Woke Washington officials investigate hardworking volunteer group for cleaning up used NEEDLES in squalid city

Washington state authorities are investigating We Heart Seattle, a volunteer-run charity that clears used needles, fentanyl foils and other drug debris from public spaces, after a complaint alleged its volunteers were mishandling hazardous waste. The State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) has demanded the group's founder, Andrea Suarez, produce written safety procedures, training records and proof of hepatitis B vaccinations for volunteers, arguing anyone handling sharps must follow formal bloodborne pathogen protocols. Suarez has criticised the probe as hypocritical, arguing officials tolerate open drug use in parks while scrutinising those cleaning up after it.

Since 2020, We Heart Seattle has removed more than 2.1 million pounds of rubbish and logged 75,000 volunteer hours, and says it has helped 325 people leave the streets. Suarez maintains volunteers wear gloves, use pickup tools and place needles in sharps containers, with untrained participants able to opt out and leave hazardous items for two trained supervisors, though she admits volunteers have not received hepatitis B vaccinations. L&I says the inspection, which began on 16 July and could take up to six months, was triggered by a complaint from someone unaffiliated with the organisation; Suarez could face fines if the group fails the audit, though she disputes the state's jurisdiction, noting she is the charity's only formal employee.