Around the Sound: Sampling data from the Rayonier Mill property now available

By Marian Abbett, Site ManagerWe have reached another milestone in the cleanup of the Rayonier Mill site in Port Angeles on schedule! On June 15, Rayonier submitted the draft Upland Data Collection Technical Memo. This memo pulls together most of the data Rayonier collected on its property between August 2010 and March 2011.Rayonier collected soil, groundwater, and surface water samples from

Fecal Matters: Windjammer Beach Park & Lagoon Update (Island County)

BEACH Program Update
Updated 7/1/2011

Island County Public Health marine water sampling identified high bacteria levels at Windjammer Park in Oak Harbor on 6/28. A permanent swimming advisory is posted for the beach at the Park. The saltwater swimming lagoon also had elevated levels and Staff collected additional samples on 6/30 and results came back low for the lagoon so a swimming advisory is

Fecal Matters: Washington's BEACH Program - the best information source for saltwater beach health

BEACH Program UpdateWashington's BEACH Program -- the best information source for saltwater beach healthA recent wave of "beach report cards" about beach health in our state points out the value of a reliable, trusted source of timely, accurate information, and in our state, the best source is the Washington BEACH (Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication and Health) Program.The state's

Air Time: Ecology grant helps Poulsbo Fire protect air, people, taxpayer money

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Air Quality ProgramEcology’s Air Quality Program and the Poulsbo Fire Department put together a neat project that will cut air pollution, protect people’s health and save taxpayers’ money.Poulsbo Fire is using a $39,000 grant from Ecology to install new idle reduction technology on some emergency vehicles.Responders must keep the engines of emergency

Product stewardship is responsible 21st century "waste" management

by Kara Steward, Waste 2 Resources ProgramThe E-Cycle Program collects and recycles televisions, monitors, and computers.Do you ever wonder how local governments ended up responsible for waste management? A century ago, crowding and waste in industrial cities gave rise to repeated disease epidemics. Fear of these epidemics created political support for public investment in sanitation

CBC stats students shed light on new soil sampling method

By Erika Holmes, Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist, Nuclear Waste ProgramEarly in 2011, I emailed just about every college instructor in the Tri-Cities area who taught a class that might be remotely related to Hanford. One of the replies came from Linda Rogers, a statistics teacher at Columbia Basin College in Pasco. She had two statistics classes in the spring and very much

THIS IS A DRILL - Flight restrictions

THIS IS A DRILLJune 23, 2011, 11:35 a.m.NPREP drill is being held at the US Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor, WA.Temporary Flight RestrictionUnified Command at the Oak Harbor Command Center has established a temporary flight restriction in the area between Gordon Head, Shannon Point and Partridge Point in the Salish Sea. No aircraft may fly below 5,000 feet in this area. The Fedeeral Aviation

THIS IS A DRILL - Avoid Oil

THIS IS A DRILLJune 23, 2011, 10:45 a.m.NPREP drill is being held at the US Naval Air Station in Oak Harbor, WAThe public is encouraged to avoid contact with oil and oiled shorelines. If you see evidence of oil or oiled materials along the shore please do not touch, but report to 1-800-OILS911 (1-800-645-7911).Updated information can be found on www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/spills/spills.html, or for

THIS IS A DRILL - US-CAN Salish Sea 2011 PREP Exercise

By Mary-Ellen Voss, Spill Prevention, Preparedness and Response ProgramToday, Ecology's Spills Program is participating in a full-scale, government-led , multi-agency exercise to test our region's ability to respond to a cross-border spill event.As part of the drill, a Joint Information Center (JIC) has been established to provide immediate response to the news media and the general public

Around the Sound: Unusual dolphins! Octopus parenting! And more!

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Toxics Cleanup ProgramThe Seattle Times has published a couple of interesting stories about different inhabitants of Puget Sound – some apparently are just visiting, while others make their homes in the Sound.First up, there’s this story of long-beaked tropical dolphins sighted in the Sound around the Olympia area.And then there’s this coverage of the life

Multiple agencies respond to Harbor Island diesel spill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 1:02 a.m., June 21, 2011Contacts: Dieter Bohrmann, Department of Ecology media relations (509-420-3874)Nate Littlejohn, U.S. Coast Guard public affairs (816-582-1725)SEATTLE – The Washington Department of Ecology, Union Pacific Railroad, the U.S. Coast Guard, Seattle Public Utilities and a cleanup contractor are responding to a diesel fuel spill from a Union Pacific

Around the Sound: Radio interview on Port Gardner Cleanup, plus big spill drill

By Seth Preston, Communication Managers, Toxics Cleanup ProgramKSER Radio (90.7 FM) in Everett is featuring an interview today and Tuesday (June 20-21) with Ecology’s baywide coordinator for cleanup work in and around Port Gardner Bay.Andy Kallus spoke last week with Karen Erickson, host of KSER’s “Seein’ Green” program, about Ecology’s work with local partners like the Port of Everett on

Hanford drill tests emergency preparedness teams

By Dieter Bohrmann, Communications Consultant, Nuclear Waste Program Environmental cleanup at the Hanford nuclear site is complex and potentially hazardous. The U.S. Department of Energy as well as numerous state and local agencies have a stake in ensuring the work is done safely and protectively. A large accident at Hanford could threaten the health of not only workers, but potentially local and

Polluted waters listings will not fix the problem of declining pH on marine waters

By Sandy Howard, Communication Manager, Water Quality programYou might be hearing about the problem of declining pH in our ocean’s waters, also called “ocean acidification.” The Center for Biological Diversity is bringing this topic up once again today.What is the cause?What causes declining pH and why is it a problem?It’s a fact that our earth’s oceans are becoming more and more acidic as they

Preparing for the big spill

By Barbara MacGregor, Web Communications Manager“This is a drill.”That's the phrase the Department of Ecology, U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, and EPA will be using next week as we practice responding to a catastrophic oil spill in the international waters we share with Canada.We, along with our counterparts from British Columbia, will practice responding to a major simulated "spill" in waters west of

Everett Smelter Cleanup: Local office hours start this month

By Meg Bommarito, Everett Smelter Project Manager

Starting in a few weeks, Ecology staff will now be more available to the Everett community to provide information on Everett Smelter cleanup work.

Twice a week from June 28 until the end October, either I or Frank Reinart (upland site manager) will be at the Baker Heights Community Center, 1401 Poplar St., to answer questions and share

Planets In the Playground

By Nancy Uziemblo, Geologist, Nuclear Waste ProgramWe talk about Hanford cleanup and actively promote care of the Earth… Why not extend it to the solar system? When asked to share a geology lesson, sometimes I get carried away and think big. So when Sangetta Goswami (wife of Dib Goswami, Hydrogeologist with the Nuclear Waste Program) requested my annual geology lesson for the 3rd graders at