Tumwater City Council adopts Thurston County Hazardous Waste Management Plan  

The Tumwater City Council passed a resolution to adopt the Thurston County Hazardous Waste Management Plan on Tuesday, Feb. 3.  

The state-mandated plan serves as a framework for managing solid and hazardous waste, according to documents prepared for the meeting. The cities and towns of Thurston County have historically coordinated through a joint plan, which the county administers. 

Before the resolution came to the council as part of its consent agenda, the Tumwater Public Works Committee reviewed and recommended the plan for adoption in a meeting on Jan. 22.  

During that meeting, Thurston County Hazardous Waste Specialist Kimberly Graham said the plan primarily addresses moderate-risk waste generated by households and small businesses. She added that larger quantity waste, which is typically generated by industries, are regulated differently.  

Graham also said there were minimal changes in the new plan compared to the county’s 2014 hazardous waste management plan.  

“The existing processes, procedures and resources underwent little to no change,” she said. “The majority of the updates were due to changes in population and demographics data and to address code references that have changed since the 2014 update.”  

One new element though is an educational component about the proper handling and management of used oil.  

Graham said the update is going to require retailers who sell oil and oil filters for home use to post signage explaining proper drainage, collection and recycling practices. Retailers are also going to be required to offer oil collection pans at the point of sale to safely transport those oils. 

Another change was the removal of the county's WasteMobile program, which has been inactive. 

Graham told the committee that once the plan has been adopted by all participating jurisdictions, it would be forwarded to the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners for countywide adoption. 

She added the county plans to publish the plan online in a more accessible format to present its content in simpler terms.