Department Of Ecology Budget And Program Overview 2001-03 Page 48
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69from complex, highly industrialized properties to
emission point sources and historic uses of
corner gas stations where a leak from an
agricultural products.
underground storage tank has occurred. The
contamination may be in the soil, sediments,
Worst First Cleanups (Aquatic)
underground water, air, drinking water, and/or
In addition to cleaning up sediments, the agency
surface water.
addresses the environmental health of sediments
in source control permits, manages sediment
Clean Sites Initiative: The agency’s capacity to
standards and regulations, and maintains a
clean up sites and foster economic development
sediment information database. The agency also
had been restricted by the volatility of the funding
manages multi-agency sediment cleanup projects.
source (Toxics Control Accounts) supporting the
program. In 2001, given stronger oil prices
All Other Cleanup Related Priorities and
revenue has been on the upswing, allowing the
Support
agency to request and receive funding for the
“Clean Sites Initiative.” This initiative will
Superfund Coordination: Washington was the
provide the agency with dollars to clean up sites
first state approved by the Environmental
where cleanup efforts had previously been
Protection Agency (EPA) to be a lead regulator,
delayed. It will also allow the agency to make
with no federal involvement, for a number of
payments to EPA for its share of cleaning up
Superfund cleanup sites. In 1994, EPA and the
Superfund sites if revenue remains strong.
Department of Ecology divided up additional
military and Superfund sites, including privately
Voluntary Cleanup Program: The Department of
owned sites. This redefinition of state and federal
Ecology’s Voluntary Cleanup Program, created in
roles eliminates duplication and leads to more
October 1997, provides services to site owners or
efficient cleanups. The agreement has received
operators who initiate cleanup of their
national recognition as a model of
contaminated sites. Voluntary cleanups can be
intergovernmental cooperation.
conducted in a variety of ways: completely
independent of the agency, independent with
The agency is a national leader in the cleanup of
some agency assistance or review, or with agency
military sites. Through partnering with the
oversight under a signed legal agreement (an
Department of Defense, the agency has overseen
agreed order or a consent decree).
cleanup decisions for more military sites than any
other state.
There are several ways sites can be cleaned up
under the Voluntary Cleanup Program. These
Underground Storage Tanks: The agency
include consultations, prepayment agreements,
currently regulates about 11,189 active tanks on
prospective purchaser agreements, and
4,074 different properties, including gas stations,
brownfields redevelopment.
industries, commercial properties, and
governmental entities. The agency works to
ensure these tanks are installed, managed, and
Area-wide Contamination
The agency is increasingly finding large areas or
monitored in a manner that prevents releases into
“mega-sites” (several acres to many square miles
the environment. To do so, the agency conducts
of land affected by historic smelting and mining
compliance inspections on about 400 sites per
activities – see below) with low to moderate
year (most sites have multiple tanks) and provides
levels of soil contamination caused by a range of
technical assistance to tank owners.
historical activities. The agency is beginning to
develop a strategy to address these area-wide
State Agency Involvement: The agency has signed
contamination problems found in the western and
memorandums of understanding with the
eastern parts of the state. The strategy will focus
departments of Health, Transportation, Natural
on arsenic contamination from stationary
Resources, and the Pollution Liability Insurance
Toxics Cleanup Program
Page 42
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