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King County Dirt Alert
Outreach and education for the Tacoma Smelter Plume Project
The ASARCO smelter in Ruston, WA closed in 1986 after nearly 100 years in operation, but arsenic and lead remain in the soil and will continue to be a health risk for years to come. Public Health—Seattle & King County is working in partnership with the WA State Department of Ecology to share information about this issue.
Should you be concerned about arsenic and lead in your soil?
Find out if your yard is contaminated
Type your address in the interactive search map of affected areas
Depending on where you live, you may be able to get free home soil testing.
- Find your address on the map to see you are eligible.
- The property owner must first fill out a sampling agreement form.
- Eligible for the Yard Program instead? Fill out the Department of Ecology's sampling agreement form.
Whether or not you live in the eligible area, learn how you can test your own soil. Contact an accredited environmental laboratory to mail your samples and receive results.
How you can protect yourself and your family
Additional resources
- DirtAlert.info - The Dirt Alert Partner website for King, Pierce, and Thurston counties.
- WA State Department of Ecology – Learn about Ecology's soil sampling and replacement programs.
- 2015 Survey Report and Summary – We heard from King County residents what they know about soil contamination and what they do to protect themselves.
What we do
King County Dirt Alert provides outreach and education through community events and presentations. We offer free educational materials and giveaways for children, parents, teachers, and gardeners in multiple languages. Contact us if you have an event or to schedule a presentation.
206-477-DIRT (3478) | dirtalert@kingcounty.gov | Online form
Link/share our site at www.kingcounty.gov/tsp