Category Archives: Announcement

Ecology News: Revised Report “Spokane River PCBs and Other Toxics at the Spokane Tribal Boundary Recommendations for Development of a Long-Term Monitoring

Posted on by

The Task Force is asked to review the EAP report on the “Spokane River PCBs and Other Toxics at the Spokane Tribal Boundary Recommendations for Development of a Long-Term Monitoring” and provide any additional feedback by c.o.b on Tuesday December 19th, 2017 to Brandee Era-Miller at BERA461@ecy.wa.gov.

Revised Report and Data
REPORT Spokane LT Monitoring 12-12-17
Table C-1_PCBs 20L and CLAM 12-12-17
Table C-2_PCBs 2L and XAD 12-12-17

Comments:
Spokane-LT-Monitoring Spo County comments 171130
Avista_Comment_Letter_Long-Term Plan_11-15-17
Bud Leber Comments – Tribal Boundary Sampling Report
Post Falls Comments – Spokane-LT-Monitoring

 

Ecology News: Ecology to launch new website

Posted on by
Here at the Department of Ecology, we are getting ready to launch a completely new website. As our valued partners, we wanted you to have an advanced notice.
 
We have rewritten, redesigned, and rebuilt our website and are planning to launch Dec. 11.
 
What you need to know before launch:
  • New web address: Our primary web address is changing to www.ecology.wa.gov. (Formerly ecy.wa.gov)
  • New links: We will have all new web links to all webpages and content. All links pointing to our old website will need to be updated.
  • Mobile friendly: You can now use our website from your phone or tablet.
  • Accessible: We are building our website to meet the highest level of accessibility requirements.
  • Continuing to add content: We’re launching with our highest priority content first. That means some content may not be available at launch. We will continue to build and add content.
We will have more information available as we get closer to the launch date. We will be sending another email in the coming week with a link to preview the new website.

Green Chemistry: Conference Call to discuss Road Paint Pilot

Posted on by
When: Friday December 1, 2017 10:00 am

Where:  Conference call information:

(360) 407-3780
PIN Code: 470351 #
Agenda:
  1. Additional information from a phone-con between Doug Krapas and Michael Jung, Thermoplastic Division Manager at SWARCO Industries regarding a diarylide-free yellow thermoplastic that has been on the Florida test deck since October 2015.
  2. Arrange for a conference call with SWARCO?
  3. Discuss what we have heard so far and evaluate a path forward:
    1. Perform a pilot study or do nothing and turn over to WA DOT and DES to evaluate?
  4. If we decide to move forward with some study, what might it look like:
    1. Simple evaluation of various products for PCB content using 1668?
    2. More detailed breakdown of product components (i.e.: Hydroseed type study)?
    3. Product performance evaluation…Test Deck?
  5. Next Steps

December 6, 2017 Technical Track Work Group Meeting – Canceled

Posted on by

Technical Track Work Group,

Due to the lack of an available adequate video-conference facility, tomorrow’s TTWG meeting has been canceled.

Stay tuned for distribution of a matrix listing Comp Plan goals, and for each goal: progress during 2017, current/planned activities on each (and by whom, if known), timeline for completion, and (to be blank) Goal for 2018. This worksheet will be a focus of the TTWG on January 3rd.

Thank you for all your hard work in 2017 toward finding and reducing PCBs in the Spokane River system, and Happy Holidays!

November 29, 2017 Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force Meeting

Posted on by
Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Liberty Lake Sewer & Water District Office
22510 E. Mission Avenue Liberty Lake, WA 99019
Click here for a map
To attend by phone:
Call In Number: (509) 335-2277
Participant Code: 2580150 (new code for today)
Individual Task Force entities are also asked to pull together a report of their 2017 activities that contributed to the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan and PCB source reduction.
  • Inputs (organizing activities),
  • Outputs (activities and work products),
  • Outcomes (Progress toward achievement of the applicable water quality criteria for PCBs in the Spokane River, Achievement of the applicable water quality standards, Achievement of health standards, Measured reductions of toxics to or in the Spokane River.)
Meeting Documents:
SRRTTF 11.29.17 FINAL Notes
Annual Implementation Review Summary (IRS) Draft Document:

DES News: DES seeks feedback on the Purchasing Preference to Products that do not Contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) by December 8th, 2017

Posted on by

Purchasing Preference to Products that do not Contain Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

The Department of Enterprise Services is seeking a second round of feedback through Dec. 8 on a Draft Policy that establishes a purchasing preference to incentivize bidders for state contracts to provide products and products in packaging that do not contain, or contain the lowest possible level, of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

Enterprise Services is responsible for establishing such a policy under state law.

