Washington Department of Ecology Director Laura Watson issued the following statement on the U.S. District Court, District of Columbia's Feb. 15 decision upholding a No Discharge Zone for Puget Sound:

Today’s federal court ruling upholding the No Discharge Zone for Puget Sound is a victory for Washington’s environment. Preventing vessels from releasing sewage into the sound is a commonsense step to protect water quality, and it gives Puget Sound the same protections as more than 90 other water bodies across the country. Since the No Discharge Zone was approved in 2018, more than 650 acres of shellfish beds have reopened in Puget Sound. That's terrific progress, and we are continuing to work with commercial and recreational boaters to build on that success.