We work in partnership to clean up several sites in the Spokane River basin where former business practices have left toxic contamination. Select the individual sites below to find out more information about each site.
PCB cleanup sites
Metals cleanup sites
We are working with partners to ensure there is enough oxygen in the water for aquatic life. We have many recommended projects in our Spokane River water improvement plan. We will continue to work with Spokane River Forum and our partners to implement the dissolved oxygen projects.
What’s being done?
- Conservation and environmental groups work directly with landowners to reduce runoff from forestry and agriculture practices. Spokane County's Nonpoint Source Phosphorus Reduction Plan recommends many of these actions.
- Avista completed a Dissolved Oxygen Water Quality Attainment Plan that outlines activities that will help improve oxygen in Lake Spokane.
- Spokane adopted an Integrated Clean Water Plan that helps prioritize projects for managing stormwater and wastewater.
- Cities and industries that release wastewater into the river submit annual monitoring reports on the river's water quality.
- The five wastewater facilities will upgrade treatment technology and meet strict phosphorus limitations outlined in the water quality improvement plan by 2021.
Our PCB Source Assessment Study provides the foundation for a strategy that identifies and reduces PCBs at their source in the river basin.
The Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force leads efforts to identify and reduce sources of PCBs to the river. The task force's comprehensive plan resulted from several years of studies that measured the extent of PCB pollution. The plan contains more than 25 projects and practices that, when implemented, will prevent PCBs from reaching the river.
We evaluate the work of the task force to see how well the innovative approach works. If the task force doesn't make measureable progress then we're obligated to take other measures and may pursue a different approach.