Tell Governor Inslee We Support Him on the Clean Power Plan

Description: Thank Governor Jay Inslee for standing with other West Coast leaders from Alaska to California against the Trump adminstration’s executive order rolling back the Clean Power Plan.

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Background: Last week, President Trump signed an Executive Order, which includes directives to withdraw and rewrite rolling back the Clean Power Plan and weakening other standards that protect our air quality and reduce carbon emissions. In response, Governor Inslee issued the following statement: “Climate change remains one of the most urgent issues facing leaders at all levels of government in all corners of the world. Washington state remains wholly committed to doing our part. Action is needed now to grow our economy, protect our health and secure our quality of life. President Trump’s decision to ax the Clean Power Plan cedes U.S. global leadership and increases the risk that climate change will continue to damage our state. We can’t afford to slow our efforts, and we won’t.”

Contact Information:

Governor Jay Inslee (360) 902-4111
TTY/TDD call 711 or 1-800-833-6388

http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/contact/send-gov-inslee-e-message

Suggested Script: As a resident of [insert City, County), I want to thank the Governor for his continued leadership in the efforts to combat climate change. Strong leadership and action at the state and local levels will be critical to protect our climate in light of the Trump Administration’s dangerous and reckless policies in support of the fossil fuel industry.

Additional Information:

Comment on the Anacortes Tesoro Xylene DEIS

Source: Re-Sources for Sustainable Communities

Description: Learn more about, submit a comment, and attend the public hearing on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Tesoro Xylene Project.

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Background: Tesoro refinery in Anacortes has proposed an expansion project that would increase the risk of a chemical spill in the Salish Sea. The “Tesoro Anacortes Clean Products Upgrade Project” is a proposal to upgrade the refinery to produce and export xylene, a flammable petrochemical used to make plastic and synthetics. The plan to produce 15,000 barrels of xylene per day for export to Asia would bring an addition 5 tankers per month through the Salish Sea – each additional tanker increases the risks of spills of crude oil and refined products. In March 2017, Skagit County released the draft EIS for the proposal. The public hearing is April 17th in Anacortes, and the public comment period ends May 8th, 2017.

Take Action!

Learn more about the proposal (see links below).
Submit comment online by Monday, May 8th.
Attend the public hearing, Monday, April 17, 4:30-8:00p.m., Anacortes High School (1200 20th St., Anacortes). RSVP for the hearing here.
Attend a comment workshop Thursday, April 13, 5:30-7:30p.m., Skagit Unitarian Universalist, 500 W. Section St., Mount Vernon. RSVP for the workshop here.

Talking Points: As a resident of [insert city/County], I am deeply concerned that the proposed Tesoro Anacortes CPU Project threatens our climate, public health, and the sensitive Salish Sea ecosystem. The draft EIS lacks both accurate calculations for carbon pollution and assurances the project won’t increase crude oil train traffic. I would like to request that Skagit County include language in the final EIS that:

Requires the highest standards during the transport, refining and shipping of xylene.
Ensures refinery workers follow the highest safety standards and are protected from the risks of toxic xylene spills.
Creates an adequate disaster response plan with mitigation measures for water and air during a xylene spill at the refinery or from a tanker in the Salish Sea.
Prevents Tesoro from utilizing the upgrades to begin exporting crude oil without additional permits and an independent environmental impact assessment.
Prevents Tesoso from increasing crude oil train traffic to the refinery to provide the products needed to create xylene.
Fully offsets any increases in refinery pollution by specifically supporting mitigation projects in Northwest Washington.

Additional Information: For the ReSources action alert (which links to news articles and other sources of info), click here. To learn more about the proposed project and to review the Draft EIS, click here.

Call 40th District Reps to Advance Solar Bill

Source: Re-Sources for Sustainable Communities

Description: Call finance committee chair Kris Lytton and bill sponsor Jeff Morris to tell them to push the HB 1048 (solar bill) forward.

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Background:

Solar Incentives

As of Thursday, March 30th, the solar bill (HB 1048) is languishing in the finance committee, and it needs additional support. Thankfully, the committee chair AND the bill sponsor both represent the 40th legislative district — which includes San Juan County as well as portions of Whatcom and Skagit counties. Learn more at solarstrongwa.org.

Even if you don’t live in the 40th LD, please contact finance committee chair Kris Lytton and bill sponsor Jeff Morris to tell them to push the solar bill forward.

Rep. Kris Lytton: (360) 786-7800, kristine.Lytton@leg.wa.gov
Rep. Jeff Morris: (360) 786-7970, jeff.morris@leg.wa.gov

Contacting your legislators by phone is by far the most productive and impactful form of communication. Read more in the New York Times article “Here’s why you should call, not email, your legislators.”

Suggested Script:

Hello my name is _________ and I am a constituent of the ___ legislative district.

Now is the time for local action to build our clean-energy economy. I am calling to ask Representative ________ to support HB 1048. The solar bill is important because it:

Ensures certainty for new solar owners, and protects existing solar owners.
Is more efficient than the old program the state is currently locked into. Without an update, the legacy program will add very few solar panels (or jobs) from now on.
Serious solar bang for our buck: The 2017 Solar Jobs Bill, HB 1048, uses state dollars much more effectively, deploying 5x more solar per dollar than the legacy program.
Assures our home-grown solar industry can continue to grow and hire just like the rest of the US. Nationally, the solar industry is adding jobs 12x faster than the rest of the economy. We could have that growth here in WA, but instability is causing us to miss out.

Oil Transportation Safety Act

Description: Call your representatives today to tell them this is an important issue and urge them to vote YES on oil transportation safety.

Background: On Thursday, March 30th, the oil transportation bill (HB 1611) passed out of the House finance committee. Learn more about the bill.

