Toxic Water, Toxic Soil: Budd Inlet and the Future of Puget Sound

Olympia, WA. Marine sediments, low oxygen levels, over 100 years of industry and other pollution, dioxins, and more - cleaning the southernmost tip of Puget Sound, Washington will be quite a feat.

Dioxin levels in the lower Budd Inlet are too high to safely dredge excessive sediment. Shellfish harvesting is off limits in the area due to safety concerns. During the summer months oxygen sinks too low, dangerous to marine life.

Once a favorite swimming spots for residents, Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet are heavily polluted by old industrial plants, untreated stormwater runoff from city streets and parking lots, even permitted discharge of treated sewage.

"We've suffered from over 100 years of industry and other damaging sources of pollution in Budd Inlet," said Bruce Wishart, legislative lobbyist for People for Puget Sound, a conservation group.

Almost 1/5 million cubic feet of sediment are slated to be dredged out of Olympia's port waters. The project is on hold while a $250,000 study by the Department of Ecology determines the dioxin content in the sediment, the potential harm caused by stirring it up, and methods for safe disposal. The study should be completed by June 2007.

City and state officials as well as local business owners and residents have generally reacted positively to the slated clean-up. The unanswered questions are who will be responsible for organizing the effort, and where the funding will come from.

Budd Inlet may become a poster child for the rest of Puget Sound. In the current Washington State Legislature, Governor Chris Gregoire is pushing a request for government funding and oversight for clean-up projects throughout the sound.

The proposed Puget Sound budget includes $54.7 million to prevent and clean up toxics pollution. State Ecology Director Jay Manning is confident that "Budd Inlet could be the site of a demonstration project for Puget Sound cleanup." And if the project is successful, it may be repeated in other parts of the country.