Solid Waste Facilities Rulemaking, Chapter 173-350 WAC and Chapter 173-351 WAC

Submitted By

20 Results

Search Type

Sort:

Sort Results By

Comment From: Seattle Public Utilities (McKenna Morrigan)

10/19/26 @ 11:22 PM

See attached letter for comments on behalf of Seattle Public Utilities on the Solid Waste Facilities rulemaking draft language.

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: Zero Waste Washington (Heather Trim)

10/19/26 @ 9:27 PM

Thank you for your work to update the solid waste regulations. We agree with most of the updates, many are long overdue!

We do have a concern, though, with the "75% reuse or recycling threshold to be classified as a MRF." While this may well be appr...↓

No attachments

Comment From: Waste Connections (Rick Vahl)

10/19/26 @ 8:15 PM

Please find comments related to Solid Waste Facilities WAC 173-350 rulemaking attached. Thank you, Rick

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: TROY Lautenbach

10/19/26 @ 7:07 PM

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: King County Solid Waste Divisi... (Eugenia Jain)

10/19/26 @ 6:57 PM

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: Friends of Rocky Top (Scott Cave)

10/19/26 @ 5:56 PM

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: Spokane Regional Health Distri... (Kasey Wilberding)

10/19/26 @ 3:57 PM

1. Include language to allow LHJs to refer to 173-350 when addressing solid waste accumulation/nuisance complaints. In the unincorporated portion of our county, we, as the LHJ, investigate these complaints and currently refer to 173-350-025 and -300....↓

No attachments

Comment From: Elizabeth Davis

10/19/26 @ 3:51 PM

Before proceeding with the official comment, here is my personal statement. I want to thank all involved with the Waste management operations in the Washington Ecology Department. You are unsung heroes that endeavor to keep our state healthy and cl...↓ean. I want you to know that there are more than a few normie citizens out here who are rooting for you to keep up the fight to maintain and improve our high standards waste management! We are counting on you!

Subject: Public Comment – Strong Inspection, Enforcement, and Environmental Safeguards for Chapters 173-350 and 173-351 WAC Rulemaking
To the Washington Department of Ecology:
I am writing to submit comments on the proposed updates to Chapters 173-350 and 173-351 WAC regarding Solid Waste Handling Standards and Municipal Solid Waste Landfills. As a Washington resident, I request that Ecology establish clear, enforceable, and rigorous regulatory requirements that prioritize environmental health, groundwater protection, and community safety over operational exemptions.
Specifically, I urge the Department of Ecology and Jurisdictional Health Departments (JHDs) to incorporate and strengthen the following safeguards in the final rule language:
* Mandatory Minimum Inspection Frequencies:
* Require mandatory, unannounced routine physical inspections of permitted solid waste facilities and landfills by local health jurisdictions and Ecology inspectors at least quarterly.
* Do not allow self-reporting or facility-managed compliance audits to replace independent agency verification.
* Rigorous Groundwater and Leachate Monitoring:
* Strengthen groundwater monitoring protocols around landfill boundaries (WAC 173-351-400 series) to mandate immediate public notification and corrective action triggers upon any detection of hazardous constituents, PFAS, or heavy metals.
* Ensure that leachate collection and storage systems (including surface impoundments and tanks) undergo mandatory, verified tightness and leak testing on a strict schedule.
* Strict Limits on Exemption Categories:
* Ensure that any permit exemptions provided under WAC 173-350-210 or 173-350-320 (e.g., for waste piles, material recovery, or organic processing) are tightly restricted, clear, and conditional upon strict operational performance standards.
* Prevent facilities from misclassifying solid waste as "fill" or "exempt materials" without rigorous, verified contamination testing.
* Transparent, Enforceable Penalty Structures:
* Establish clear enforcement escalation pathways and mandatory penalties for repeat violations, unpermitted waste storage, or improper discharge to land or water.
* Ensure that Jurisdictional Health Departments are fully supported with clear regulatory backstops from Ecology when enforcing corrective actions against non-compliant operators.
Washington's land and water resources require firm, proactive regulatory oversight. I ask Ecology to ensure that the final rule reflects a strong commitment to public health protection, environmental justice, and non-partisan enforcement.
Thank you for considering these comments.

