Background on MTCA: In 2013, students Dylan Peterson, Tim Seguin, James Rogers, and Jenna Dohman, investigated the origins of Washington state’s Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA). This act, signed in 1980, began with a voter-approved initiative and became a state law that taxed industry to create a fund for cleaning up contaminated sites around the state. The four students took to the air to fly over the Salish Sea and took to the road to talk to those who manage cleanup now.

The History of Contaminated Sites: In 2015, students Stacey Clauson and Julia Jokela created a story map, which is an interactive website where readers can learn the history of contaminated sites in Washington. They explored the agricultural, mining, milling and industrial history behind the contaminated sites in Washington State.

Click on the map below to be explore photos, videos, and maps. See the state’s history through a new lens.

http://wwu.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=f20cbfb0d7b24716ac1fa85abb4defca

The MTCA Rule Update: In 2020, Alex Meacham, Savannah Smith, and Owen Toon interviewed several people involved in the 2020 MTCA Cleanup Rule update, including members of the Stakeholder and Tribal Advisory Group (STAG) and Ecology.  In this podcast, we learn about the process and what STAG members are focused on in the process.