Common cleanup situations for homeowners and small businesses
If you own a home or small business, you might encounter common situations that could require cleanup. One example is an uncontrolled spill of hazardous substances, like oil, transmission fluid, or pesticides. Other examples could include illegal drug labs, leaking underground storage tanks, or failed home heating oil tanks. You might also find your home or business is located within a large contaminated geographical area called an "area-wide contamination zone." This page outlines what to do if you encounter these situations.
Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
You must report releases of hazardous substances from Underground Storage Tanks within 24 hours of discovery. See Report an Environmental Problem for more instructions and find out more details at:
- Suspected releases WAC 173-360-360
- Confirmed releases WAC 173-360-372
- Spills and overfills WAC 173-360-375
Home heating oil tanks
Ecology does not regulate home heating oil tanks. Please contact the Pollution Liability Insurance Agency for assistance.
Area-wide contamination zones
In some parts of Washington, contamination was distributed over large areas of land. Former ASARCO smelter smokestacks deposited lead and arsenic in soils over several counties around the Everett Smelter and Tacoma Smelter. In eastern Washington, some former orchard lands have contamination from past use of lead arsenate pesticides.
Find out if your home or business is located in an area-wide contamination zone: