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Facility/Site interaction types

Facility/Site interaction types show why Ecology works with facilities or sites. Our environmental programs each have several interaction types. For example, a gas station with leaking underground storage tanks performs a voluntary cleanup with our Toxics Cleanup Program. The interaction type code is "VOLCLNST." Sites have one or more interaction type.

Below are interaction type codes, names, and descriptions for each Ecology program.

All Programs
Air Quality (AIRQUAL)
Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction (HAZWASTE)
Shorelands and Environmental Assistance (SEA)
Solid Waste Management (SOLIDWASTE)
Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (SPILLS)
Toxics Cleanup (TOXICS)
Water Quality (WATQUAL)
Water Resources (WATRES)

All Programs

Interaction Type Code Interaction Type Name Interaction Type Description
ENFORFNL Enforcement Final An Enforcement action (i.e., penalty, order, notice) was finalized and issued to the respective party, indicating the enforcement action was taken. The start and end date listed in the database are both the date the action was issued to the responsible party.
NONENFNL Non-Enforcement Final A Non-Enforcement action (i.e., permit, notice of construction, etc.) was finalized, issued to the respective party, indicating the non-enforcement action was taken.

Air Quality (AIRQUAL)

Interaction Type Code Interaction Type Name Interaction Type Description
AQARS Air Qual Annual Reg Source Small sources NOT governed by state or federal operating permit programs because actual or potential emissions fall below program thresholds. See Chapter 173-400 WAC.
AQGSR Air Qual Gas Sta Reg Gas stations and gasoline storage facilities. See Chapter 173-491 WAC.
AQLA Air Qual Local Authority Reg Small sources governed only by local air authorities.
AQOPS Air Qual Oper Permit Source Sources with actual or potential emissions greater than 100 tons of (or 10 tons of any one hazardous air pollutant or 25 tons per year of a combination of hazardous pollutants) fugitive air emissions per year. These are generally large industrial facilities governed by the federal and state operating permit program. See Chapter 173-401 WAC.
AQPR Air Qual Periodic Reg Small sources governed by state or federal operating permit programs, requiring periodic registration. See WAC 173-400-102.
AQPS Air Qual Permit Source Facilities that as part of their process will emit air pollutants and are seeking construction permits for either a new source or changes to their existing facility. See WAC 173-400-110 or -114.
AQPSD Air Qual PSD Source All facilities that emit more than 250 tons per year of air pollutants, or 100 tons per year if the pollutants are within 28 listed categories.
AQSYNMNR Air Qual Synth Minor Source Facilities that would be regulated under the operating permit program but have opted to keep their emission limits lower than the threshold for the program Their enforceable emission limits keep them out of the operating permit program. See WAC 173-400-030-77 and 091.

Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction (HAZWASTE)

Interaction Type Code Interaction Type Name Interaction Type Description
TIER2 Emergency/Haz Chem Rpt TIER2 Businesses that store 10,000 pounds or more of a hazardous chemical or 500 pounds or less, depending on the chemical, of an extremely hazardous chemical on site at any one time must report annually. Reports are sent to the State Emergency Response Commission (represented by Ecology) Local Emergency Planning Committees, and local fire departments for emergency planning. (product, not waste)
TRI Toxics Release Inventory Facilities in specific industries that manufacture, process or use more than the threshold amount of one or more of 600 listed toxic chemicals. Most threshold amounts are 10,000 or 25,000 pounds per year. Some chemicals have much lower thresholds.
HWP Hazardous Waste Planner Under Chapter 173-307 WAC, facilities that report under Section 313 of the Emergency Planning/Community Right-To-Know Act (EPCRA), or that generate more than 2,640 pounds of hazardous waste per year, must prepare Pollution Prevention Plans.
LSC Local Source Control The site has received a technical assistance visit from a Local Source Control Specialist.
UW Urban Waters The site has been inspected by an Ecology Urban Waters Inspector.
RSVP Revised Site Visit Program HWTR engages in a variety of field work, site visits, and contacts with sites. While most compliance related activity is recorded into the EPA's RCRAInfo system, the other types of activities are recorded into the Revised Site Visit Program (RSVP).
HWG Hazardous Waste Generator Facilities that generate any quantity of a dangerous waste. They may be classified as SQG, MQG, or LQG depending on hazardous waste generated for a given month.
HWOTHER Haz Waste Management Activity Facilities that are required to have an EPA/State ID number but who do not generate and/or manage hazardous waste (XQG generator status). This includes transporters, used oil recyclers, and dangerous waste fuel marketers and burners.
HWTRNSFR Haz Waste Transfer Facility A site owned, leased or operated by a transporter of regulated hazardous waste shipments where any of the following occurs: 1) receives wastes from another transporter, 2) transfers wastes from one transport vehicle to another, 3) transfers waste from one container to another, and 4) stores waste within a vehicle or on property for 10 days or less. Examples include a parking lot, warehouse, truck terminal, barge or steamship loading/unloading facility, or railroad spur loading/unloading facility.
HWTSDF Haz Treatment Storage Facility Treats, stores, or disposes of hazardous waste.

