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2002 News

December 30, 2002

• Toxic cleanup workload continues to grow

December 25, 2002

• Air advisory lifted for Eastern Washington

December 23, 2002

• Air quality advisory issued for E. Washington
• Public invited to comment on Everett smelter cleanup proposal
• DeVries dairy, Ecology Department settle on water-rights transfer
• Don't roast those chestnuts on a smoky fire!

December 20, 2002

• Gov. Gary Locke Announces Important Agreement on Shoreline Guidelines

December 19, 2002

• Emission Check stations to be closed for holidays

December 17, 2002

• Penalty cancelled for Weyerhaeuser's toxic emission

December 16, 2002

• Gov. Gary Locke Announces Agreement on Hanford Waste Cleanup
• Penalty settlement results in biosolids study
• Belfair mine fined for violating environmental permit
• Grant County man fined $46,000 for using unauthorized water
• Air quality permit hearing set for Jan. 15 in Goldendale

December 11, 2002

• Washington, Bellingham to receive at least $20 million from pipeline settlement
• Wade and Tania Holden receive environmental honor

December 10, 2002

• Air advisory lifted for Eastern Washington

December 9, 2002

• Tanker settlement helps boost stream restoration project

December 5, 2002

• Ecology Department gives another $6 million for Commencement Bay

December 4, 2002

• Air advisory lifted for Western Washington; still in effect east of the Cascades
• Spokane laboratory fined $28,000 for improper disposal
• New treatment plant serves Cowiche, Tieton; connection moratorium lifted

December 3, 2002

• Bremerton fined $10,000 for sewage spill
• Harbor Island oil spills draw $123,500 in penalties
• Draft technical study on Moses Lake pollution to be presented

December 2, 2002

• Public comments sought on Columbia River channel deepening
• Plan to improve Teanaway water temperatures under review

November 25, 2002

• Ecology Department issues air quality advisory

November 21, 2002

• Litter-prevention campaign raises awareness that litter hurts

November 18, 2002

• Ways to clean up Granger Drain under review
• New, improved ag-burn program keeps smoke down

November 14, 2002

• How will Washington implement and pay for watershed plans?

November 13, 2002

• Oil spill nets Chelan PUD $10,000 penalty

November 12, 2002

• Middle Snake watershed begins planning for water future

November 7, 2002

• Dairies honored for preventing pollution

November 6, 2002

• Colville River water cleanup report ready for public review

October 29, 2002

• Ecology Department trims historic backlog of water-right changes
• Walla Walla prison fined for hazardous-waste violations
• Puyallup watershed council given state's top environmental award

October 24, 2002

• Public to review agreement on PCBs in Spokane River

October 23, 2002

• Grays Harbor sawmill settles with state over air permit violation

October 22, 2002

• Ecology Department seeks new way to manage Columbia River water

October 21, 2002

• Railroad fined $20,000 for Seattle oil spill

October 17, 2002

• Ecology Department makes it easier to get water-metering funds
• University fined for spilling diesel into storm drain

October 14, 2002

• Water monitoring sites announced

October 10, 2002

• Ecology Department seeks new data on polluted waters

October 7, 2002

• Goose Creek project lands Wilbur School environmental award
• Good news and bad news in state's recycling numbers

October 3, 2002

• Eastern Washington stormwater runoff addressed locally

October 2, 2002

• Water testing to mark 30th anniversary of Clean Water Act
• Rescue tug starts fifth year of operation
• Dairy fined $22,000 for multiple water-quality violations

October 1, 2002

• State updates cleanup priority for contaminated sites
• Agricultural fires require permits

September 30, 2002

• Weyerhaeuser Cosmopolis mill fined for toxic emission

September 26, 2002

• More metering orders on the way, compliance grants go waiting

September 25, 2002

• Should diquat dibromide be used to control aquatic pests?

September 24, 2002

• Ecology Department gives $145 million to protect water quality

September 18, 2002

• Governor honors facilities that put community and environment first

September 17, 2002

• More information needed on proposed dam removal
• 'Tis the season for yard-waste cleanup

September 12, 2002

• Sampling turns up lead and arsenic on school grounds
• Ecology fines trucking firm $10,000
• Moses Lake to form water quality committee
• State lifts Woodland's sewer-hookup moratorium

September 10, 2002

• Entiat Valley unveils state's first watershed plan
• Wallula meets air quality standards EPA says
• State plan for reducing mercury ready for comment

September 4, 2002

• Rules affecting water conservancy boards to be updated

August 23, 2002

• Little Spokane River residents to turn off the outdoor tap

August 22, 2002

• Whatcom water district fined for pollution
• Funding assistance still available for water-measuring devices
• Lead, arsenic test results sent to Pierce Co. property owners
• Hearings set for proposed 'underground' reservoir rule
• KXLY-TV and Ecology Department take guess work out of field burning

