Around the Sound: News and notes ...

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Toxics Cleanup Manager

Ecology’s Toxics Cleanup Program is helping some Western Washington University students learn more about the nuts and bolts of cleaning up a contaminated site.

The students are enrolled in the Environmental Toxicology track at WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment. They and professor Ruth Sofield are studying the former Scott paper mill site on the Anacortes waterfront. They’re working with Ecology, the Port of Anacortes and a consulting firm to learn about the site, as well as state cleanup regulations and methods.

Also …

* In Bellingham, Ecology is gearing up for a cleanup of an old gas plant site in Boulevard Park on the shores of Bellingham Bay. Ecology is seeking public comments on documents related to the proposed cleanup. Here’s the Bellingham Herald version, as well as Ecology’s own news release.

* Learning about Puget Sound is the focus of the annual “Storming the Sound” conference coming up in March. This is billed as a great opportunity for teachers, non-formal educators, environmental organizations with education programs, and students in the Central Puget Sound region. The conference is set for March 26 in Seattle.

* You can learn more about Ecology’s efforts to clean up the Sound by going to our website.