Category Archives: Ecology News

Ecology News: Ecology Water Quality Program State Fiscal Year 2019 Final Funding Offer List and Intended Use Plan.

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Ecology’s Water Quality Program is pleased to announce the publication of the State Fiscal Year 2019 Final Water Quality Funding Offer List and Intended Use Plan (Final List). The Final List describes how Ecology will use state and federal dollars to fund projects to improve and protect water quality.
 
Ecology is offering more than $155 million in financial assistance for 69 high-priority clean water projects across Washington state. The total includes roughly $12 million from the Centennial Clean Water Program, $1.5 million from the Clean Water Act Section 319 Program, $27 million from the Stormwater Financial Assistance Program, and $115 million from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.
 
To ensure that funds were directed to the highest priority projects, our water quality specialists evaluated and scored all eligible project proposals. Scores were compiled, and a statewide priority list was developed. Projects offered funding are based upon the priority list, the type of project, and the funding source.
 
All applicants will receive a letter about their funding status from Ecology by next week. If your project is offered funding, the letter will list your Ecology contact(s).
 
For more information about the SFY19 Funding Cycle, including access to an interactive map of funded projects, please visit the Water Quality Combined Funding Program Funding Cycles Webpage. For more information about the Water Quality Combined Funding Program please visit Water Quality Combined Funding Program.
 

Ecology News: DRAFT Report “Assessment of Low-Level Sampling Methods for PCBs and PBDEs in Surface Waters” please review and provide feedback by July 31, 2018.

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Please review and provide feedback/comments on the  DRAFT Report “Assessment of Low-Level Sampling Methods for PCBs and PBDEs in Surface Waters and the associated appendix. Comments are to be directed to Will Hobbs (whob461@ecy.wa.gov) by Friday, July 13th, 2018.

Update: The due date for comments has been extended to July 31, 2018.

DRAFT Low-Level report 5-30-18 (1)
Appendix Low-Level Report Tables 5-18-18 (1)

Ecology News: PBT Chemical Trends Determined from Age Dated Lake Sediment Cores, 2016 Results – SRRTTF to provide comments by June 30, 2018

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Task Force,

Please review the Ecology Draft Report on “PBT Chemical Trends Determined from Age Dated Lake Sediment Cores, 2016 Results”.  Please send comments to Callie Mathieu (callie.mathieu@ecy.wa.gov) no later than June 30, 2018.

Thank you!

Callie Mathieu
PBT Monitoring Coordinator
Washington State Department of Ecology
Phone: 360.407.6965

 

Ecology News: New Ecology report- Evaluation of Fish Hatcheries as Sources of PCBs to the Spokane River

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The report, Evaluation of Fish Hatcheries as Sources of PCBs to the Spokane River, is now available at https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1803014.html 

Sections of the Spokane River, Little Spokane River, and Lake Spokane are currently listed as impaired for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. To address the problem, the Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force has been working with local entities to determine PCB sources and implement strategies to reduce PCBs in the system. One of the data gaps identified was the contribution of fish hatcheries to PCBs in the Spokane River via wastewater discharges and fish stocking. Previous studies have shown that hatchery fish can contain PCBs. 

The Department of Ecology undertook a screening-level study to evaluate hatchery contributions of PCBs to the Spokane River. The primary study objectives were to (1) characterize PCB concentrations in hatchery discharges and hatchery-raised rainbow trout and (2) estimate PCB loads from hatchery operations to the Spokane River. In 2016, we sampled discharges from the Spokane Hatchery and collected fish from the two hatcheries that stock trout to the river (Spokane Hatchery and a private hatchery in the town of Soap Lake). Water, whole fish tissue, fish feed, and sediment samples were analyzed for the 209 PCB congeners. 

PCBs were detected in all samples. PCB concentrations in hatchery discharges ranged from 147–219 pg/L. In feed samples, PCB concentrations ranged from 3.9–31.5 ug/kg. PCB concentrations in fish caught from Lake Spokane four months after their release were higher (20.5–28.7 ug/kg) than in pre-released fish (4.0–11.3 ug/kg), suggesting that most of the PCB body burden in post-released fish was accumulated after being released into the environment. The mean PCB load from hatchery operations was estimated to be 7.8 mg/day, most of which was represented by discharges from the Spokane Hatchery. 

If you have questions, contact Siana Wong at 360-407-6432 or swon461@ecy.wa.gov.