August 21, 2002

• New permit will keep pollution out of industries' stormwater runoff

August 19, 2002

• Franklin County's Jim Cherry receives environmental award

August 15, 2002

• Most dairies helping water quality

August 13, 2002

• Fields Corp. settles state penalty for fuel-oil spill

August 9, 2002

• Ecology Department penalties total $16 million in second quarter of 2002
• Ecology Department ready to approve water for Tri-Cities, but legal hurdles remain

August 7, 2002

• Rule proposed for permitting new 'underground' reservoirs

August 1, 2002

• Government agencies and dairies join forces to rid farms of mercury
• Burning information now at citizens' fingertips

July 30, 2002

• Ecology Department triples its water-right decisions

July 25, 2002

• Public comments sought on rock-crusher environmental report
• Tacoma resident receives state's top environmental award

July 24, 2002

• Scientists to take temperature of Walla Walla rivers and streams

July 23, 2002

• Shipping line fined for negligence in oil spill

July 22, 2002

• Ecology Department fines shipyard $13,000 for water pollution

July 18, 2002

• Washington Conservation Corps to collect donations for Olympia animal shelter
• Pacific Oil Spill Task Force to meet in Tacoma
• B&G Farms fined again for fire in mint slug pile

July 17, 2002

• Sampling will target child-use areas

July 16, 2002

• Ecology Department approves cruise-ship project
• Ecology Department fines $8,000 for manure pollution near Sumas
• Ecology Department ready to issue $146.5 million to help communities improve water quality
• Six-wheeled 'clammer' furthers understanding of coastal erosion
• Composting project earns environmental kudos

July 15, 2002

• New rule for handling solid waste calls for re-use and recycling

July 12, 2002

• Grant money 'recycled' to fund new projects in Western Washington

July 11, 2002

• Ecology Department won't fine IMCO for pipeline rupture

July 10, 2002

• Come to Spokane Valley's new Emission Check station

July 8, 2002

• Drive carefully near summertime litter crews
• Litter crews on the road again

July 2, 2002

• Cleanup agreement proposed for contaminated Hamilton St. site

June 27, 2002

• Ecology Department readies more water-measuring orders and assistance offers
• Ecology Department improves Web site to meet public need
• Ecology Department's Walla Walla field office up and running

June 26, 2002

• Litter crews take to the streets again

June 25, 2002

• Stream-flow grants awarded to 10 watershed planning groups

June 20, 2002

• Battle Ground developer cited for failing to control muddy runoff
• Permit to allow spraying of nuisance weeds ready for use

June 19, 2002

• Spokane River's dissolved-oxygen problem to be discussed
• Handford's 100 Area shoreline about 40 percent clean

June 18, 2002

• Grant money 'recycled' to fund new projects in Central Washington

June 17, 2002

• Ecology Department and town of Harrington reach settlement

June 13, 2002

• Emission Check changes start next month - Vancouver-Portland region
• Emission Check changes start next month - Spokane region
• Emission Check changes start next month - Puget Sound region
• Clark County wastewater-treatment plant recognized for exemplary records
• Clallam County wastewater-treatment plant recognized for exemplary record
• Colville River citizens' advisory group to form

June 11, 2002

• Ecology to honor NOAA

June 10, 2002

• Grant money "recycled" to fund new projects in Eastern Washington
• Asarco must remove high-arsenic soil from Everett site

June 6, 2002

• Kalama, state agreement fast-tracks sewer plant updates
• Todd Pacific Shipyards fined for stormwater violations
• Permit for asphalt plant to be discussed in Moses Lake on June 17

June 5, 2002

• Olympic, Shell fined for Bellingham pipeline explosion

June 4, 2002

• Moses Lake study results delayed until fall

May 31, 2002

• Ecology Department errs in reinstating old Marlin Hutterian fines

May 30, 2002

• Ridgefield fined, former operators' licenses revoked
• Water-quality permit fees increasing July 1

May 29, 2002

• Applicator fined for misapplying sewage sludge
• Mill water to support Peshastin growth

May 28, 2002

• Comment sought on which waterways need cleaning up

May 23, 2002

• Water package approved for Trendwest resort
• 10 teachers win Magic Apple grants

May 21, 2002

• Public invited to set policy for identifying polluted water bodies

May 20, 2002

• Oyster growers given ok to use carbaryl on limited basis

May 16, 2002

• Wastewater treatment plants recognized for exemplary records
• Air quality monitored in 'real time' in Walla Walla
• Air quality monitored in 'real time' in Pullman and Ritzville area
• What to do when it's dusty
• Ecology Dept. grants $3.3 million for Eastern Washington waste programs

May 15, 2002

• Oil company settles state fine for Eatonville spill
• U.S.-Canadian report points to people as the region's prime environmental challenge
• State permit paves the way for early VIT construction

