The Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) and DOH have partnered to address persistent, bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs) through the state's PBT Initiative.  PBTs are chemicals that threaten our health and the health of our environment.  These chemicals are toxic, they last for a long time without breaking down into safer components, they accumulate in our bodies and in the bodies of fish and animals, and they threaten the balance of an intricate and complex web of life.  This initiative focuses on the need to take deliberate steps to reduce and, where possible, eliminate "PBTs" from our state's environment.  For further information on this effort, please visit Ecology's Web site.

Clean water is essential to have healthy fish, to ensure compliance with the federal Clean Water Act, Ecology's water cleanup plan also known a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)  identifies sources of pollution in waters not meeting water quality standards.  This water cleanup plan determines how much pollution waters can receive and still maintain the recreational uses we enjoy.  For further information on efforts under the Clean Water Act, please visit Ecology's Web site.