WPSR joins lawsuit to repeal I-2066

Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility has been advocating for policies that reduce our dependence on fossil gas, but the gains made over the past few years were rolled back when a ballot initiative (I-2066) narrowly passed last November. Burning fossil gas to heat our homes and cook our food is harming our health and heating our planet. That's why WPSR is joining a group of plaintiffs to challenge I-2066 in court in order to protect your health. 

Explaining This Case

A King County Superior Court judge will hear testimony this week regarding I-2066’s violation of Washington State’s constitutional “single-subject” rule for initiatives. I-2066 was rushed onto the ballot at the last minute and backed by millions of dollars from out-of-state special interests, who falsely claimed that the state was banning access to gas.

Many voters were confused by I- 2066, as shown by the more than 5% of voters who left it blank on their ballots, the highest of any of the four initiatives in November. 

Washington’s single-subject rule was designed to ensure voters have clear information on what they’re voting for and how it would impact their lives. In December, WPSR  joined with others including the city of Seattle and King County to challenge the the initiative, arguing that because I- 2066 has multiple impacts across various issue areas (from utility planning, to appliance incentives, to building codes) the initiative is in clear violation of the single-subject rule, and is an example of “log rolling” - including a wide array of different measures in a single initiative to confuse voters.

I-2066 threatens popular, bipartisan energy efficiency programs that have helped thousands of Washingtonians living on low incomes access ultra-efficient heat pumps, which heat homes while doubling as air conditioners that keep people safe during heat waves and wildfire smoke. It also endangers the state’s clean energy laws and Clean Air Act, by legally committing the state to burning a toxic fossil fuel for decades to come. 

I-2066 is a Threat to Our Health

Fossil gas, deemed “natural” by the industry, poses risks to human health all along its product cycle, during extraction, transportation, and when burning it in homes. This gas is mostly methane which has a heat-trapping potential 84 times higher than carbon dioxide over a twenty-year time frame. It also leaks into the atmosphere at the well, from pipelines, and in your home, greatly exacerbating climate change. 

The extraction of gas via fracking results in air and water pollution that impacts communities in proximity to the wells, increasing the risk of cancer, heart disease, prenatal harm, mental illness, and premature death. These harms are not borne equally. Extraction operations are often located near low-income communities, indigenous communities, and communities of color. While gas has been advertised as “clean burning” its use in the home is extremely harmful to your health. Levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter in the air in your kitchen, after cooking with gas, would commonly be considered illegal if found outdoors. 

Children living in homes that cook with gas have a 42% higher prevalence of asthma symptoms than children living in homes with electric cooktops. Nitrogen dioxide emitted when burning gas also increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and lung diseases in adults. Recent studies have also found that gas stoves emit benzene, a potent carcinogen.