Shorelands and Environmental Assistance (SEA)

Interaction Type Code Interaction Type Name Interaction Type Description
SEAPROJ SEA Project Site A SEA Project Site is a location where a proposed activity has triggered an Ecology action, on or after January 1, 2004, based on its authority from Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, and/or the State Water Pollution Control Act (90.48 RCW). The activity may be pending or Ecology has taken some action (denied or approved a permit, conducted an enforcement action, etc.). Examples of projects include: commercial, residential, or industrial developments involving fill of wetlands; dredging and other in-water activities; bridge crossings; etc.
SEAMIT SEA Mitigation Site A SEA Mitigation Site is in most cases associated with a SEA Project Site. It is a compensatory mitigation site required as permit conditions for activities occurring at the SEA Project Site. Compensatory mitigation sites are required for impacts to the state’s water bodies, including wetlands. Compensatory mitigation generally involves restoration, creation, enhancement, or preservation of aquatic resources and their buffers. Compensatory mitigation sites are typically protected for the long term with a site protection mechanism such as a deed restriction, conservation covenant, or conservation easement.
SEAPROJOLD SEA OLD Project Site A SEA OLD Project Site is a location where a proposed activity has triggered an Ecology action, prior to January 1, 2004, based on its authority from Section 401 of the Clean Water Act,  Coastal Zone Management Act, and/or the State Water Pollution Control Act (90.48 RCW). The activity may be pending or Ecology has taken some action (denied or approved a permit, conducted an enforcement action, etc.). Examples of projects include: commercial, residential, or industrial developments involving fill of wetlands; dredging and other in-water activities; bridge crossings; etc.
SEAMITOLD SEA OLD Mitigation Site A SEA OLD Mitigation Site is in most cases associated with a SEA OLD Project site. It is a compensatory mitigation site required as permit conditions for activities occurring at the SEA OLD Project site. Compensatory mitigation sites are required for impacts to the state’s water bodies, including wetlands. Compensatory mitigation generally involves restoration, creation, enhancement, or preservation of aquatic resources and their buffers. Compensatory mitigation sites are typically protected for the long term with a site protection mechanism such as a deed restriction, conservation covenant, or conservation easement.

Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (SPILLS)

