March 22, 2017 Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force Meeting

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

Date: March 22, 2017
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 pm

Location:
Spokane County Water Resource Center
1004 N. Freya Street
Spokane, WA 99202

Click here for a map

Call In Number: 509-335-2277
Participant Code: 5266916

Meeting Materials:
– SRRTTF 3-22-2017 Meeting Notes FINAL
–  
SRRTTF March 22_2017 Agenda_draft_revised
–  
SRRTTF 2.22.17 Summary Notes_DRAFT
 TTWG 3.1.17 summary notes 
 Ace Commitment Report_for March 2017 TF meeting
  Draft_SOW_for_2017_SRRTTF_Technical_Activities _03-15-17
 Data driven project efforts d2_3-2-17
–  Control-Actions_Work-Plan-Tracking
  Logic Flow_Comp Plan

IDAHO News: Final Rule Package Submittal to EPA – WQS/Fish Consumption Rates in Human Health Criteria, Docket No. 58-0102-1201

Idaho has submitted their State adopted Human Health Water Quality Criteria (HHWQC) to EPA for approval.

Final Rule Package Submitted to EPA

This submittal also includes documents that exist as part of the rulemaking record and posted at www.deq.idaho.gov/58-0102-1201.

Ecology Director Maia Bellon responds to EPA’s announcement on Washington’s water quality standards

Director Bellon’s statement:

 “We’re disappointed that Washington state’s approach wasn’t accepted in its entirety. We worked hard to craft new water quality standards that were balanced and made real progress – improving environmental protection and human health while helping businesses and local governments comply.

“We were always clear in our goal – to meet EPA’s requirements and tailor our proposal to work for Washington state. We believe we did that with the clean water standards we adopted in August.
 
“Reviewing the details of EPA’s decision is important to understand all the implications.
 
“It appears that EPA largely approved the implementation tools that we developed. These are pivotal to ensure that dischargers can stay in compliance while making real progress toward updated standards.
 
“Regardless of EPA’s decision today, we must stay focused on reducing toxic contaminants at their source rather than rely on expensive end-of-the-pipe treatment that has limited benefits.”
  
Helpful links
·       EPA news release (Nov. 15, 2016): EPA updates standards for toxic pollutants in Washington waters
·       Ecology news release (Aug. 1, 2016): State adopts new clean water rule

EPA Grant Opportunities!!

Funding and Technical Assistance Opportunities
Local Foods, Local Places 2016-2017 Application, EPA
Applications due by November 6, 2016.
Local Foods, Local Places helps communities create more livable neighborhoods by promoting local foods. The program is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the Delta Regional Authority.
The Local Foods, Local Places program will provide selected communities planning assistance that centers around a two-day community workshop. At the workshop, a team of experts will help community members develop an implementable action plan that promotes local food and neighborhood revitalization. Eligible applicants include local governments, Indian tribes, and nonprofit institutions and organizations proposing to work in a neighborhood, town, or city of any size anywhere in the United States. We expect that many of the communities we select will be economically challenged and in the early phases of their efforts to promote local foods and community revitalization.
 
Healthy Places for Healthy People, EPA
Applications due by November 6, 2016.
Healthy Places for Healthy People helps communities create walkable, healthy, economically vibrant places by engaging with their health care facility partners such as community health centers (including Federally Qualified Health Centers), nonprofit hospitals, and other health care facilities. The pilot phase of this program is sponsored by EPA and the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Healthy Places for Healthy People will provide selected communities with expert planning assistance that centers around a two-day community workshop. A team of experts will help community members develop an implementable action plan that will focus on health as an economic driver and catalyst for downtown and neighborhood revitalization. Eligible applicants include local government representatives, health care facilities, local health departments, neighborhood associations, main street districts, nonprofit organizations, tribes and others proposing to work in a neighborhood, town, or city located anywhere in the United States. Applications that include representatives from both the community (local government or non-governmental organization) and a health care facility will receive special consideration.
 
