Environmental Spill Reporting - Washington

Washington has its own environmental release notification requirements on top of the federal requirements. This summary page is provided as a reference tool. It is not a definitive source of compliance information and not intended to replace the federal and state laws and regulations. The summary is also not comprehensive, as there may be other release notification requirements at the federal, state, and/or local levels.

A facility may need to comply with both federal and state requirements, not just the state ones, when the federal requirements do not preempt the state ones and the state is not delegated authority to run its own program in lieu of the federal. Be sure to check with your state agency(ies) if you have questions about which federal or state requirements apply.

Regardless, there is no government penalty for over-reporting, but there may be steep penalties for failure to make a notification when required. When unsure whether to report, it is better to side on reporting the release.

Related information

• Emergency Releases ezExplanation
• Oil Spill Reporting ezExplanation
• Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) accidental release reporting
• Washington State Department of Ecology
• Washington Military Department Emergency Management Division
• Washington State Department of Ecology — What to do if you spill oil or hazardous substances
• Washington State Department of Ecology — Focus on Key Washington State Spills Statutes
• Washington State Department of Ecology — Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act
• Washington State Department of Ecology — State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)
• Washington State Department of Ecology — Vessel emergency reporting
• Washington State Department of Ecology — EPCRA reporting frequently asked questions
• Washington State Department of Ecology — Reporting Requirements
• Washington State Department of Ecology — Common Environmental Reports for Facilities in Washington State – Poster
• Washington Military Department Emergency Management Division — Unified Washington Military Department and National Guard Policy No. 10-4
• Washington Military Department Emergency Management Division — State Emergency Response Commission (SERC)

State citations

• Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 70A.305.110 — Hazardous Waste Cleanup–Model Toxics Control Act: Releases of hazardous substances—Notice—Exemptions
• Revised Code of Washington (RCW) — RCW 88.46.100 Notification of vessel emergencies resulting in discharge of oil
• Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 90.56.280 — Duty to notify coast guard and division of emergency management of discharge
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 118-40-300 — EPCRA—Facilities compliance
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-180.050 — Oil Spills
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-182-260 — Oil Spill Contingency Plan: Notification and call-out procedures
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-182-262 — Oil Spill Contingency Plan: Vessel notification requirements for a discharge or substantial threat of a discharge
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-182-264 — Oil Spill Contingency Plan: Notification requirements for facility spills to ground or containment that threaten waters of the state
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-145 — Spills and discharges into the environment
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-303-390 — Facility Reporting
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-340-300 — Model Toxics Control Act—Cleanup: Site discovery and reporting 0
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-340-450 — Releases from regulated underground storage tank systems
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-360A-0700 — Reporting of suspected releases
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-360A-0740 — Reporting and cleanup of spills and overfills
• Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 173-360A-0750 — Reporting and cleanup of confirmed releases

Federal citations

• 40 CFR 68 — Chemical accident prevention provisions
• 40 CFR 110 — Discharge of oil
• 40 CFR 112 — Oil pollution prevention
• 40 CFR 117 — Determination of reportable quantities for hazardous substances (also known as CWA release reporting)
• 40 CFR 262 — Standards applicable to generators of hazardous waste
• 40 CFR 264 — Standards for owners and operators of hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities
• 40 CFR 265 — Interim status standards for owners and operators of hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities
• 40 CFR 280 — Technical standards and corrective action requirements for owners and operators of underground storage tanks (UST)
• 40 CFR 302 — Designation, reportable quantities, and notification (also known as CERCLA release reporting)
• 40 CFR 355 — Emergency planning and notification (also known as EPCRA release reporting)
• 40 CFR 403 — General pretreatment regulations for existing and new sources of pollution
• 40 CFR 761 — Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) manufacturing, processing, distribution in commerce, and use prohibition
• 40 CFR 1604 — Reporting of accidental releases