Interaction Type Code Interaction Type Name Interaction Type Description
CLASS1 Class 1 Facility Applies to large, fixed shore-side facilities such as refineries, refueling terminals, and oil pipelines. This definition includes facilities that transfer to tank vessels and pipelines. Full definition can be found in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-180-020.
CLASS2 Class 2 Facility Applies to mobile equipment such as tank trucks, railcars, and portable tanks that transfer to any non-recreational vessel of any size. Full definition can be found in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-180-020.
CLASS3 Class 3 Facility Applies to small tank farms and terminals that transfer oil to non-recreational vessels that have a fuel capacity of 10,500 gallons or more. Full definition can be found in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-180-020.
CLASS4 Class 4 Facility Applies to marinas and other small fueling facilities that transfer oil to non-recreation vessels that have a fuel capacity of less than 10,500 gallons. Full definition can be found in Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-180-020.
CPLAN Oil Facility Contingency Plan Oil handling facilities that are required to file oil spill contingency plans. An oil handling facility can be classified as a structure, equipment, pipeline, or device located on or near navigable waters of the state that transfers oil in bulk to or from a tank vessel or pipeline and is used for producing, storing, handling, transferring, processing, or transporting oil in bulk.
NERTS Reported in NERTS A facility that was reported in the Environmental Reports Tracking System.

Toxics Cleanup (TOXICS)

Interaction Type Code Interaction Type Name Interaction Type Description
FCS Federal (Superfund) Cleanup St A federal cleanup site listed in CERCLIS where Ecology has been or is currently involved with the cleanup process or has knowledge of the site from another process.
FUDS Formerly Used Defense Site The Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for cleaning up properties that were formerly owned, leased possessed, or operated by DoD. Such properties are known as Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS). The Army is the executive agent for the program and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the organization that manages and executes the program. Information about the origin and extent of contamination, land transfer issues, past and present property ownership, and program policies must be evaluated before DoD considers a property eligible for Defense Environment Restoration Account (DERA) funding under the FUDS program.
INDPNDNT Independent Cleanup Any remedial action without department oversight or approval and not under an order or decree.
IRAP Independent Remedial Action Program Ecology staff reviewed IRAP reports and provide written determination indicating whether the cleanup meets Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) standards.
LUST LUST Facility A leaking underground tank cleanup site being cleaned up with Ecology oversight or review.
SCS State Cleanup Site A site is being cleaned up under state regulations. Regulations include Model Toxics Control Act or its predecessors.
SEDIMENT Sediments A sediment site is a location of interest at which sediment chemical and/or biological data has been obtained and evaluated for potential impacts to human health or the environment. Sediment sites may exist beneath or be associated with freshwater, marine and estuarine bodies of water. Sediment sites may or may not be linked to a known land-based facility.
VOLCLNST Voluntary Cleanup Sites For a fee, Ecology staff will review an independent cleanup report(s) and provide a written decision about the adequacy of the cleanup actions taken and described in the report.
SCI Source Control Inspection Source Control Inspection conducted by Ecology or other agency for TCP Cleanup Sites.
UST Underground Storage Tank Any one or combination of tanks (including connecting underground pipes) that is used to contain regulated substances and has a tank volume of ten percent or more beneath the surface of the ground. This term does not include any of the exempt UST systems specified in WAC 173-360-110(2) or any piping connected thereto. See WAC 173-360

Solid Waste Management (SOLIDWASTE)

Interaction Type Code Interaction Type Name Interaction Type Description
INDUSTRL Industrial Sites The Industrial Section focuses on three major industries of Washington: aluminum smelters, oil refineries, and pulp and paper mills. The section's staff is trained to handle the complexities of these industries and is responsible for environmental permitting, site inspections, and compliance issues. They regulate air, water, hazardous waste, and cleanup management activities at pulp and paper mills and aluminum smelters. They also regulate water, hazardous waste, and cleanup management activities at state oil refineries.
BIOSOLIDS BIOSOLIDS Biosolids
COMPOST Composting Compost facilities turn organic wastes into compost under controlled conditions without attracting pests or creating human or environmental health problems.
LANDAPP Land Application An area of land, under the same ownership or operator, where solid waste that has beneficial use for its agronomic or soil-amending properties is applied under controlled amounts and conditions.
LANDFILL Landfill A disposal facility or part of a facility at which solid waste is placed in or on land and which is not a land treatment facility.
MRW Moderate Risk Waste A solid waste handling facility that is used to collect, treat, recycle, exchange, store, consolidate and/or transfer moderate risk waste (MRW). MRW is limited to conditionally exempt small quantity generator (CESQG) waste and household hazardous waste (HHW).
RECOVERY Energy Recovery Energy recovery facilities that recover energy in a useable form from the burning (incineration) of solid waste. These include energy-recovery facilities that burn municipal solid waste and paper manufacturers who burn wood waste at a rate of more than twelve tons of solid waste per day.
RECYCLE Recycling Recycling facilities are those that transform or remanufacture waste materials into usable or marketable materials for use other than landfill disposal or incineration. Requirements do not include the collection, compacting, repackaging, and sorting for the purpose of transport.
STRHAND Storage & Handling Various types of facilities that handle solid waste on an interim basis. These include piles of solid waste, surface impoundments holding liquids, drop boxes where solid waste is collected for future transportation, areas storing over 800 tires, and transfer stations where solid waste is collected, compacted, sorted and loaded for transport to a recycling facility or final disposal at a landfill or incineration.