Find your legislator and view the talking points below.

40th District
Senator Kevin Ranker (360) 786-7678
Representative Kristine Lytton (360) 786-7800
Representative Jeff R. Morris (360) 786-7970

42nd District
Senator Doug Ericksen (360) 786-7682
Representative Luane Van Werven (360) 786-7980
Representative Vincent Buys (360) 786-7854

Suggested Script: Hello my name is _________ and I am a constituent of the ___ legislative district.

I am concerned about the ongoing threat that oil trains, pipelines, and tankers pose to my community and our waterways.

The Oil Transportation Safety Act (HB 1611) is a commonsense approach to strengthening our prevention, response and preparedness program. Let’s not wait for a spill or other disaster to happen to take action.

I urge Representative __________ to vote YES on HB 1611 and protect all of Washington from crude oil transport. Thank you.

National Level Actions

Take Action to Save the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Source: Everyday Advocacy

Description: Call your MoCs of to help ensure that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is saved from federal budget cuts.

Background: As you may have seen, the White House budget that was released on Thursday, March 16, calls for eliminating the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency charged with providing support to our nation’s hundreds of thousands of libraries and museums.

ALA and ALSC seek your help to ensure that IMLS is saved, because without strong, well-supported libraries, our children and families will not have the resources and support they need to succeed in school and prepare for college, careers, and life.

ALSC leadership and the Advocacy and Legislation Committee are working on this issue with ALA and will be preparing additional information for ALSC members, but here is what you can do right now:

1. Start calling and emailing!
Go to http://cqrcengage.com/ala/home to begin making calls or to email to #SaveIMLS.

2. Call or email your Members of Congress.
Ask them to publicly oppose wiping out IMLS, and ask them to commit to fighting for federal library funding. You can find talking points and an email template on the Action Center and at the menu links below:

Call Your Congress Members

Email Your Congress Members

Use ALA Talking Points

3. Share your library’s IMLS story on social media using #SaveIMLS.
Tell us how IMLS funding supports your local community. If you aren’t sure which IMLS grants your library has received, you can check the searchable database on the IMLS website.

4. Sign up to receive ALA’s action alerts.
We will let you know when and how to take action and send you the talking points and background information.

5. Register to participate in National Library Legislative Day on May 1-2, either in Washington, DC, or online.

6. Share this information widely!
Don’t underestimate the power of collective voice. Share this information widely with colleagues, friends, and other advocates so they can help, too.

More information, along with talking points and scripts, will be forthcoming from the ALA Washington Office, particularly as it pertains to the upcoming advocacy campaign around “Dear Appropriator” letters.

Contact Information:

Senator Patty Murray, WA (206) 553-5545, DC (202) 224-2621
Senator Maria Cantwell, WA (206) 220-6400, DC (202) 224-3441
Congressman Rick Larsen (WA 2nd Legislative District), WA 360-733-4500, DC (202) 225-2605
Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA 1st Legislative District), WA (360) 416-7879, DC

Take a Stand Against Two New Proposed Bills to Sell-off Public Lands

Source: The Wilderness Society and California Wilderness Coalition

Description: Call your MoCs and and tell them the federal budget must not include the proposal to give away public lands.

Background: The push to make it easier to transfer public lands into the private sector continues. House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) wants $50 million in the proposed federal budget to offset any costs resulting from transferring federal lands to states and localities.

We can tell members of Congress who are key to the federal budget process—especially Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Ken Calvert, the chairman of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee—that Rep. Bishop’s $50M budget proposal is not an acceptable use of taxpayer money.

Also, other proposals have been introduced by Nevada Rep. Mark Amodei and Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake to seize and sell public lands. Click here to read more about their proposal.

Contact Information:

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, (202) 225-5034
Rep. Ken Calvert, (202) 225-1986
Senator Patty Murray, WA (206) 553-5545, DC (202) 224-2621
Senator Maria Cantwell, WA (206) 220-6400, DC (202) 224-3441
Congressman Rick Larsen (WA 2nd Legislative District), WA 360-733-4500, DC (202) 225-2605
Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA 1st Legislative District), WA (360) 416-7879, DC (202) 225-6311

From the Calendar

All week: Stand and Resist Exhibition
A ten-day exhibit of visual arts and one evening of live performances, showcasing local and regional artists who are exploring the intertwined issues of threats to the Salish Sea, climate change, and alternative futures.

Mondays from 11:30a.m.-1:30p.m.: Attend a vigil hosted by C2C every Monday in front of City Hall. Show the powers that be that you stand by our undocumented workers and anyone else running afoul of ICE. Let the officials know it’s not alright to tear families apart!

Monday, April 3, 2017 from 5:00-7:30p.m.: Pull Together: Salish Sea Stands Against Kinder Morgan. WWU Communications Lawn.

Monday, April 3, 2017 from 7:30-8:30p.m.: April Clean Energy Activist Meeting, hosted by Re-Sources for Sustainable Communities. WWU Communications Facility, Room 110.

Tuesday April 4, 2017 from 6:00-7:00p.m.: Rep Vincent Buys and Rep Luanne Van Werven telephone town hall.

Saturday, April 8, 2017: Locust Beach Cleanup and Drum Circle

Sunday, April 9, 2017: Activist Training

Recommended Actions for the Week of 20170403

Tell Governor Inslee We Support Him on the Clean Power Plan

Continue reading...

Comment on the Anacortes Tesoro Xylene DEIS

Continue reading...

Call 40th District Reps to Advance Solar Bill

Continue reading...

Oil Transportation Safety Act

National Level Actions

Take Action to Save the Institute of Museum and Library Services

Take a Stand Against Two New Proposed Bills to Sell-off Public Lands

From the Calendar