Washington DOT fined for water pollution

The Washington state Department of Ecology has fined the state Department of Transportation $21,000 for allowing nearly two tons of pollution to enter Puget Sound during last year's cleaning of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.

The two departments have an agreement that states that, while some water pollution during bridge cleaning is unavoidable, the transportation department must take preventative measures to keep some pollutants out of the water. When debris, cleaning grit and lead- paint chips were released into the water during the bridge work, and the DOT proceeded to clean the bridge without containing any of the spill, the DOE issued the fine.

It's the largest free-standing bridge that we have in Washington, said Sandy Howard, DOE public information manager. So it's very difficult logistically for (the DOT) to do what we're asking them to do, to capture all of the waste. But they weren't doing anything.

Lead paint is toxic to marine life, and cleaning grit and debris can also harm the environment, Howard said.

The two state departments have discussed the matter, she said, and the transportation department has agreed to do a better job of controlling water pollution in the future.

There's a lot they can do, such as use tarps, or equipment that has a vacuum on it to keep debris from washing away, Howard said. In broad terms, they have something called best management practices that they use on other bridges, and they just needed to apply those practices in this case. They need to follow their own internal guidance that they weren't following themselves.

The DOT has until May 21 to apply for relief from the penalty and has until June 14 to appeal the penalty to the state Pollution Control Hearings Board.

If the fine goes uncontested, the $21,000 will be entered into the Washington Coastal Protection Fund, which provides money for environmental restoration projects to a variety of state entities.

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