Lewis County renews Department of Ecology solid-waste grant; county match required

Lewis County commissioners approved renewal of a biennial Local Solid Waste Financial Assistance grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology on July 22 that will fund the countyode-enforcement program.

Kirsten Wecker, environmental services manager, told the board the grant covers the period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2027. The Ecology portion is $140,668, with a required 25% Lewis County match of $46,889.33, for a total grant package of $187,557.33.

Wecker said the grant amount is essentially the same as the previous biennium, with roughly a $200 increase, and that reporting metrics will remain largely unchanged. The funding supports enforcement activity handled by environmental health, including complaints about solid-waste and whole-vehicle issues.

The board approved the deliberation items (resolutions 25-207 through 25-213) by a 3-0 vote; resolution 25-209 references this Department of Ecology grant. The county did not announce modifications to program scope; staff said they do not expect a reduction in enforcement workload.

Implementation will require the county to provide the stated match and to continue the grant reporting required by Ecology.