Environmental Policy Statement
Washington State Department of Transportation
September 26, 2001
The Department of Transportation acknowledges the state's vital interests in protecting and preserving natural resources and other environmental assets and its citizens' health and safety. These interests must be integrated with other vital interests committed to the Department, including the cost-effective delivery and operation of transportation systems and services that meet public needs.
The Department shall conduct all its affairs in accordance with the dictates of sound environmental protection practices, including pollution prevention wherever reasonably possible. The Department shall also avoid, minimize and appropriately mitigate adverse environmental impacts. These undertakings extend to the construction, maintenance and operation of its systems and facilities. Legal obligations in these matters are established by applicable laws and regulations; this Policy Statement is not intended to create further or additional legally-enforceable requirements.
To support the performance of the Department's responsibilities and undertakings, as Secretary of Transportation, I hereby commit the Department:
- To implement and maintain an environmental management system that embraces all the Department's program functions;
- To establish, maintain and make available to the public appropriate performance indicators of the Department's exercise of its environmental stewardship and to consistently review these indicators as a basis to improve the Department's performance;
- To comply with all environmental laws and regulations applicable to our business and activities;
- To assure that employees of the Department receive training appropriate to their functions concerning the Department's environmental responsibilities;
- To communicate to contractors, designers, consultants and other participants in the Department's work the management practices and compliance requirements established to further the aims of this Policy Statement;
- To encourage employees and all other citizens to communicate with the Department about ways to increase the effectiveness of Department's practices supporting its mission of environmental stewardship;
- To make every reasonable effort to also protect the cultural and historic resources of the state.
Each employee of the Department is charged to exercise his or her responsibility on behalf of the Department to assure that the intentions of the Policy Statement are diligently carried out.
Signed by: Douglas B. MacDonald
Secretary of Transportation
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