The demise of a bill that would protect the Maury Island Aquatic Reserve from an industrial barge-loading operation got the state's much-promoted Puget Sound cleanup effort off to a dismal start, says King County Councilmember Dow Constantine.

"The state will ask taxpayers to spend more than $9 billion over the next 13 years to fund Puget Sound's recovery," said Constantine, who serves as co-chair of the Green/Duwamish River basin salmon recovery board. "Yet, legislative leaders lack the political will to take even the most basic steps, such as stopping the giveaway of critical public tidelands to a multinational corporation. This bill would have protected tidelands owned by the citizens of this state from the construction and operation of a massive barge loading facility. If the Puget Sound partnership is to succeed, we cannot continue the destruction of our remaining near-shore environment."

The Senate bill sponsored by Sen. Erik Poulsen, D-West Seattle, died without a floor vote in the House of Representatives. The Senate approved the bill on March 6.

"It's unfortunate we missed this opportunity to close a loophole that allows industrial activities in aquatic reserves," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "If we are serious about saving Puget Sound we are going to have to take meaningful actions such as passage of legislation like this."