How environmental initiatives are faring

With a wide Democratic majority in the state Legislature, environmentalists appear on their way to reaching several top goals in Olympia this year. Here's a checkup on some of those initiatives.

Cleaning Puget Sound

The governor wants $220 million and a new state agency to coordinate the effort.

Status: Debate centers on how much power to give the new agency. Some worry it could become a powerful bureaucracy, but others are concerned it would be too toothless to do any good.

Banning flame retardants

House Bill 1024 and Senate Bill 5034 would phase out PBDE's, including one called deca-BDE. Environmentalists say it might be toxic; fire commissioners and manufacturers say a ban would be bad for fire safety.

Status: Bills have already been passed out of committees and have backing from several firefighters groups.

Money for land conservation

Environmentalists want $100 million over two years to buy or restore land for recreation, habitat and farming.

Status: The governor's budget asks for $70 million. It has broad support.

Biofuels, fuel efficiency, cleaner engines

House Bill 1303 contains several air-quality and energy measures. Among them, it would help replace polluting school buses, require state-owned cars to use less fuel and pay for further research and development of the biofuels industry.

Status: At a recent House committee hearing, no one testified against it.

— Warren Cornwall