(The Center Square) – Washington Policy Center and the Citizen Action Defense Fund are applying more pressure in their lawsuit that hopes to force the Department of Ecology to produce climate data as required by the Climate Commitment Act.
WPC and CADF filed a motion for summary judgment hoping to compel the court to step in and force the department to supply the data.
“Department of Ecology is required to produce CO2 emissions data, statewide at the end of every even number year,” said WPC’s Vice President for Research Todd Myers in a Thursday interview with The Center Square at the state Capitol.
Myers said Ecology produced no data in 2024, meaning the most recent data they have is from 2021.
“It’s just completely useless. So, they’re in violation of the law,” said Myers. “They used to say that the federal government wasn’t providing the data. The federal government has provided the data for both 2022 and 2023 now. So, we’re suing to force them to release the data they have.”
The Center Square emailed the Department of Ecology about WPC and CADF’s lawsuit and received a response from Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller.
“This lawsuit is just another example of an ongoing misinformation campaign meant to undermine climate policy at a time when it’s more important than ever for states to lead. It’s disappointing to see it perpetuated by the media. This same lawsuit went before a Thurston County judge earlier this year and was tossed out after less than 30 minutes,” wrote Sixkiller.
As reported by The Center Square, the judge said WPC lacked standing, reasoning that “the applicable statute identifies the beneficiaries of reporting requirements as the Governor’s Office and appropriate legislative committees. He noted there are other interested parties – such as Myers – but that doesn’t mean they are in the “zone of interest” to have standing to force the state to provide the requested information.”
Sixkiller with Ecology continued: “Measuring greenhouse gas emissions from every source in the state is a complex undertaking, and it takes time. It’s also going to take time to reverse course on climate change – but Washingtonians have shown a strong commitment to sustained action.”
State Rep. Deb Manjarez, R-Wapato, says taxpayers deserve proof that the Climate Commitment Act is working. She has sponsored a bill to make sure taxpayers get answers. Her bill would require quarterly reports on whether greenhouse programs are reducing emissions.
“They told taxpayers that we have to do this (CCA) to reduce emissions. That’s what they told us it was supposed to do, and they are not proving that,” said Manjarez in an interview with TCS.
She said the affordability crisis in Washington is a direct result of the state’s climate policies, namely the taxing impact of CCA.
“Look at our gas prices compared to any other state, except California, and we already know they are insane,” she said. “Every law we pass, we’re supposed to be solving a problem. We need to look back on those laws and say is it doing what we told the public it was supposed to do.”
When asked if she thought her bill would get a hearing, Manjarez said: “No, it won’t get a hearing, but it’s an accountability bill and they should hear it.”
She concluded: “The CCA is killing our people in rural Washington. We drive to work. We drive to soccer and we drive to school and they’re just taking it right out of our pockets.”
In addition to requiring quarterly reports, House Bill 2150 says if agencies fail to meet those deadlines, the state’s expensive emissions programs should sunset.
