State auditor: most contaminated sites in Washington lack required community engagement

The Office of the Washington State Auditor told the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee that the Department of Ecology conducts or supervises community engagement at only a small share of the state's contaminated sites, creating gaps in public and tribal outreach.

"Ecology manages only 8% of Washington's contaminated sites," said Marissa Sanchez Reed, a staff auditor who worked on the review, during the JLARC I‑900 subcommittee hearing. The auditors reported that as of August 2024, Ecology conducted or supervised 493 active sites listed on the agency's website while the majority of sites are managed by independent third parties.

The audit said the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) and its regulations set community‑engagement and tribal‑consultation requirements for sites Ecology conducts or supervises, but those requirements generally do not apply to independent or voluntary cleanups run by private parties. "Independent cleanups are not subject to the community engagement requirements that apply to ecology conducted or supervised sites," the auditors wrote.

Why it matters: contaminated sites often sit near vulnerable populations and can affect soil, water and air. The audit noted that when third parties manage cleanups, Ecology…