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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | February 23, 1970 (1970-02-23) |
| Headquarters | 300 Desmond Drive Southeast Lacey, Washington, U.S. |
| Employees | approx. 2,100 (2023)[1] |
| Annual budget | $2.8 billion (2023-2025)[1] |
| Agency executive |
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| Website | ecology |
TheWashington State Department of Ecology (sometimes referred to simply as "Ecology") is thestate of Washington's environmental regulatory agency. Created on February 23, 1970, it was the first environmental regulation agency in theUnited States, predating the creation of theEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA) by several months.[2][3]
The department administers laws and regulations pertaining to the areas ofwater 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.[4] The Department of Ecology has a $2.8 billion budget for the 2023–25 biennium and approximately 2,100 full-time employees.[5][1]
The department's authorizing statute isRCW 43.21A.[6] It is responsible for administering the Shoreline Management Act of 1971 (RCW 90.58), which requires towns to create and use Shoreline Master Programs, which are employed as policies for land use for Washington shorelines after approval from Ecology.[7] Ecology is also responsible for the state Water Code (RCW 90.03), the state Water Pollution Control Act (RCW 90.48), and the state Clean Air Act (RCW 70.94).
Ecology is also in charge of enforcement of the Model Toxics Control Act of 1988 (MTCA) which funds the investigation and cleanup of contaminated sites throughout Washington. As of 2025, more than 7,700 of roughly 14,000 known contaminated sites have been cleaned by MCTA. It is funded by the Hazardous Substance Tax on petroleum products and pesticides.[8]
The State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) is also run by Ecology. It provides guidelines for governmental decision-making related to the environment of the state. SEPA reviews permits for both public and private projects, and works to identify and analyze the environmental impact of various policies and permits.[9]
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.[10]
The Director of the Department of Ecology is appointed by theGovernor and subject to confirmation by theState Senate. The current director is Casey Sixkiller, who replaced Laura Watson in 2025.[11]
The department has its headquarters office inLacey, Washington, near the campus ofSt. Martin's University; four regional offices located in Lacey (Southwest Region),Union Gap (Central Region),Shoreline (Northwest Region) andSpokane (Eastern Region); and field offices inPort Orchard,Manchester,Bellingham,Mount Vernor,Richland,[12] andVancouver.[13]
The Washington State Department of Ecology was authorized on February 12, 1970, by the state Senate and signed into law byGovernor Dan Evans preceding the formation of the EPA. Ecology was the first of its kind in terms of state-level environmental organizations.[14] In its first few years Ecology served to consolidate four state agencies: Water Resources, the Water Pollution Control Commission, Air Quality Control, and Solid Waste Sections.[15]
In the early 2000's Ecology received national attention from its campaign against trucker bombs (bottles of urine thrown by semi-truck drivers from open windows) was highlighted byJon Stewart on the Daily Show.[2]
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.[16][17]
The Department of Ecology began avehicle 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.[18][19] Some emissions testing facilities, including two in Seattle, were repurposed as drive-thruCOVID-19 testing sites during the2020 pandemic.[20]
The department, via its Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) and theChehalis River Basin Flood Authority, oversees and funds flood control programs and initiatives, as well as habitat concerns, for theChehalis River and its watershed.[21]
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