Oppose SB 6091 in Washington State
Washington State SENATE BILL 6091.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO STOP THE PHONY WATER CRISIS REGARDING WELLS AND DEVELOPMENT OF HOMES IN RURAL AREAS AS A SO-CALLED “HIRST FIX‘ OUTLINED IN SB 6091? INSIST ON A CONSTITUTIONALLY CORRECT METHOD TO FIX THE UNCONSTITUTIONAL HIRST DECISION BY CALLING YOUR LEGISLATORS AT 1-800-562-6000 TO TELL THEM YOU ARE OPPOSED TO SB 6091.
A hearing on Hirst regarding development in rural areas was held in the Senate for SB 6091 on Monday, January 8, 2018, the opening day of the Washington State Legislature at 2:40 pm. The hearing started over one hour behind the scheduled time of 1:30 pm. Three rows at the senate hearing room were filled with rural private property rights residents who wore buttons saying, “Stop the Phony Water Crisis.” All of the private property rights folks spoke against the content in SB 6091.
Here’s why this development scheme in SB 6091 to limit well water use is a scam:
- New wells in watersheds with instream flow rules would be limited to 400 gallons of indoor water use only per day (Page 17). That means no lawn or gardens for new development in many watersheds all across the state. This provision would stay intact until 2023!
- Thus, no defensible green space to prevent fire or to grow gardens would be allowed. As Spokane CAPR outlined on 4-11-17, the last sentence in the first paragraph of this link titled INSTREAM FLOWS states, “The intent is to set up instream flows throughout the state.” See: Spokane County Washington: InStream Flow. This bill is a blatant effort to limit water use from exempt wells from 5000 gallons a day allowed, down to 400 gallons a day in new wells located in WRIAs with instream flow rules throughout our state.
- SB 6091 on p 23 directs 200 Million dollars in bonds to be sold to pay for this water development scheme in rural areas. All actions are directed to protect salmon. Activities such as the sale of senior water rights to form water banks will occur. DOE is to establish watershed restoration and enhancement committees with tribes, Fish and Wildlife, and representatives from each county and city in each county in the WIRAs-water resource inventory areas. See p 14 and 15. Rural residents only use 1% of water in our state via wells, and 90% of their water returns to the ground, so why is this water HEIST happening? HINT: The big prize will be huge profits made from water banks.
CAPR is mentioned in this article written by Don Jenkins of Capitol Press published on January 9, 2018: ‘Democrats’ well bill seen as too stingy with water‘
PHONE THE LEGISLATIVE HOTLINE IMMEDIATELY AT 1-800-562-6000 TO VOICE YOUR OPPOSITION TO SB 6091.
