Resolution No. 3827, Opposing I-2117 Page 1 of 3
PORT OF SEATTLE 1
RESOLUTION NO. 3827 2
3
A RESOLUTION of the Port of Seattle Commission in opposition of 4
Washington State ballot Initiative 2117, concerning carbon 5
tax credit trading. 6
7
WHEREAS, the voters of King County authorized and approved the formation of a port 8
district coterminous with King County to be known as the Port of Seattle in a special election 9
on September 5, 1911; and 10
11
WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle Commission is the legally constituted governing body 12
of the Port of Seattle; and 13
14
WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle’s Century Agenda guides our actions to: “Be the 15
greenest and most energy efficient port in North America.” Objectives and strategies to achieve 16
this goal include advocating for reducing air pollutants and carbon emissions across port 17
operations, facilities, and transport of goods and people; growing electrification infrastructure 18
through electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and shorepower capacity; advancing 19
decarbonization through support for innovation accelerator hubs, emerging climate protection 20
technologies, and low and zero-emission energy sources and innovation to grow renewable 21
clean energy industries; working with local communities to reduce harm of environmental 22
racism; and 23
24
WHEREAS, the Climate Commitment Act (CCA), passed by the Washington State 25
Legislature in 2021, created a “cap and invest” system to incentivize polluters to reduce 26
greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in alignment with the GHG reduction goals set by Senate Bill 27
6001 of 2007 and House Bill 2311 of 2020 for Washington State; and 28
29
WHEREAS, the CCA seeks to grow infrastructure and investments through reinvesting 30
revenue generated by the carbon cap and invest system via state agencies and local 31
governments to deliver resources to tribal and overburdened communities to create and 32
implement climate resiliency strategies, improve air quality and health outcomes related to 33
pollution, advance emissions reductions in the transportation and transit sector, support the 34
transition to clean energy, active transportation, ecosystem resilience, and carbon sequestration; 35
and 36
37
WHEREAS, funding generated by the CCA will support many environmental and 38
climate initiatives that include Port of Seattle priorities in building decarbonization, GHG 39
reduction, clean energy supply chain studies and manufacturing, restoration and protection of 40
salmon habitat, shore power infrastructure, zero emissions vehicles and fleets, port 41
Item Number: 10a_reso
Meeting Date: September 10, 2024
Resolution No. 3827, Opposing I-2117 Page 2 of 3
electrification, green jobs accelerator programs, research and development on sustainable fuels, 42
air quality mitigation in South King County, and EV charging infrastructure; and 43
44
WHEREAS, the Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, and The Northwest Seaport Alliance 45
are working to meet the goals identified in the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy to reduce 46
impacts of diesel particulate matter and greenhouse gas emissions tied to health impacts in 47
frontline communities adjacent to our gateways are experiencing; and 48
49
WHEREAS, The Northwest Seaport Alliance, a port development authority for the Port 50
of Tacoma and Port of Seattle to manage container, break bulk, and auto terminals on behalf of 51
both homeports, is leading the Clean Truck Program which requires trucks servicing NWSA 52
terminals to have a 2007 or newer engine or have an equivalent emission control certification. 53
The NWSA also co-leads the Puget Sound Zero-Emission Truck Collaborative, an initiative 54
that seeks to meet 2050 GHG emission reduction goals through a number of strategies such as 55
increasing the number of zero emission drayage trucks deployed in our region made possible 56
through a federal and state resources, such as CCA revenue; and 57
58
WHEREAS, the enacted state budget has allocated an additional $14 million towards a 59
demonstration Northwest Seaport Alliance shorepower project that would be eliminated by I-60
2117, if passed. The loss of program funding poses risks to future work by the NWSA to 61
support independent drayage truck owner/operators to purchase zero-emission medium and 62
heavy-duty vehicles for the transport of goods across the region, the purchase of zero emission 63
cargo handling equipment and shore power investments; and 64
65
WHEREAS, the enacted state budget has allocated an additional $250,000 to 66
supplement the work of the Port of Seattle’s Sustainable Maritime Fuels Collaborative that 67
would be eliminated by I-2117, if passed; and 68
69
WHEREAS, local resources alone would be inadequate to meet the scale of need to 70
deliver climate infrastructure, access to living wage green career training, and environmental 71
and community health improvements for Port of Seattle constituents and drive economic benefit 72
for Washington State; and 73
74
WHEREAS, repeal of Washington State’s cap and invest program will cause 75
irreparable harm to our state and local efforts to reduce GHG emissions, grow critical 76
infrastructure to keep Washington State residents healthier and businesses vibrant, and build 77
community resiliency against the increasing threat of climate change. 78
79
80
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Port of Seattle Commission hereby 81
expresses its opposition to Initiative 2117, a proposal that will cause severe negative impacts 82
for state and local public agencies to deliver services for constituents, protect and restore 83
natural habitats, invest in climate and wildfire resiliency for every Washington community, 84
especially those that have experienced generations of environmental racism, grow the climate 85
tech and renewable clean energy sector and the businesses and jobs it will require, support 86
decarbonization of maritime and aviation industries, and more. 87
Resolution No. 3827, Opposing I-2117 Page 3 of 3
88
89
ADOPTED by the Port of Seattle Commission at a duly noticed public meeting thereof, 90
held this day of September, 2024, and duly authenticated in open session by the signatures 91
of the commissioners voting in favor thereof and the seal of the commission. 92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
Port of Seattle Commission 104
