Washington State Department of Ecology Press Releases

• Published on April 5, 2024 - 21:01 GMT

  

  Pacific Northwest federal, state agencies to collaborate on prescribed fire, smoke management to confront wildfire crisis

  OLYMPIA  –  State and federal agencies and departments in Oregon and Washington have agreed to collaborate on addressing the escalating wildfire crisis by increasing use of prescribed fire and other forest fuel management strategies at larger geographic …

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• Published on April 4, 2024 - 22:47 GMT

  

  Asphalt manufacturer and distributor penalized $27,000 for violating dangerous waste regulations

  VANCOUVER  –  The Washington Department of Ecology is issuing a $27,000 penalty to Albina Asphalt for not properly managing their dangerous waste. The waste included liquid asphalt, diesel, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are persistent …

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• Published on April 2, 2024 - 00:45 GMT

  

  Washington Department of Ecology and Coast Guard respond to sunken vessel in Lake Union

  SEATTLE, WA  –  The Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology continue their response Monday to a sunken tugboat in Lake Union in Seattle, Washington. The vessel, a tugboat converted into a residence, partially sank Saturday afternoon. Red-dyed …

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• Published on April 1, 2024 - 17:21 GMT

  

  Banana peel bacon? Use Food Well will change how you think about food waste

  Imagine making a new meal from the food scraps left on your cutting board. Yes, you can even use those banana peels!  Chef Joel Gamoran is the culinary ambassador for Ecology’s Use Food Well campaign, which launches today. We are celebrating the launch …

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• Published on March 29, 2024 - 22:44 GMT

  

  New budget air filters to hit market

  To help address the public health dangers posed by worsening wildfire seasons, EPA recently held a competition to encourage the development of new, affordable air filters. The competition aimed to provide as many people as possible with the resources they …

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• Published on March 29, 2024 - 17:32 GMT

  

  Cleaning up: Sampling at Gas Works Park slated to begin in April

  After last summer’s public review and Ecology's finalization of the cleanup plan for the Gas Works Park cleanup site, sampling to collect additional information to design the cleanup is about to begin.  The future cleanup will address contaminated …

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• Published on March 29, 2024 - 17:32 GMT

  

  Linkage update: California and Québec show interest in a shared carbon market with Washington

  Each year, Washingtonians experience the worsening effects of climate change, from shrinking snowpacks, to longer droughts, intensifying wildfires and rising sea levels. Solving this global problem requires reducing emissions on the largest scale possible, …

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• Published on March 27, 2024 - 21:04 GMT

  

  Cleaning up: A Avenue Landfill

  The landfill cap in 2010. This cleanup site was a city landfill for decades. In 2006, the city closed it, placed a soil cover on the main part of the landfill, and planted grass, following their landfill closure plan. They also installed a fence to limit …

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• Published on March 26, 2024 - 17:39 GMT

  

  How to save money on waste disposal

  Imagine this: You’re cleaning and organizing your stock area and discover 865 buckets of expired adhesives and sealants. You realize they aren’t just garbage, so you call a few hazardous waste service providers to get disposal quotes—and you’re shocked. …

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• Published on March 22, 2024 - 21:38 GMT

  

  Reflecting on World Water Day and protecting Washington’s freshwater resources

  Today we celebrate World Water Day with a focus on the vital role clean freshwater plays in maintaining the health and peace of our planet, our nation, and the state of Washington. The day also affords us the opportunity to highlight how Ecology helps …

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• Published on March 21, 2024 - 16:16 GMT

  

  Supporting a drier Yakima Basin in 2024

  After a warm winter, the Yakima Basin is heading into an irrigation season with a projected 72 percent of its normal water supply. While no water users are being curtailed at this time, that could likely happen in the following months. Ecology will notify …

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• Published on March 20, 2024 - 15:32 GMT

  

  California, Québec and Washington agree to explore linkage

  OLYMPIA, WA  –  The California Air Resources Board on behalf of the state of California, the  Gouvernement du Québec, and the Department of Ecology representing the state of Washington each recognize that fighting climate change requires sustained …

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• Published on March 14, 2024 - 19:46 GMT

  

  We’re bubbling over with joy for the bubble snails

  Welcome to the Critter edition of “Weird Celebrations We Didn’t Know Existed!” Apparently the promise of spring makes people feel all bubbly inside, because March contains both National Bubble Gum Week (the 10th-16th) AND National Bubble Week (the 19th- …

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• Published on March 12, 2024 - 21:59 GMT

  

  Seeking environmental technicians

  Our watershed health monitoring team is seeking eight early career scientists to join us for a summer of river and stream sampling. These watershed health environmental technicians and specialists will travel all over the state to complete physical surveys …

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• Published on March 12, 2024 - 00:55 GMT

  

  More than $3 billion approved for Hanford Site cleanup – a new record

  RICHLAND  –  On Saturday, March 9, President Joe Biden signed a historic budget for Hanford Site cleanup work. Hanford received $3.05 billion for 2024 – a $205 million increase from 2023, and the first time Hanford funding has exceeded $3 billion.   “This …

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• Published on March 7, 2024 - 23:55 GMT

  

  Ecology announces new southwest region director

  OLYMPIA  –  On Thursday, Washington Department of Ecology Director Laura Watson named Bobbak Talebi as the director of the agency’s Southwest Region Office. Talebi brings more than two decades of experience in land use, environmental planning, natural …

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• Published on March 7, 2024 - 23:55 GMT

  

  Comment today on cleanup plans for a closed landfill in Snohomish County

  The Department of Ecology is requesting public comments on the cleanup plans for the recently closed historical Go East Corp. Landfill in Snohomish County. We invite the public to review and comment on the draft clean-up plan for a historical Snohomish …

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• Published on March 7, 2024 - 20:22 GMT

  

  Water Supply Update – There’s snow doubt, we’re still in drought

  With all the clouds in the air over the last month, you’d think at least one would have a silver lining. But to those who thought recent weather events might alleviate the state’s ongoing drought, there’s “snow such luck.” Weather events during the first …

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• Published on March 5, 2024 - 20:42 GMT

  

  Thoughts on Hanford – Three years of challenges and success with Ecology’s Nuclear Waste Program

  In February, our Nuclear Waste Program Manager departed for an exciting new role as Region Director of Ecology’s Central Regional Office in Union Gap. Before David left for his new position, we sat down to reflect on his time in Tri-Cities the last three …

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• Published on March 2, 2024 - 18:06 GMT

  

  Fish tender fined for fuel spill to Lake Washington Ship Canal

  SEATTLE  –  The Washington Department of Ecology is issuing a $22,000 penalty to Coastal Transportation Inc. for negligence in operations during a fuel transfer that led to diesel spilling into the Lake Washington Ship Canal in Seattle. On Feb. 2, 2023, …

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