Vactor Waste Study Report available for review: Comments due by September 10th

The Task Force Vactor Waste small work group has completed a draft report on the recent Vactor Waste/Decant Facility study.  Task Force members are asked to review the report and provide feedback to Jeff Donovan (jdonovan@spokanecity.org) by 5 pm on September 10th.

2015 7 15 REPORT Vactor Decant Facility Characterization DRAFT

QAPP/SAP for PCB characterization of Spokane Regional Vactor Waste Decant Facilities available for review

The Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP) for the PCB Characterization of Spokane’s Regional Vactor Waste Decant Facilities is completed and available for review.

The Task Force team working on this project has reviewed the the QAPP/SAP and given their approval.  If you have any questions concerning the project please contact Jeff Donovan (jdonavan@spokanecity.org).

Announcement: City of Spokane Passes PCB-Free Ordinance

The PCB product purchasing ordinance passed City Council this week on June 2.

The new ordinance requires City Hall purchasing managers to give preference to PCB-free products ranging from road paint to packaging materials. The goal is to cut the amount of PCBs entering into the Spokane River and other waterways from largely unregulated sources.

Click Here to view the City of Spokane PCB-free product purchasing ordinance.

Click Here to view the Spokane City Council video (Select City Council Meetings and then June 2nd 2014). The PCB discussion starts at about 26.00 minutes.

Click Here to read the Spokesman Review newspaper article from Sunday, June 8, 2014.

Notice Regarding Statements of Qualifications and Proposals

The Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force (SRRTTF) is soliciting Statements of Qualifications and Proposals from qualified technical consultants to assist the Task Force as an independent community technical advisor.  The goal of the Task Force is to develop a comprehensive plan to bring the Spokane River into compliance with applicable water quality standards for PCBs and Dioxins.  This is a multi-phased, multi-year program.

Click Here to download the Request for Qualifications and Proposal packet.

Relevant data and references for this project can be found at the Spokane Regional Toxics Task Force website, see the “References and Information” tab. 

Questions regarding the RFP process will be accepted until November 20, 2012 by Adriane Borgias at ABOR461@ecy.wa.gov. Questions regarding Department of Ecology public information should be directed to KAJO461@ecy.wa.gov.

Submittals are due by 4:00 p.m. November 27, 2012 to the Washington Department of Ecology, Eastern Regional Office, 4601 North Monroe Street, Spokane Washington, 99205

SRRTTF Request for Qualifications and Proposal Packet

1. RFQ Transmittal Memo
2. Request for Qualifications and Proposals
3. Attachment A to the RFQ
4. SRRTTF First Draft Work Plan, Adopted 10-24-2012
5. SRRTTF Work Plan Milestone Schedule 10-24-2012

Click Here for additional background information and data.

Questions regarding the RFP process will be accepted until November 20, 2012 by Adriane Borgias at ABOR461@ecy.wa.gov. Questions regarding Department of Ecology public information should be directed to KAJO461@ecy.wa.gov.

Submittals are due by 4:00 p.m. November 27, 2012 to the Washington Department of Ecology, Eastern Regional Office, 4601 North Monroe Street, Spokane Washington, 99205

November 7, 2012 Technical Track Work Group Meeting

Spokane River Regional Task Force

Technical Track Work Group Meeting
Date: November 7, 2012
Time: 1 pm to 3 pm

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

Meeting Documents

–  Technical Track Work Group Draft Meeting Notes 07-November-2012
–  Technical Track Work Group Draft Agenda 07-November-2012
– 
TTWG Methodology Discussion Background 11-07-2102
– 
Email from Dave Hope 10-17-2012
– 
Lisa Rodenburg Publications 11-07-2012

ECOS Resolution Update

On August 28th, during their annual conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), which is the national non-profit, non-partisan association of state and territorial environmental agency leaders, passed a resolution addressed to the EPA that laid out several points about how to best address levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in wastewater discharges to our nation’s waterbodies.

The ECOS resolution is the most recent step in a process that began two years ago when SRRTTF members Inland Empire Paper Company along with Spokane Riverkeeper and The Lands Council wrote a letter to the EPA alerting them of the the regulatory loophole that allows PCBs to continue to be released to the environment.  

“The passage of the resolution was really a significant event,” said Ted Sturdevant the director of the Washington State Department of Ecology. “State environmental regulators heard the exact same message from industry, academia and the environmental community — we need to turn off the faucet that is allowing this pollution stream to continue. That allowed a very diverse gathering of states to agree to a strong statement calling for a national solution. The states are fed up with trying to solve pollution problems at the end of the pipe, when the solutions are best found through prevention at the national level. It’s why ECOS has called for comprehensive reform of the federal law governing toxic substances, and why we’ll keep pushing at the national level, and within our own states, until we get there.”  Ted Sturdevant, Director, Washington State

On September 7, 2012 the Waterkeeper organizations sent EPA a letter in support of the ECOS resolution. EPA sent this response on October 5, 2012.

Read the Huffington Post Article, “State Environmental Heads Pass Resolution about PCBs” by Bart Mihailovich.

October 24, 2012 Spokane River Regional Task Force Meeting

Spokane River Regional Task Force Meeting Announcement

Date: October 24, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Location: Liberty Lake
22510 E. Mission Avenue
Liberty Lake, WA 99019
Click here for a map.

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

Please note, the conference call in number will remain open until 15 minutes until after the meeting begins. It will continue to remain open as long as there are callers on the line. If you wish to join the meeting by phone late, please notify Adriane Borgias (abor461@ecy.wa.gov) ahead of time.

Meeting Documents
– 
SRRTTF Meeting Summary 10-24-12
– 
SRRTTF Draft Agenda 10-24-12
– 
Request For Proposals R3 10-15-12
– 
RFP Attachment A R2
  SRRTTF Work Plan 10-10-12
  SRRTTF Work Plan Milestone Schedule 10-17-12
  SRRTTF Logos & Letterhead Options 10-17-12
  SRRTTF Fact Sheet 10-15-12 (v2)
– 
PCBs in Products Resolution Draft 10-05-2012 (v1)
  NACWA TSCA Letter 09-26-2012 (v1)
  WEF TSCA Letter 09-26-2012 (v2)
–  Spokane River Fish Samples 2012 – Updated 10-15-12
–  PCBs in Products Resolution & Letter – to Suzanne E. Goss, NACWA President
–  PCBs in Products Resolution & Letter – to Ken Kirk, NACWA Executive Director
–  PCBs in Products Resolution & Letter – to Jeff Eger, WEF Executive Director
–  PCBs in Products Resolution & Letter – to Cordell W. Samuels, WEF President

October 10, 2012 Administrative Work Group Meeting

Spokane River Regional Task Force

Administrative Work Group Meeting
Date: October 10, 2012
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 pm

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

Meeting Documents
–  
SRRTTF Admin WG DRAFT Mtg Notes 10-10-12
   SRRTTF Admin Work Group Draft Agenda
–   PCBs in Products Resolution Draft 10-05-12