Category: News

Puget Soundkeeper and Executive Director Announces Transition and Interim Director, Effective September 16th

After a great deal of thought and reflection during what has been an extraordinarily tumultuous and challenging year, I have decided to focus on my family and loved ones, and will be stepping down as Puget Soundkeeper and Executive Director. Though my role will change, I will continue to wholeheartedly support the work of Puget Soundkeeper. I am confident that Puget Soundkeeper is in good hands and will continue to be a leading voice for protecting and preserving the waters of Puget Sound.

Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone on September 15, 2020

News Press Releases

Scrap metal facility, Seattle Iron & Metals, fails to meet pollution control deadline; will pay additional $90,000 to community organizations and implement corrective actions

Yesterday, Puget Soundkeeper and Seattle Iron & Metals Corp. filed an amended consent decree in the US District Court after SIMC failed to meet pollution control deadlines established in an initial settlement filed last year. To protect the health and welfare of Duwamish Valley residents impacted by air and water pollution from SIMC’s operations, Soundkeeper and SIMC negotiated a new agreement which requires SIMC to pay an additional $90,000 to community organizations to fund local restoration and pollution mitigation work.

Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone on September 12, 2020

Various yellow CAT construction vehicles on a construction site of brown dirt.

News

Washington’s Construction Permit Needs Work

Polluted stormwater run-off is the number one threat to the Puget Sound. One major contributor to stormwater pollution is and stormwater from construction sites, which can convey muddy water, debris, and toxic chemicals into our waterways. Soundkeeper believes the permit could be strengthened through language changes and clarifications, the elimination of a testing exemption for sites smaller than one acre, and creating a requirement for reporting hazardous chemicals stored on site to Ecology.

Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone on September 10, 2020

Field Notes News

Removing 1,000+ lbs of Trash in the San Juan Islands

Puget Soundkeeper’s San Juan Island Marine Debris Project aims to remove harmful marine pollution from the shores and waters of the iconic San Juan Islands. With the help of Aquatic Research and Monitoring’s 34 foot landing craft, “The Voyager”, we’re able to patrol San Juan Island waters to remove harmful debris.

Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone on September 9, 2020

Field Notes News

Lost Urban Creeks Students Snorkel for Salmon

Youth from Soundkeeper’s Lost Urban Creeks project took to the field last week to see what a functioning salmon habitat really looks like. Dan Eastman, the Capital Project Manager for King County’s Water and Land Resources Division, Ecological Restoration and Engineering Services Unit and Nathan Brown III, Cedar River Council Coordinator and Project Program Manager met Lost Urban Creeks program participants at the Cedar River to show them the Rainbow Bend Restoration Site.

Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone on September 9, 2020

News

FREE Grant Workshop for Grassroots & Environmental Justice Projects in Puget Sound

Register for our online workshop, where you will learn about opportunities and challenges of linking environmental justice work with environmental mitigation requirements identified in the Puget Sound Stewardship & Mitigation Fund. You will also hear from a panel of past grantees offering advice about shaping and implementing projects built around the intersection of equity and water quality

Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone on August 7, 2020

News Take Action

Take Action: Send Comments to Stop Toxic Pollution Discharges to the Duwamish River and Puget Sound

King County is developing a new long-term plan called the Clean Water Plan. The Plan will be the County’s new wastewater comprehensive plan, guiding water infrastructure investments in the County for decades to come. This is a critical time for our waters, but King County has failed to provide sufficient information for the public to be able to understand, meaningfully comment, and fully participate in this process.

Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone on July 8, 2020

News Press Releases

Puget Soundkeeper, RE Sources, and Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team Announce Alliance to Expand Puget Sound Protection Efforts

Today, RE Sources and the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team (DERT) will join Puget Soundkeeper in expanding the Waterkeeper Alliance in the Puget Sound portion of the Salish Sea. The expansion of the Waterkeeper Alliance in Puget Sound will enhance efforts to protect, preserve, and restore the waters of Puget Sound and its tributaries by increasing collaboration, partnership, and advocacy between these three organizations.

Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone on July 7, 2020

News Press Releases

Tribes, Labor, and Environmental Advocates File Lawsuit as the Trump Administration Finalizes Dirty Water Rule

Today millions of streams and wetlands across the country lost protections as Trump’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule officially went into effect. This new rule dramatically decreases the waterways protected under the Clean Water Act.

Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone on June 22, 2020

News

Honoring Juneteenth

As a clean water organization committed to environmental justice, we can no longer ignore the systemic racism and inequality that has occurred throughout our country’s history and continues to this day.

Nicole Loeffler-Gladstone on June 18, 2020