Category Archives: Ecology News

State Fiscal Year 2022 Draft Water Quality Funding Offer List

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Draft funding list now available for review and comment

Ecology’s Water Quality Program is pleased to announce the publication of the State Fiscal Year 2022 Draft Water Quality Funding Offer List and Intended Use Plan (Draft List). The Draft List describes how Ecology proposes to use state and federal dollars, as currently proposed in the Governor’s biennial budget and federal appropriation bills, to fund projects to improve and protect water quality for the State Fiscal Year 2022 (SFY22) Funding Cycle.

Funding Proposed

Ecology is proposing more than $282 million in grants and loans for 108 high-priority clean water projects across Washington state. The total includes roughly $21 million in grants from the Centennial Clean Water Program, $1.6 million in grants from the Clean Water Act Section 319 Program, $35 million in grants from the Stormwater Financial Assistance Program, and $224 million in loans and forgivable loans (loans that do not have to be repaid) from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

Evaluation Process

Ecology evaluated 127 applications from local governments, tribes, conservation districts, other public bodies, and qualified not-for-profit organizations. Funding requests totaled approximately $568 million. To ensure that funds were directed to the highest priority projects, water quality specialists from our regional offices evaluated and scored all eligible project proposals. Scores were compiled, and a statewide priority list was developed. Projects proposed funding are based upon the priority list, the type of project, and the funding source.

Public Comment Period

There is a 30-day public comment period for the Draft List. Comments will be accepted through February 14, 2021. Please submit comments via our online comment system, eComments. If you have questions, please contact Daniel Thompson at Daniel.Thompson@ecy.wa.gov or 360-407-6510. We will be holding a public webinar at 1 p.m. on February 3 via WebEx to explain the evaluation process and answer any questions. Ecology will respond to all comments received during the comment period when we publish the SFY22 Final Water Quality Funding Offer List and Intended Use Plan (Final List). Ecology anticipates publishing the Final List by July 1, 2021.

More Information

For more information about the SFY22 Funding Cycle, including access to an interactive map of funded projects and access to a worksheet describing the projects and funding proposed, please visit the Water Quality Combined Funding Program Funding Cycles webpage.For more information about the Water Quality Combined Funding Program in general please visit the Water Quality Combined Funding Program webpage.

Ecology seeks feedback on preliminary plan to reduce PCBs in Spokane River

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Ecology is seeking preliminary feedback on five individual discharger variances to the water quality standards that meet the requirements of WAC 173-201A-420, for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) for the Spokane River. Our preliminary draft rule includes amendments to WAC 173-201A-420 (Variance), and new sections in chapter 173-201A WAC to include the proposed variances.

A “variance” is a tool available under the Clean Water Act that provides a pathway for dischargers to make progress toward meeting Washington State’s Surface Water Quality Standards using the most current available technologies and control measures. For more information, see our variance rulemaking webpage.

We are accepting informal comments on the preliminary draft rule and supporting documents from June 10 to July 25, 2020. While your feedback will help us develop rule language and supporting documents, we will not formally respond to comments received.

Learn more about the preliminary draft rule:

How can I comment?

  • You can submit comments online until 11:59 p.m. on July 25, 2020
  • By mail (must be postmarked by July 25, 2020):
    • Marla Koberstein
      WA Department of Ecology
      Preliminary Draft Variance Comments
      P.O. Box 47696
      Olympia, WA 98504-7696

More information on this rulemaking

  • Browse the variance rulemaking webpage.
  • Join our listserv to receive news and information about this rulemaking and other water quality topics.

Questions?

Marla Koberstein
Rule coordinator
email: swqs@ecy.wa.gov
Phone: 360-628-6376

April 8 Kaiser amended agreement online public meeting and comment period extension

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Hi Task Force members and interested parties,

The Washington Department of Ecology is holding an April 8 online public meeting and extending the comment period for the amended legal agreement requiring Kaiser to evaluate new technologies for treating polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in groundwater and implement a full-scale groundwater treatment system. Please see the link below for more information: 

KaiserAOextMtgPostcard

Rescheduling March 24 In-Person Spokane Open House on PCB Variances

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In consideration of public health and safety, we are cancelling the in-person Open House on PCB Variances for the Spokane River that was scheduled at the Spokane Community College on March 24, 2020.

