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Department of Ecology News Release - February 23, 2007
07-039
OLYMPIA - The state Department of Ecology (Ecology) is adding more than 40 properties in 18 counties to its list of hazardous sites planned for cleanup.
As part of its twice-a-year update of contaminated sites in Washington, Ecology has added 42 newly assessed sites to the cleanup list. The sites range from elementary schools in Yakima County and a mine in Stevens County to an old garbage dump in Skagit County.
Ecology is continuing to build on the state's successful cleanup record and to work with land owners to rid the state of its worst contamination. In Washington, some 10,000 toxic sites have been identified. Nearly 60 percent of the sites have been cleaned up or require no further action; 31 percent are actively being cleaned up or monitored. A little over 1,100 toxic sites are awaiting action.
"Our cleanup actions remove hazardous substances that could harm people and the environment," said Jim Pendowski, director of Ecology's Toxics Cleanup Program. "They also return land to productive use for economic development, recreation, and other purposes."
As an example of such benefits, Pendowski points to Ecology's efforts to help clean up soil with elevated lead and arsenic levels found at schools. Cleanups protect children from exposure to harmful chemicals; Ecology helps to arrange financing so school budgets won't be affected.
Cleanup is required whenever toxic contamination is above limits set in the state's Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), a 1989 citizen initiative that established a broad-based program for cleaning up and preventing toxic contamination.
Because resources are limited, contaminated sites are ranked according to the risks they pose to people and the environment. The properties on Ecology's list of hazardous sites are ranked on a scale of 1 to 5. A rank of 1 represents the highest level of concern.
Ranks do not necessarily reflect the severity of the contamination. They are based on a site's location and the potential paths through which humans and sensitive environments could be exposed to the hazardous substances. For example, a site with a 1 ranking may have less contamination or less-hazardous contaminants than lower-ranked sites, but the risk of exposure is higher and cleanup needs to happen quicker.
MTCA specifies that those responsible for polluting a site must pay for its cleanup. The state pays for cleanup only when a liable person cannot be found or when identified liable parties can't afford to pay for the work.
The hazardous-sites list is updated in February and August each year. Following are the newly added sites for February 2007; ranks are noted in parentheses:
Site assessments determined no further action is required at 17 locations:
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Contact: Seth Preston, Public Information Officer, 360-407-6848
Ecology's Toxics Cleanup Program:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/cleanup.html
Hazardous-sites list for February 2007: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0709041aa.html
Archived lists: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/mtca_gen/hazsites.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
