The Washington Legislature went back into session this week and West Seattle's Sen. Erik Poulsen, focuses frequently on environmental issues, an arena where he has clout as chairman of the Senate Water, Energy and Environment Committee.

Poulsen wants to push alternative fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol. Biodiesel could be made from canola seed oil or mustard seed, two crops that grow well in Washington and need little irrigation. Ethanol is made from fermented wheat and other plants. Washington is one of the country's top wheat growing states, said Poulsen.

The 34th Legislative District senator has been the prime sponsor of a bill to regulate car exhaust by the same standards used in California, which has the strictest pollution laws in the nation. Poulsen supported other bills to regulate energy efficiency of some products, to set greenhouse gas reduction goals and strategies, and provide incentives to support renewable energy. He backed a bill to give the Washington Department of Ecology authority to put liens on polluting companies to force them to pay for environmental cleanup of their messes.

Public utilities are now required to buy surplus power from people who produce electricity through solar panels or windmills, thanks in part to Poulsen.

The West Seattle senator also helped ban toxic flame retardants and made inspections mandatory for septic systems on Hood Canal.

In October, Poulsen was named legislator of the year by Washington Conservation Voters, which claims to be the state's largest environmental organization.

The award came partly because of Poulsen's pioneering "green buildings" legislation that was signed into law by Gov. Christine Gregoire last year. Washington is the first state in the nation to require energy-efficient government offices, public schools and other public buildings.

Green building materials and construction techniques are designed to protect ecosystems and biodiversity, according to the U.S. Green Building Council. They're intended to improve air and water quality, acoustics, thermal dynamics and enhance the comfort of building occupants. The green approach also is supposed to reduce solid waste and conserve natural resources.

The bill calls for proper site selection, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, water efficiency and use of "green" building materials. Green materials are intended to save energy and reduce maintenance costs.

The new law also calls for measurements to determine how much energy is saved after green building materials and practices are enacted.

Clifford Traisman, a lobbyist for the Washington Environmental Council as well as Washington Conservation Voters, called Poulsen "an environmental champion."

Besides his legislative ideas, Poulsen also is well-liked. That makes him "a very effective senator," Traisman said.

"He deals with people straight and with a sense of humor," Traisman said. "He doesn't take himself too seriously in an environment where most people take themselves seriously."

Although Poulsen has "a deep ethic for protecting the environment," Traisman said, the 34th District senator works in a bipartisan manner.

That sentiment was echoed by Grant Nelson, governmental affairs director for the Association of Washington Business. Private companies frequently clash with environmental organizations over the government's management and regulation of environmental factors, but these two representatives of often differing viewpoints are in agreement about Sen. Poulsen.

Nelson, who described Poulsen as "very approachable," worked with the senator on legislation about regulating toxic materials, water quality and air pollution.

"He's willing to sit down and listen," Nelson said. "He'll consider all the facts prior to moving forward."

Poulsen can strike a balance between his passion for the environment and the hard economic realities businesses face, said Nelson.

"He's reasonable to work with and he's open-minded to the issues of employers," Nelson said.

Tim St. Clair can be reached at 932-0300 or tstclair@westseattleherald.com