By Bill Lucia | Editor
A national waste management company faces a roughly $1 million state fine for allegedly mishandling used oil, solvents and other toxic chemicals. Last week, the Department of Ecology fined Crystal Clean after determining the company’s Lakewood location violated multiple laws. It’s the highest penalty the department has imposed on a single company so far this year.
Also in today’s edition…
The escalating trade war between the U.S. and Canada.
Montana’s governor calls for switching the state to a flat income tax.
And, Oregon’s governor pauses data center development on state land.
News tips, feedback, questions? Email us: [email protected]
(Photo by SteveDF/Getty Images)
By Aspen Ford
Over two years, Ecology found violations by Crystal Clean that included more than 120 examples of inaccurate or misleading documents and waste shipments sent to unauthorized facilities. The department also said the company improperly stored hazardous waste. The company’s CEO said it would appeal the penalty, but “fully cooperate” with the Department of Ecology.
Changes at the Standard
(Photo by Bill Lucia/Washington State Standard
A quick programming note: Next week, I’ll be leaving the Washington State Standard, after serving as editor of the publication since its launch in May 2023. I’m not going far, moving to a different journalism role here in Washington. A hiring search is underway for a new editor, and others on the Standard team will fill in writing newsletters.
When I came aboard, the Standard didn’t have reporters, an office, or even a name. In the 1,219 days since we began publishing, it’s evolved into a leading source for statehouse news, and our stories are republished widely around the state and region by other outlets, both large and small. At a time when other news organizations have pulled back from covering Olympia, it remains at the core of our publication’s mission.
What struck me most after we started was how quickly the coverage of the Legislature and other aspects of state government attracted readers. The appetite for a publication centered around state policy and politics is evident. I think it’s a testament to both the strong level of civic engagement here in Washington and the impressive reporting the Standard’s current and past journalists have produced.
So, thank you for taking the time to read our work. If you’ve found value in it, please consider donating or forwarding our newsletters to others who might be interested. And here’s to the Standard’s next chapter.
By Ashley Murray
Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on American goods kicked in yesterday, ratcheting up a trade war with one of the largest U.S. trading partners. Nearly $28 billion in U.S. exports crossing the border to Canada now carry up to 50% tariffs, a dollar-for-dollar match on President Donald Trump’s taxes on Canadian goods imposed last month, according to Canadian officials. Among the 629 categories of products Canada has targeted are key outputs from U.S. states with hotly contested races in the November midterm elections, including Maine’s paper and lumber industry, Michigan’s vehicle manufacturing and Wisconsin dairy production.
By Jordan Hansen
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Tuesday his administration will propose a flat, 4.7% income tax rate. The state now has a two-tiered, graduated income tax system that tops out at 5.4%. Gianforte’s plan drew swift backlash from Democrats. Currently, households filing jointly for taxable income of as much as $95,000 pay the 4.7% rate.
Gianforte, a Republican, said the move was driven by the state’s strong economy and a desire to bring more people and jobs to Montana. “I know some opponents of this proposal, what they’re going to say, they say a flat, fair tax will harm the state budget,” he said. “To them I say, ‘Look at what we’ve done with our strong conservative budgeting.’”
Rep. Mark Thane, a Missoula Democrat and the vice chair of the House Taxation Committee during the 2025 session, derided the proposal as “a $120 million tax break for the wealthiest income earners.”
By Alex Baumhardt
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, a Democrat, yesterday unveiled a roughly one-year pause on approvals for any requests to develop data centers on state land or in state buildings. Details on how many potential data centers Kotek’s order would block were not immediately clear. Data center opponents, who rallied at the state Capitol on Tuesday, are pressing for a broader, three-year pause on new data center development in Oregon.
ICYMI
Coming in November: A big election for WA’s Supreme Court | by Jake Goldstein-Street
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