2021 News stories

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December 2021

12/29 News – Five facilities to receive updated requirements to protect Spokane River

12/27 Blog – Clearer skies ahead

12/22 Blog – Competitive streamflow grants projects

12/20 News – Washington inks deal with carbon emissions auction platform

12/15 Blog – Working to reduce Washington flood risks

12/13 News – Vessel owner fined for spill at Brownsville Marina

12/10 Blog – Frequently Asked Questions about our Water Banking Grants Pilot Program

12/08 Blog – Join us for Let's Talk About Hanford

12/06 Blog – Cleaning up: Two South Lake Union cleanups to make room for commercial space and affordable housing

12/06 News – New law will reduce the use of single-use utensils, condiments, straws beginning Jan. 1

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November 2021

11/30 News – Puget Sound wastewater treatment plants to tackle nutrient pollution with new permit

11/30 Blog – What's bugging Puget Sound benthos?

11/30 Blog – New standard paves way for more clean vehicles

11/24 News – Ecology Awards program provides money to schools for compliance with new laws

11/23 Blog – Dark got you down? Shine a little light with the lamp shells

11/22 Blog – $84,000 to 20 waste reduction projects

11/19 Blog – You can help make products safer from toxics

11/18 News – Public invited to comment on regulatory actions addressing chemicals in consumer products

11/17 Blog – Snowpack & Washington water supplies

11/17 Blog – Pilot program to fund local water banks

11/16 News – Environmental penalties issued for the 3rd quarter of 2021

11/10 Blog – Floodplains by Design grants available

11/08 News – Ecology begins rulemaking for 2021 plastics law

11/04 Blog – Washington’s roadmap to addressing PFAS

11/03 News – Ecology announces action plan for addressing PFAS

11/01 Blog – Restoring Ohop Creek

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October 2021

10/27 Blog – Understanding Washington’s climate policies

10/26 Blog – It’s slime time! The slime tube worm lives in a house of horrors

10/22 News – Federal court strikes down attempt to limit state, Tribal rights to protect water quality

10/21 Blog – PFAS “forever chemicals” are regulated under state’s environmental cleanup law

10/20 News – Franklin County farm fined for illegal water use

10/19 News – Better protections proposed for salmon spawning and habitat

10/19 Blog – Reopening our offices to the public

10/13 News – Greenhouse gas reporting rules updated for new climate law

10/08 Blog – North Beach County Park is now open for water recreation, Jefferson County

10/05 Blog – Fecal Matters: A No-Contact Advisory Issued for North Beach County Park, Jefferson County

10/05 Blog – Let’s Talk About Hanford critters

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September 2021

09/28 Blog – Tackling Toxics: Aerospace Company transitions to safer vapor degreasing

09/27 News – Statewide plastic bag ban begins Friday, Oct. 1

09/26 Blog – These worms are boring! ... into oyster shells, that is

09/21 News – Bellevue developer fined $280,000 for multiple dangerous waste violations at downtown site

09/21 News – Préstamos para reparar o reemplazar su sistema séptico ahora están disponibles en todo el estado

09/21 News – Loans for septic repairs and replacement now available to entire state

09/16 Blog – Help us improve aquatic habitat in the Chehalis River basin

09/14 Blog – There's a new sign for a healthier Puget Sound

09/14 Blog – 2020-21: The water year of surprises

09/14 Blog – Nutrient pollution modeling shows different futures for Puget Sound

09/08 Blog – Cleaning up: Agreement maps cleanup process at former Seattle Times site

09/08 News – Ecology applauds EPA effort to add Bradford Island to “Superfund” list

09/08 Blog – Learn about nuclear history in the fourth Let's Talk About Hanford

09/02 Blog – Food waste reduction plan holds economic, social, and environmental benefits

09/01 Blog – Up To $40 million available for streamflow restoration projects

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August 2021

08/26 Blog – Towards a goal of zero spills

08/25 Blog – Another day, another (Pacific sand) dollar

08/22 Blog – Cleaning up: Agreement will start cleanup process where railroad tank cars stopped at former Seattle oil terminal

08/20 Blog – Fecal Matters: Sunnyside Beach Park and Chambers Creek Regional Park beaches are now open to water recreation, Pierce County