After consulting with community groups on how to best serve the Spokane public, we have decided to reschedule the Spokane Open House to sometime in April. We will hold it as an evening online webinar rather than in-person. As soon as we have selected a new date, we will send out an announcement with more information.

Are we still holding the online March 26th webinar?

Yes, we will still hold the March 26th open house via webinar, from 2-4 p.m. Register for the March 26th webinar.

Informational posters

Our intent for holding the open houses is to provide transparent and easy to understand information on what a variance from the water quality standards means, and why we are considering PCB variances for the Spokane River. We will have both informational posters and the webinar presentation available online prior to the first webinar on March 26th. If you have an opportunity, feel free to view the materials in advance of the open house webinars. Also, we are hoping to gather your questions in advance (especially for the April open house) to help make it easier for everyone to participate in the online webinar. Please email any questions about the Spokane River PCB Variances to swqs@ecy.wa.gov. We will address all questions we receive via email during the Q & A portion of the online workshops and will have time for additional questions that come up after the presentation.

We will update our Variance rulemaking webpage to reflect any new changes to our outreach schedule.

If you have any questions, please contact Marla Koberstein, Rulemaking Lead, at swqs@ecy.wa.gov.

March 25, 2020 SRRTTF WebEx meeting/Additional information

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The next WebEx meeting of the Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force is:

Date: Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Link to register: Register This event requires registration. After you register, you’ll receive a confirmation email message with instructions on how to join the event.

Meeting Documents:

0 – SRRTTF agenda_03252020
1 – SRRTTF DRAFT Meeting Summary February 26, 2020
1a – LimnoTechSRRTTF_PP_Revised
2a – QAPP_PCBs in TiO2 2-24-2020_ Revision 0
2b – SOP TDSC-01_2-24-2020
3a – TTWG UPdate for SRRTTF_03252020
3b – LongTermMonitoringMemo_022620_draft
3c – HighFlowSynopticMemo
4 – SRRTTF-Revised MOA_Final DRAFT 3252020
5 – Future Meeting Topics – March 2020

The QAPP addendum for the 2019 biofilm sampling has been published                          (Ecology 2019 biofilm sampling QAPP addendum) and is available on the SRRTTF website under Dept. of Ecology publications also.

Additionally, Ecology has asked to share that it is closing its offices to outside visitors out of an abundance of caution regarding COVID-19.  The vast majority of Ecology staff around the state are now teleworking.

March open house on PCB Variances for the Spokane River

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Subject: March open house on PCB Variances for the Spokane River (including webinar option)

The Department of Ecology is hosting an open house to share information on the upcoming water quality standards rulemaking for PCB variances on the Spokane River. The variances were requested by five Spokane River dischargers.

The purpose of this open house is to revisit general information about variances and background on PCBs from previous workshops. Our goal is to provide the public with information that will assist with the upcoming review of the draft rule. We expect to have draft rule language and supporting documents available for public comment in May 2020, at which time we will hold public hearings.  

During the open house, we will cover:

  • An overview of PCBs in the environment
  • The water quality standard for PCBs and how we measure it
  • What is a variance and how does it affect compliance with water quality standards?
  • How we evaluated each individual discharger variance application
  • What to expect during the formal public comment period

There are two opportunities to attend this open house:

In person

March 24, 2020, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Spokane Community College – Lair Student Center
1810 N Greene St., Spokane WA, 99217

Online via webinar

March 26, 2020, 2-4:30 p.m.

Register for the webinar
The in-person open house will include a presentation followed by an informational poster session with an opportunity to speak with Ecology staff. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the formal presentation will begin at 6 p.m.