Cool & Connected Fall 2016 Application, EPA
Applications due by November 6, 2016.
Communities interested in using broadband service to revitalize main streets and promote economic development are encouraged to apply for Cool & Connected, a planning program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and EPA’s Office of Sustainable Communities. Through Cool & Connected, a team of experts will help community members develop strategies and an action plan for using broadband service to promote smart, sustainable community development. Eligibility:
·        Any community representative is welcome to submit an application to participate in Cool & Connected.
·        Special consideration will be given to small towns and rural communities that face economic challenges.
·        Special consideration will be given to communities in places where USDA has provided loans or grants in support of broadband services.
·        Your community should have existing or anticipated broadband service that can be leveraged for community development.
 
Preservation Technology and Training Grants, National Park Service
Applications due November 3, 2016.
Funding Opportunity Number: P16AS00579
2017 Preservation Technology and Training Grants are intended to create better tools, better materials, and better approaches to conserving buildings, landscapes, sites, and collections. The competitive grants program will provide funding to federal agencies, states, tribes, local governments, and non-profit organizations. Grants will support the following activities:
·        Innovative research that develops new technologies or adapts existing technologies to preserve cultural resources (typically $25,000 to $40,000)
·        Specialized workshops or symposia that identify and address national preservation needs (typically $15,000 to $25,000)
·        How-to videos, mobile applications, podcasts, best practices publications, or webinars that disseminate practical preservation methods or provide better tools for preservation practice (typically $5,000 to $15,000)
The maximum grant award is $40,000. The actual grant award amount is dependent on the scope of the proposed activity.
 
Environmental Education Grants, Captain Planet Foundation
Funding range: $500 to $2,500
Applications due by January 31, 2017
The mission of the Captain Planet Foundation is to give the next generation of environmental stewards an active understanding and love for the natural world in which they live. The Captain Planet Foundation primarily makes grants to U.S.-based schools and organizations with an annual operating budget of less than $3 million. Grants are made for activities that conform to the mission of the Captain Planet Foundation and MUST have all four of the following to be considered for funding:
·        Be project-based;
·        Projects must be performed by youth;
·        Projects must have real environmental outcomes;
·        Be based in the United States.
Grants from the Captain Planet Foundation are intended to:
·        Provide hands-on environmental stewardship opportunities for youth;
·        Serve as a catalyst to getting environment-based education in schools;
·        Inspire youth and communities to participate in community service through environmental stewardship activities.
Also of interest, EPA Long-Term Stormwater Planning Effort
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a new voluntary stormwater planning initiative to help communities plan long-term strategies for managing stormwater pollution. EPA has released a step-by-step guide to help communities develop long-term stormwater plans, a web-based toolkit for the planning process, and technical assistance for five communities to develop plans as national models. This effort promotes the use of flexible solutions that spur economic growth, stimulate infrastructure investments, and help compliance with environmental requirements.
 
 
 For more information contact:
Rachel Herbert
EPA/Office of Water/Stormwater Team
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, MC 4203M
Washington, DC 20460
herbert.rachel@epa.gov
202.564.2649

NPDES general permit for federal aquaculture facilities and aquaculture facilities in Indian Country within the boundaries of the state of Washington

 EPA has reissued the NPDES general permit for federal aquaculture facilities and aquaculture facilities in Indian Country within the boundaries of the state of Washington.  The final permit, response to comments, and other supporting materials are available on EPA’s website at: https://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/water.nsf/npdes+permits/general+npdes+permits#fedaqua

Court Case Update: Case No. 11-CV-1759-BJR Memorandum Order Granting Motion to File Supplemental Complaint and Supplemental Complaint

Court  case files filed June 1 and June 2. 

Case No. 11-CV-1759-BJR MEMORANDUM ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO FILE SUPPLEMENTAL COMPLAINT
and
Supplemental Complaint

CELP News Release  — June 6, 2016 titled “EPA challenged over failures to clean up Spokane River PCB pollution” http://www.celp.org/category/litigation-and-court-decisions/

May 25, 2016 Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force Meeting

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

Date: May 25, 2016
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Location: Spokane County Water Resource Center
1004 N. Freya Street
Spokane, WA 99202

Click here for a map

Call In Number: 800-704-9804
Participant Code: 34863442#

Webinar Information: 

——————————————————-
To join the online meeting

——————————————————-

1. Go to
https://wadis.webex.com/wadis/j.php?MTID=m9cc858b87958f774f2d2b1528b5b608a
2. Enter your name and email address.

3. Enter the meeting password: 3yMHswki

4. Click “Join Now”.

——————————————————-
To join the audio conference only

——————————————————-

For Audio, please use telephone.