08/20 Blog – Eye on (Water) Supply

08/17 Blog – Chehalis Basin Board approves $70 million spending plan

08/11 Blog – Helping your community help small businesses

08/06 News – State begins work to implement Climate Commitment Act

08/05 Blog – Join us for our third Let's Talk About Hanford

08/04 News – 126 wastewater treatment plants recognized for their performance in 2020

08/03 Blog – Wastewater treatment plant operators protect water during pandemic

08/02 Blog – Tackling Toxics: Helping Joint Base Lewis-McChord replace toxic receipt paper

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July 2021

07/29 News – Drought spurs aid for farms, fish & public health

07/28 Blog – Fecal Matters: Richey Viewpoint is now open for water recreation, King County

07/28 News – Environmental penalties for 2nd quarter of 2021

07/27 Blog – The gaper clams live in the shadows of giants

07/27 Blog – Grant applications being accepted for flood-hazard planning

07/26 Blog – Replacing toxic products with safer alternatives

07/22 Blog – Fecal Matters: Mukilteo Lighthouse Park and Des Moines Beach Park are now open for water recreation, Snohomish and King Counties

07/21 Blog – Ecology rolling out improvements to SEPA reporting system

07/21 Blog – Water conservation activities for kids

07/21 Blog – Actividades de conservación de agua para niños

07/21 Blog – Fecal Matters: Sunnyside Beach Park and Chambers Creek Regional Park beaches are CLOSED to water contact due to a sewage spill, Pierce County

07/21 News – Single-use plastic bag ban begins Oct. 1 in Washington

07/20 Blog – Fecal Matters: Burfoot County Park is now open for water recreation, Thurston County

07/19 Blog – Fecal Matters: Richey Viewpoint Park is closed due to sewage spill, King County

07/16 Blog – Cleaning up: An update will help Everett’s Riverfront redevelopment move forward

07/15 Blog – Fecal Matters: A no-contact advisory issued for Mukilteo Lighthouse Park, Snohomish County

07/14 News – Ecology declares drought emergency

07/14 Blog – Fecal Matters: No-contact advisories lifted for Illahee State Park and Lions Field, Kitsap County

07/14 News – New permit for Puget Sound wastewater treatment plants will reduce nutrient pollution

07/13 Blog – Boots on the ground: AmeriCorps members conduct water quality surveys with Snoqualmie Tribe

07/09 Blog – Fecal Matters: No-contact advisory issued for Illahee State Park and Lions Field, Kitsap County

07/08 Blog – Fecal Matters: BEACH Program Update – No contact advisory lifted at eight beaches, two remain under advisory.

07/07 Blog – Tune in for the (rescheduled) second Let's Talk About Hanford

07/02 Blog – Fecal Matters: 10 beaches in Puget Sound under no-contact advisory

07/02 Blog – Cleaning up: On Bellingham’s waterfront, a cleanup plan for the Chlor-Alkali Area

07/01 Blog – Clean Beaches Week:

07/01 Blog – Fecal Matters: No-Contact Advisories for Point Whitney Tidelands Beach, Jefferson County and Carkeek Park Beach, King County.

07/01 News – Ace Hardware fined for diesel spill to Snoqualmie River

07/01 News – Awarding $312 million to communities for clean water projects

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June 2021

06/29 Blog – New paper about Contaminants of Emerging Concern in wastewater

06/24 News – State works to set zero emission vehicle standards

06/22 Blog – Bend, but don’t break: The bamboo worms flex and flourish

06/22 Blog – Fecal Matters: Des Moines Beach Park is closed due to sewage spill, King County

06/21 Blog – Reducing plastics in Washington

06/21 News – Fertilizer maker fined $25,500 for air quality violations

06/18 Blog – Eye on (Water) Supply

06/18 Blog – Ecology extends public comment period for draft net pen guidance

06/17 Blog – Is your dry cleaner still using toxic PERC?

