Asbestos labelling passes House
OLYMPIA -- Products that contain asbestos would have to be labelled in Washington state stores under a bill that passed the House Tuesday.
Approving a bill that already passed the Senate, the House voted 65-28 to support a bill first introduced by Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, that requires construction projects that have some form of asbestos in them to be clearly labeled. It first turned down an amendment by Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, to lower the potential maximum penalties from $10,000 to $1,000. Rep. Dave Upthegrove, D-Des Moines, said violators are more likely to get a warning and the chance to take corrective action, than a fine. The higher figure is a maximum, not a set amount for every infraction, he added.
Short said she didn't object to the concept of the bill: "People absolutely ought to have the right to know."
The bill now goes to Gov. Jay Inslee.
