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 …
We’re officially hurtling towards the holidays, so it’s time for another update – and it might feel long overdue! The team working on the cap-and-invest program is as busy as ever, and as the program enters a new phase of its implementation, we’re moving …
OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology has reached a settlement agreement with Tumwater Development, LLC over penalties and costs from a 2019 spill at the site of the former Olympia Brewery. In February 2019, Ecology responded to an oil spill …
OLYMPIA – Connecting Washington’s cap-and-invest program to similar carbon markets in California and Québec could create a stronger, more durable system with significant benefits for our state. That is the conclusion that Washington Department of Ecology …
Editorial note: On Nov. 2, Laura Watson, director of the Washington State Department of Ecology, made a preliminary decision to pursue linking Washington’s cap-and-invest carbon reduction program to similar programs in California and the Canadian province …
SPOKANE, Wash. – The Washington Department of Ecology is working with partners in eastern Washington to expand the state’s air monitoring network. The goal is to better track and start to address air pollution in overburdened communities that are highly …
OLYMPIA – You can find plastic trash everywhere. It’s one of the most common items in roadside litter. Plastic bottles and containers end up in our lakes and rivers, and plastic refuse mars our parks and public spaces. Moreover, the fossil fuels that go …
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Washington Department of Ecology is penalizing PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center $21,000 for repeated violations of the state’s dangerous waste laws. Dangerous waste is material that is ignitable, corrosive, reactive, and/or …
OLYMPIA – Reducing methane gas emissions is one of the best strategies for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the near term. The Washington Department of Ecology is proposing a rule to reduce emissions of methane by requiring municipal solid waste …
Wastewater treatment is an essential part of life, even if its usually in the background. However, when there’s a sewage issue, it is difficult to ignore. For years, the Maple Grove community on Camano Island has had to focus on their sewage. Through …
As the rains have returned to Washington and stormwater is flowing, we're reminded of the important role stormwater management plays in keeping rivers, streams, lakes, and Puget Sound clean. Ecology has municipal stormwater permits for the state’s most …
Washington’s approximately 28,000 miles of river, lake, and marine shorelines are getting a protective boost. We are awarding $3 million in competitive grants to 21 cities and counties across the state to help them safeguard their local shorelines. The …
When you flush the toilet, it’s generally out of sight, out of mind. But that’s not the case for the operators of the approximately 300 municipal wastewater treatment facilities in the state. It’s their job to keep those systems running, getting wastewater …
Thousands of willow whips and hundreds of potted stock were recently planted along Hangman Creek, amounting to the single largest riparian restoration effort in Spokane County’s history. The project was the first of its kind in Eastern Washington and will …
For our next edition of Let’s Talk About Hanford, we're welcoming our very own George Peck, an environmental specialist from Ecology’s Nuclear Waste Program! George works in our program’s waste management section but is also a professional entomologist …
The Central Waterfront site of the Bellingham Bay cleanup is on course for cleanup construction to begin in 2026. In general, cleanup will be a combination of removing and capping contaminated soil, treating contaminated groundwater, safeguarding indoor …
