Department of Ecology

  Average Annual FTEs Near General Fund State Other Funds Total Funds
  (Dollars in Thousands)
Current Budget 2,136.5 76,637 785,934 862,571
2023-25 Maintenance Level 2,136.5 77,035 788,972 866,007
Difference from 2023-25 Original 0.0 398 3,038 3,436
% Change from 2023-25 Original 0.0% 0.52% 0.39% 0.40%

2024 Policy Other Changes

Polychlorinated Biphenyls (0.5) 0 (745) (745)
CCA Communications 1.3 0 1,000 1,000
Oil Accountability Transparency 1.2 340 0 340
Cap-and-Invest Program Linkage 5.3 0 3,500 3,500
Certifying Financial Responsibility 1.8 0 588 588
NEP Stormwater Strategic Initiative 0.0 0 10,000 10,000
Hanford Dangerous Waste Permit 1.2 0 380 380
WCC Service Equity & EJ Initiative 0.0 0 896 896
Modernize Surface Water Mapping 1.8 557 2,750 3,307
Fix and Modernize WQ Permit Systems 1.8 0 591 591
Nutrient Credit Trading 0.60 0 410 410
BIL/IRA Grants 12.4 0 24,503 24,503
Protecting State Waters 7.6 0 2,408 2,408
Cannabis Lab Accreditation 2.3 0 782 782
Climate Pollution Reduction 10.4 409 3,154 3,563
Improving Solid Waste Management 2.5 0 1,034 1,034
Tribal Capacity Grant Expansion 0.30 0 10,064 10,064
Drinking Water Conservation Study 0.70 298 0 298
Offshore Wind Engagement/Planning 1.2 0 338 338
2024 Policy Other Changes Total 51.9 1,604 61,653 63,257

2024 Policy Comp Changes

State Employee Benefits 0.0 16 123 139
Pension Rate Month of Death Bill 0.0 8 60 68
2024 Policy Comp Changes Total 0.0 24 183 207

2024 Policy Central Services Changes

Archives/Records Management 0.0 0 1 1
Audit Services 0.0 0 1 1
Legal Services 0.0 136 334 470
CTS Central Services 0.0 29 201 230
DES Central Services 0.0 0 3 3
OFM Central Services 0.0 278 1,926 2,204
GOV Central Services 0.0 2 17 19
2024 Policy Central Services Changes Total 0.0 445 2,483 2,928
Total Policy Changes 51.9 2,073 64,319 66,392
2024 Policy Level 2,188.4 79,108 853,291 932,399
Difference from 2023-25 Original 51.9 2,471 67,357 69,828
% Change from 2023-25 Original 2.4% 3.2% 8.6% 8.1%

Policy Changes

Audit Services

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of audits performed by the State Auditor's Office. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State)

Legal Services

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of legal services provided by the Attorney General's Office. Because legal services expenditures are based on consumption, funding provided in the central service model is not all inclusive. The methodology to estimate consumption is a two-year average and allows for analysis to incorporate unique agency circumstances. (General Fund - State, Water Quality Permit Account - State, Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State, other funds)

CTS Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from Consolidated Technology Services (CTS) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Cybersecurity, state network, enterprise and small agency IT services, enterprise architecture and data management, Microsoft 365 licenses, and other items. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State, General Fund - State, Water Quality Permit Account - State, other funds)

DES Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for Capitol campus costs; real estate, risk management, and small agency services; the Perry Street and Capitol Campus child care centers; enterprise applications, and other items. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State)

OFM Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of Financial Management for existing statewide applications, the One Washington program, and other central services. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State, Water Quality Permit Account - State, General Fund - State, other funds)

Polychlorinated Biphenyls

The 2021-23 biennial budget contains more funding than is necessary for the Department of Ecology to implement the provisions of Chapter 399, Laws of 2023, related to reassessing standards for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in consumer products. This item removes the unnecessary funding. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State)

