Local concerns over the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Bob Oke Game Farm in Centralia will come to the state Legislature this year.
State Reps. Peter Abbarno, R-Chehalis, and Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, have introduced House Bill 2343 as the legislative session gets underway in Olympia.
They say the bill will raise groundwater standards for government-operated game farms. It comes in direct response to increased nitrate levels in the Fords Prairie area of Centralia. Studies have shown that at least one major contributing source of the contamination is the state-operated Bob Oke Game Farm, which is used to raise thousands of pheasants each year.
The two representatives have been heavily involved in recent efforts to hold the state accountable for the contamination and even a push to relocate the farm.
According to the lawmakers, the new bill will close a loophole that did not explicitly hold state-operated game farms to the same groundwater standards as privately-run facilities of the same kind.
The 20th Legislative District lawmakers say additional standards will add some assurance that groundwater contamination is being addressed as local officials continue work to push for the facility’s relocation.
"Clean, safe drinking water is not optional. It's a basic responsibility," Abbarno said in a recent news release. "Families who rely on private wells deserve the same protections regardless of whether pollution comes from a private operation or a government facility. While we continue to advocate for relocating the game farm to a more appropriate location away from the critical aquifer, this legislation closes a regulatory loophole, strengthens accountability, and puts public health and local families first."
The news release states that the state has already agreed to develop a pollution-prevention plan, acquire additional permits for the Centralia-based facility, comply with groundwater reporting and more. But the new bill, Orcutt and Abbarno say, would take things one step further and require all of those steps by law.
"Failure to follow responsible management practices results in groundwater contamination, no matter whether from the government or private operations," Orcutt said in a recent news release. "Impacts from government operations should be required to follow the same environmental protections as private entities … This makes sure they do until such time as we can get this operation moved to a more appropriate location."
HB 2343 was prefiled for the session more than a month ahead of time and was introduced on the floor of the Washington state House of Representatives on the first day of session, Monday, Jan. 12. After its first reading, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Environment and Energy, where it has yet to be scheduled for a hearing.
The bill is likely not among the highest priority bills for majority Democrats during the 60-day session as lawmakers attempt to resolve another large budget deficit of $2.3 billion.
Abbarno is a member of the Environment and Energy Committee and may be in a position to advocate for the bill being scheduled for a hearing and moving through the legislative process.
