Proposal to study light pollution switched off

Less than two weeks after it was formally introduced in the Washington State House of Representatives, a bill that would have directed the state Department of Ecology to study light pollution and recommend possible remedies appears to be off the table for this year’s session.

Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon, chair of the state House
Environment Committee, did not schedule a
hearing on the light-pollution study bill.

The measure, HB 2057 sponsored by Rep. Jessyn Farrell of north Seattle, was referred to the House Environment Committee, but did not receive a hearing. Last Friday, February 20, was the Legislature’s self-imposed deadline for having bills out of committee if they are to be eligible for further consideration.

While the bill may be dead the idea is not necessarily so. Occasionally, bills can be revived through parliamentary procedures, or they can be amended onto other measures, though neither of those possibilities seem likely in this case. The directive could be attached as a proviso to the Department of Ecology budget. Were that to happen, we would not likely know about it until the budget proposals start coming out in a month or so.

If nothing happens for the rest of this year’s session, the bill will be automatically re-introduced again for the 2016 legislative session, though the timeline for the study would likely be pushed back a year as well if the measure is considered at that time.

It is difficult to gauge how serious the effort is to take a close look at light pollution in the state. Neither the prime sponsor of the bill, Rep. Farrell, nor the Environment Committee chair, Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon of West Seattle, have responded to Seattle Astronomy’s requests for information.

We will keep you posted if we learn more.

Washington Legislature considering study of light pollution

Rep. Jessyn Farrell of Seattle is the prime 

sponsor of a bill calling for a study of light 

pollution in Washington.

A bill has been introduced in the Washington State House of Representatives that would direct the state Department of Ecology to conduct a study of light pollution in the state and to make recommendations for reducing it.

The measure, HB 2057, is sponsored by Rep. Jessyn Farrell, a Democrat from Seattle. It has been referred to the House Environment committee, the chair of which, Democratic Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon of West Seattle, is a co-sponsor of the bill.

The bill is a simple one, just over a page long. It directs the department to “analyze the current extent of light pollution that adversely affects the quality of the environment, the value of property, and the health and well-being of the public.” It specifies that the study must evaluate, at a minimum:

• The risks to public health, well-being, and the environment posed by light pollution
• The locations in the state with the greatest prevalence of light pollution and the greatest impacts of light pollution on environmental quality, ecosystem function, and public well-being
• Policy options for addressing light pollution that have been adopted by other jurisdictions

The department would be required to report the results of the study back to the Legislature by Jan. 1, 2017, and include recommendations for policy changes to address light pollution.

This is the first legislative look at light pollution in the state in six years. Rep. Pat Lantz, a Gig Harbor Democrat who has since retired from the Legislature, introduced a far-reaching light pollution statute in 2008, and Rep. Sam Hunt, D-Olympia, proposed a similar measure the following year. The latter earned committee approval in 2009 but never came to a vote in the House of Representatives. The earlier measures would have required that all new lighting be fully shielded, and would have banned the sale and use of mercury vapor lights, among other considerations. It had strong support within the astronomy and environmental communities, but drew opposition from a variety of developers, sports teams, billboard operators, and gas stations. The state Department of Transportation warned that the cost of bringing highway lighting up to the new code would have been prohibitive.

The Legislature’s website includes the text of HB 2057 as well as the capability to comment online. Seattle Astronomy will continue to follow the measure, which must gain committee approval by Feb. 20 if it is to be eligible for continued consideration this year.

Digital billboard proposal unplugged

It appears that a pair of proposals that would have allowed the spread of digital electronic billboards in the State of Washington have been tabled for this year. Both proposals—House Bill 1408 and Senate Bill 5304—received hearings in their respective chambers’ transportation committees Feb. 5. However neither committee took action on the bills by the Legislature’s self-imposed deadline this week, and thus the measures are not technically eligible for further consideration.

There are some billboards like these along Washington highways,
 notably on tribal land along I-5 in Fife. A proposal in the state
 Legislature to allow further use of the signs appears dead
for this year’s session.

The story is not necessarily over. Ideas that don’t survive the committee process can be added as amendments to other bills later in the session, parliamentary maneuvering can sometimes revive a bill that is considered dead, and those “necessary to implement the budget” are typically exempt from these cutoff dates. If they don’t resurface during this year’s legislative session, which runs through April 28, both bills could be considered again when the Legislature reconvenes next January. It should be noted that similar legislation was considered but never enacted last year. Outdoor advertising companies are likely to continue to push for the signs.

The astronomy community stepped up in opposition to these measures on the grounds that they would contribute to increases in light pollution. Others made the points that the signs can distract motorists and are generally unsightly. David Ingram of Dark Skies Northwest,  the regional chapter of the International Dark-Sky Association, testified at the hearings. Many astronomy clubs urged their members to send messages in opposition to the bills on their own or through the advocacy site Keep Washington Beautiful.org.

Seattle Astronomy will keep an eye out for further activity on these proposals.