CCA Communications

The Climate Commitment Act (CCA) established a comprehensive program to reduce carbon pollution, achieve state greenhouse gas limits, and raise revenue from the sale of carbon allowances from the state’s largest polluters. The Legislature has already appropriated more than $2 billion cap-and-invest auction revenue to more than 30 state agencies to help families, businesses and communities that want affordable fossil fuel-free options for transportation, heating and more. The CCA directs at least 35% of investments to communities and Tribes that experience the most harm from climate change. This item provides funding to communicate with the public on how cap-and-invest funding is being deployed, how Washingtonians are benefitting, and how communities can access newly available grant funding. (Climate Investment Account - State)

Oil Accountability Transparency

As the result of Governor request legislation, the Department of Ecology will collaborate with a newly created Division of Petroleum Market Oversight at the Utilities and Transportation Commission to analyze and report on operational pricing information from fuel suppliers, refineries, and other entities in the supply chain for transportation fuels sold in Washington. (General Fund - State)

Cap-and-Invest Program Linkage

The Department of Ecology will seek to enter into linkage agreements with other cap-and-invest markets. This item supports agency request legislation to authorize the department to modify rules necessary for linkage with other jurisdictions, to develop its own greenhouse gas reporting methodologies needed for linkage, and to make other technical changes. (Climate Investment Account - State)

Certifying Financial Responsibility

To operate in Washington, vessels and facilities handling large volumes of oil must demonstrate they can pay for the costs of any oil spill for which they are responsible. The department will use this funding to establish a certificate of responsibility program, allowing these vessels and facilities to certify they have met all of the requirements. This new program will provide ongoing compliance and greater assurance that an oil spill would be responded to, contained and paid for as quickly as possible. (Oil Spill Prevention Account - State)

NEP Stormwater Strategic Initiative

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides funding through the National Estuary Program’s (NEP) Stormwater Strategic Initiative for critical research, monitoring, and projects to address stormwater pollution and support recovery efforts in Puget Sound. This item provides the department with the federal spending authority needed to utilize increases in federal NEP funding for these efforts. (General Fund - Federal)

Hanford Dangerous Waste Permit

The Department of Ecology took over the management of the Hanford dangerous waste permit in 2015, and despite increased staffing in the 2017-19 budget and 2020 supplemental budget, the permit's complexity still exceeds current capacity. This item funds two staff positions to enable the department to meet the September 2026 deadline for the permit's reissuance and to manage new responsibilities in 2024 related to the Perma-Fix Northwest dangerous waste permit and Hanford air operating permit. (Radioactive Mixed Waste Acct - State, Air Operating Permit Account - State, General Fund - Federal)

WCC Service Equity & EJ Initiative

The Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) collaborates with local organizations to complete environmental stewardship projects statewide. WCC’s cost-share agreement requires partners to fund 75 percent of crew costs, while the remaining 25 percent is funded with state appropriations and an AmeriCorps grant. This cost-share works well for most programs, but it presents barriers for organizations in under-resourced areas. Following a successful pilot funded in the 2022 supplemental budget, this item provides funding to sustain five crews with no partner-provided cost-share, promoting service equity and environmental justice (EJ) in critical areas across the state. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State)

Modernize Surface Water Mapping

Growing and protecting trees in riparian areas along the state’s rivers and streams safeguards water quality, supports healthy habitat for fish and wildlife and builds resilience for our communities. Current stream-mapping inaccuracies prohibit a statewide riparian assessment and monitoring program. This item will allow for a complete remapping of the state’s surface water over the next five years, prioritized by the location of salmon streams and with input from stakeholder groups. This funding will also provide technical support and development of tools for local governments to use the new data more effectively. (Natural Climate Solutions Account - State, General Fund - State)

Fix and Modernize WQ Permit Systems

The department has made critical updates to its water quality permitting systems to improve the usability and reporting accuracy with one-time funding received in the 2022 supplemental budget. Work completed to date has resolved a number of identified issues, and those efforts revealed an ongoing effort is required to effectively update and maintain these systems. This item funds ongoing staffing resources to ensure continual updates and maintenance of these systems for safeguarding surface and groundwater health and ensure compliance with federal data reporting requirements. (Water Quality Permit Account - State)

Nutrient Credit Trading

The health of Puget Sound is significantly degraded by excess nutrients that cause low dissolved oxygen, disrupt the food chain, and harm our orca and salmon populations. The department received one-time funding in the 2022 supplemental budget to develop recommendations on how to establish a nutrient credit trading program that could lead to quick and efficient nutrient reductions. This item provides funding to implement the near-term actions identified in the report, offering a strategic approach and informed decision-making for development of a nutrient credit trading program. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State, General Fund - State)

