Washington Department of Ecology

Wildfire evacuations happening now in Yakima County. Keep an eye on the air quality map and the smoke blog for more information about air quality conditions statewide ➡️ wasmoke.blogspot.com/

Level 3 "GO NOW" Evacuation Notice. A wildfire is threatening your safety, if you are within the evacuation zone of the Black Canyon Fire. Get your family and pets in your vehicles and leave now!

Evacuation Area:
North side of North Wenas Rd from Wenas Lake to Boyde Rd
North side of Boyd Rd east to Sheep Company Rd.
West side of Sheep Company Rd, North to the Horse Trailer Parking area on Old Durr Rd
West boundary: Wenas Lake north to the LT Murray Ridge
Northern Boundary: LT Murray Ridge

Beach advisory update! 📢

Mason County Public Health issued no-contact advisories for the beaches at Twanoh and Belfair State Parks due to high bacteria results during routine sampling.
Please avoid contact with the water in this area.

Stay up to date on beach closures and learn more tips to stay safe here: ecology.wa.gov/beach

Attention, campers and hikers! USFS has banned ALL campfires in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest starting tomorrow, July 20. Conditions are hot, dry, and perfect for new fire starts. Please be careful if visiting this weekend – see the post below for more information.

We want access to energy efficient lighting to be as easy as changing a lightbulb! Do stores near you carry these products? Watt are you waiting for? Shed some light on your experience and take our survey by July 22: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/58LQTKJ

Let’s face it, we’re all a little sensitive these days.
When it comes to adequately measuring the health of streams and ecosystems, these sensitivities are a huge strength!

During the summer months, our Watershed Health Monitoring team checks in on the streams, lakes, and rivers across the state, looking for indicators to measure the health of the waterbodies.
One of the things they look for are bugs, specifically mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies!

These bugs are small and super sensitive, and they will absolutely leave the stream (and leave you on read) if the conditions aren’t right. (Good for them!) The presence and condition of these bugs can give a lot of information about how the water is doing and help shape environmental planning.

Learn more about these fascinating little creepy crawlies here: https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/july-2024/high-quality-insects

Beach advisory update! 📢

⚠️ issued a no-contact advisory for Cline Spit beach
⚠️ issued a no-contact advisory for Jack Hyde beach

These advisories are due to high bacteria results during routine sampling. Please avoid contact with the water in this area.
Stay up to date about the status of your local beach and learn tips to minimize exposure to illness here: ecology.wa.gov/beach

We want to know your thoughts on our mercury light recycling program, LightRecycle WA! Is it easy and convenient for you? Can it be improved? Don’t leave us in the dark!
Enlighten us by taking our survey by July 22: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LightRecycle2024

Beach advisory update! 📢

✅ Public Health - Seattle & King County lifted the beach closure for Cormorant Cove beach in King County, and the beach is now open for water-contact recreation.

Stay up to date on beach statuses and learn tips to minimize exposure to illness here: ecology.wa.gov/beach

Back to school never looked safer! We are offering $20M in grants to electrify Washington’s school buses. Funded by the Climate Commitment Act, these grants protect children and communities from dangerous diesel emissions.

Learn more and apply here: https://ecology.wa.gov/air-climate/air-quality/vehicle-emissions/electric-school-buses

You reap what you sow, and we’re proud of this harvest!
In partnership with Spokane Conservation District, Pacific Northwest Direct Seed Association, and landowners in Eastern Washington, we work to support clean water and sustainable agriculture.

We're excited to announce that The Direct Seed Loan Implementation Program & Washington’s Farmed Smart Certification that focus on healthy water and supporting farms and were awarded a PISCES award with an Exceptional Project designation from EPA Water.

Thank you and congratulations to our partners for their ongoing commitment to supporting both healthy water and farms.

Get your feet wet and learn more about these award-winning programs here: https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/july-2024/ecology-funded-program-that-supports-farmers-and-clean-water-earns-national-award

California and Québec recently expressed their interest in exploring the formation of a shared carbon market, a.k.a. “linkage.” Before we can reach a linkage agreement, we have to make sure we’re on the same page with our potential partners.
We’ve been ironing out the details through our rulemaking process!
Learn more about linkage, our progress, and ways to get involved here:

Linkage update: Laying the groundwork for connecting carbon markets The soonest we can reasonably expect to have a linkage agreement is late 2025. It could happen later than that, but we’re doing everything necessary on our end to lay the groundwork.

This news charges us up!

We are issuing $2 million in “Charge Where You Are” grants to fund level 2 electric vehicle charging projects for public and private sites. We encourage companies, organizations, and governments to apply now! Applications are open now through August 29.

Learn more about the “Charge Where You Are” grant guidelines and apply here: https://ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Payments-contracts-grants/Grants-loans/Find-a-grant-or-loan/Volkswagen-enforcement-action-grants

Our humor might be dry, but the state is drier. ☹

All jokes aside, the cooler temperatures in May and atmospheric river we saw in early June did not have much of an effect. Conditions are still dry across the state. Much of the state’s snowpack has already melted, and streamflows in rivers have been dropping as a result.

We declared drought for most of the state on April 16. This was to allow for planning and allocation of resources to mitigate problems in the hotter seasons. As we roll into the warmer months, we are continuing to accept Drought Response Grant applications to make the best use of relief options.

Learn more about the recent drought report here:

Washington Water Supply Update An atmospheric river in early June raised the hopes of relief to dry conditions across the state. Unfortunately, it didn't make much of a difference.

