History of Manchester Environmental Laboratory
For the first 14 years of our agency’s existence, Ecology’s laboratory functions fell within the scope of the Water Quality Program. Lab activities largely took place at separate facilities in Tumwater and Redmond.
Lab consolidation
In Sept. 1982, Governor John Spellman directed state agencies to consolidate laboratory facilities at two sites in Olympia and Seattle. In a follow-up memo issued the same day, Spellman suggested paying special attention to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 10 facility in Manchester. According to the memo, Ecology’s director, Don Moos had built a relationship with EPA and could facilitate discussions and cooperation.
Subsequent lab consolidation studies headed by the Washington Department of Social and Health Services determined this was unfeasible because of unique needs on the parts of the Washington State Patrol and the Department of Agriculture. A March 1983 memo by former DSHS secretary Alan J. Gibbs suggested closing Ecology’s Redmond site and moving operations to Olympia or Fircrest and moving operations in Tumwater to a consolidated facility in Olympia. The same memo dismissed the possibility of large-scale cooperation at the EPA facility.
“It will not be possible to make much use of the Manchester Environmenal Laboratory (MEL) operated by the United States Environmental Protection Administration (sic). It is far too small to accommodate state agencies,” Gibbs wrote. “The Department of Ecology has taken advantage of the limited space available at Manchester and located some operations there. Additional cooperative use of the Manchester laboratory for expensive, specialty analysis should be encouraged.” Read More
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