Stormwater Update

Puget Sound and waterways around Washington are being pushed to the brink of disaster by an invisible enemy: polluted runoff from our roads and urban areas. This toxic runoff, called stormwater, is the number one water pollution problem in the state and the most pressing threat that must be addressed if we are to restore Puget Sound.

As rainwater travels over our streets, yards, and rooftops, it collects petroleum, chemicals, pesticides, lead, mercury and other toxins and washes them down storm drains that flow into Puget Sound and rivers and streams across the state. Because of our aging infrastructure, most of this toxic runoff is not treated – and pours directly into our waterways.

According to the Sightline Institute, at least 14 million pounds of heavy metals, flame retardants, dioxins, oil and grease, and other dangerous pollutants are flowing into Puget Sound each year.

There are many different sources of contamination – fertilizers we use on our lawns, heavy metals from paints and automobiles, and trash. However, petroleum products are by far the most significant contributor to stormwater pollution levels: fossil fuel combustion, leaking oil and grease, and degrading asphalt materials emit hydrocarbons, zinc, arsenic and other toxic substances. Every time it rains, these pollutants are washed off our roads and into our water.

So while we enjoyed the beauty of Puget Sound, the Spokane River, or the Columbia, the sparkling blue water and beautiful beaches and shores hide a tragic secret. They may look pristine, but are is badly stressed by the continued flow of pollutants that have been building up over time. The flow of pollutants is like an oil spill in slow motion – and it’s poisoning our waters

As a result, 21 Puget Sound species are listed as threatened or endangered, massive fish kills plague Hood Canal, and sensitive ecosystems have been disrupted. These are undeniable scientific indicators of an environment in trouble.

We have known for years that toxic runoff poses the greatest threat to the Sound’s health. And we know how to fix it: upgrading the city and county infrastructure that catches and cleans stormwater, promoting low impact development, retaining more tree and plant-covered land, and making modest changes in the way we drive, garden and live.

Washingtonians have been working to clean up our waterways for decades. But if we don’t address toxic runoff head on with bold actions, the progress we have made, and the money we have spent, will have been in vain. While many cities and agencies are making some progress, as a state we have not stepped up to solve the problem in a lasting way.

For the past two years, Washington Environmental Council, along with our partners at Washington Conservation Voters, People for Puget Sound, and the Nature Conservancy, has been working on legislation to address toxic runoff. Our efforts are founded on the simple principle that polluters should pay their fair share of clean up costs.

However, the oil industry, reluctant to dip in their profits to shoulder some of the clean up costs, has pulled out all the stops against legislation. They've flown in oil executives from Texas, funded a sophisticated and well-financed opposition campaign, bused in workers who were paid to lobby against the bill, and employed some of the most highly paid lobbyists.

WEC and our partners are committed to finding a way to prevent the flow of toxic runoff into our waterways and making sure that Big Oil’s voice doesn’t outweigh those of Washingtonians.

For more in depth information:

Sightline’s special report, Curbing Stormwater Pollution: Cleaning Up Washington’s Toxic Runoff or read their ongoing series, Stormwater Solutions: Curbing Toxic Runoff.