EPA requests unified Task Force response brief in response to court ruling. EPA to hold conference call to answer questions.

In its submittal in response the March 2015 court ruling, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would like to tell the court what the Task Force believes it is important for the court to know about the Task Force’s work. EPA has asked for a single concise brief, rather than multiple responses from Task Force members, and has requested it no later than June 15th. The unified Task Force document should be no more than 3 pages with additional pages for references. The content should focus on actions completed or committed to by the Task Force that can reasonably be expected to do at least one of the following:

  • Address data gaps.  Examples include:
    • Sampling of the river, tributaries, and effluents.
    • Source identification or tracking (e.g., product testing, sampling within sanitary or storm sewers).
  • Quantifiably reduce PCB loading in the Spokane River watershed.  Examples include:
    • Reducing PCBs “imported” to the watershed, e.g., through changes in procurement.
    • Producing measurable reductions in PCB loadings and/or concentrations from traditional point sources or from storm water.
    • Physically removing or immobilizing legacy PCBs.

It is expected that individual Task Force members will begin compiling this material, with the full coordinated response to be discussed at the May 27th SRRTTF meeting.

To answer questions from Task Force members, provide any additional information, and assist in the development of this response, EPA will hold a conference call for interested SRRTTF members. Please fill out this doodle poll  as soon as possible. (http://doodle.com/zk9urh4pyaaaysbx)

Please direct any questions to Chris Page of the Ruckelshaus Center at c.page@wsu.edu