No attachments

Comment From: Utilities and Transportation C... (Mathew Perkinson)

10/19/26 @ 2:54 PM

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: Snohomish County Public Works ... (Jon Greninger)

10/19/26 @ 2:49 PM

Please see the attached file for Snohomish County Solid Waste comments.

Thank you

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: Washington Refuse and Recyclin... (India Brine)

10/19/26 @ 2:15 PM

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: Cedar Grove (Jay Blazey)

10/19/26 @ 2:14 PM

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: Sarah Fitch

10/19/26 @ 1:08 PM

Hello,
I recently learned from friends living in Ellensburg that Washington is the only state in our nation that allows Limited Purpose Landfills and that there is seemingly no regulation or no enforcement of any existing regulation or oversight of h...↓azardous waste dumping. I'm told that "anything" can be dumped and has been. Serious concerns over hazardous flammable waste in an area already impacted and at risk for wildfires.
Hazardous products have been dumped that can leach into groundwater and that there has been no water quality health department monitoring on record in over two years (?). Is there any concern for local wells?
There are obvious harmful environmental impacts to air and water quality in an area that has a fragile ecosystem with ongoing activities such as burning tires and dumping toxic chemical waste.

In addition to the laments from personal friends living in Ellensburg, I appreciate the comments from Wendy Wickersham who states quite clearly the same issues with LPLs as friends had stated to me and advised me on the opportunity for public comment.

"Hi! I live in Yakima County, where two limited purpose landfills are now MTCA sites and I am a neighbor to one of those sites; have ongoing underground fires (and have for years), and keep having issue after issue. Both landfills struggle with accepting waste that is NOT deemed acceptable for a limited purpose landfill. Some examples from Yakima County's LPLs (from health dept and or DOE photos and docs plus newspaper) are accepting 3,000 tons of tires, medical waste, 18 to 30 semi loads of ground up mystery Canadian waste (literally ground to a powder) a working day since 2019, incinerator ash, aluminum plant waste, port o potties, waste that brings in dozens upon dozens of crows and ravens (what construction and demolition waste do they eat?)...the list could go on and on...

My point is that these laws need major revising, clear definitions, clear expectations, shorter timelines for reporting issues (seriously 30 days to report an issue is acceptable?), and major work needs to be done to ensure public safety!

If 100% of LPLs in Yakima County are in MTCA and have underground fires, what issues do LPLs around the state have?"

Wendy Wickersham's comments make it easy for me to understand what is at issue and I appreciate the clarity she offers to the Department of Ecology.

The Department of Ecology has offered public commentary on Solid Waste Facilities Rule making and I hope that the valid concerns of the public are addressed with regulation and enforcement of rules that are written with clarity that keep environmental safety and public health a priority.

Sincerely, Sarah Fitch

I

No attachments

Comment From: MCS Recycle (Michael Sheldon)

10/19/26 @ 12:56 PM

Thank you for the opportunity to comment. Please see the attached letter.

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: Kittitas County Solid Waste (Doug Laurent)

10/19/26 @ 11:30 AM

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: DTG Enterprises, Inc. (Ian Sutton)

10/19/26 @ 11:22 AM

Comments in the attached file.

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: Wendy Wickersham

10/18/26 @ 9:15 PM

Suggestions for WAC 350 and 351

Hi! I live in Yakima County, where two limited purpose landfills are now MTCA sites and I am a neighbor to one of those sites; have ongoing underground fires (and have for years), and keep having issue after issue. Bo...↓

No attachments

Comment From: Chelan Douglas Health District (Brian Dickey)

10/16/26 @ 1:12 PM

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: RRC Inc (Ron Shear)

10/15/26 @ 11:49 AM

Attachments:

Download

Comment From: Oliver Taft

10/07/26 @ 10:48 AM

I am expressing my deep opposition of Limited Purpose Landfills. They contribute to air pollution, fire hazards, ecosystem degradation, and climate change. It's an outrage that Washington State is the only state that allows the use of Limited Purpose...↓

No attachments