Ecology’s Water Banking Pilot Grants have undergone some recent changes. The grants were previously restricted to counties with headwaters of a major watershed within their borders. This year’s legislative session removed the headwater restriction. Five …
Wood stoves, fireplaces, and other residential wood burning devices put out hundreds of times more fine particle air pollution than other sources of heat, such as natural gas or electricity. The resulting smoke can lead to asthma, lung disease, heart …
BELLINGHAM – In preparation for the upcoming basin-wide water right adjudication in the Nooksack Basin and surrounding areas, the Washington Department of Ecology has mailed 30,000 postcards to water users in and around Whatcom County. Even in the rainy …
Each summer, crews of scientists and technicians head into the woods, over fields, and down canyons to locations along dozens of rivers and streams in one of eight watershed-based Status and Trends Regions around Washington. The researchers survey the …
OLYMPIA – With winter’s snowstorms largely behind us and summer just weeks away, our state’s low snowpack and forecasts for a dry and warm spring and summer have spurred the Department of Ecology to declare a drought emergency for most of Washington. …
There have been recent news stories about a supposed slump in the transition to zero-emission transportation—that growth in electric vehicle (EV) sales has leveled off and manufacturers are scaling back plans for new models. Here’s what you didn’t hear: …
From coffee shops and cafeterias to restaurants and gas stations, food service often uses disposable products. While convenient, these products can create waste, add to pollution, and leach toxic chemicals into the environment. Washington has new …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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- …