The online webinar will include the formal presentation, as well as the poster content. Ecology staff will be available for questions after the presentation.

Questions about this workshop? Email Marla Koberstein or call 360-407-6413.

Visit our rulemaking page or view our focus sheet to learn more about the proposed PCB Variances for the Spokane River.

The Department of Ecology is committed to providing people with disabilities access to information and services by meeting or exceeding the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Washington State Policy #188. 

To request an ADA accommodation, contact Ecology by phone at 360-407-6600 or email at swqs@ecy.wa.gov. For Washington Relay Service or TTY call 711 or 877-833-6341. Visit Ecology’s website for more information.

Draft WA state report and webinar on priority consumer products

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Hi Task Force members,

Please see the link and webinar information below provided by the Department of Ecology and the Safer Products for Washington team on priority consumer products: (https://www.ezview.wa.gov/Portals/_1962/Documents/saferproducts/January_2020_Stakeholder_Email.pdf)

Dear Interested Parties,

The Safer Products for Washington team is hosting two webinars on February 19, 2020—at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific Time. Join us to learn how we are implementing 70.365 RCW and to have your questions answered.

Register for the webinar

We encourage you to register for the 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. PST or the 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. PST presentation. We are offering two separate webinars with the same content in an effort to ensure the material is accessible across time zones and outside business hours.

What we’ll cover in the webinar

In partnership with Department of Health, we released a draft report on priority consumer products. During the webinar, we will provide an overview of the report and our rationale for proposing these products for further evaluation. We will also outline the timeline for our next steps.

Presentation materials

We will share the presentation slides with registered participants prior to the webinar. Find the slides, the list of attendees and the questions and answers on the Safer Products for Washington implementation site soon after the webinar.

Thank you for your engagement with Safer Products for Washington, Chapter 70.365 RCW. Please feel free to reach out to us with questions or to share information.

Safer Products for Washington team

Implementation program for RCW 70.365

SaferProductsWA@ecy.wa.gov

Feb. SRRTTF meetings/biofilm news story/EPA grant

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Upcoming SRRTTF meetings: (conf. call number 605-313-5141, 723394#)
PMF work group: Feb. 4 at 11 am (conf. call)
TSCA work group: Feb. 5 at 10 am (conf. call)
Education & Outreach work group: Feb. 11 at 10 am (Spokane Regional Health District)
The next SRRTTF meeting will be held Wednesday, Feb. 26 from 8:30 am – 12:00 pm at Liberty Lake Sewer & Water District – 22510 E Mission Ave., Spokane, WA
(For additional info. contact lara@whitebluffsconsulting.com)

Crosscut has written an article “10 of the Wildest Discoveries Washington Scientists Made in 2019” which includes Siana Wong and Brandee Era-Miller’s work on the PCB biofilm project.

Take a look at number 4! https://crosscut.com/2019/12/10-wildest-discoveries-washington-scientists-made-2019

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking grant applications from states and federally-recognized tribes to promote pollution prevention (P2) in businesses across the country. Through these grants, the agency hopes states and tribes, along with colleges, universities and intertribal consortia, will develop and provide information, training and tools to businesses to help them reduce costs and the use of water, energy and other natural resources.

EPA anticipates awarding approximately $9.38 million in total federal pollution prevention grant funding over a two-year funding cycle ($4.69 million in FY 2020 funds and $4.69 million in FY 2021 funds). Individual grant awards could be in the range of $40,000-$500,000 for the two-year funding period or between $20,000 – $250,000 funded per year.

Proposals are due by March 31, 2020

EPA Announces Grant Opportunity for Pollution Prevention Technical Assistance

San Francisco – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is seeking grant applications from states and federally-recognized tribes to promote pollution prevention (P2) in businesses across the country. Through these grants, the agency hopes states and tribes, along with colleges, universities and intertribal consortia, will develop and provide information, training and tools to businesses to help them reduce costs and the use of water, energy and other natural resources.

