Washington State Department of Ecology

Last updated
Department of Ecology
Washington State Department of Ecology (logo).svg
Agency overview
Formed1970
Headquarters Lacey, Washington
Employeesapprox. 1600
Annual budget$459 million
Agency executive
  • Laura Watson, Director
Website ecology.wa.gov

The Washington State Department of Ecology (sometimes referred to simply as "Ecology") is the state of Washington's environmental regulatory agency. Created in February 1970, it was the first environmental regulation agency in the U.S. predating the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by several months. [1]

Contents

The department administers laws and regulations pertaining to the areas of water quality, water rights and water resources, shoreline management, toxics clean-up, nuclear waste, hazardous waste, and air quality. It also conducts monitoring and scientific assessments.

Duties

The agency has an operating budget of approximately $459 million, a capital budget of approximately $325 million and close to 1600 employees [2] The department's authorizing statute is RCW 43.21A. [3] It is responsible for administering the Shoreline Management Act (RCW 90.58), the Water Code (RCW 90.03), the state Water Pollution Control Act (RCW 90.48), the state Clean Air Act (RCW 70.94), and the Model Toxics Control Act.

Appeals of Ecology's decisions are made to the Environmental Hearings office, which includes the Pollution Control Hearings Board and the Shoreline Hearings Board, as well as several boards that address appeals of decisions by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Natural Resources.

Administration

Leadership

The Director of the Department of Ecology is appointed by the Governor and subject to confirmation by the State Senate. The current director is Laura Watson, who replaced Maia Bellon in 2020. [4]

Headquarters and regional offices

Ecology has its headquarters office in Lacey, Washington, near Olympia and abutting the campus of St. Martin's University. It has four regional offices located in Lacey (Southwest Region), Yakima (Central Region), Bellevue (Northwest Region) and Spokane (Eastern Region).

In addition, it has smaller field offices in Bellingham, Twisp, Richland, [5] Vancouver, Washington and Wenatchee.

Programs

The Ecology Youth Corps is a summer jobs program for teenagers in Washington that is managed by the Department of Ecology. Established in 1975, the program is tasked with cleaning litter on state highways and pays hired teenagers a minimum wage. [6] [7]

The Department of Ecology began a vehicle inspection program in 1982, requiring vehicles registered within the state to be inspected for emissions quality. The program ended on December 31, 2019, following a 14-year phase-out approved by the state legislature in 2005 as air quality in Washington cities had improved to above federal standards. [8] [9] Some emissions testing facilities, including two in Seattle, were repurposed as drive-thru COVID-19 testing sites during the 2020 pandemic. [10]

The ecology department, via its Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) and the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, oversees and funds flood control programs and initiatives, as well as habitat concerns, for the Chehalis River and its watershed. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Environmental Protection Agency</span> U.S. federal government agency

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on December 2, 1970, after Nixon signed an executive order. The order establishing the EPA was ratified by committee hearings in the House and Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stormwater</span> Water that originates during precipitation events and snow/ice melt

Stormwater, also written storm water, is water that originates from precipitation (storm), including heavy rain and meltwater from hail and snow. Stormwater can soak into the soil (infiltrate) and become groundwater, be stored on depressed land surface in ponds and puddles, evaporate back into the atmosphere, or contribute to surface runoff. Most runoff is conveyed directly as surface water to nearby streams, rivers or other large water bodies without treatment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chehalis River (Washington)</span> River in Washington state, United States

The Chehalis River is a river in Washington in the United States. It originates in several forks in southwestern Washington, flows east, then north, then west, in a large curve, before emptying into Grays Harbor, an estuary of the Pacific Ocean. The river is the largest solely contained drainage basin in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Lake</span> Lake in North Carolina, U.S.

B. Everett Jordan Lake is a reservoir in New Hope Valley, west of Cary and south of Durham in Chatham County, North Carolina, in the United States; the northernmost end of the lake extends into southwestern Durham County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental issues in Puget Sound</span>

Puget Sound is a deep inlet of the Pacific Ocean in Washington, extending south from the Strait of Juan de Fuca through Admiralty Inlet. It was explored and named by Captain George Vancouver for his aide, Peter Puget, in 1792.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York State Department of Environmental Conservation</span> New Yorks state-level environmental regulator

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is a department of New York state government. The department guides and regulates the conservation, improvement, and protection of New York's natural resources; manages Forest Preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks, state forest lands, and wildlife management areas; regulates sport fishing, hunting and trapping; and enforces the state's environmental laws and regulations. Its regulations are compiled in Title 6 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. It was founded in 1970, replacing the Conservation Department, and is headed by Basil Seggos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Ecology and Environment</span> Department of the State Council of the Peoples Republic of China

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment is an executive-department of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, responsible for the ecological and environmental affairs. It is the 15th-ranked department in the State Council.

