Fecal Matters: Beach Closure at Richey Viewpoint Beach, West Seattle

BEACH Program Update

Today, October 31, 2012, Seattle-King County Public Health closed the beach at Richey Viewpoint in West Seattle because of a sewage overflow at a nearby wastewater treatment plant pump station. The County is actively testing the water quality in this area.

Contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and

Seattle Times: Yakima Basin Plan “is a refreshing counterpoint to frustrations with gridlock elsewhere in politics.”

by Tim Hill, Office of Columbia River

Lance Dickie writes in The Seattle Times:


A long, frustrating campaign season and years of legislative paralysis in Congress fuel a need for optimism about a fresh start in politics.

I believe I have found it, and it is here at home in this Washington. The name does not roll off the tongue, but it illustrates how things can change for the better:

The

“Ecology for Scientists" website serves niche audience

By Sandy Howard, communication manager, Environmental Assessment Program

We’ve got a new online presence that shows off Ecology’s most current environmental studies and reports, as well as new, related information.

We call it Ecology for Scientists.

We hope this web resource helps scientists tap into our state’s growing body of environmental knowledge.

Visit Ecology for Scientists to find

Leaking Hanford tank complicates cleanup plans

By Dieter Bohrmann, communications manager, Nuclear Waste Program

On October 22, the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) announced that video inspections confirmed a leak from the inner shell of a double-shell tank at Hanford. This was the first confirmed leak from one of Hanford’s 28 double-shell tanks, and the discovery threatens to further complicate plans for treating 56 million gallons of

Let’s Talk Science! Technology behind monitoring fine particle pollution

By Brook Beeler, environmental educator, Office of Communication and Education

Why do we monitor air quality in Washington state? Why, it’s a little thing called the Clean Air Act. We have an extensive network of monitors across the state to help us keep tabs on the seven air pollutants outlined by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. These standards for carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide

Air Time: The World of Wood Burning

by Air Quality Program, wood stove coordinator


People use fire as part of nearly every culture. Burning wood to cook food is still vital for much of the world’s population today. Unfortunately, bringing some ancient but unaltered practices into the modern, and often urban, world may not be safe or wise.


The issues related to residential wood burning are as complex as our modern world. In my

Happy 40th Anniversary Clean Water Act

By Joye Redfield-Wilder and Sandy Howard

Forty years ago, on Oct. 18, 1972, the U.S. Congress enacted the Clean Water Act designed to end pollution to the nation’s rivers, lakes and bays.

For the past several months, Northwest Public Radio’s EarthFix — a public media project with many regional public broadcasting partners — has been reporting on different aspects of the Act’s influences for

Conversations about Washington's future — water for people, farms and fish

By Ted Sturdevant, Ecology Director

Washington's future quality of life depends upon its water future.

What kind of future that is – whether it’s marked by fighting over an increasingly limited resource or whether it spurs creative solutions that meet multiple needs – depends upon how we approach the problem.

My latest Conversations on Washington's Future message offers an insider’s view of

Air Time: Governor will lift Western WA burn ban

Air Quality Program, air monitoring update

The Governor's Office issued this news release at about 4:20 p.m. Friday (Oct. 12, 2012).

OLYMPIA – Due to today’s rainfall and additional rain in the forecast, Gov. Chris Gregoire this afternoon modified a statewide burn ban to lift the ban for counties in Western Washington starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 13th. For all counties east of the Cascades

Air Time: Rain brings hope of relief from wildfire smoke

Air Quality Program, air monitoring update

Here is the air monitor/weather update for Friday (Oct. 12, 2012) and the weekend.

Light rain is falling this morning (Friday, Oct. 12, 2012) and winds are picking up in areas of Western Washington, but some communities east of the Cascade Mountains continue to be impacted by wildfire smoke.

Trout Lake was experiencing “hazardous” air quality during

Eyes Over Puget Sound for Oct. 8, 2012

By Sandy Howard, communications manager, Environmental Assessment Program

We’ve just posted the latest aerial photos of Puget Sound surface conditions taken on Oct. 8.

We continue to observe large red-brown blooms in finger inlets in South Sound, Quartermaster Harbor and the Kitsap Peninsula —in particular in Sinclair Inlet.

We had a successful air-to-ground collaboration with the Squaxin

Air Time: Smoke still lingering; rain on the way?

Air Quality Program, air monitoring report

Here is the air monitor/weather update for Monday (Oct. 8, 2012). For more information about wildfires, see http://wasmoke.blogspot.com.


Smoke from wildfires in Washington and Idaho is still affecting residents of Washington in several areas as the state moves into a fifth week of poor air quality. The Governor's burn ban has been extended to cover

Air Time: Governor expands burn ban

Air Quality Program, air monitoring update

The Governor's Office issued this news release at about 1 p.m. Sunday (Oct. 7, 2012). For more information about wildfires, see http://wasmoke.blogspot.com/.



OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced that an
emergency proclamation declaring a State of Emergency and banning all outdoor
burning has been extended through midnight Monday, Oct. 15th,

Air Time: Air quality still degraded in some areas, better in most

Air Quality Program, air monitoring update

Here is the air monitor/weather update for Friday through the weekend (Oct. 5-7).

Fine particle monitors this morning (Friday, Oct. 5) show "unhealthy" air quality in Wenatchee, "unhealthy for sensitive groups" in Ellensburg, and "moderate" air in Leavenworth, Darrington, North Bend, Clarkston, Aberdeen, and Shelton, according to the Washington

Air Time: Expected winds mean mixed news for smoky areas

Air Quality Program, Air monitoring update

While today (Monday Oct. 1, 2012, started relatively calmly, moderate winds are entering the scene ahead of a cold front later today, both clearing the air and potentially spreading wildfires.

According to Washington Department of Ecology air quality forecaster Ranil Dhammapala, a strong cold front dropping into Eastern Washington this evening will