“Pollution prevention grants are important tools that help support innovative solutions to reducing pollution,” said EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Assistant Administrator Alexandra Dapolito Dunn. “The results of work done under these grants have created best practices that are helping to advance economic growth, increase sustainability and protect the environment.”

EPA anticipates awarding approximately $9.38 million in total federal pollution prevention grant funding over a two-year funding cycle ($4.69 million in FY 2020 funds and $4.69 million in FY 2021 funds). Individual grant awards could be in the range of $40,000-$500,000 for the two-year funding period or between $20,000 – $250,000 funded per year.

For these grants, EPA emphasizes the importance of grantees documenting and sharing P2 best practices that are identified and developed through these grants, so that others can replicate these practices and outcomes. Each grantee will be required to develop at least one case study during the grant period on P2 practices that are new or not widely known or adopted, or where detailed information on the P2 practices could benefit other businesses or P2 technical assistance providers.

Grant applications should focus on at least one of the following P2 priority areas, also referred to as National Emphasis Areas (NEAs) that support several of the Agency’s Smart Sectors:  

  1. NEA #1: Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Processing
  2. NEA #2:  Chemical Manufacturing, Processing and Formulation
  3. NEA #3:  Automotive Manufacturing and Maintenance
  4. NEA #4:  Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing and Maintenance
  5. NEA #5:  Metal Manufacturing and Fabrication

EPA’s national P2 Program will host two informational webinars for potential applicants and interested stakeholders. The first webinar will be held on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 from 2:00 – 3:30 pm EDT. To register, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/8522288642270023693.

This webinar will review information about the P2 Grant program and the application process to help potential applicants submit a high-quality application to EPA for consideration.  Time will be provided on the webinar for questions and answers. 

The second webinar will be held on Tuesday, February 25, 2020 from 2:00 – 3:30 pm EDT to review and answer questions on the NEAs for this grant competition cycle. To register, please go to: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4696774328423521549.

The webinar registration links will work best when using the Google Chrome browser.  Please consult the solicitation for further details.

Proposals are due by March 31, 2020. Additional information is available on www.grants.gov, under Funding Opportunity Announcement EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-001.

Read more about P2 and the P2 Grant Program.

Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.


Ecology Variance Workshop

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The Department of Ecology is hosting a one day public workshop to share information on the potential use of PCB variances for five Spokane River dischargers. We are sending out this message to share the workshop agenda and to let you know we have updated the start and end time of the workshop

Meeting information:

What: Workshop on PCB Variances for Spokane River Dischargers

When: November 14, 2019, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. (note time change)

Where: CenterPlace Regional Events Center, 2426 N Discovery Place, Spokane Valley

Attend in person:
CenterPlace Regional Events Center
2426 N Discovery Pl, Spokane Valley		 Attend via webinar:
Register for the webinar at https://bit.ly/32EddUp

New:

Questions about this workshop? Email Susan Braley or call 360-407-6414.
Visit our rulemaking page to learn more about the proposed PCB Variances for the Spokane River.

August SRRTTF meeting date change/ Senate Bill 5135/Transitioning to Safer Chemicals training

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The next meeting of the Spokane Regional Toxics Task Force will be on Tuesday, August 27, 2019 from 1:30 pm to 5:00 pm at Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District.

Washington’s Department of Ecology and Department of Health are working to implement Substitute Senate Bill 5135. Their working name for this law is “Safer Products for Washington.” This new law is designed to reduce the use of toxic chemicals in products by restricting or eliminating those toxics when safer alternatives are available. They are asking interested parties to sign up on their email list and find more information on the Safer Products for Washington website.  Register for their August 29 webinar about this work. If you have questions, contact them at SaferProductsWA@ecy.wa.gov

OSHA 7225 Transitioning to Safer Chemicals
September 5-6, Spokane, WA
December 11-12, Seattle, WA
Register HERE
Unsure if you want to commit the time? Listen to a webinar about the training to learn more about it.