Friday, 29 March 2013

Take five minutes to avoid the most common dangerous waste violation

By Mariann Cook Andrews, Outreach Specialist, Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program

Why is it that some simple things seem to be the ones that don’t get done? Like putting the cap back on the toothpaste? Forgetting to keep toothpaste closed won’t cause much of a problem, except for the next person who wants to use it.

But what about keeping the lid on a drum of used antifreeze? Or a can

Wednesday, 27 March 2013

Stories about Getting to Clean Water: Cottage Lake – Watershed Education Helps to Protect a Valuable Resource

By Diane Dent, Water Quality Stories Lead, Water Quality Program

Since the early 1970s, King County’s Cottage Lake has experienced algae blooms due to excessive amounts of phosphorus entering the lake. King County began monitoring the lake and its two inlet streams (Daniels Creek and Cottage Lake Creek) in 1993. As a result of King County’s year-long study, the Cottage Lake Management Plan was

Stories about Getting to Clean Water: Clallam County - Educating Homeowners About Their Septic Systems

By Diane Dent, Water Quality Stories Lead, Water Quality Program

Did you know you are now required to have your septic system inspected every one to three years, depending on what type of system you have?


The problem

When your septic system fails, it’s expensive to repair and a health hazard to you, your family, and your pets. Runoff from a failing septic system can carry untreated sewage

Stories about Getting to Clean Water: Wheel-of-Water turns heads

By Diane Dent, Water Quality Stories Lead, Water Quality Program


Visitors of all ages like to take a turn at the wheel.Ecology’s Northwest Region Water Quality (NWRO-WQ) staff is often invited to participate in educational events. They are also asked to reach both young and older members of the public. Through all these experiences, their continuing challenge is to engage our state residents

Stories about Getting to Clean Water: Why does Hansen Creek look like Normandy Beach?

By Diane Dent, Water Quality Stories Lead, Water Quality Program

Passersby on State Highway 20 above Sedro-Woolley wondered, “What are those acres and acres of jutting posts? Why does it look so much like Normandy Beach in World War II?” As it turns out it was “D-Day” for stream habitat degradation.

The problem

The Hansen Creek project area was originally a forested alluvial fan and wetland.

Monday, 25 March 2013

Air Time: Pellet Stoves are still a good idea

By Rod Tinnemore, Wood Stove Coordinator, Air Quality Program

Pellet Stoves

The pellet stove manufacturers that I’ve met have been creative people who care about the environment. They envisioned pellet stoves back in the 1970s as a remedy to the open burning of sawdust and wood shavings at lumber mills. Today the crude “tee-pee burners” are gone and those wood by-products are made into pellets

Tacoma Smelter Plume: Public Meeting in Ruston/North Tacoma this Thursday!

By Jill Jacobson, Outreach Coordinator, Toxic Cleanup Program



This Thursday, we are holding a public meeting on the Tacoma Smelter Plume-Residential Yard Sampling and Cleanup program design.

Thursday, March 28th, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Point Defiance Elementary School Cafeteria, 4330 N. Visscher St., Tacoma

6:30 - 7:00 p.m. Open house session
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Presentation, question and answer
8:00

Thursday, 21 March 2013

Free ocean acidification seminar coming to Bellingham March 28

By Sandy Howard



Some members of Washington state's Blue Ribbon Panel on Ocean Acidification will be in Bellingham for a free seminar on this important and local topic.



The event will be held at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal on Thursday, March 28, from 6-8 p.m.


Topics to be covered include the science of ocean acidification, regional and local implications to the food web, and

Cleaning up: Two pipeline properties close to clean bill of health

By Brook Beeler, communication manager

Northwest Pipeline Meter Stations, Moses Lake and Mead
Public comments are being sought for removing two natural gas meter stations from the state Hazardous Sites List. Soil and gravel were contaminated with mercury on both sites and arsenic was also present at the Mead station. The main source of contamination was most likely from accidental spills during

Thursday, 14 March 2013

Tacoma Smelter Plume: Yard cleanup program comment period starts today

By Hannah Aoyagi, Tacoma Smelter Plume project, Toxics Cleanup Program


Tacoma Smelter Plume Residential Yard Sampling and
Cleanup Program Service Area




Some yards in Ruston, west Tacoma, and south Vashon-Maury Island could have high levels of arsenic and lead from the former Asarco smelter in Tacoma. Ecology has a new program to find and clean up these yards. We call it the Residential Yard

Wednesday, 13 March 2013

Ecology celebrates Women's History Month

by Kim Schmanke, special projects, Communication and Education

“How wrong it is for a woman to expect the man to build the world she wants, rather than to create it herself." - Anais Nin

In recognition of the 2013 Women’s History Month, Ecology is celebrating the women who did just that for Washington state’s environment. We’ll also add Gov. Chris Gregoire to Ecology’s Pushing the River

Monday, 11 March 2013

Ocean acidification seminar set for Anacortes March 13

By Sandy Howard

Skagit County residents wanting to learn more about ocean acidification are invited to a free seminar from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, March 13, in the Seafarers’ Memorial Park Building, 100 Commercial Ave. in Anacortes.

Ocean acidification results from CO2 emissions being absorbed from the atmosphere into seawater, forming carbonic acid. This alters ocean chemistry and endangers

Thursday, 7 March 2013

At the Water’s Edge: Updated aquaculture online resources

By Cedar Bouta, Environmental Planner, Shorelands & Environmental Assistance Program




Suquamish Tribe’s shellfish nursery raft in Poulsbo marina. Photo by Keri Weaver. Courtesy of City of Poulsbo.



Icicle Seafoods’ net pen at Ediz Hook, Port Angeles.



Chinook salmon. Courtesy of WDFW.

Aquaculture is the culture or farming of fish, shellfish, or other aquatic plants and animals. It occurs

Tuesday, 5 March 2013

Fecal Matters: Beach Reopens at Lincoln Park in West Seattle

BEACH Program Update

Seattle, WA - The beach at Lincoln Park in West Seattle is now open for water recreation. Beach closure signs were previously posted on March 2, 2013 due to a nearby sewer pump station overflow.

The Seattle-King County Public Health District removed the closure March 5, 2013 after multiple follow-up samples indicated low bacteria levels at the park beach.

Visit the BEACH

Fecal Matters: Beach Closure at Lincoln Park in Seattle

BEACH Program Update

On March 2, 2013, the Seattle-King County Public Health District issued a beach closure at Lincoln Park in West Seattle. The closure was issued due to an overflow at a nearby sewer pump station. Crews responded immediately to stop the leak. The public is advised to avoid contact with the water. The utility is following up with water quality sampling.

Contact with fecal

Monday, 4 March 2013

NOAA to talk tsunami debris during March 6 ‘Tweetchat’

by Linda Kent, communication manager, Southwest Regional Office


In the two years since a devastating earthquake and tsunami struck Japan, state and federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have done much to prepare for the potential arrival of tsunami debris.

The March 11, 2011, tragedy claimed nearly 16,000 lives, injured about 6,000 people and

Friday, 1 March 2013

Eyes Over Puget Sound for February 26

By Sandy Howard, Communications Manager, Environmental Assessment Program

We’ve just posted the latest aerial photos of Puget Sound surface conditions taken on Feb. 26 here.

Personal flight log
Better than a cup of coffee: Marine monitoring on the morning radio! Listen to marine flight technician Mya Keyzers discuss Eyes here.

Weather conditions
The weather has been cloudy but rivers are