More pollutants pumped in Sound than allowed by law

(Editor's Note: The location of Shelton’s sewage treatment plant was described incorrectly in the original version of this story. )

Many industrial and municipal facilities are dumping more pollution into Washington's rivers, lakes and Puget Sound than is allowed by permit, according to an analysis released Thursday by an environmental group.

More than 37 percent of these facilities are releasing more metals, oil and grease, nitrogen, fecal coliform, solid materials, low-oxygen water and other pollutants than allowed by the federal Clean Water Act.

The analysis by Environment Washington, part of the non-profit Washington Public Interest Research Group, looked at compliance for 75 major permit holders in 2005. The study was part of a national analysis that reviewed 6,428 permit holders.

"Definitely Washington is doing quite a bit better than other states," said Amy Peterson of Environment Washington. "But still, just over half of our waterways are considered impaired based on the definition from the Clean Water Act."

Passed by Congress in 1972, the act set the goal of eliminating "the discharge of pollutants into navigable waters" by 1985.

The state Department of Ecology is responsible for issuing and enforcing water pollution permits here.

"Although we have not had time to thoroughly review this report, we agree that we continue to see pollution problems," said Kelly Susewind, Ecology's assistant water quality manager, in an e-mail.

"We challenge ourselves daily to better exercise our resources, authorities and people to improve compliance with discharge permits and to better protect and restore water quality in Washington."

Facilities that exceeded their monthly permits six or more times in 2005 were:

Columbia Gorge Aluminum Co., Columbia River.

Evergreen Aluminum, Columbia River.

Shelton sewage treatment plant, Puget Sound’s Hammersley Inlet.

Prosser sewage treatment plant, Yakima River.

Pullman wastewater treatment plant, Palouse River.

Other permit holders not in compliance included the U.S. Navy, pulp and paper companies, a coal plant and oil refineries.

Local leaders have expressed their concerns over pollution in Puget Sound and streams that feed it. Last December, Gov. Chris Gregoire presented a blueprint for saving the Sound, including the cleanup of contamination and reducing pollution.