2  adding a new chapter to Title 70 RCW; providing an effective date;

_3  and declaring an emergency.

     

_4  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

     

_5      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  The legislature makes the following

_6  findings:

_7      (1) The overwhelming majority of scientific opinion, as

_8  expressed in a recent consensus report of the world's climate

_9  research community, has concluded that significant climate change

10  arising from greenhouse gases generated by human activity is

11  already underway.

12      (2) The best available analyses by northwest climate experts

13  now indicate a projected doubling of carbon dioxide in the

14  atmosphere is now expected to increase the average temperature in

15  Washington state four to seven degrees over the next fifty

16  years.  This is the same amount of heating that normally occurs over

17  a ten thousand to twenty thousand-year period and is expected to

18  create:

                               p. 1                       HB 1921

 

_1      (a) Substantial change in the timing, intensity, and

_2  distribution of the state's precipitation;

_3      (b) Substantial reduction in the state's total snow pack;

_4      (c) A thirty to fifty-percent reduction of the natural flow of

_5  the Columbia river during the summer; and

_6      (d) Significant sea level rise around the state, including

_7  Puget Sound, for centuries to come.

_8      (3) Such changes are likely to have major, adverse impacts on

_9  the state's:  (a) Water supply; (b) ability to generate

10  hydroelectricity; (c) air quality; (d) transportation; (e)

11  infectious diseases and public health; (f) agriculture; (g)

12  forestry; (h) fisheries; (i) coastal infrastructure; (j)

13  recreation; and (k) all natural ecosystems including designated

14  wilderness.

15      (4) Carbon dioxide, created by the burning of fossil fuels, is

16  by far the largest source of disrupting greenhouse gases.  Current

17  trends indicate that, within fifty to one hundred years, there

18  will be a doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide over the

19  preindustrial year of 1800.  These trends, if left unchecked, will

20  lead to a tripling and quadrupling of atmospheric carbon dioxide

21  over the next century.  Stabilizing the atmospheric concentration at

22  twice the current level will require a worldwide capping of the

23  growth of emissions within forty years with a reduction of

24  emissions of over eighty percent thereafter.

25      (5)  The citizens of Washington state have consistently

26  demonstrated extraordinary scientific, technological, visionary,

27  and creative leadership.  This kind of leadership is necessary to

28  successfully engage the entire global community in addressing

29  climate change.  Consequently, the state of Washington should strive

30  to emit no net greenhouse gas emissions by the year 2020.

31      (6) The citizens of Washington state are being asked to host an

32  enormous number of new fossil fuel power plants that will increase

33  the state's total greenhouse gas emissions by over thirty percent

34  within the next few years.  These plants are projected to emit the

35  equivalent emissions of five and one-half million cars.  Over eighty-

36  six percent of the state's emissions of dangerous greenhouse

37  gases are from just two sectors, electricity and transportation.

38      (7) The failure to control pollution by greenhouse gases will

HB 1921                        p. 2

_1  impact future generations for at least four hundred years.  The cost

_2  of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas plants and

_3  transportation is generally expected to cost between three and six

_4  percent of the price of the electricity and fuel.  The companies

_5  that control the production of the electricity and fuel should

_6  undertake all reasonable efforts to reduce or mitigate their

_7  greenhouse gas emissions.  The state should publicly recognize the

_8  efforts of the environmentally conscientious companies who reduce

_9  or mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions.

10      (8) For purposes of this section, "greenhouse gases" shall

11  include all gases identified for regulation, as of January 1,

12  2001, by the United Nations framework convention on climate

13  change.

     

14      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  The definitions in this section apply

15  throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires

16  otherwise.

17      (1) "Board" means the board of directors of the Washington

18  climate center.

19      (2) "Center" means the Washington climate center.

20      (3) "Climate change" means a change of climate attributed

21  directly or indirectly to human activity that alters the

22  composition of the global atmosphere.

23      (4) "Emissions" means the release of greenhouse gases.

24      (5) "Emitter" means the entity releasing greenhouse gases.  The

25  "emitter" for:

26      (a) Transportation fuels shall be that party which sells the

27  fuel, not the purchaser; and

28      (b) Electricity produced outside of Washington state, shall be

29  the wholesale seller.

30      (6) "Greenhouse gases" includes only the following gases:

31  Carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and natural gas (CH4), and nitrous

32  oxide (N2O).  All carbon neutral emissions are exempt from this

33  chapter, these are:  Emissions of carbon dioxide from sources that

34  originally captured the carbon from the atmosphere or hydrosphere

35  within the last five hundred years.  This includes, but is not

36  limited to, human or animal respiration and the burning of

37  biofuels.

                               p. 3                       HB 1921

 

_1      (7) "Mitigate" emissions means to eliminate, or capture-and-

_2  store, or to ensure the elimination or capturing and storing of,

_3  greenhouse gases.

_4      (8) "Most cost-effective" means obtaining the greatest

_5  reductions in greenhouse gases per dollar spent.

