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Tacoma Smelter Plume - Cleanup Planning

Ecology is developing an Interim Action Plan to partially clean up the Tacoma Smelter Plume site.  This plan will be available to the public and open to comment around the end of 2009 or beginning of 2010.  Ecology plans to:

1. Continue with existing strategies that have been successful, such as outreach and education.
2. Begin using traditional cleanup methods to address areas of highest contamination.
3. Gather public input on future cleanup strategies that require more research and planning.

More background on the plan (referred to as the Interim Cleanup Action Plan) is available in the SEPA Early Scoping Notice below.

State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Review

All cleanup projects must have a SEPA review.  This review looks at significant negative environmental impacts of the proposed project, and whether they can be mitigated (lessened).  Ecology held a public comment period February 2 – March 20, 2009 for an early scoping notice.  The purpose was to give SEPA reviewers and other stakeholders a chance to comment on environmental impacts that should be considered during the SEPA process.  Ecology will use these comments to make a draft determination that will go out for public comment with the Interim Cleanup Plan (late 2009 or early 2010).

SEPA documents:

• State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Early Scoping Notice


• SEPA Early Scoping – Public Comments

For more information about the environmental review process, visit Ecology’s SEPA page .