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Casey Sixkiller transitions from EPA to lead state Dept. of Ecology

A man in jeans and a sage-green parka stands on a pathway amidst tall yellow grasses with his hands in his pockets. He is looking at the camera with his mouth closed, smiling slightly.
Parker Miles Blohm
/
KNKX
As a regional administrator, appointed by President Biden in 2022, Casey Sixkiller oversaw the EPA’s work to protect human health and the environment across the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Alaska, and 271 tribal nations. Now Gov. Bob Ferguson has tapped him to lead Washington's Department of Ecology.

Regional EPA Administrator Casey Sixkiller finished his work as a federal environmental protection official last week, but he’s staying in the field. He’s been appointed as the new head of the Washington state Department of Ecology.

Sixkiller spoke with KNKX on the banks of the recently completed Duwamish River People's Park in south Seattle.

Looking out on the Duwamish, he said it’s gratifying to see the cleanup plan for the Duwamish River Superfund site finally getting underway.

The park is full of new plantings and attractive walkways alongside the Duwamish, but also signs warning of toxicity.

Health advisories in several languages tell people not to eat any of the resident fish in this river. Only salmon that swim through are safe to eat.

But Sixkiller is optimistic about the future.

Click "Listen" above to hear the interview and find highlights below.

Interview Highlights

On why he wants to be the head of the state Department of Ecology

Washington state has a long history of being on the forefront of environmental policy. It was the first environmental regulator in the United States, an outgrowth of a commitment from Governor Dan Evans to protect this beautiful place that we call home.

So to be able to be part of that legacy, of taking us into the next phase of work as we confront climate change, as we continue to make progress on legacy pollution, as we try to center our work on the communities that we serve, was a really exciting opportunity.

On what he hopes to accomplish in this new role and what he feels is at stake

I get to come into this role at the Department of Ecology at a really important inflection point. Not only are communities across our state feeling the impacts of climate change, we also — because of the work of Governor Inslee and others — have new tools available to us to be able to advance our work, to transition folks to a cleaner, greener economy.

The voters spoke very loudly in November that we don't want to go back. We want to move forward, and so one of my jobs is to really take us to implementation 2.0.

Parker Miles Blohm
/
KNKX
A sign warns park visitors in five languages about sensitive habitat in the recently completed Duwamish River People's Park. The restored shoreline is one of several initiatives to clean up the polluted river.

On transitioning from working at the federal level to being a state leader

I'm not a lawyer, right? Right. I am a policy person. I am coming into this new role as someone who has worked in Washington, D.C., in the House and Senate, worked for my tribe, worked for King County, worked for the city of Seattle and now worked for EPA and the Biden administration.

So I'm bringing with me a very diverse set of perspectives, and I think the common denominator across all of them is how to really tackle complex challenges and move forward.

On his belief that there's more that binds people together than divides us

I've walked into communities who, for 40 years have been dealing with contaminated groundwater. I'm worried about the water that comes out of their tap. That cuts across all politics, right?

And when you sit down and you're wondering whether or not the water comes out of your tap is safe for you and your family to drink, at the end of the day, you want someone to solve your problem. Someone that's going to show up and be authentic, and look them in the eye and say, "I hear you, and we're going to do something about it."

On what motivates him to go to work every day

I am a very proud dad of three young people and every day I look at them and I just think to myself: I have to be doing everything I can to make sure that their future and the generations that come after them have clean air, clean water; and they know that the food they're putting in their bodies, and the products they're putting on their bodies, is safe for them.

Continuing to think about our future generations — as a native person, we think many generations into the future — but for me, it's my kids that are that constant reminder of why I do this work.

A person in the fore ground, out of focus, points to machining equipment on a river on a cold and cloudy day.
Parker Miles Blohm
/
KNKX
Casey Sixkiller, former regional administrator for Region 10 of the EPA, points to dredging operations along the Duwamish River in south Seattle, January 13, 2025. He is now director of Washington's Department of Ecology.

Bellamy Pailthorp covers the environment for KNKX with an emphasis on climate justice, human health and food sovereignty. She enjoys reporting about how we will power our future while maintaining healthy cultures and livable cities. Story tips can be sent to bpailthorp@knkx.org.