 

Ecology News: Addendum 2 to Quality Assurance Project Plan Spokane River Source Trace Study Hangman Watershed PCBs – QAPP addendum available for review

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The Addendum 2 to the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for the Spokane River Source Trace Study of Hangman Watershed PCBs is now available for review and comment.

DRAFT QAPP Addendum: Spokane Basin QAPP Add2_ecology trace study

Task Force members that are interested in providing input are asked to review the QAPP addendum and provide feedback no later than Friday April 6, 2018. All comments/feedback are to be sent directly to James Ross, contact information below:

James Ross
Urban Waters Specialist
(509) 329-3573
jros461@ecy.wa.gov

Ecology News: New Ecology QAPP Addendum: Flame Retardants in Ten WA State Waterbodies

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Addendum to Quality Assurance Project Plan: Flame Retardants in Ten Washington State Waterbodies, is available at

https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1803102.html 

Ecology’s PBT Monitoring Program regularly conducts studies to determine environmental levels and trends of chemicals that have been addressed by chemical action plans (CAPs).  This monitoring program also conducts research into emerging contaminants that may need to be addressed by future CAPs or other agency actions to reduce toxic threats.  Ecology is currently carrying out a study in 2017/2018 to quantitatively analyze legacy and current use flame retardants in surface water, sediment, and fish tissue in Washington State waterbodies (original QAPP, Mathieu, 2017).  For this study, target analytes in freshwater fish tissue collected from three locations include halogenated flame retardants and PBDEs.

This QAPP addendum documents an additional project component to collect more information on potential halogenated compounds present in fish tissue collected from the following waterbodies: Lake Ozette, Lake Spokane, and Lake Washington.  Ecology will send a total of six fillet tissue samples to the laboratory of University of Washington – Tacoma (UWT) Center for Urban Waters (CUW) for non-targeted screening of anthropogenic halogenated compounds by quadrupole time of flight liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (QTOF LC-MS/MS).  The non-targeted screening will seek to identify a large range of potential PBT chemicals present in the fish tissue samples.  This information will help inform and prioritize target analyte lists in future monitoring studies.

If you have questions, contact Callie Mathieu at 360-407-6965 or came461@ecy.wa.gov.

Diana Ruth Olegre
Web Coordinator and SharePoint Site Collection Administrator
Washington State Department of Ecology
Environmental Assessment Program 

diana.olegre@ecy.wa.gov
360-407-6696

Ecology NEWS: DRAFT report on Evaluation of Fish Hatcheries as Sources of PCBs to the Spokane River” available for review and comment

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Task Force

The DRAFT report on the “Evaluation of Fish Hatcheries as Sources of PCBs to the Spokane River”, is now available for your review. If you have any comments or suggestions, please send by them to Siana Wong at swon461@ECY.WA.GOV by no later than c.o.b. on Wed, Feb 28 to. Siana would be happy to answer any questions by email or phone. Below is a background summary of the study.

Background of study:

In 2016, Washington State Department of Ecology’s Environmental Assessment Program undertook a study to assess the PCB load contributions of hatcheries to the Spokane River. We collected water samples from the Spokane Hatchery and fish tissue samples from hatchery rainbow trout raised at the Spokane and Troutlodge Hatcheries, and analyzed them for PCB congeners. This project followed guidelines and procedures described in the Quality Assurance Project Plan by Michael Friese: https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1603104.html

Comments on Draft from Task Force members:

ECOLOGY NEWS: Ecology seeking new data from fresh and marine waters in Washington for the next Water Quality Assessment

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To those interested in Washington’s Water Quality Assessment:

As part of the next assessment process, Ecology is seeking new data and information collected from fresh and marine waters in Washington to be used in the next Water Quality Assessment.  This call-for data applies to data and information collected within a ten year period up through December 31, 2017.  An initial call-for-data was conducted in February 2016 to seek data up through December 2015.  If any data were previously submitted to Ecology for use in the Water Quality Assessment it does not need to be submitted again.  Information on submitting data for use in the Water Quality Assessment can also be found on our website.

The deadline for submitting additional data and information to Ecology for consideration in the Water Quality Assessment is 11:59 p.m. on March 28, 2018.

Purpose of the Water Quality Assessment

Ecology periodically gathers and uses readily-available water quality data to list waterbodies that fall into different categories of water quality (from good to polluted). This process – and the lists it generates – is called Washington’s Water Quality Assessment, and is used to meet federal Clean Water Act (CWA) requirements under Sections 303(d) and 305(b).

