Long-term State Investments Protect Washington’s Quality of Life

One reason for Washington’s quality of life is that our citizens, our Legislature and our governors have provided sustained funding for long-term investments to protect our air, water, land and human health.

Most of the money that supports our environmental work comes not from general tax dollars but from special-purpose funds. These funds come from user fees, permits, fines, and the sale of state bonds.

Most of Ecology’s revenue comes from voter-initiated taxes on hazardous products and polluters

82% of Ecology’s funding comes from dedicated environmental accounts and federal funding.
18% comes from general state taxes and bonds.

MTCA’s legacy: two decades of cleaning up toxic sites, preventing future ones

The largest single source of funding for protecting our quality of life in Washington is the Hazardous Substance Tax, authorized by Washington voters in 1988 in Initiative 97, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA). This tax is assessed on hazardous materials, including petroleum products, pesticides, and some chemicals.

Voters spell out MTCA spending formula

By law (RCW 70.105D.070), the Hazardous Substance Tax is reserved for cleanup, prevention and management activities, divided 47 percent to state projects and 53 percent to cleanup sites in local communities.

Learn more about Washington’s funding for environmental and quality-of-life projects.