Craig Pridemore continues to bolster his reputation as one of the informed and accomplished environmentalists in the Washington Legislature. The state senator’s most significant legislative protection of the natural world was recorded in 2006, when his bill made Washington a national leader in recycling computers and other electronic components.

This year, the Vancouver Democrat has come up with two excellent ideas that are drawing bipartisan support and already have been approved by his fellow senators. It’s significant to note that in both cases, Pridemore won support from Joe Zarelli and Don Benton, two Republican senators who also serve Clark County. Pridemore said in an e-mail earlier this week that he had not discussed the bills with Benton, but “Joe and I have been working together very well on a host of issues this session, and I appreciated him giving these bills his consideration. They both went through several versions, and it was extremely helpful to have productive advice and contributions from both sides of the aisle.”

This kind of teamwork is becoming rare these days in a Legislature burdened with immense funding challenges. If only the members of both political parties could cooperate in such a manner on other issues.

Senate Bill 5543 is similar to Pridemore’s electronics-recycling bill of 2006, in that it would establish a state recycling program for fluorescent light bulbs. These types of bulbs are becoming increasingly popular, but they contain mercury, a known neurotoxin.

The proposed budget-neutral recycling program would be funded by relatively small annual fees charged to manufacturers of fluorescent light bulbs. The state Department of Ecology would contract with an independent organization to set up the recycling program. That contractor would be required to maintain a spill response plan and use packaging and shipping materials that prevent releases of mercury into the environment.

SB 5543 passed the Senate 37-9, and it’s easy to see why. Mercury is, according to the bill report, “a persistent, bioaccumulative toxin that can damage the human central nervous and cardiovascular systems and cause environmental harm.” Unfortunately, though, today in the state, only about 2 percent of mercury-containing light bulbs are properly handled by consumers.

Recycling of the bulbs would be mandated statewide and the cost of bulbs would not increase significantly because of the new recycling program. A precedent for this type of action was established seven years ago when legislators prohibited mercury components in several consumer products.

Pridemore’s second environment-friendly bill — SB 6289 — would greatly limit the use of fertilizers containing phosphorus, for the most part phasing out the ingredient in lawn fertilizers by 2012. This would protect water quality in lakes and streams. Excessive phosphorus in wastewater runoff promotes aquatic plant growth, especially algae blooms that choke off recreation areas and threaten fish habitat.

Restrictions in other states have shown phosphorus reductions of up to 28 percent in stormwater. Spokane already has implemented a ban on phosphorus in dishwashing detergent and, according to the bill report, that ban “will soon apply statewide.”

Pridemore’s bill, approved by the Senate 36-11, would allow reasonable exceptions. Organic materials and materials using waste manure would be allowed, and the bill would not apply to turf fertilizer for agricultural uses and golf courses.

House members would be wise to expeditiously approve both of Pridemore’s innovative and well-researched bills.

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