Dangerous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities must have a dangerous waste permit. Many facilities are no longer in operation, but their owners are still required to investigate and clean up any waste released into the environment.
Either Ecology or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency oversee these cleanups. Most sites are large and complex, with multiple sources of contamination in soil and groundwater. It may take decades to complete a cleanup because of the technical and legal complexity. Learn more about the cleanups happening at these sites: