CCA Fuel Tax Pt 2

From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. The Washington Farm Bureau is asking the State Department of Ecology to DO SOMETHING that ensures fuel purchased for agricultural purposes is no longer charged the new carbon tax, which has been happening since the tax began January 1.

Farm Bureau Director of Governmental Affairs, Bre Elsey says, agriculture’s exemption from the tax, as written into the law, has so far been ignored …

ELSEY … “So, Washington Farm Bureau joined with Washington Trucking Association, and we had attorneys draft what’s called a Petition for Review for rulemaking. And so, you can’t just litigate out of the gate. You have to go through this step first.”

This, Elsey says, gives the DOE options …

ELSEY … “Which is a formal process where you ask Ecology to do the right thing. You ask them formally to open up rulemaking and address problems that are outlined in the petition.”

But then what? …

ELSEY … “They have 60-days to respond and if they say yes, then they open rulemaking and they try to find a mechanism that resolves this implementation problem. If they say no, we’re not going to open rulemaking, that leaves the option available at that point to pursue litigation.”

So now, Elsey says we’re in a bit of a holding pattern to see what the Department of Ecology decides to do.

It is estimated the agricultural sector alone will be illegally overcharged $74 million this year due to this exemption not being recognized.