Hi Task Force,
Please see below for a recap of the last Task Force meeting, including notes on the options for the Task Force future, along with other information items:

SRRTTF DRAFT Meeting Summary February 22, 2023

SRRTTF Measurable Progress Report link:
https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/SummaryPages/2310004.html

Publication with information regarding PCBs in building materials link: https://indd.adobe.com/view/b67f4d6f-5438-42c2-84f7-0c3631a18cb5?startpage=8&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

MTCA Cleanup Regulations Practitioners:

The Department of Ecology (Ecology) proposes to amend Chapter 173-340 WAC, the Model Toxics Control Act Cleanup Regulations.  The proposal is authorized by and implements Chapter 70A.305 RCW, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), and Chapter 70A.355 RCW, the Underground Storage Tank law.  Ecology filed the rule proposal on February 15, 2023.  The proposal is currently available for review and comment by the public.  Ecology will hold two public hearings on the proposal via webinar on March 23 and March 27, 2023.  The comment period on the proposal closes April 16, 2023.

As part of the rulemaking, Ecology is proposing to replace the current site hazard assessment and ranking process specified in the rule (WARM) with an improved process developed outside the rule (SHARP).  The new SHARP will be subject to functional requirements, performance standards, and public participation requirements in the proposed rule.  On March 1, 2023, Ecology plans to provide the public with notice and a concurrent opportunity to review and comment on the proposed SHARP Tool.  The comment period on the SHARP Tool will also close on April 16, 2023.

What is the purpose of the rulemaking?

The purpose of the rulemaking is to:

• Improve the site hazard assessment and ranking process.
• Revitalize MTCA cleanup program planning and assessment.
• Update and clarify remedial investigation and remedy selection requirements.
• Distinguish more clearly requirements applying to independent remedial actions.
• Improve response to underground storage tank (UST) releases, and maintain federal approval of the state’s UST program, as required by Chapter 70A.355 RCW.
• Strengthen environmental justice principles when prioritizing and cleaning up sites.
• Advance public participation and tribal engagement.
• Make the rule easier to use and understand.

Who may be impacted?

The rule proposal may impact persons who:

• Are responsible for investigating and cleaning up contaminated sites.
• Provide services to persons who investigate and clean up contaminated sites.
• Own or operate UST systems regulated under Chapter 173-360A WAC.
• Persons who may be exposed to or impacted by contaminated sites.

 What documents are available for your review?

The following documents are available for your review and comment:

• Proposal notice – CR102 form.
• Proposed rule language.
• Preliminary Regulatory Analyses.
• SEPA Environmental Checklist and Determination of Nonsignificance.

Additional documents are available to aid your review of the proposed rule amendments.To download these documents, visit our rulemaking website.  If you would prefer to review hard copies of any of these documents, contact Clint Stanovsky, Cleanup Rulemaking Lead, at 360-742-9703 or MTCARule@ecy.wa.gov.

How can I provide comments?

The comment period on the rule proposal ends April 16, 2023.  You can submit comments through one of the following ways:

Submit comments online

Mail comments to:
Sarah Wollwage
Department of Ecology
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600

Attend a public hearing – see below

Please note that any information (e.g., personal or contact) you provide in a comment or in an attachment may be publicly disclosed and posted on the internet.

 How can I attend a public hearing?

Ecology will hold two public hearings on this rule proposal via webinar.  Webinars are an online meeting you can attend from any computer, tablet, or smartphone using internet access.  The hearings will begin with a short presentation and question and answer session, followed by the opportunity to provide testimony. 

For assistance with disabilities, please contact Ecology by March 16, 2023.  See accessibility contact information below.

Ecology’s response to your comments

All of the comments we receive will become part of the official record.  We will publish responses to comments in a Concise Explanatory Statement (CES), which required by the Administrative Procedure Act, Chapter 34.05 RCW.  The CES will be available after the rule is adopted.

When does Ecology plan to adopt the rule?  What is the anticipated effective date of the rule?

Ecology intends to adopt the rule amendments in August 2023.  The anticipated effective date is January 1, 2024.

 Where can I find more information about the rulemaking?

For more information about the rulemaking, visit our rulemaking website.  If you have any questions about the rulemaking, contact Clint Stanovsky, Cleanup Rulemaking Lead, at 360-742-9703 or MTCARule@ecy.wa.gov.

How do I request ADA accommodation for disabilities?

To request ADA accommodation for disabilities, or printed materials in a format for the visually impaired, contact Ecology’s ADA Coordinator by email at ecyadacoordinator@ecy.wa.gov, or call 360-407-6831.  People with impaired hearing may call Washington Relay Service at 711.  People with speech disability may call TTY at 877-833-6341.

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

Date: Wednesday, February 22, 2023
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Location: Spokane County Water Resource Center (1004 N. Freya St., Spokane, WA)
Zoom meeting link: Please email lara@whitebluffsconsulting.com for more information and to join via Zoom if you cannot attend in person. We are hoping members will attend in person if possible due to the nature of the discussion regarding the Task Force future.

