sos2k
WEC Letter to Governor Locke RE Ecology Collusion
Governor Gary Locke March 23, 2000
Legislative Bldg. PO Box 40002
Olympia WA 98504-0002
Dear Governor Locke;
In January 2000, the Northwest Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF)
released a 22 page report documenting the evidence, and concluded that
Washington State officials colluded with the wheat industry to avoid regulation
of field burning and obstruct public involvement in an important public health
controversy.
On February 7, 2000, Judge Richard Strophy of Thurston County Superior
Court awarded nearly $17,000 in attorney's fees and costs to Save Our Summers
for a document disclosure lawsuit brought against the Department of Ecology.
Although collusion between Washington State officials and wheat growers can
perhaps never be "proved", Judge Strophy ruled that Ecology withheld documents
from SOS last January, which is an unlawful act.
The above referenced events cast doubt on the validity of the wheat stubble
burning Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) between Ecology and the
wheat growers, signed on February 7, 1999. For this reason, Washington
Environmental Council urges the Office of the Attorney General to revoke
the referenced MOU, and direct the Department of Ecology to institute a
proper public process to deal with and fairly resolve this important public
health issue.
Sincerely;
Rodger Herbst
Chair, Pollution and Health Committee
cc:
Tom Fitzsimmons
Director
Department of Ecology