Submitting data

Numeric water quality data should be submitted into Ecology’s Environmental Information Management (EIM) database  to be used for the Water Quality Assessment. Information on submitting data to EIM is available on the EIM website.  Questions on submitting to EIM can also be directed to Jake Kleinknecht (jkle461@ECY.WA.GOV), phone 360-407-6562.

Narrative information that provides conclusive evidence that a beneficial water use is being impaired can be submitted to the email address at 303d@ecy.wa.gov or by mail to: Patrick Lizon, Water Quality Program, Department of Ecology,  PO Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600.

Questions
If you have questions on submitting data, please contact: Patrick Lizon (pliz461@ECY.WA.GOV), Water Quality Program, phone 360-407-6782.

Thank you for your interest in Washington’s water quality.

Susan Braley
Watershed Management Section
Phone: (360) 407-6414
email: susan.braley@ecy.wa.gov

 

Ecology News: “Spokane River PCBs and Other Toxics at the Spokane Tribal Boundary: Report available “Recommendations for Developing a Long-Term Monitoring Plan”

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The report, “Spokane River PCBs and Other Toxics at the Spokane Tribal Boundary: Recommendations for Developing a Long-Term Monitoring Plan”, is available at

https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1703019.html .

 The Department of Ecology conducted seasonal monitoring for toxic contaminants in the Spokane River at the eastern Spokane Tribal boundary during 2015 – 2016.  This monitoring area is downstream of all known sources of PBDEs, PCBs, and metals (cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc).  Toxics monitoring was conducted to provide recommendations for establishing a long-term monitoring program for the site.
Surface water and suspended sediment samples were taken during the three major hydraulic river regimes: spring high flow, summer low flow, and winter moderate flow.  The samples were analyzed for PCBs, PBDEs, dioxins/furans, and metals (cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc).  Three collection and extraction techniques were used to ensure detection of PCBs and PBDEs in surface water: CLAM (Continuous Low-level Aqueous Monitoring device), XAD-2, and liquid-liquid extraction with two-liter composite samples.  Suspended sediments were collected with sediment traps deployed for four months at a time.
Recommendations were made to continue long-term monitoring in the Spokane River at the eastern Spokane Tribal boundary site, with minor changes in collection techniques and toxic parameters to consider for analysis.
If you have questions, contact Brandee Era-Miller at 360-407-6771 or bera461@ecy.wa.gov.

Ecology News: State Fiscal Year 2019 Draft Water Quality Funding Offer List and Intended Use Plan

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Ecology’s Water Quality Program is pleased to announce the availability of the State Fiscal Year 2019 (SFY19) Draft Funding Offer List and Intended Use Plan (Draft List) for public review and comment. The Draft List describes how Ecology proposes to use state and federal grant and loan dollars to fund water quality improvement projects across the state.

Proposed water quality funding for 2019

Ecology evaluated more than 130 applications from local governments, tribes, conservation districts, other public entities, and qualified not-for-profit organizations. Funding requests totaled approximately $415 million. Ecology is proposing grants and loans for 69 projects totaling approximately $154 million based on the Governor’s proposed 2017-19 budget and federal funding estimates.

The total includes:

  • $115 million in low-interest loans from the Washington State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund
  • Approximately $27 million in grants from the Stormwater Financial Assistance Program
  • Approximately $11 million in grants from the Centennial Clean Water Program
  • $1.5 million in grants from the Clean Water Act Section 319 Program

The projects proposed for funding reflect the highest priority water quality projects across the state.

Projects proposed for funding include:

  • 20 nonpoint source pollution control activity projects
  • 2 local onsite sewage system repair and replacement projects
  • 1 stormwater control activity projects
  • 20 stormwater facility projects
  • 26 wastewater facility projects

Give us your feedback

A public review and comment period on the Draft List is open until 5:00 p.m. on Feb. 19, 2018. Ecology will hold a public information meeting to present the Draft List and discuss the project evaluation and Funding Cycle process.

Feb. 1 at 1:00 p.m.
Pierce County Library
3005 112 Street East
Tacoma, Washington

Please email, mail, or fax any written comments on the Draft List to:

Daniel Thompson

Department of Ecology
Water Quality Program – Financial Management Section
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Fax: 360-407-7151
Email: daniel.thompson@ecy.wa.gov

A Final Funding Offer List and Intended use Plan (Final List) will be developed and issued following the receipt of public comments, awarding of federal grants, and passage of the state 2017-19 Biennial Capital Budget. Note that the final budget numbers may result in changes to projects proposed for funding on the Final List. The Final List is expected to be published by June 29, 2018. Comments received on the Draft List will be addressed in the Final List.