Smoke from the Pioneer Fire will increase in the Lake Chelan area over the coming days.
There's a Red Flag Warning through Tuesday night across portions of the Cascades and a Fire Weather Watch Wednesday across North Central Washington.

Learn more: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/2024/07/critical-fire-weather-this-week.html

Are you interested in helping lead a team of statewide pollution prevention staff? Our team helps businesses prevent pollution and transition to products that are safer for the environment. We need an organized, passionate leader to help create and organize our pollution prevention projects and grants.

Apply here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4555014/toxics-reduction-senior-planner-environmental-planner-4?department%5b0%5d=Dept.%20of%20Ecology&sort=PostingDate%7CDescending&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs

Please apply on or before July 9, 2024.

Our air quality monitoring team recently installed a new site at Fairmount Elementary School in Mukilteo, expanding monitoring in the Everett area. 🙌

Data from the new particulate air monitor is now live! Visit enviwa.ecology.wa.gov to view more air quality information from this site (“Everett – Beverly Park Rd”) and others across the state.

We appreciate the collaboration of Mukilteo School District, who made this new monitoring site possible!

Our favorite form of self-care? Participating in webinars to get educated on product safety and rulemakings. 💅
Join us Tuesday, July 23, 9-11 a.m. for a virtual webinar about the Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act (TFCA). We’ll discuss rulemaking to restrict formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products, present the preliminary draft rule, answer questions, and ask for your feedback!

Get involved and register here:
https://ecology.wa.gov/events/hwtr/tfca/cosmetics-rulemaking-webinar

Swipe to see the amazing glow up!
North Cove beach was a real beach, if you know what we’re saying. 😉
Once the fastest eroding beach on the US West Coast and nicknamed “washaway beach,” the ocean waves caused extensive damage to bluffs, homes, and properties on the shoreline.

The good news? North Cove beach presented a great opportunity to partner with the local community to find innovative solutions.
This work started by analyzing beaches that were dynamically stable and applying that knowledge to try and foster restoration. The local community placed cobbles, gravel, and pebbles to build berms on the backshore of the beach to absorb and dissipate wave energy. They also placed woody materials and new vegetation that helped retain sand, helping protective dunes to form.
With continued maintenance, this work will provide long-term coastal resilience to climate change and sea level rise.

Learn more here: https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/june-2024/north-cove-turns-the-tide

I’d like my products without toxic chemicals, please! 🙅

Join our Safer Products for Washington team July 11 at 9:30 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. for virtual webinars to learn about the latest products with chemicals we might regulate to protect human and environmental health.

Learn more and register here: ecology.wa.gov/safer-products-wa

Beach advisory update! 📢

⛔️ Seattle Public Utilities issued a closure at Cormorant Cove beach. The closure is due to an ongoing sewage spill from a nearby condominium building. Please avoid contact with the water in the affected area until further notice.

✅ Whatcom County Health and Community Services revised the swimming advisory for the southern end of Boulevard Park, near Taylor Dock in Whatcom County, opening the beach and dock for water-contact recreation.

⚠️ The outfall near Bennett Avenue in Whatcom County still has high levels of f***l bacteria above the safe limit. Avoiding the beach area near the outfall is advised.

Stay up to date about the status of your local beach and learn tips to minimize exposure to illness here: www.ecology.wa.gov/beach

Beach advisory update! 📢

✅ On June 20, 2024, Public Health - Seattle & King County lifted the swimming advisory for Golden Gardens beach in King County.

Stay up to date about the status of your local beach and learn tips to minimize exposure to illness here: ecology.wa.gov/beach

We'd love your input on a proposal for two habitat restoration projects to protect and restore critical habitat in Port Gamble Bay on the Kitsap Peninsula.

Learn more here:

Proposed settlement reached to restore habitats in Port Gamble Bay The proposed settlement, now available for public comment, would require building two habitat restoration projects worth nearly $10 million.

Suns out, boats out. 😎🚤 Before towing your boat down to the water this summer, secure the items inside to prevent litter and keep fellow drivers safe from possible collisions.

For smooth sailing, remove all loose garbage, and properly store life vests, water floaties, and other lightweight items. A cover or straps also helps ensure nothing flies out.

Learn more: SecureLoadsWA.org

Are you interested in working with communities and businesses to reduce pollution and toxic chemicals?
We’re looking for three passionate individuals to join our Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction program.
Submit your application by June 25 to be considered for the first round of reviews.

Learn more and apply here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4539479/pollution-prevention-and-hazardous-waste-specialists-es-4in-training3-positi?department[0]=Dept.%20of%20Ecology&sort=PostingDate%7CDescending&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs

Wildfires have begun in Central Washington.
The is burning on the north shore of Lake Chelan, with moderate air quality impacts at times unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Learn more and track smoke here: https://wasmoke.blogspot.com/2024/06/active-wildfires-in-central-wa.html

Here's everything you need to know about the burn bans we call to protect your health when the air turns nasty: https://ecology.wa.gov/blog/december-2023/hold-that-smoke-why-we-call-burn-bans

The Circular Accelerator application is officially OPEN. 📝 Apply before the Jan. 26, 2024 deadline: nextcyclewashington.com/apply

💻 Have questions before you apply? Register for the virtual Application Launch Party on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 12:30 p.m. PST to connect with program facilitators and learn more about NextCycle Washington: recycle.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZclceCtrjMsHtapYuGau0centzbiciUyOcT #/registration

If you cannot make the Launch Party, another Application Party will be held on Jan. 8. Office hours are available throughout the application period as well: nextcyclewashington.com/office-hours