06/17 News – State adopts new watershed plans for Puyallup River and Chambers-Clover basin

06/17 News – Highway contractors fined for stormwater violations

06/16 Blog – To prevent dead zones in Puget Sound, communities must tackle nutrient pollution

06/14 Blog – Be #SmokeReady2021 this wildfire season

06/14 Blog – Sea #SmokeReady2021 esta temporada de incendios forestales

06/08 News – Electron Hydro fined $501,000 for Puyallup River pollution

06/07 Blog – Lasting state/industry partnership key to keeping state waters safe from oil spills

06/04 Blog – Curtailments come to Chehalis River basin

06/03 Blog – Cleaning up: New model remedies for contaminated historic orchard lands

06/03 Blog – Fecal Matters: No-contact advisories lifted for Pomeroy Park and Illahee State Park, Kitsap County

06/02 Blog – Poop and beaches don’t mix

06/02 News – Forecast looks at Columbia Basin water availability

06/01 News – Ecology uses cash to convert dry cleaners to less toxic options

06/01 News – Public invited to comment on state draft commercial fish net pen guidance

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May 2021

05/28 Blog – Fecal Matters: A no-contact advisory issued for Pomeroy Park and Illahee State Park, Kitsap County

05/27 News – Department of Ecology issues drought advisory for most of the state

05/27 Blog – Cleaning up: An outdoor cleanup plan inside a river bend

05/26 Blog – New maps identify potential contamination on former orchard lands

05/25 Blog – Resilience and the purple sea urchin

05/24 News – Washington’s new litter prevention campaign asks drivers to secure their vehicle loads

05/21 Blog – Safer streets and cleaner water in Walla Walla

05/20 News – Mukilteo company fined $70,500 for water quality violations

05/19 Blog – Eye on (water) supply

05/19 Blog – Pump Out, Don’t Dump Out - Help protect Puget Sound!

05/18 News – Public review for draft statewide biosolids general permit

05/17 Blog – The soon to be "not-so-swift" Swift Creek

05/17 Blog – El que pronto no será tan “swift” Swift Creek

05/14 Blog – Legacy Pesticide Group Final Report

05/13 News – Ecology adopts new watershed plan for Duwamish-Green river basin

05/12 Blog – Clean & safe water for communities

05/12 Blog – Northwest Regional Office moving to Shoreline

05/10 News – Capturing the Walla Walla River Basin’s vision for integrated water management

05/07 Blog – Washington's Wetlands Warrior: one of Ecology's own receives national acclaim

05/07 Blog – Oil spill cleanup success hinges on quick response, right equipment

05/06 Blog – Boots on the ground: AmeriCorps members support COVID-19 vaccine distribution

05/06 Blog – Cleaning up: An update to the Landsburg Mine site cleanup plan

05/05 Blog – How Ecology staff work to include AAPI communities

05/03 Blog – For American Wetlands Month, updated guidance furthers Washington's 'no net loss' goal

05/03 Blog – Air Quality Awareness Week 2021

05/01 Blog – Fecal Matters: Golden Gardens and Discovery Park are now open to water recreation, King County

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April 2021

04/30 Blog – Join us for Let's Talk About Hanford!

04/29 News – Public input sought on environmental reviews for two new watershed plans in Pierce and King counties

04/29 Blog – Fecal Matters: Golden Gardens, Discovery Park, portions of Bainbridge Island, and North Kitsap shoreline are closed to water recreation, King and Kitsap Counties

04/29 Blog – Fecal Matters: Alki Beach Park is open to water recreation, King County

04/29 News – Ecology tracking Hanford waste tank leak

04/28 Blog – Marine sediment story maps:

04/28 Blog – Fecal Matters: A portion of Alki Beach Park is closed to water recreation, King County

04/28 News – Midway Sewer District fined for September sewage spill

04/26 News – Summary of environmental penalties issued for 1st quarter of 2021

04/20 Blog – Cleaning up: Boeing Auburn feasibility study

04/19 News – Proposal to apply biosolids at five Lewis County sites approved

04/16 Blog – Office of Chehalis Basin publication helps basin residents prepare for flooding

04/15 Blog – Restoring the environment after toxic contamination

04/15 Blog – Restore Our Earth

04/08 News – Rainier Valley site’s redevelopment will include environmental cleanup

04/08 News – State reviews record amount of water quality data in effort to prioritize improvements

04/06 Blog – Babies of the Benthos – Worm Edition

04/01 Blog – Weigh in on the 2021 beach list

04/01 Blog – Get ready, it's haboob season

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March 2021

03/31 Blog – Let's talk about Hanford

03/31 News – Ecology, Achilles reach settlement on spills that impacted wildlife

03/31 News – Skagit landowners have new mitigation option for water

03/29 Blog – Cleaning up: Fieldwork at a beloved Bellingham waterfront park

03/26 News – Groundwater study begins in Walla Walla Basin

03/24 News – After restoration success, Ecology proposes site-specific rulemaking for Chelan River

