In both cases, property owners who want to speed the pace of the cleanup process may voluntarily undertake cleanups on their own. It s a terrific way to accomplish environmental cleanups, stretch our resources a bit further, and also support economic development. The MTCA specifies that those responsible for polluting a site must pay for its cleanup. The state pays for cleanup only when a liable person cannot be found or when identified liable parties lack the financial resources to pay for the work. Pendowski noted that being on the hazardous-sites list does not guarantee speedy cleanup.
Ecology prioritizes all cleanup sites, and they are addressed as funding becomes available.
During the past year, volatile oil prices and legal challenges have seriously depleted the account that pays for cleanups. The hazardous-sites list is updated twice a year, in February and August.