BIL/IRA Grants

The recent passage of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has significantly increased federal funding for environmental and public health initiatives. This item provides additional federal spending authority to maximize seven new funding opportunities. This federal funding supports water infrastructure improvements, pollution cleanup, and efforts to address the climate crisis across Washington. (General Fund - Federal)

Protecting State Waters

The federal Clean Water Act's scope was narrowed considerably following a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, reducing federal protection for various water bodies, including most wetlands. Despite this, Washington's Water Pollution Control Act still safeguards all state wetlands and waters. The Department of Ecology will use this funding to manage the increased workload associated with processing the state authorizations required for projects impacting waterways no longer eligible for federal permits. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State)

Cannabis Lab Accreditation

The Department of Ecology is mandated by statute to begin accreditation of cannabis-testing laboratories on July 1, 2024. This item will create and sustain a cannabis lab accreditation program, ensuring laboratories generate precise and reliable analytical data. (Dedicated Cannabis Account - State)

Climate Pollution Reduction

Since 2019, the Legislature has directed the department to implement laws designed to help transition the state's economy from being based primarily on fossil fuels to having net zero emissions, help slow the causes of climate change, and support communities already impacted by the effects of climate change. Through implementation of these laws, it has become clear that additional resources are needed to ensure long-term success. This item provides the staff and contract resources needed to ensure continued success and meet current workload demands. (Clean Fuels Program Account - State, General Fund - State, Climate Investment Account - State, other funds)

Improving Solid Waste Management

Preventing and reducing waste and increasing recycling and the use of recycled materials are important strategies to conserve energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and reduce the use of landfills. This item funds the implementation of legislation to establish an extended producer responsibility program for certain packaging and paper and to expand recycling and reuse targets and minimum recycled content standards for items like single-use food containers and cups. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State, Responsible Packaging Mgt Acct - Non-Appropriated, Recycled Content Account - Non-Appropriated)

Tribal Capacity Grant Expansion

Funding for Tribal capacity and programs supports state goals of decarbonization, pollution reduction, and an equitable and inclusive transition to the clean energy economy. This item increases an existing Tribal grant program and expands its uses to more broadly support the ability of Tribes to engage in climate change resilience projects and clean energy development. (Climate Investment Account - State)

Drinking Water Conservation Study

Promoting efficient water use and conservation in our public water systems are important steps to managing our state’s water supplies and meet the needs of people and the environment. A recent State Auditor performance audit assessed the state’s water use efficiency regulations and finds room for improvement. This item funds staff to assess the audit report's recommendations to ensure that regulatory oversight is best structured for successful implementation of comprehensive water resource management. (General Fund - State)

Offshore Wind Engagement/Planning

Offshore wind development is on the rise in the United States, and more recently on the west coast. The Governor's Office announced a new project to convene Tribes, stakeholders, state agencies, and other governmental entities to develop recommendations on a Washington-specific consultation and public engagement process for offshore wind development. This funding provides two full-time positions to enhance data evaluation, engage coastal communities, and facilitate collaboration with federal and Tribal entities on potential offshore wind development. (Climate Commitment Account - State)

State Employee Benefits

Funding is provided to increase the retiree health insurance subsidy, adjusting the cap from $183 to $193 per month and raising the base subsidy percentage from 50 percent to 60 percent. The insurance funding rates are set at $1,145 per month for fiscal year 2024 and $1,158 per month for fiscal year 2025. (General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State, Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State, other funds)

Pension Rate Month of Death Bill

Funding is provided for contribution rate impacts associated with proposed legislation that ensures the continuation of benefit payments through the end of the month in which a retiree or beneficiary dies. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State, Water Quality Permit Account - State, General Fund - State, other funds)

Archives/Records Management

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated share of charges for archives and records management services provided by the Secretary of State's Office. (Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State)

GOV Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of the Governor for the Office of Equity. (General Fund - State, Water Quality Permit Account - State, Model Toxics Control Operating Acct - State, other funds)