Metropolitan King County Councilmember Dow Constantine said the demise of a bill that would protect the Maury Island Aquatic Reserve from an industrial barge-loading operation gets the state’s much-promoted Puget Sound cleanup effort off to a dismal start.

“The state will ask taxpayers to spend more than $9 billion over the next 13 years to fund Puget Sound’s recovery,” said Constantine, who serves as co-chair of the Green/Duwamish River basin salmon recovery board (WRIA 9). “Yet, legislative leaders lack the political will to take even the most basic steps, such as stopping the giveaway of critical public tidelands to a multinational corporation. This bill would have protected tidelands owned by the citizens of this State from the construction and operation of a massive barge loading facility. If the Puget Sound partnership is to succeed, we cannot continue the destruction of our remaining nearshore environment.”

Senate Bill 6011, sponsored by Sen. Erik Poulsen (D-Seattle), died Friday without a floor vote in the state House of Representatives. Friday was the deadline for all non-budget legislation to be passed by both houses; the state Senate had already approved the bill on March 6.

“It's unfortunate we missed this opportunity to close a loophole that allows industrial activities in aquatic reserves,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “If we are serious about saving Puget Sound we are going to have to take meaningful actions such as passage of legislation like this.”

The bill would have removed a loophole in the Maury Island Aquatic Reserve allowing multinational mining company Glacier Northwest to build an industrial barge-loading facility on state tidelands. The reserve was established in 2000 by then-Commissioner of Public Lands Jennifer Belcher. Her successor, Doug Sutherland, added the exemption for the Glacier dock after taking office.

SB 6011 was supported by a broad environmental coalition, including Washington Conservation Voters, Washington Environmental Council, People for Puget Sound, Preserve Our Islands, Audubon Washington, former state Commissioner of Public Lands Jennifer Belcher, and Billy Frank, co-chair of the Puget Sound Partnership. State Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown and King County Executive Ron Sims were among the bill’s many prominent supporters. Good government groups such as the League of Women Voters also backed the legislation.