OLYMPIA – A bill no one testified against during its first public hearing, and which passed the state House of Representatives by a wide bipartisan margin, is now generating opposition based on misinformation.
State Representatives Steve Tharinger (D – Dungeness) and Kevin Van De Wege (D – Sequim) say those who are against House Bill 2326 are completely misinterpreting the bill’s intent and are starting a fear-mongering opposition campaign based on that misinterpretation.
“I co-sponsored this bill because it’s about saving jobs and industries that are vital to our state’s economy,” Tharinger said. “Both the Tacoma/Pierce County Chamber of Commerce and the Independent Business Association testified in favor of it, and not a single person testified against. Republicans and Democrats voted in favor of it without reservations, both in committee and on the House floor.”
House Bill 2326 addresses the use of uncertified wood burning stoves, inserts or fireplaces at least twenty years old in certain parts of Pierce County. It allows for a local air pollution control authority or the state Department of Ecology to call a Stage One burn ban at a lower threshold than the federal standard. The bill specifically exempts residents for whom the stove, insert or fireplace is the sole source of heat.
“There is absolutely zero threat of government coming into people’s homes and taking away their wood stoves. I repeat: zero,” said Van De Wege. “But without this bill passing, there are very serious health and economic threats for Pierce County, which is a major economic center for our state. Federal regulations would prohibit industries from locating or expanding in the area, and that means loss of jobs. Nobody wants that.”
Both Tharinger and Van De Wege say their offices have been flooded recently with emails from people expressing concern over the bill, which is now under consideration before the state Senate. Most of the messages the legislators have received indicate a high level of misinformation about the bill’s specifics. The group Concerned Citizens of Clallam County recently highlighted the measure in its web newsletter, which claimed that HB 2326, “…surrender[s] our private property rights to the discretion of the Federal EPA as to the definition of air quality standards.”
Tharinger says as a former county commissioner, he understands Pierce County officials’ concerns regarding restrictions that would be enforced from outside authorities if the county’s air quality was out of compliance. He also notes that poor air quality harms public health and is especially dangerous for children, the elderly, and people with asthma.
“Pierce County is the only county in the state facing this problem, but since local air authorities are bound by the state Clean Air Act, it makes sense to fix it at the legislative level,” Tharinger said. “That’s what we do with this bill. We fix the problem, protect people’s health, and save jobs.”