03/24 News – Después de éxitos de restauración, Ecología propone reglamentos específicos del sitio para el río Chelan

03/24 Blog – Community Science Month is coming

03/23 Blog – Annual Report on Washington Beaches

03/16 Blog – Restoring Kodama Farm

03/15 News – Ecology proposes 2-year freeze on water quality permit fees

03/11 Blog – Tackling Toxics: How partnerships produced success at Founder’s Choice

03/10 Blog – Keep up with what’s up in the air with new app

03/09 Blog – $500,000 to help beat back the recycling crisis

03/08 Blog – Help us make food packaging safer in Washington

03/08 News – Public input sought on environmental review for new Duwamish–Green river watershed plan

03/04 Blog – Boots on the ground: AmeriCorps members support Skookumchuck River restoration

03/02 Blog – A framework for greenhouse gas assessment

03/01 Blog – No Discharge Zone continues to protect Puget Sound

03/01 News – Boeing Everett cleanup advancing to final stages

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February 2021

02/26 Blog – Ecology secures $3.6 million to restore and preserve vital coastal wetlands

02/24 Blog – Secrets of the dead: Using dead-shell assemblages to reconstruct past conditions at the bottom of Puget Sound

02/23 Blog – Making food packaging safer with alternatives to toxic chemicals

02/22 Blog – Preventing a Dust Bowl in Washington

02/19 Blog – Anderson Lake study suggests toxic blooms are a recent development

02/18 Blog – Invasive Species

02/16 Blog – Comment on cruise ship agreement amendments

02/11 News – Olympia Brewery owner billed for State expenses for spill into Capitol Lake

02/10 Blog – Don’t go breaking my heart, crab!

02/09 News – Wallula paper mill fined $28,500 for air pollution

02/05 Blog – How an oil spill can lead to salmon habitat

02/04 Blog – Better living through Green Chemistry

02/04 News – Summary of environmental penalties issued for 4th quarter of 2020

02/03 News – Sewage treatment violations lead to order and fine for King County

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January 2021

01/28 News – Ecology adopts three updated watershed plans

01/26 Blog – Draft permit outlines path to a healthier Puget Sound

01/24 Blog – Fecal Matters: Saltwater State Park is open for water recreation, King County

01/19 Blog – Behind the decision

01/19 News – Ecology denies permit for Kalama methanol facility

01/19 Blog – Fecal Matters: Discovery Park is open for water contact recreation, King County

01/19 News – Stage 1 burn ban called for Omak area

01/18 Blog – Fecal Matters: Richmond Beach, Golden Gardens, and Carkeek Park are open for water contact recreation, King County

01/14 Blog – Turning the corner

01/14 Blog – Fecal Matters: No-contact advisory issued for Sinclair Inlet, Dyes Inlet, Port Washington Narrows, and Portions of Bainbridge Island and North Kitsap Shoreline, Kitsap County

01/14 News – State emissions rise in new greenhouse gas data

01/13 News – Ecology launches environmental review of proposed pumped storage energy project near Goldendale

01/13 Blog – $282 million proposed for clean water projects across the state

01/13 Blog – Fecal Matters: A No-contact advisory for Discovery Park, Carkeek Park, Golden Gardens, and Richmond Beach Saltwater Park, King County

01/13 Blog – Got New Year’s resolutions? The two-tentacled hydroid proves that change is possible

01/12 Blog – Zelma Maine Jackson — a quarter-century of keeping tabs on Hanford

01/07 Blog – Jan 14 workshop to focus on community-led resilience for Washington's Pacific coast

01/06 Blog – Fecal Matters: A No-Contact Advisory for Port Ludlow Bay, Jefferson County

01/06 News – Ecology revises Puget Sound net pen permits for steelhead

01/05 Blog – Fecal Matters: No-contact advisory issued for Sinclair Inlet and Eagle Harbor, Kitsap County

01/04 Blog – Fecal Matters: A No-contact advisory for Saltwater State Park, King County

01/04 News – Olympia pays $15,000 fine for sewage spill into Percival Creek

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