Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - May 18, 2000
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

State and businesses reduce hazardous waste, Locke reports

OLYMPIA - Theamount of hazardous waste generated in Washington has dropped by at least 90 million pounds in the past decade, thanks in large part to technical assistance the state provides to businesses, Gov. Gary Locke announced today.

The governor said state assistance from the Washington Department of Ecology is crucial in the effort to reduce hazardous waste.

"It isn't always enough to simply pass a law and expect everyone to figure out how to comply," said Locke. "By offering technical help, we can reduce the frustration level, help businesses save money and protect our citizens and the environment from hazardous chemicals."

A 1992 state law requires facilities in Washington that use or generate hazardous substances to adopt pollution-prevention plans. But modifying industrial processes to use or produce smaller amounts of hazardous material can require complicated engineering that may not be readily available or affordable for some businesses.

From July 1998 through June 1999, Ecology helped more than 1,600 businesses, showing them how to limit their use of chemicals or reduce the amount of hazardous waste they produce. Since last July, the department has advised another 1,450 facilities.

With help from Ecology, businesses are successfully complying with the law.

Arnie Austed of Lake Union Drydock in Seattle agrees. "Ecology has consistently helped us reduce waste, save money and stay in compliance with regulations," he said.

"With Ecology's assistance, we were able to reduce the hazardous-waste stream from our testing and cleaning procedures by half," said Jock Thompson, health and waste coordinator for Severn-Trent Laboratories in Richland.

Greg Sorlie of the Ecology Department oversees a pool of full-time engineers and environmental specialists available to advise facilities. He said improvements could be as simple as turning off a continuously running faucet, or as complex as a major redesign of an industrial process.

"In many cases, a business's investment is recovered quickly through lower supply costs or less cost for disposing of their hazardous wastes," said Sorlie.

"The technical-assistance team was of incredible value to my firm," said Eric Hampton, general manager of Rainier Ballistics in Tacoma. "Ecology performed an exhaustive and thorough evaluation of our operations and helped us uncover ways to improve our process, cut costs and reduce the amount of hazardous waste our firm creates. These efforts are an asset to us all."

In addition to working one-on-one with individual businesses, the department also hosts informational workshops. During a 12-month period, 2,900 people attended one of the 62 workshops provided by Ecology.

"We have developed a cooperative relationship with many companies," said Sorlie. "They appreciate that we want to help them make long-lasting improvements, and not just find fault."

"It's encouraging to see businesses actively seeking and accepting the state's assistance," said Locke. "It's good for their bottom line, and it's good for all of us who live in Washington.

Companies can request technical assistance by contacting the nearest Ecology office: in Bellevue (425-649-7000), Lacey (360-407-6300), Spokane (509-456-2926), or Yakima (509-575-2490).

» Return to this month's News Releases

» View News Release Archive