UNION GAP – Washington Department of Ecology Director Laura Watson selected David Bowen as director of the agency’s Central Region Office. Bowen has worked for Ecology since 2016, most recently serving as manager of the agency’s Nuclear Waste Program, …
2023 was a busy year for advancing cleanup of the Bellingham waterfront, and 2024 promises more of the same as dredging of contaminated sediment is expected to begin later this month at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal. With federal funding, the Port of …
OLYMPIA – Oil handlers operating in Washington would have to prove they have the funds or insurance needed to cover the costs of responding to an oil spill under new regulations proposed by the Washington Department of Ecology. The regulations would …
WASHOUGAL – Burlington Environmental, a subsidiary of Clean Earth and Harsco, is receiving a $25,000 penalty from the Washington Department of Ecology for violating state dangerous waste regulations. Burlington Environmental improperly stored dangerous …
Imagine a crisp apple, untouched, tossed into a bin. Picture a container of milk, sour and forgotten, being poured down a cafeteria sink. This daily reality is a sad scene that has turned into social and environmental crises a new Washington Department of …
Washington’s waterbodies, from alpine lakes and rivers to Puget Sound, connect diverse ecosystems, provide habitat for salmon, supply vital water resources to communities, and are a cultural cornerstone throughout the region. However, pollutants that end …
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’ …
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 …
