Oil Fee to Pay for Stormwater?

Lawmakers and environmentalists want an oil fee to pay for stormwater pollution in Washington State.

A new bill would levy a pollution fee of $1.50 per barrel on petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, asphalt, road oil, and lubricants to pay for projects that help curb the flow of pollutants into Puget Sound and other waters. Local governments would compete for a portion of the petroleum tax to help them manage stormwater to meet federal guidelines.

Surface runoff is the primary source of water pollution in Puget Sound and for the state’s waterways in general. It is believed that petroleum products make up a significant portion of stormwater pollution. The bill requires the Department of Ecology to develop criteria for administering the program and ranking projects for funding. In developing these criteria, the department shall consult with the Puget Sound partnership. The department shall endeavor to distribute the monies within each geographic region of the state in proportion to the severity. The Senate Committee on Environment, Water, and Energy were presented a similar bill last week and referred it to the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

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