Current permits and actions

In June of 2022, we reissued the General Permit for Biosolids Management. It became effective July 15, 2022, and we received an appeal shortly after from Ed Kenney and the Nisqually Delta Association. The General Permit remained in effect while Ecology worked through the appeal process in the following years. On Jan. 29, 2024, we learned the Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB) ruled for the appellant. This decision voided the current general permit issued in 2022.

The PCHB concluded our initial Determination of Nonsignificance issued for the General Permit did not comply with SEPA. The Board requests we include “an explicit and full disclosure and review of information on the environmental impacts of PFAS, PBDEs, and microplastics in biosolids,” in the SEPA Checklist and resulting determination.

After resolving issues outlined by the PCHB ruling, we reissued the SEPA Checklist and DNS on the general permit. We received 54 comments and provided responses in the Response to Comments on the SEPA DNS for the General Permit. 

After reviewing all comments received on the SEPA DNS, we retained the DNS and made the determination to issue the final general permit for biosolids management to replace the expired one. The permit was issued Jan. 2, 2025 and went into effect Feb. 1, 2025.