May 14, 2002

• Fine settled for Ridgefield manure spill
• Ecology Department penalties total $293,500 in first quarter of 2002
• Tri-State Steelheaders to receive Ecology's highest award

May 8, 2002

• Anti-litter campaign spreads awareness of tough fines

May 6, 2002

• Ecology proposes Emission Check changes
• Ecology fines Arlington egg processor $109,000

May 2, 2002

• Nuisance weed herbicides subject of May meetings

April 30, 2002

• Cleanup plan at Kaiser Mead to be described
• Actions on water-right changes accelerate

April 25, 2002

• Judge upholds cleanup of pesticide operation

April 23, 2002

• Burning down by 50 percent in three years
• Top environmental award given to citizen for tip about sinking ship
• Maintenance dredging of Columbia mouth permitted, with conditions

April 22, 2002

• New water violation forces Hutterians to pay old fines

April 19, 2002

• Orchard-chipping projects prove successful

April 16, 2002

• Tacoma waste recycler settles fine
• Applicants sought for Governor's awards

April 15, 2002

• Manufacturers step up to the challenge to reduce hazardous waste

April 11, 2002

• Walla Walla water-cleanup plan subject of April 24 meeting
• Teanaway activist to be honored with Environmental Excellence Award

April 9, 2002

• Two aquatic-pesticide permits are ready for use

April 8, 2002

• Burn barrels: a burning health problem (Yakima)
• Burn barrels: a burning health problem (Spokane)
• Asarco ordered to clean up Everett Smelter site

April 4, 2002

• Lab accreditation consolidated under one agency

April 3, 2002

• Centralia coal mine fined for not protecting water quality

April 2, 2002

• Community gathers for groundbreaking of innovative housing development
• Second hearing set for oyster-bed pesticide permits

April 1, 2002

• Ecology Department issues orders to measure water, offers assistance
• Scientists soon to know more about Walla Walla river flow

March 28, 2002

• Supreme Court clarifies water requirements for housing developments
• Industrial stormwater permits to be revised, reissued

March 25, 2002

• Committee formed to figure out how to pay for watershed plans

March 21, 2002

• Achieving cleaner water is subject of Spokane conference

March 19, 2002

• Rule amendment would allow homes to be rebuilt in floodplains
• Program helps both low-income families and Spokane's air quality

March 14, 2002

• Thousands of toxic sites cleaned; more added to list
• Longview firms making progress to control stormwater pollution

March 12, 2002

• Lewis County Central Shop cleanup gets funding boost

March 7, 2002

• Public to comment on fee changes for wastewater discharges

February 28, 2002

• Ecology grants $7 million for local waste programs

February 21, 2002

• Fife seafood company fined for spilling diesel

February 20, 2002

• Feed company fined for dumping untaxed fuel

February 19, 2002

• Alaska Tanker Company fined for Port Angeles spill

February 14, 2002

• Southwest Washington industries fined for causing water pollution
• Mukilteo firm fined $20,000 for water pollution

February 13, 2002

• Hearings planned for aquatic pest control permits
• New permit cuts stormwater pollution from Tacoma wood treater
• Ecology Department seeks comment on new flow-setting guidance

February 8, 2002

• Creating or enhancing wetlands can work, if done right
• Permit assistance center begins work on Moses Lake plant
• Innovative service used to expedite water right for Bear Mountain Resort

February 7, 2002

• EPA, Ecology Department reach agreement to streamline process for air-quality permit

February 6, 2002

• Agencies work together on arsenic and lead contamination

February 5, 2002

• Noveon Kalama, Inc. fined for another chemical spill
• Darigold fined for spilling unpasteurized milk
• Developer ordered to stabilize Hood Canal shoreline

February 4, 2002

• Westport fish processor fined for failing to protect water quality

January 31, 2002

• Ecology Department penalties total $264,000 in fourth quarter of 2001

January 28, 2002

• Alder Mill area residents to receive bottled water

January 23, 2002

• Yelm water re-use project gets state's highest environmental award

January 17, 2002

• Ecology doubles its pace of actions on water-right applications

January 15, 2002

• Slight changes to rules on measuring cloudy, dirty water will be discussed

January 11, 2002

• Update on water quality of Moses Lake slated for Jan. 16

January 10, 2002

• Pierce County gets $1.65 million to test for arsenic contamination

January 9, 2002

• Aquifer, wells, Lewis River threatened by equipment washing
• Millions available to communities to improve water-quality

January 8, 2002

• Public comment sought on wetland mitigation banking

January 7, 2002

• Ecology Youth Corps picks up alarming amount of litter in 2001
• Littering still a popular pastime in Southwest Washington

January 3, 2002

• Money available to help landowners help fish
• Hangman Creek water needs to be discussed