Source: https://ehsleaders.org/, March 25, 2026
By: Lisa Whitley Coleman

$668 million. That’s the price tag attached to a recent environmental enforcement settlement involving contamination in Seattle’s Lower Duwamish Waterway, and it offers a costly reminder of one of the most misunderstood environmental laws affecting U.S. businesses.

In March 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the EPA announced a $668 million settlement with more than 100 companies and public entities tied to contamination at the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site. The agreement will fund dredging and long-term cleanup of hazardous substances that have accumulated in the river’s sediments over decades of industrial activity. Read more.