Soil Safety Program

• Service Area Map
• Map with ZIP codes
• Soil Safety Program blog

Childcares and Schools

In 2005, the Legislature passed a law (Ch. 70.140 RCW) to keep children safe from polluted soil. The Soil Safety Program is one result of this law. 

The Soil Safety Program provides:

• Free soil testing at all schools and childcares in the Soil Safety Program Area.


• Free design assistance, labor and materials to put soil safety actions in place - at schools and childcares with arsenic or lead above state standards.


• Educational materials for teachers and childcare providers regarding how to keep children safe from arsenic and lead in soils.

Parks, Camps, and Public Housing

 In December of 2009, the State of Washington received a settlement from Asarco, including $94 million to pay for cleanup of the Tacoma Smelter Plume.  Ecology is using some of the funding to expand the Soil Safety Program to include public park, camp, and public multi-family housing play areas.  For more information, please see Soil Safety Program Frequently Asked Questions – Park, Camps, and Public Housing.

Soil Safety Program resources:

• Soil Safety Program Frequently Asked Questions – Park, Camps, and Public Housing
• Soil Safety Program – Frequently Asked Questions.
• En Espanõl: Pregunta Frecuentes sobre Los Penachos del la Fundición Tacoma.
• In Russian: Вопросы, которые обычно задают про выбросы медеплавильного завода.
• Law Fact Sheet – Frequently Asked Questions.
• Soil Safety Program Design – Revised May 2010.

Reports and Updates

• 2009 Legislative Report  - June 2009
• Soil Safety Program Update - June 2009
• Soil Safety Program Update - August 2007
• Service Area Map
• 2007 Legislative Report

Soil Safety Program Partners

The Soil Safety Program is managed by the Washington State Department of Ecology in partnership with Public Health - Seattle King County, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Thurston County Public Health, Washington State Department of Health, Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, the Department of Early Learning, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Washington Childcare Resource & Referral Network.