Our Changing Climate: Pine beetles and other news

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Air Quality ProgramHere are some links to some recent news articles related to climate change: The Seattle Times reports on the continuing advance of the pine beetle and the threats it poses to Northwest trees. The Seattle Times also published this guest column on how ocean acidification threatens marine conservation and resource management. This piece

Air Time: Ecology helps school districts reduce bus pollution

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Air Quality ProgramLast week, Ecology’s Air Quality Program announced the latest round of funding that we’re providing to Washington school districts looking to cut fuel costs and harmful emissions from school buses.Ecology helps school districts pay for idle-reduction technology. The devices allow drivers to warm school bus cabins, defrost windows, and

Everett Smelter cleanup work is under way

By Meg Bommarito, Project Manager, Toxics Cleanup ProgramEcology has started cleanup work in an area of the Everett Smelter cleanup site.Ecology’s contractor, Clearcreek, is removing contaminated soil from residential properties on Balsam Lane and Hawthorne Street. Cleanup this year will include 24 properties north and south of Broadway. Construction work will continue through the winter and

Tacoma Smelter Plume: Public meeting November 9 on Vashon Island

By Hannah Aoyagi, Public Involvement Coordinator, Toxics Cleanup ProgramJoin us on Vashon Island to learn more about our plan for cleaning up the Tacoma Smelter Plume! McMurray Middle School cafeteria9329 Cemetery Road, Vashon(206) 463-91686:30 – 7:00 p.m. Open house session7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Presentation, question and answer8:00 – 8:30 p.m. Open house sessionYou can review the plan and submit your

Around the Sound: New report looks at toxic pollution

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Toxics Cleanup ProgramOn Thursday (Nov. 3, 2011), Ecology and the Puget Sound Partnership released the latest look at what’s known about toxic chemical pollution in the Puget Sound region.The new Puget Sound Toxics Assessment is the final component of a multi-year, multi-agency effort that started in 2006 to understand where toxic chemicals come from, how

Tacoma Smelter Plume: Tacoma Public Meeting Recap

By Hannah Aoyagi, Public Involvement Coordinator, Toxics Cleanup ProgramWednesday night, we held our first of four public meetings on a draft cleanup plan for the Tacoma Smelter Plume. Around 45 community members attended the event at Point Defiance Elementary School in Tacoma. After our slide presentation, we had a lively question and answer session that lasted nearly an hour!We received a

When carpet cleaning, where should the wash water go?

By Brook Beeler, watershed education coordinator, Eastern Regional OfficeKnow how to dump smartMy mother-in-law pulled up to our house recently with my daughter, a huge pan of barbecued ribs, and a problem. Luckily the problem was not related to my six-year-old. It had to do with that delicious pan of ribs steeped in rich barbecue sauce and the carpet in her truck. It spilled and she was left