Laws, rules, & rulemaking

We have authority delegated through federal and state law to implement and enforce various environmental laws and rules. We accomplish this through our open and public rulemaking process, and by ensuring compliance with those laws and rules.


Rulemaking at Ecology

We a­re committed to transparency and public involvement throughout the rulemaking process.

Use the tabs below to see the different types of laws, rules, and rulemaking.

Read our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about Ecology's rulemaking process.

We invite you to participate in our rulemaking process. Rule chapters listed below indicate our intentions for rulemaking on that chapter. These links will take you to the rulemaking web page which contains information including documents, timelines, and contact information.

You will see rules in various stages of the rulemaking process.

  • Rulemaking that has been officially filed with the Washington State Legislature's Code Reviser's Office (filed a CR-101 form), known as "open rulemaking."
  • Ecology programs that are undergoing an exploratory process for rulemaking, known as "exploratory rulemaking."

See our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about the rulemaking process.

Open rulemaking

Air & Climate

Water & Shorelines

Waste & Toxics

Spills & Cleanup

Administrative

Grants & Loans

  • None at this time.

Exploratory rulemaking

The list of closed rulemaking below are organized by topic. These links will take you to rule-specific information including documents, timelines, and contact information. Closed rulemaking web pages are typically kept for reference for two years after the adoption date.

Air & Climate

Date adopted Rulemaking page Rule name
2/21/24 Chapter 173-446 WAC Climate Commitment Act Program Rule (Allowance Price Containment Reserve)
11/30/23

Chapter 173-443 WAC
 

Chapter 173-455 WAC

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and Other Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases 

Air Quality Fee Rule

7/18/23 Chapter 173-442 WAC Clean Air Rule (repeal)
3/3/23 Chapter 173-455 WAC Air Quality Fee Rule
12/19/22 Chapter 173-423 WAC and
Chapter 173-400 WAC
Clean Vehicles Program and General Regulations for Air Pollution Sources
11/28/22 Chapter 173-424 WAC and
Chapter 173-455 WAC
Clean Fuels Program Rule and Air Quality Fee Rule
9/29/22 Chapter 173-446 WAC Climate Commitment Act Program
6/1/22 Chapter 173-446A WAC Criteria for Emissions-Intensive, Trade-Exposed Industries
2/9/22 Chapter 173-441 WAC Reporting of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases
11/29/21 Chapter 173-423 WAC and
Chapter WAC 173-400-025
Low Emission Vehicles and Adoption of federal rules in General Regulations for Air Pollution Sources
8/19/21
Withdrawn
Chapter 173-491 WAC,
Chapter 173-400 WAC and
Chapter173-455 WAC
Emission Standards and Controls for Sources Emitting Gasoline Gas Vapors
6/2/21
Repealed
Chapter 173-422 and
Chapter 173-422A WAC
Motor Vehicle Emission Inspection
1/6/21 Chapter 173-444 WAC Clean Energy Transformation Rule
12/10/20 Chapter 173-443 WAC Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
9/15/16 Chapter 173-442 WAC and
Chapter 173-441 WAC
Clean Air Rule and
Reporting of Emissions of Greenhouse Gases

Water & Shorelines

Date adopted Rulemaking page Rule name
7/24/23 Chapter 173-167 WAC Emergency Drought Funding
6/29/23 Chapter 173-224 WAC Water Quality Permit Fees
3/22/22 Chapter 173-201A WAC Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of the State of Washington (salmon spawning habitat)
9/17/21 Chapter 173-201A WAC Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of the State of Washington (Chelan Use Attainability Analysis)
7/28/21 Chapter 173-167 WAC Emergency Drought Funding
5/27/20 Chapter 173-501 WAC Instream Resources Protection Program - Nooksack Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 1
12/30/19 Chapter 173-201A WAC Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of the State of Washington (revisions)
4/9/18 Chapter 173-228 WAC Vessel Sewage No Discharge Zones
8/1/16 Chapter 173-201A WAC

Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of The State of Washington

​Waste & Toxics

Date adopted Rulemaking page Rule name
10/31/23 Chapter 173-925 WAC Post-Consumer Recycled Content in Plastic Containers
10/24/23 Chapter 173-360A WAC Underground Storage Tank (UST) Regulations
8/23/23 Chapter 173-340 WAC Model Toxics Control Act - Cleanup
5/31/23 Chapter 173-337 WAC Safer Products Restriction and Reporting
9/30/20 Chapter 173-303 WAC

Dangerous Waste Regulations

Spills & Cleanup

Date adopted Rulemaking page Rule name
6/6/23 Chapter 173-180 WAC and
Chapter 173-184 WAC
Facility Oil Handling Standards and Vessel Oil Transfer Advance Notice and Containment Requirements
2/2/21 Chapter 173-185 WAC Oil Movement by Rail and Pipeline Notification

Grants & Loans

  • None

Administrative​

Date adopted Rulemaking page Rule name
9/1/23 Chapter 173-50 WAC Accreditation of Environmental Laboratories

6/25/21
Repealed

Chapter 173-04 WAC Practice and Procedures

State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)

Date adopted Rulemaking page Rule name

12/20/22

Chapter 197-11 WAC SEPA Rules

 

The list of rules below are categorized by topical areas. These links will take you to the existing rule language on the Washington State Legislature's Code Reviser's web page.

Air & Climate

Water & Shorelines

Waste & Toxics

Spills & Cleanup

Grants & Loans

Administrative

Noise

State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)

​The Office of the Code Reviser publishes and maintains the list of Washington's laws — the Revised Code of Washington (RCW). To see a complete list of laws, please visit their website.
  • If you want to search all laws (RCWs) and rules, known formally as the Washington Administrative Code (WAC), you can use the search tool on their site.