The Department of Ecology today released a hastily assembled 91-page document and “official rebuke” to the Trump Administration on climate science. In his letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller wrote that the report released by the Department of Energy “will not help farmers water their crops during drought,” “will not stop wildfire smoke,” and will “leave people without a plan for a better future.”
But the same can be said about Washington's climate policy. While the Department of Ecology is quick to use resources to attack the Trump Administration, the agency has failed to provide legally obligated climate data essential for assessing the effectiveness of Washington State’s climate policy.
The most recent CO2 emissions data provided by the Department of Ecology is nearly four years old – useless for assessing the results of public policy. The agency says it won’t release additional data until the end of 2026.
The Department of Ecology can find the resources to quickly release this report while claiming they do not have the resources to release accurate and timely emissions data.
Earlier this year, Washington Policy Center (WPC) retained Jackson Maynard and the Citizen Action Defense Fund, to sue the agency for failing to release statewide CO2 emissions data as required by law.
In the Department’s response to the lawsuit, agency staff admitted that they were in violation of the law but argued they did not have the resources necessary to comply.
The release of this new report makes it clear that Ecology has enough resources to attack political opponents but not to comply with the law and meet their own obligations to address the risks of climate change in Washington state.
Neither will the state’s failed climate policy based on outdated and useless data. It is time for Ecology to do their job, follow the law and focus on fixing Washington’s failed climate policies.
According to EPA data, which account for most but not all state CO2 emissions, Washington state’s emissions increased in 2022. Incomplete data from the state also indicate emissions increased in 2022 and 2023.
Ecology Director Sixkiller and the head of Ecology’s climate program Joel Creswell need to explain why they can quickly publish a 91-page report but can’t have basic emissions data for years after the fact.