Call 1 800 704 9804

Participant code 34863442#



Meeting Documents:
–  SRRTTF 05-25-16_Summary Notes_Final
–  
SRRTTF May 25 2016 Agenda_revised3
Previous Meeting  Summaries:
–  
SRRTTF April 27 DRAFT summary notes (Decision Item)
–  SRRTTF_TTWG_05-04-16_Summary Notes
Other Meeting Documents and Presentations
–  
SRRTTF-PCB-Fact-Sheet-April-2016-_edited-4.20.16 (Decision Item)
SRRTTF_LimnoTech_05_25_2016_Part 1 and 2
All Comprehensive Planning Documents and Comments
– SRRTTF_MagnitudeSourcesPathways_2016_0518_draft. (Decision Item)
–  
SRRTTF_Inventory_of_Control_Actions_05182016_draft (Decision Item)
–  
Work Plan_Rodenburg
  Homolog-PMF presentation_II 5-25-16

EPA Releases Online Mapping Tool to Help Protect Drinking Water Sources

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 19, 2016

EPA Releases Online Mapping Tool to Help Protect Drinking Water Sources

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released DWMAPS – the Drinking Water Mapping Application to Protect Source Waters. This robust, online mapping tool provides the public, water system operators, state programs, and federal agencies with critical information to help them safeguard the sources of America’s drinking water.

DWMAPS allows users to learn about their watershed and understand more about their water supplier. DWMAPS also lets users see if sources of their drinking water are polluted and if there are possible sources of pollution that could affect their communities’ water supply. DWMAPS can even guide users to ways they can get involved in protecting drinking water sources in their community.

“A key part of having safe drinking water is protecting the sources – the streams, rivers, and lakes where utilities withdraw water,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “DWMAPS is the latest example of how EPA is using technology and digital tools to better protect public health and the environment.

Utilities and state drinking water program managers can also use DWMAPS with their own state and local data. It allows them to identify potential sources of contamination in their locations, find data to support source water assessments and plans to manage potential sources of contamination and evaluate accidental spills and releases. DWMAPS also integrates drinking water protection activities with other environmental programs at the federal, state, and local levels.

DWMAPS can provide users with information to update source water assessments and prioritize source water protection in any location or watershed in the country. Specifically, DWMAPS helps users to:

  • Identify potential sources of contamination in locations defined by users;
  • Find data to support source water assessments and plans to manage potential sources of contamination;
  • Evaluate accidental spills and releases, identifying where emergency response resources for accidental releases must be readily available; and
  • Promote integration of drinking water protection activities with other environmental programs at the EPA, state, and local levels.

The mapping system will not display the locations of Public Water System facility intakes, but it does contain a wide variety of data useful to the protection of drinking water sources. EPA developed DWMAPS in consultation with EPA regional drinking water programs, state drinking water regulators, and public water systems.

Visit www.epa.gov/sourcewaterprotection/dwmaps

R025

 

September 2, 2015 Technical Track Work Group Meeting

The next meeting of the Technical Track Work group is:
Date: Wednesday September 2, 2015
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Location: Washington Department of Ecology
N. 4601 Monroe St.
Spokane, WA 99205
Click here for a map.

Call In Number: 800-704-9804 Participant Code: 34863442#

Meeting Documents:
–  SRRTTF TTWG 9.2.15 Summary Notes
 Tech Track WG agn 09-02-15 DRAFT
 SRRTTF 08-05-15 TTWG summary notes DRAFT
 SRRTTF_Phase_2_Final_Report_2015_08_12_without appendices
Dry Weather Sampling 2015
 Spokane_River_QAPP_Addendum 1_signed_081715
 QAPP checklist 2015 Addendum 1 SRT Reduction Strategy APPROVED (1)
Comprehensive Plan
 SRRTTFComprehensivePlanOutline_2015_09_02
 Comp Plan Outline 08-2015 (excel spreadsheet)
  Letter to EPA regarding Comp Plan content review initiation 08-18-15 DRAFT
SWAT Team Projects/Reports
–  
2015 8 14 REPORT Vactor Decant Facility Characterization DRAFT
–  
Hydroseed Pilot Project Report_Draft_08-27-15
–  Hydroseed Results with Graphs etc