Water Quality (WATQUAL)

Interaction Type Code Interaction Type Name Interaction Type Description
WQDAIRY Dairy Any farm licensed to produce milk under Chapter 15.36 RCW. This definition is further restricted to include only those facilities that are producing bovine milk (as opposed to goat milk), and excludes other dairy-related operations such as replacement heifer rearing farms. It should be noted that some dairies have more than one milking parlor and therefore have more than one license.
APALGAEGP AP Aquatic Plant and Algae Management GP General permit to regulate application of herbicides and other products used in lakes to treat plants or algae in order to protect state waters.
APFISHIP AP Fish Management IP Individual permit issued to WA State Fish and Wildlife (WFDW) that regulates the discharge of two fish eradication chemicals (rotenone and antimycin A used to control undesirable fish species) in order to protect waters of the state.
APFISHRMGP AP Fisheries Resource Management GP Fisheries Resource Management Permit issued to WA WDFW Rotenone permit
APINVAQG AP Aquatic Invasive Species Ma General permit issued to regulate the application of chemicals (used to control non-native invasive aquatic animals and non-native invasive marine algae) in order to protect state waters.
APMOSQGP AP Aquatic Mosquito Control GP General permit issued to regulate mosquito control districts and government entities that apply specified control chemicals (used to control mosquitoes and mosquito larvae) in order to protect state waters.
APMOTHIP AP Invasive Moth Control IP Individual permit issued to WA State Dept of Agriculture to regulate insecticides (used to control invasive moths) applied to vegetation within and overhanging surface waters in order to protect state waters.
APNXWEEG AP Aquatic Noxious Weed Manage The general permit covers the indirect discharge of herbicides, adjuvants, and marker dyes into estuaries, marine areas, wetlands, along lake shorelines, rivers, streams, and other wet areas to manage Spartina and freshwater noxious weeds in Washington. An indirect discharge occurs when there may be incidental overspray or dripping of a chemical from the treated plants into waters of the state.
APOYSTERIP AP Oyster Growers IP Individual permit issued to Willapa Bay/Grays Harbor Oyster Growers and to Farm and Forest Helicopter Service Inc. to regulate application of carbaryl (used to control burrowing shrimp) to state waters.
APWEEDGP AP Irrigation System Aquatic Weed Control GP General permit issued to regulate applicators of herbicides to control aquatic weeds in irrigation water conveyance systems
BOATGP Boatyard GP General permit issued to boatyards to regulate discharges of pollutants to state waters from boatyard construction, maintenance and repair activities
BRIDGEWASHGP Bridge Washing GP General permit for bridge washing by WSDOT, counties, cities, etc
CAFOGP CAFO GP General permit issued to regulate operators of concentrated animal feeding operations that discharge to state waters.
CAFOIP Cafo NPDES IP Individual NPDES permit issued to regulate operators of concentrated animal feeding operations that discharge to state waters.
CONSTSWGP Construction SW GP General permit issued to owner/operators of construction projects that disturb one or more acres of land through clearing, grading, excavating, or stockpiling of fill materials that discharge stormwater to state waters.
DAIRY Dairy Unpermitted Unpermitted dairy (Facility Site place holder)
FISHGP Upland Fish Hatchery GP General permit issued to operators of upland fin-fish hatching and rearing operations to regulate discharges to state waters
FISHNETPENS Fish Net Pens In-water structures that raise or hold fish. This separates these facilities from upland hatchery/fish rearing structures. They will all have NPDES permits. Some are in freshwater and some marine, but all will be located in a waterbody, not on land.
