POLLpUTION management in WASHINGTON STATE 
Andrea Beatty Riniker 
Department of Ecology 
State of Washington 
The last two years have brought profound changes in Washington State's 
management approach to fighting water pollution. 
In those two short years we have developed a plan to clean up Puget Sound. 
We passed several landmark pieces of pollution fighting legislation and 
approved a major new tax plan which will raise $575 million between now 
and the year 2000 for improving and protecting our water. 
Strong leadership from Gov. Booth Gardner and the Legislature, combined 
with other factors, have created not only a tide for change in the way we 
fight pollution, but also high expectations for results. 
Those expectations are an important element for us to consider in the 
months ahead as we continue charting our course to clean up Puget Sound. 
It is important that we develop realistic plans and realistic 
expectations. 
Puget Sound will not be cleaned up in one year or two, and we must make 
sure members of the public understand that. Otherwise they may become 
disappointed with our progress, disenchanted with our program and we could 
risk losing the important momentum we have gained in improving and 
protecting the resources of Puget Sound and the rest of the state. 
We were fortunate to turn our attention to Puget Sound at a relatively 
early time, certainly before the situation became desperate. There were a 
number of factors which helped our state leaders make this commitment. 
One factor is the strong environmental ethic in the state. The environ¬ 
ment is deeply rooted in the economy and lifestyle of the state. One 
recent public opinion survey suggested that 64 percent of the people favor 
environmental protection, even, in some cases, over economic development. 
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