_6      (9) "Permanent" mitigation means to avoid, or remove,

_7  greenhouse gases from the atmosphere for a period in excess of two

_8  hundred years.

_9      (10) "Short-term" mitigation means to avoid, or remove,

10  greenhouse gases from the atmosphere for a period of two hundred

11  years or less.

     

12      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  The state legislature authorizes the

13  establishment of an independent, nonprofit organization known as

14  the Washington climate center to serve as a central clearinghouse

15  for all climate change activities in the state.

     

16      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  The center shall be funded through grants

17  and voluntary cash and in-kind contributions.

     

18      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  (1) The activities of the center shall be

19  directed by a board of directors appointed by the governor, for

20  terms of four years, beginning November 1, 2001.  The board shall

21  include eleven members as follows:

22      (a) One member from each major party of the senate as

23  recommended by their leadership;

24      (b) One member from each major party of the house of

25  representatives as recommended by their leadership;

26      (c) One member from the office of the commissioner of public

27  lands;

28      (d) Two members from the nonprofit, climate sector;

29      (e) Two members from the business sector; and

30      (f) Two members from the climate academic sector.

31      (2) The board shall retain and assign staff and volunteers as

32  the board deems necessary.  A vote of a majority of the members of

33  the board shall bind the board.

34 

HB 1921                        p. 4

 

_1      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.  (1) The duties of the center may

_2  include, but are not limited to:

_3      (a) Determining current and projected emissions of greenhouse

_4  gases in the state;

_5      (b) Collecting and sharing scientific and technological data

_6  related to climate change;

_7      (c) Assisting and collecting all climate contingency planning

_8  in the state;

_9      (d) Advising relevant sectors of prospective commercial

10  opportunities;

11      (e) Studying and recommending, by January 30, 2002, avenues for

12  capping the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions in the state

13  by December 31, 2003;

14      (f) Studying and recommending, by June 30, 2002, the most cost-

15  effective methods for eliminating all net greenhouse gas emissions

16  in the state by December 31, 2020;

17      (g) Studying and recommending, by January 1, 2002, the most

18  cost-effective methods for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from

19  the transportation sector consistent with federal law;

20      (h) Certifying the extent and degree of any mitigation

21  projects;

22      (i) Developing adequate methods for the monitoring and

23  verification of mitigation projects; and

24      (j) Serving as a central, independent registry available for

25  the trading of emissions credits.

26      (2) The center shall:

27      (a) Adopt and publish its rules of operation, calculations, and

28  methods;

29      (b) Accomplish any other duty assigned to it by the legislature

30  for which adequate funding is provided; and

31      (c) Provide an annual report to the governor and legislature by

32  December 31st regarding its operations, including the status of

33  greenhouse gas emissions in the state.

34      (3) The center shall, within available funds, also:

35      (a) Identify key sectors within the state likely to be affected

36  adversely by climate change;

37      (b) Notify and convene meetings of key members of those

38  sectors;

                               p. 5                       HB 1921

 

_1      (c) Provide relevant scientific and technological information

_2  to the public and key sectors;

_3      (d) Support a collaborative response to assist those sectors;

_4  and

_5      (e) Assist in the creation of effective contingency planning

_6  for those sectors.

_7      (4) The following agencies and programs shall work with the

_8  center to establish contingency planning under subsection (3) of

_9  this section:  The department of community, trade, and economic

10  development, the department of ecology, the department of

11  transportation, and the Washington State University energy

12  program.

     

13      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7.  (1) All emitters of greenhouse gases from

14  the production of electricity and the burning of transportation

15  fuels are encouraged to mitigate their emissions effective January

16  1, 2002.

17      (2) Emissions of greenhouse gases from all other sectors,

18  including, but not limited to, agriculture, aluminum, cement,

19  forestry, natural gas for heating, and solid waste are exempt from

20  the provisions of this chapter.

21      (3) Emitters are encouraged to secure their own mitigation

22  projects, or request the assistance of the center in selecting

23  mitigation projects.

24      (4) While emitters may support mitigation projects outside the

25  state of Washington, they are encouraged to use mitigation

26  projects located within the state of Washington.

27      (5) Upon a request, accompanied with adequate funding, the

28  center may:

29      (a) Determine and certify the amount of mitigation accomplished

30  by any mitigation project; and

31      (b) Determine what, if any, monitoring and verification should

32  be required for any mitigation project.

     

33     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8.  To encourage emitters to plan and

34  substitute clean technologies, the center shall publicize

35  successful mitigation projects and efforts to reduce the emission

36  of greenhouse gases.

 

HB 1921                        p. 6

_1     

_2     NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9.  Sections 1 through 8 of this act

_3  constitute a new chapter in Title 70 RCW.

     

_4      NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10.  This act is necessary for the immediate

_5  preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of

_6  the state government and its existing public institutions, and

_7  takes effect July 1, 2001.

 

‑‑‑ END ‑‑‑

                               p. 7                       HB 1921