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The Puget Sound Partnership identified the need to study toxic chemical loadings to Puget Sound to understand the relative contributions from sources of contaminants in the Puget Sound ecosystem. This information will help guide decisions about how to most effectively direct resources to resolve toxic contamination issues (e.g., which sources or pathways should receive priority attention; how much of toxic reduction can be accomplished by specific actions such as sediment clean up or stormwater management).
Focus Sheet - Overview of three phases of studies to control toxic chemicals in Puget Sound
Focus Sheet - Summary of the Phase 1 Study
Two of our critical information needs are to better understand and quantify the sources of toxic contaminants that enter Puget Sound and to improve our understanding of how toxics move within the ecosystem once they are there. This information will support making informed management decisions about the highest priority actions to reduce the harm to Puget Sound from toxics.
The work described below (Phase 2) builds on the initial Phase 1 investigation. These two phases helped to inform the development of the toxics reduction elements in the Puget Sound Partnership's 2020 Action Agenda.
The eight specific sub-tasks described below contribute to an improved understanding of toxics loadings into and movement within the ecosystem. Various parties have been conducting the studies in these sub-tasks, and the staff of the Puget Sound Partnership has been coordinating the synthesis of these studies.
Summary of Wastewater Flow and Concentration Data (Excel® format)
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Stormwater Runoff |
Wastewater Drainage |
Long-Term Water Quality Monitoring |
Computer Model Input |
Contaminated Biota |
Human Health Risk Assessment |
The projects in Phase 3 continue development of Ecology’s strategy to measure and control the sources of toxic chemicals in Puget Sound. While state funds support some of this work, the U.S. EPA and the Puget Sound Partnership are coordinating the necessary additional federal funding. In Phase 3, Ecology and other partners will collect and analyze environmental samples and improve the numerical model of the Sound with the new data. The results of Phase 3 will enable the Puget Sound Partnership and Ecology to:
1) Assign the risks from toxic chemicals to specific sources.
2) Select and implement actions to clean up and prevent contamination from those sources posing the greatest risks to Puget Sound.
The work described below provides continuity and maintains Ecology’s current momentum with this part of the Governor’s Puget Sound Initiative.
For more information about the Puget Sound Partnership's program to control toxic chemicals in Puget Sound, contact Scott Redman at 360-725-5448.
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
