Lawsuit alleges failure to clean up Deschutes River, Budd Inlet
A lawsuit filed this week alleges federal authorities have failed to take action on pollution in Olympia area waters that violates the Clean Water Act.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Seattle by Portland-based Northwest Environmental Advocates, argues the Environmental Protection Agency has failed to put cleanup plans for Budd Inlet, Capitol Lake and the Deschutes River on the books.
The area has a long history of water quality problems, including low levels of dissolved oxygen in Budd Inlet and Capitol Lake that are harmful to fish and aquatic life. The Clean Water Act requires states to come up with plans to clean up waters that don’t meet quality standards.
In 2015, the state’s Department of Ecology submitted to the EPA its plan for the Deschutes River and streams that feed into it. Last year, the EPA approved parts of the plan but rejected other parts.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/lawsuit-alleges-failure-to-clean-up-deschutes-river-budd-inlet/ar-BBYq753
