About Us:
State PIRG Articles WASHPIRG Wins Prohibition of Many Toxic Chemicals (2000)
Despite everything we know about the threat posed to our children's
health by persistent toxic chemicals like lead, mercury and dioxin,
some industries continue to dump dangerous amounts of these toxics into
our environment.
In 1998, in the face of overwhelming evidence that persistent
bio-accumulative toxics (PBTs) are dangerous, the Washington Department
of Ecology launched an initiative to eliminate them. After two years of
study, the agency released a draft plan proposing to ban PBT discharges.
But polluting industries fought the agency's efforts, downplaying the
dangers of these toxics and claiming that eliminating them would cost
too much.
WashPIRG and coalition partners worked to persuade the Department of
Ecology to stand by its plan, and to convince the state to provide the
funding necessary to carry it out. In June of 2000, the legislature
approved $800,000 for the new program, which took effect that year.
