Olympia's nuclear-free ordinance under attack

By Matt Batcheldor | The Olympian • Published August 22, 2008

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OLYMPIA – A city ordinance that bans nuclear weapons in Olympia and bars the city from doing business with companies associated with them could face repeal.

The Olympia City Council's General Government Committee will reconsider the Nuclear Free Zone Ordinance of 2005 at a special meeting Tuesday. The committee is made up of Jeff Kingsbury, Rhenda Strub and Craig Ottavelli, all of whom have criticized the ordinance.

Kingsbury asked the council to allow his committee to reconsider the validity of the act, its cost, who is signing required statements saying they are not associated with nuclear weapons, and which groups are exempt.

Kingsbury said a number of people have called or e-mailed asking that the measure be repealed. He stopped short of saying he would vote to repeal it.

"My impression of the ordinance is that it doesn't do anything except make a statement," Kingsbury said.

In interviews, most other council members were at least critical of the ordinance — Strub, Ottavelli, Joan Machlis and Mayor Doug Mah. Joe Hyer favors it, and Karen Messmer did not respond to phone messages.

The ordinance says:

• The city can't do business with companies associated with nuclear weapons, with some exceptions. City contractors must certify that companies are not associated with nuclear weapons, unless the city manager determines that there's no alternative.

• The mayor must write to representatives of nuclear-armed countries and other entities each year, informing them that the city is a nuclear-free zone.

• Nuclear weapons can't be developed, stored or transported through Olympia. The exceptions are federal highways such as Interstate 5 and U.S. Highway 101, because the city doesn't have jurisdiction.

The City Council weakened the ordinance in 2006, when it exempted interlocal and purchase-and-sale agreements after at least five agencies hesitated to sign normally routine contracts because of the provision. Nuclear power has never been banned under the ordinance.