Our children deserve clean air. The Clean Fuels Bill (HB 1110), a game plan for cleaning transportation related air pollution in Washington state, is currently being held in committee by Sen. Steve Hobbs, D-Lake Stevens. This bill would encourage the development of clean fuel businesses right here in Snohomish County. Currently, these businesses produce over 1,700 jobs in the state. With the passage of HB 1110, the number of clean fuels jobs would increase, allowing Snohomish County to become a forerunner in clean fuel technology and jobs. Farmers and foresters would increase their profits as they make use of waste byproducts. We would depend upon fuels made by people in our county instead of upon the whims of OPEC nations and Russia in setting our fuel pricing.
Our air quality is almost the worst in the nation. With climate-caused wildfires raging most summers and traffic pollution increasing, we need to be doing everything we can to clean up our air. Cleaner fuels would help flatten our climbing asthma and COPD rates (ours is currently one of the worst asthma rates in the nation), lowering both the health consequences of pollution and the amount of money we pay to cover these healthcare costs. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Over the last two legislative sessions, the people of Washington have asked Sen. Hobbs and the Legislature to pass a clean fuels standard. Please contact Sen. Hobbs and ask him to allow the Clean Fuel Standard to be voted on in committee and contact Sen. Stanford and Reps. Peterson, Robinson and Kloba to thank them for their leadership on this issue.
Jeanine SanClemente
Snohomish
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