United States vehicle emission standards are set through a combination of legislative mandates enacted by Congress through Clean Air Act (CAA) amendments from 1970 onwards, and executive regulations managed nationally by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and more recently along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). These standard cover common motor vehicle air pollution, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate emissions, and newer versions have incorporated fuel economy standards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Washington</span> Climate change in the US state of Washington

Climate change in the US state of Washington is a subject of study and projection today. The major impacts of climate change in Washington State include increase in carbon dioxide levels, increase in temperatures, earlier annual snow melt, sea level rise, and others.

Title 40 is a part of the United States Code of Federal Regulations. Title 40 arranges mainly environmental regulations that were promulgated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), based on the provisions of United States laws. Parts of the regulation may be updated annually on July 1.

The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 is part of Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law  99–662, a series of acts enacted by Congress of the United States on November 17, 1986.

The Water Resources Development Act of 1996 is part of Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law  104–303 (text)(PDF), was enacted by Congress of the United States on October 12, 1996. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1996 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality</span>

The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the Governor of Oklahoma. It is responsible for protecting human health and for safeguarding the natural environment: air, water, and land. DEQ is chiefly responsible for the environmental policy of Oklahoma. It is governed by a thirteen member Environmental Quality Board appointed by the Governor, which in turn appoints an Executive Director to administer the Department.

The Water Resources Development Act of 1999, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law  106–53 (text)(PDF), was enacted by Congress of the United States on August 17, 1999. Most of the provisions of WRDA 1999 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

The Water Resources Development Act of 2000, Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law  106–541 (text)(PDF), was enacted by Congress of the United States on December 11, 2000. Most of the provisions of WRDA 2000 are administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clean Air Act (United States)</span> 1963 United States federal law to control air pollution

The Clean Air Act (CAA) is the United States' primary federal air quality law, intended to reduce and control air pollution nationwide. Initially enacted in 1963 and amended many times since, it is one of the United States' first and most influential modern environmental laws.

PUD No. 1 of Jefferson County v. Washington Department of Ecology, 511 U.S. 700 (1994), is a case decided by the United States Supreme Court that interpreted section 401 of the Clean Water Act. The case involved an application by the Jefferson County Public Utility District and Tacoma City Light in northwestern Washington to build a hydropower facility on the Dosewallips River, first proposed in 1982 and known as the "Elkhorn Dam" project. The Washington State Department of Ecology issued a certification to the project in 1986 that imposed minimum water flow requirements to protect species of salmon and steelhead under the federal Clean Water Act. Tacoma City Light argued that the dam project would only need to adhere to minimum flow standards set by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), who license dams. Environmentalist groups argued that the FERC was insensitive to recreation and protection of salmon and steelhead and asked the state to enforce its minimum flow standards.

Maia D. Bellon is an American attorney and former government official from the State of Washington. She served as Director of the Washington Department of Ecology from 2013 to 2020. A member of the Mescalero Apache, Bellon was the first Native American to serve as a member of the Washington cabinet.

The Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority is a state government program that oversees the watershed of the Chehalis River in Washington state. The commission focuses on flood control and river health, as well as habitat restoration, with particular attention to native plants, fish, and other aquatic species. It partners with various non-profits, local organizations, Native American communities and tribes, and other state and federal government agencies, often through its program, the Chehalis Basin Strategy.

References

  1. Blecha, Peter (February 1, 2011). "Washington State Department of Ecology is authorized on February 12, 1970". HistoryLink. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  2. Department of Ecology Budget Snapshot
  3. RCW 43.21A: Department of Ecology Authorizing Statute
  4. Weaver, Matthew. "New Ecology director: 'Let's not let small problems get any bigger'". Capital Press. Retrieved 2021-10-16.
  5. "Washington State Department of Ecology - Hanford cleanup". www.ecy.wa.gov.
  6. Sullivan, Olivia (September 5, 2019). "King County teens clean up roadside litter". Seattle Weekly . Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  7. "Ecology Youth Corps". Washington State Department of Ecology. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  8. Clarridge, Christine (January 30, 2019). "The end is near for emissions testing in Washington state". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  9. Gilmore, Susan (August 18, 2011). "State phasing out vehicle-emission testing". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  10. O'Sullivan, Joseph (June 4, 2020). "With more test supplies on hand, Inslee announces expanded testing for new coronavirus". The Seattle Times. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  11. The Chronicle staff (December 1, 2023). "Strategy in review: Chehalis Basin Flood Warning System wins National Operational Excellence Award". The Chronicle. Retrieved May 16, 2024.