Friday, 28 June 2013

Fecal Matters: Swimming Advisory at Potlatch State Park, Mason County

BEACH Program Update

Today, June 28, 2013, Mason County Public Health issued a swimming advisory at Potlatch State Park.  The advisory is issued because of elevated bacteria levels in marine water.

Contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne

Fecal Matters: Swimming Advisory at Allyn Waterfront Park , Mason County

BEACH Program Update

Today, June 28, 2013, Mason County Public Health issued a swimming advisory at Allyn Waterfront Park.  The advisory is issued because of elevated bacteria levels in marine water.

Contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne

Around the Sound: Derelict vessels in spotlight

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Toxics Cleanup Program

Boats abandoned around Puget Sound and
in other Washington waterways pose significant environmental risks and possibly some big cleanup bills for taxpayers.

TVW’s “The Impact” program
took a look this week at the problems that derelict vessels can cause. The
report begins at about the 5:25 mark.

In the past two years, Ecology’s

Thursday, 27 June 2013

Air Time: Fireworks are fun, but smoke isn’t


Make sure you protect your lungs if you plan to light off or be near fireworks around the Fourth of July.

Fireworks
can be spectacular to see, but they also can generate a lot of potentially
harmful smoke. Breathing fine particles in fireworks smoke can cause or
contribute to serious short- or long-term health problems. They include:

Risk of heart attack and stroke.
Lung inflammation.
Reduced

Wednesday, 26 June 2013

Fecal Matters: Combined sewer overflow impacts Port Washington narrows and Sinclair Inlet, Kitsap County

BEACH Program Update

On June 26, 2013, combined sewer overflows (CSOs) discharged into Port Washington Narrows and Sinclair Inlet in Bremerton, WA.  CSOs are a diluted mixture of untreated sewage and storm water.  As a result, the Kitsap Public Health District issued a no contact advisory through July 2, 2013.  The public is advised to avoid contact with the water and not harvest shellfish.

Garden Talk: Volunteers feeding the success of community garden

by Marisol Novak, Ecology's garden coordinator




Volunteers planting potatoes on May 18th, 2013.


Food Bank Garden at the Department of Ecology.
Beginning in
2011, the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Sustainability Team
sponsored the development of an organic Food Bank garden. It is located behind
the agency’s headquarters building in Lacey, WA in a sprawling meadow. The
Washington

Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Lower Granite Dam staff and nearby response agencies sharpen oil spill response skills

By Brook Beeler, communication manager, Eastern Regional Office


Photo courtesy US Army Corps of EngineersOn
Wednesday June 26 th passersby will see boats and boom in the water downstream
of Lower Granite Lock and Dam at Boyer Park and Marina on the Snake River.


It’s
part of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) multi-agency training exercise to
practice containing and recovering oil and

Friday, 21 June 2013

Website answers questions about radiation contamination at Magnuson Park in Seattle

by Larry Altose, communication manager, Northwest Regional Office


Ecology is reviewing Navy cleanup plans for this and nearby closed-off areas affected by work on aircraft instruments when the park was a Naval air station.Some newly
posted information about radiation contamination at Seattle's Magnuson Park may be of interest to people who have been following this news. The Washington State

Thursday, 20 June 2013

Learn about tank leaks at Hanford

By Erika Holmes, Community Outreach & Environmental Education, Nuclear Waste Program


The Department of Ecology knows the public and the news media want and
deserve answers about the leaking tanks at Hanford, so we created Frequently Asked Questions: Leaking underground tanks at Hanford to answer some of the most common questions:


How many tanks are leaking and when did they start?
What is

“Eyes Over Puget Sound” for June 17

By Sandy Howard, communication manager, Environmental Assessment Program

Is Puget Sound on fire?


Check out the June 17 “EyesOver Puget Sound.” Our cover photo shows Elliott Bay with one of several stunning views we captured from up high of another harmless Noctiluca plankton
bloom.

The bloom is dramatic in some cases almost resembling fire in the water.
This is our second large Noctiluca

Wednesday, 19 June 2013

Cleaning Up: Wenatchee’s waterfront revival

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Toxics Cleanup Program




The city of Wenatchee’s vision for a revived Columbia River waterfront continues to prove fruitful, thanks in part to seed money from Ecology’s Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP).


In Wenatchee, city officials used a $150,000 integrated planning grant from TCP to develop a plan for reuse of an old landfill along the river (shown at

Wednesday, 12 June 2013

Sequim-area residents enjoy a wealth of information on water conservation

By Dan Partridge, Communications Manager, Water Resources Program



Members of Future Farmers of America at Sequim High School prepare site for new water-efficient demonstration garden
Water conservation on the Olympic Peninsula is making a splash! People are learning about low water-use landscaping, including groundcovers that provide good alternatives to lawns, the “miracle of mulch” and much

Fecal Matters: No Contact Advisory for Les Davis Pier on Ruston Way, Tacoma, WA

BEACH Program Update

On June 12, 2013, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department issued a no contact advisory for Les Davis Pier on Ruston Way in Tacoma, WA. The closure was issued due to high fecal bacteria counts in the water. The public is warned not to make contact with the water until further notice. The Health Department is working with the City of Tacoma to find the source.

Contact

Thursday, 6 June 2013

Test your knowledge about fuel-efficient driving


No-idle signs give good reminder
by Melanie Forster, Air Quality Program, Southwest Regional Office


Many of us know that unnecessary engine idling pollutes the air
and wastes fuel. But we all could use a friendly reminder, even Department of
Ecology employees whose job is to protect our environment. “No-Idle Zone” signs
have recently appeared in Ecology's parking areas. You may have seen

Wednesday, 5 June 2013

Fecal Matters: Purdy Sandspit County Park in Pierce County is Open for Swimming.

BEACH Program Update

Purdy, WA - Purdy Sandspit County Park is open for water recreation. Beach caution signs were previously posted on May 31, 2013 due to high fecal bacteria in the water.

The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department removed the caution signs June 5, 2013, after follow-up sampling indicated low bacteria levels. There is no longer a
public health concern.

Visit the BEACH web

Tuesday, 4 June 2013

Fecal Matters: No Swimming or Wading at Purdy Sandspit in Pierce County

BEACH Program Update

On May 31, 2013, Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department issued a no contact advisory for Purdy Sandspit County Park in Purdy, WA. The closure was issued due to high fecal bacteria counts in the water. The public is warned not to make contact with the water until further notice. The Health Department will continue to collect water samples weekly.

Contact with fecal