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Spokane officials push bill to delay Climate Commitment costs for waste‑to‑energy plant; environmental groups object
Summary
Supporters including Spokane’s mayor and county officials urged time and allowances for the city’s waste‑to‑energy plant to avoid sharp rate increases and preserve 75 jobs. Ecology and conservation groups said the bill would give preferential free allowances without guaranteed emissions reductions under the Climate Commitment Act.
Representative Tiffani Hill introduced HB 24 16 on behalf of Spokane interests, saying ratepayers cannot shoulder immediate compliance costs under the Climate Commitment Act and that the bill would provide time to craft long‑term solutions including possible carbon capture technology. “The primary reason we need this bill is our rate payers simply can't afford the cost at this time,” Hill said.
Mayor Lisa Brown told the committee Spokane’s waste‑to‑energy facility was built in the early 1990s with $60,000,000 in state support to protect a sole‑source aquifer and provides disposal and special‑handling services for the county and region. She said losing the facility could force the…
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