State worker briefs for July 21

• Published July 21, 2008

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Corrections, Ecology team up on cleanup

The departments of Ecology and Corrections are working together to clean up historical contamination at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

Industrial chemicals commonly used for equipment maintenance or dry cleaning are contaminating underground water near Washington State Penitentiary property, according to Ecology. The contamination might have come from materials in a dump, which was closed in 1987.

Corrections and Ecology are negotiating an order that will outline how the contamination will be cleaned up. Ecology performed a site hazard assessment and ranked the area as a 3 on a scale of 1 to 5.

Ecology staff members plan to interview Walla Walla residents, prison inmates and employees. The interviews will help shape public involvement with the cleanup, including how information about the work will be shared with the public.

DOL works to mark contaminated autos

The Department of Licensing is taking action to help Washington consumers avoid unknowingly buying a vehicle or boat that has been contaminated by hazardous materials.

The agency is working with local heath departments to place special contamination notifications on the titles of vehicles and boats that health jurisdictions find to be polluted by hazardous chemicals and unfit for use.

The new law makes it illegal to sell, or advertise for sale, a vehicle, boat or manufactured home that a local health jurisdiction declares unfit for use.

DOL will place a brand on the title and record of a vehicle or boat when it has been declared contaminated by a local health jurisdiction. This brand, the word "contaminated," will permanently remain on the vehicle or boat title.

DOL estimates the contamination brand will be added to 30 to 50 vehicle titles per. Most vehicles that receive the contaminated brand are expected to be destroyed.

Ecology adds field office in Wenatchee

The Department of Ecology has opened a field office at in Wenatchee.

"Our Wenatchee field office will enable Ecology to better serve and be more responsive to our north-central Washington communities," Ecology Director Jay Manning said. "Not only will our staff be closer to their work, people will have greater access to our services."

The Wenatchee office is a satellite of Ecology's Central Regional Office in Yakima. The office is staffed with a receptionist as well as field personnel from the Water Resources, Solid Waste, and Environmental Assessment programs.

The Olympian