Meeting Documents:

0- SRRTTF agenda_2_22_23
SRRTTF Meeting Summary January 25, 2023
2a – 2023-01-31 ACE Commitment Report
2b – ACE monthly summary
3 – Task Force WGs Feb. 22 2023 – PPT Update template
4 – WaterColumnTrend_HighFlow_Scope_01092023draft
5a – Action to Recommend Ending Task Force 2023_02_15 – Updated
5b – SRRTTF – MOAFinal – 1_23_12
5c – SRRTTF-Nonprofit-Entity-Bylaws—3-5-2013 Final
6 – Future Meeting Topics February

Avista Corp Spokane Service Center cleanup site

Proposed removal from the Hazardous Sites List

Comment period Feb. 13 – March 15, 2023, 11:59 p.m.

We propose removing this site from the Hazardous Sites List because the site has been cleaned up. We invite your comment on the proposal.

The Hazardous Sites List includes all contaminated sites that have had their hazard ranked relative to other known contaminated sites in Washington. Sites are ranked on a scale of one to five, with one presenting the highest risk. This site, located at 1411 E. Mission Avenue in Spokane, was ranked a five, due to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and petroleum in soil and groundwater.

Some contaminated soil was excavated and taken to a landfill. The rest that couldn’t be removed without damaging buildings or utilities was capped with a protective liner, and a drainage system was installed to direct rain and snowmelt away. An environmental covenant was filed to document the remaining soil contamination. ​Avista sampled five groundwater monitoring wells quarterly from 2019 to 2021, and all samples met water quality standards. 

Learn more

• Review our no further action letter, which explains what was done to clean up the site
• Visit our Avista Corp Spokane Service Center cleanup site page

About the Hazardous Sites List

A site may be removed from the Hazardous Sites List only if the site is cleaned up to the standards set in Washington’s cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act. In some cases, long-term monitoring and periodic reviews may be required to ensure the cleanup is adequate to protect the public and the environment. We hold a public comment period for any site we propose to remove from this list.

Comment online

• Use our online comment form
• Submit your comment by email: ted.uecker@ecy.wa.gov 

Comment by mail

Ted Uecker
4601 N. Monroe St.
Spokane, WA 99205

Questions

Ted Uecker Site Manager
ted.uecker@ecy.wa.gov
509-342-5564

Hello Spokane County nonprofits, 

I’m writing because I manage a grant fund for the Washington Department of Ecology that is gearing up to launch a request for applications. Nonprofit organizations like yours are invited to apply for up to $60,000 a year for two years. New applicants are a priority for this funding, and I hope applicants from the Spokane area will apply. 

These Public Participation Grants fund a variety of environmental projects that:

• reduce waste and pollution.
• increase recycling, green business, and composting.
• engage the public in formal cleanup decisions.

I will be in Spokane from February 14^th – 16^th and welcome the opportunity to meet together. I will present on this and two other waste management opportunities and share general grant writing strategies. The meeting can be a two-way conversation, meaning that I want to learn about your organization’s mission and current projects and explore whether you might apply for a Public Participation Grant. Please email to let me know if you can come to either of the following events:

Tuesday, February 14^th

Time: 2:00 – 3:30 pm
Location: Ecology’s Eastern Regional Office
Address: 4601 N. Monroe St. Spokane, WA 99205-1295
Parking is available

Thursday, February 16th

Time: 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Location: Spokane Central Library
Address: 906 W. MAIN AVE, Classroom B

If these times do not work for you, I will also hold webinars in a few weeks. Please find the application announcement attached and please don’t hesitate to ask any questions or forward this invitation to other nonprofits and community environmentalists in your network.

With warm regards,

Faith Wimberley (she/her)
Public Participation Grant Manager
Washington State Department of Ecology
425-275-7285

The next meeting of the TTWG will be held on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm.  Please contact lara@whitebluffsconsulting.com for the Zoom meeting link.

Meeting Documents:

TTWG_agenda 2-14-2023
TTWG presentation_02142023
TTWG_Meeting summary 1-17-23_d1

Hi Task Force members and interested parties,

In follow up to the Wednesday Task Force meeting, we are providing some documents in preparation for the next Task Force meeting on February 22: This includes the original MOA, ACE Bylaws and an updated statement of action for Task Force members to consider.

We hope to determine at the February meeting where each member organization is in deciding if and when to sunset the Task Force.

Additional February meeting documents will be added on February 15.

Action to Recommend Ending Task Force 2023_01_27 – Updated
SRRTTF-MOA-Final-1-23-2012
SRRTTF-Nonprofit-Entity-Bylaws—3-5-2013 Final

See the link below to register and see more information on A4’s quarterly webinar featuring speakers Doug Krapas (Inland Empire Paper) and Lauren Heine (ChemFORWARD):

https://saferalternatives.org/resources/upcoming-webinar

Upcoming Task Force work group meetings:
January 10 – Education and Outreach meeting (9:30 am)
January 17 – Tech Track meeting (10:00 am)

The next meeting of the SRRTTF will be held on Wednesday, January 25 at 8:30 am at the Spokane County Water Resources Center

The Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force is soliciting qualified firms to develop a proposal to ‘Evaluate Methods and Develop a Strategy to Petition EPA to amend TSCA’.   Proposals are due December 23, 2023. Please see the link below for more information:

Develop Approach to Petitioning change in TSCA Regs