Washington State Department of Ecology

Who else is ready for a spooky movie marathon in their non-toxic Halloween costume? 🎃

Riding bikes is fun, so here are some fun facts about the Yakima Basin: 🗺️ Covers more than 6,000 square miles 🏘️ Home to over 370,000 people 🌱 Supports a $4.5 billion annual agricultural economy But a not-so-fun fact? The basin is in its 4th straight year of drought, and this won’t be the last time.

That’s why the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan is working hard to prepare for future water shortages. We’re coordinating with partners to restore habitat, conserve water, and increase storage. We need these long-term solutions to manage our limited water supplies for future generations in the basin.

This NextCycle Washington project matrix isn’t big enough to show off all 88 teams from our last four cohorts and how impressive they are. Apply for our fifth cohort by Oct. 30, and you’ll be in good company: www.nextcyclewashington.com/apply

Just a little #hopecore before heading into the weekend 🥲 As ecosystems and coasts change, our Coastal Zone Management program remains dedicated to protecting our beautiful coasts. We do it for the environment and for the animals and people that live, work, or play there, no matter the challenge.

This winter, Ecology will embark on an ambitious year-long study of air quality conditions across the state. Specially equipped vehicles will zigzag across Washington, providing high resolution data about an alphabet soup of air pollutants.

From ultrafine particles (UFPs) and greenhouse gases (GHGs) to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and criteria air pollutants (CAPs), the only thing missing from the list is LMNOPs - which our scientists insist are not a thing. 🤷

Downtown Olympia is preparing for a glow up, and we want your input. We’re gathering comments on our draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Project here: deschutesestuaryproject.org 🏞️

Curious about oil spill prevention and response for Washington and beyond? 🛢️ Join us on Nov. 19 for the Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force meeting: oilspilltaskforce.org/task-force-e...

Did you get scared? 👻 Don't worry – we have a plan to do something about spooky diesel pollution! Our Diesel Reduction Combined Funding Program is now accepting grant applications to replace diesel vehicles and equipment through December 10: ecology.wa.gov/about-us/pay...

For many communities in Central and Eastern WA, it was another summer of smoky skies. This photo of Tonasket shows smoke from the Sinlahekin Fire, which burned over 150,000 acres in Okanogan County.

Have you seen the latest car accessory trend? Meet Bág de Litteur ✨ Receipts, snack wrappers and empty coffee cups finally have a place to go. Less car clutter, less roadside litter. Practical? Yes. Chic? We think so.

¡Queremos escuchar de ti! Ecología propone volver a emitir el permiso de residuos peligrosos para el Complejo Ross de la Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), ubicado en 5411 NE Highway 99, Vancouver, WA, 98666.

Te invitamos a revisar y comentar sobre la renovación del permiso de residuos peligrosos y documentos suplementarios ahora disponibles. El periodo de comentarios públicos abre a las 12:00 a.m. del 5 de octubre y cierra a las 11:59 p.m. del 18 de noviembre de 2026.

We want to hear from you! Ecology is proposing to reissue the dangerous waste permit for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Ross Complex located at 5411 NE Highway 99 in Vancouver, WA 98666. We invite you to review and comment on the dangerous waste permit renewal and supporting documents.

Kevin went through his first car wash & came out with more than a clean ride. 🚗🫧 Our partners AutsoSpa & The Wave Car Wash are giving out free reusable litter bags during the first week of October, while supplies last. Want one? Find a participating location at LitterFreeWA.org/simple @wsdot.wa.gov

Kevin pasó por su primer lavado de coches y salió con algo más que un carro limpio. 🚗🫧 Nuestros socios, AutoSpa y The Wave Car Wash, regalarán bolsas reutilizables para basura durante la primera semana de octubre, hasta agotar existencias. ¿Quieres una?

We choose you to save your food from the landfill this Food Waste Prevention Week! 🫵 Small changes in how you store your ingredients can make them last longer and taste better. And the impact on your wallet? IT’S SUPER EFFECTIVE! ⚡

We brought out the big boss for this one because we get it! We all want to feel safe eating food and food date labels can be really helpful for that. However, “best by,” “use by,” and “sell by” dates aren’t always a hard line.

Our Bellingham Bay cleanup turned 30 this year, and yes, it’s thriving ✨ If you visit the waterfront today, you might never guess it used to be almost all heavy industry that left contaminated soil and sediments—and with the help of our partners, we’ve removed 211,000 tons of it!

We’re looking for teams with innovative waste reduction projects to join our NextCycle Washington program! ⭐ The six-month business accelerator program offers technical help, resources, and peer networks. Apply by Oct. 30 at www.nextcyclewashington.com/apply 🧑‍💻

Got more questions? Attend NextCycle’s fun, informative “application party” online Sept. 29 to learn more: www.nextcyclewashington.com/apply#register

¡Queremos escuchar de ti! 💬 Ecología continúa los esfuerzos de limpieza en el sitio Boeing Developmental Center (BDC) en Tukwila, WA. Las operaciones pasadas en el sitio han generado contaminación del suelo y el agua subterránea.

Te invitamos a revisar y comentar sobre los borradores de los documentos de limpieza ahora disponibles. El período de comentarios públicos abre el 21 de septiembre y cierra el 23 de octubre de 2026.

We want to hear from you! 💬 Ecology is continuing cleanup efforts at the Boeing Developmental Center (BDC) site in Tukwila, WA. Past operations at this facility have resulted in soil and groundwater contamination. We invite you to review and comment on the draft cleanup documents now available.