Lawmakers approve climate-change bill

OLYMPIA — The Legislature has passed a bill meant to curb climate change in the state, setting goals to reduce emissions over the next four decades and prohibiting utilities from entering into long-term contracts with coal-fired power plants that produce excessive greenhouse gases.

The Senate passed the measure Tuesday on a bipartisan 37-10 vote, after agreeing with House changes. It now goes to Gov. Christine Gregoire, who is expected to sign it.

"I think that we are leading the nation in a time of a bit of a vacuum at the national level on this issue," said Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown, D-Spokane. "We know it's real, the human impact on climate. We're going to step up and try to figure out in advance how we can make the important changes and equitably distribute the costs."

Greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, methane and other gases, trap energy from the sun, which warms the Earth's surface and lower atmosphere. Many scientists believe human activity that increases those gases is contributing to global warming.

But opponents quickly questioned the necessity of the measure, and the science behind global warming.

"To have Al Gore claim the science is in and everyone agrees is completely wrong," said Sen. Jerome Delvin, R-Richland. "There is not consensus in the scientific community. Yeah, the Earth is warming. But to say man causes that, that's not a scientific fact."

Under the measure, any new coal-fired plant would have to be able to inject into the ground any emissions of greenhouse gases in excess of 1,100 pounds of gas per megawatt hour. And utilities would be prevented from entering into contracts with plants in other states that don't meet the cap.

There are two exceptions (to the bill): Two coal plants that have begun the process, one in Kalama, Cowlitz County, and another in Wallula, Walla Walla Couty. If they are unable to inject their excess emissions underground, they would be allowed to offset them, by buying another high-emitting power plant and closing it down so that there is no net gain of emissions.

Information in this article, originally published April 18, 2007, was corrected April 23, 2007. A previous version of this story mistakenly edited out the last sentence. Because of the error, the story gave the wrong impression that two coal plants could emit as many greenhouse gases as they want with no repercussions, which is not the case. The two plants have already begun injecting emissions into the ground, a process that's required by the measure.