FRUITGP Fruit Packer GP General permit issued to fruit packers to regulate discharges of process wastewater and stormwater to state waters.
IND2GROUNDSWDP Industrial to ground SWDP IP Industrial to ground SWDP IP
IND2POTWPRIVSWDP Industrial to POTW/Private SWD Industrial state waste discharge permit for facilities that discharge pretreated wastewater to a public or privately owned treatment works (POTW).
INDNPDESIP Industrial NPDES IP Individual NPDES and state permits issued to industries to regulate discharges of process wastewater to state waters.
INDSWGP Industrial SW GP General permit issued to industries to regulate the discharge of contaminated stormwater to state waters.
MARIJUANA Marijuana Growers This interaction is used for marijuana growers that fill out the checklist Ecology provides when they call and ask whether they will need a permit.
MS4P1GP Municipal SW Phase I GP General permit issued to municipalities with populations greater than 100,000 to regulate stormwater discharges from municipal stormwater collection systems to state waters.
MS4P2EASTGP Municipal SW Phase II Eastern WA GP General permit issued to all operators of regulated small municipal stormwater collection systems to regulate stormwater discharges to state waters in eastern WA.
MS4P2WESTGP Municipal SW Phase II Western WA GP General permit issued to operators of small municipal stormwater collection systems to regulate stormwater discharges to state waters in Western Washington.
MUNI2GROUNDSWDP Municipal to ground SWDP IP Municipal to ground SWDP IP
MUNINPDESIP Municipal NPDES IP Individual NPDES and state permits issued to municipalities and other public entities to regulate discharges of treated domestic wastewater to state waters.
NONPOINT NONPOINT A facility or site that is discharging polluted runoff from urban, agriculture, forestry or other practices and does not have a water quality permit.
RECLAIMSWDP Reclaimed Water IP Individual permit issued to a generator of reclaimed water that regulates the location, the rate, the quality, and the purpose of use of the reclaimed water.
SANDGP Sand and Gravel GP General permit issued to sand and gravel mining operators to regulate the discharge of pollutants to state waters.
VESSELDECONSGP Vessel Deconstruction GP Vessel Deconstruction GP
WATERCOLLECTGP Tributary Wastewater Collection System GP General permit issued to operators of tributary domestic wastewater collection systems not regulated under an individual permit.
WATERTREATGP Water Treatment Plant GP General permit issued to water treatment plants to regulate the discharge of backwash (generated during potable water production) to state waters.
WINEGP Winery GP General permit issued to regulate wineries that discharge process wastewater to state waters.
WSDOTMSWGP WSDOT Municipal SW GP General permit issues to the WA State Department of Transportation to regulate its discharge of stormwater (runoff from state highways, rest areas, park and ride lots, ferry terminals, and maintenance facilities) to state waters.

Water Resources (WATRES)

Interaction Type Code Interaction Type Name Interaction Type Description
DAM Dam Site Under state law, Ecology is responsible for regulating dams that capture and store at least 10 acre-feet of water or watery materials such as mine tailings, sewage and manure waste. Ecology's Dam Safety Office currently oversees about 870 dams across the state through plan reviews and construction inspections of new dams as well as conducting inspections of existing dams to assure proper operation and maintenance.

Related links

Contact information

For more help with the Facility/Site database, contact
Rachael Erickson
IT Specialist
rachael.erickson@ecy.wa.gov