The public is invited to share their thoughts and recommendations on Hanford Site cleanup communications and public involvement from the last year. Ecology, on behalf of the Tri-Party Agreement agencies (Ecology, U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. …
OLYMPIA – Up to $40 million in grants will be available for projects intended to protect and enhance streamflows while providing water for rural homes in Washington. The Washington Department of Ecology is accepting applications for its fourth round of …
Olympia – In a new report from the Washington Department of Ecology, researchers investigated health data for 16 overburdened areas of Washington and found people in these communities face a higher death rate from air pollution than the state average. …
Every October, our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) welcomes nearly 300 AmeriCorps members to our program. During their 11-month terms, these members contribute thousands of hours of service improving Washington’s trails, green spaces, and waterways. …
OLYMPIA – PFAS-containing foam – known as aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) – is used to fight fires fueled by oil, gasoline, or other flammable liquids. It’s also a leading cause of PFAS contamination in drinking water across the state. In recent years, …
When you toss your banana peel into the garbage, you’re probably not thinking about how it will decompose in a landfill, emitting planet-warming carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane gases into the atmosphere. But that’s what happens. In fact, decomposing …
Graphic depiction of phase 2 and 3 improvements at Pasco's Water Reuse Facility. Ecology's Clean Water Grants and Loans program helps communities upgrade and expand their wastewater treatment facilities. Through our competitive funding program, we…
OLYMPIA – Beginning Jan. 1, 2024, Washington waters will harbor less pollution from the plastic foam used to support floating docks and walkways. New requirements mean that the expanded polystyrene used to float most overwater structures must be fully …
PFAS can be found in apparel and gear, as well as other products that resist water, heat, oil, stains, and grease. What are PFAS? PFAS (short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – say that three times fast!) are a group of toxic chemicals often found …
OLYMPIA – NextCycle Washington launched last year with a mission to help businesses seeking to reduce waste, improve recycling, or find ways to reuse or remanufacture waste materials. In its first year, the program supported 14 accelerator teams, …
BELLINGHAM – For years, hundreds of thousands of gallons of oily waste, tons of solidified wastes, and numerous containers of dangerous waste accumulated at the Treoil industrial site in Whatcom County, with much of that waste stored adjacent to wetlands …
Today, everyone is painfully aware of the air pollution caused by wildfire smoke during our lengthening summers. But you may not know as much about the other polluting smoke that happens in our state during the opposite time of the year. It comes from wood …
This past summer, the Lower Duwamish Waterway cleanup reached a key milestone: pollution sources are controlled enough to begin the first phase of cleaning up the riverbed’s contaminated sediments. There’s only one location in this initial area that isn’ …
OLYMPIA – To help Washington communities prepare for a drier future, Ecology will offer $1.8 million in grants to increase local drought preparedness. Current climate models, and recent history, suggest a drought almost every other year. The challenges …
SEATTLE – The Washington Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are jointly issuing penalties to Seattle and King County for violating conditions of their federal consent decrees and state water quality permits that …
This spring, the warmest May in Washington state history forced an early end to Washington’s snowpack, leading to a statewide drought advisory in July and a drought emergency for many parts of the state. May through July was the fourth driest in state …
The challenges of high water and flooding around Sprague Lake are complex. To help unravel the issues and identify flood risk solutions, the state legislature directed funds to us, in partnership with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Now, an …
KENNEWICK – The public is invited to ask questions and learn about Hanford Site cleanup during an in-person Hanford Dialogue meeting in Kennewick on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Hanford Site produced more than 70 tons of plutonium from World War II through the …
OLYMPIA – An illegal construction project in Lewis County caused polluted, muddy water to flow into Klickitat Creek between November 2022 and June 2023. Mudslides from the site created unsafe conditions, damaged nearby county roads and disrupted a …
OLYMPIA – In areas where native trees and vegetation are allowed to thrive along a riverbank, streams typically have better water quality, provide more suitable habitat for salmon and are more resilient to climate change. To boost the health of streams …