The draft policy is designed to:

  • Set a minimum preference of 5 percent or greater for products and products in packaging that do not contain – or contain the lowest levels of – PCBs.
  • Require agencies to complete PCB procurement and purchasing training.
  • Require including a PCB preference when contracts are rebid, when applicable.
  • Require agencies to document compliance with RCW 39.26.280.
  • Ensure termination of existing contracts or stock is NOT required.
  • Make good common sense in the marketplace.

Updated draft policy

The agency has been working to incorporate feedback that was received earlier this year into the initial draft policy.

In addition, one of the key elements in implementing the PCB Policy is to provide training.  Over the past several months, Enterprise Services has been working closely with the Washington State Department of Ecology to develop an informative training program.

 The primary updates to the previous draft policy are:

  • Specified a “certification” that bidders must complete to qualify for the PCB-free preference, and that Enterprise Services will provide a tool to agencies that will help vendors submit consistent information.  Ecology will assist agencies with evaluating the technical certification information (Ecology are the experts in this area).
  • Added wording to clarify that items considered not containing PCBs can have trace amounts of PCBs detected by tests, but not within quantifiable limits. As we are discovering, many goods and packaging contain PCBs but there is a limit to what the EPA Analytical Method 1668C will measure.
  • Allows bidders who have had their product(s) or products in packaging tested within the last 365 days to submit those results.
  • Added “Best Value Criteria” to incentivize bidders to work toward providing products and products in packaging that contain low or lowest amounts of PCBs. Through legal review, we determined that RCW 39.26.160(3) gives agencies the ability and option to develop and design procurements to meet this need. RCW 39.26.160(3) allows agencies to consider and work toward minimizing adverse impacts to human health and the environment or to weigh cost and non-cost considerations. Our training and training documents will outline how agencies can use this option to meet their needs.
  • Removed the section in the draft policy that defines PCBs, as the RCW already does that.
  • Removed the section in the draft policy that addresses existing contracts, as the RCW states that agencies will incorporate PCBs preference language into all new contracts.

How to send feedback

Please review the revised draft PCB Policy and provide feedback to Enterprise Services by Dec. 8, 2017. Feedback may be:

Submitted online

Or sent via email to christine.warnock@des.wa.gov.

For more information, contact Christine Warnock, (360) 407-9398.

EPA News: 2017-2018 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 Solicitation

Posted on by

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Solicitation Now Open Through Dec. 19, 2017

Open: Oct. 31, 2017 Close: Dec. 19, 2017

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announces the release of its 2017-2018 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Solicitation to develop innovative technologies that will help protect human health and the environment.

EPA is calling for small businesses to apply for Phase I awards up to $100,000 to demonstrate proof of concept in the following topic areas: air quality, manufacturing, clean and safe water, land revitalization, homeland security, and building construction materials. See the full solicitation posted on FedConnect to learn more about these topic areas, view specific subtopics for each area, and access instructions on how to apply.

EPA is one of 11 federal agencies that participate in the SBIR program enacted in 1982 to strengthen the role of small businesses in federal research and development, create jobs, and promote U.S. technical innovation from idea conception to commercialization. EPA’s SBIR funding boosts local economies by creating jobs and promoting collaborations among communities and small businesses. This funding also supports technologies aimed at creating cleaner manufacturing materials and better infrastructure in communities. Successful Phase I companies are eligible to apply for Phase II funding, which awards up to $300,000 for two years with a commercialization option of up to $100,000, to further develop and commercialize their technologies.

All applications must be submitted through FedConnect.  For more information on eligibility, application process and the SBIR program, visit the EPA SBIR website at www.epa.gov/sbir.

Missed the Sept. 28, 2017, informational webinar on how to apply for the 2017-2018 EPA SBIR Phase I Solicitation? View the presentation at https://www.epa.gov/sbir/us-epa-2017-2018-small-business-innovation-research-sbir-solicitation-webinar.

The EPA SBIR Program is part of EPA’s Sustainable and Healthy (SHC) research program.

November 8, 2017 Education and Outreach Work Group

Posted on by

The next meeting of the SRRTTF Education and Outreach Work group is:

Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

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

 Audio Call In Number: (360)407-3780
Pin code: 381914#

2017-11-8 Ed&Outreach Workrgoup mtg DRAFT Notes
Proposed Website Content

Draft Agenda

  • Outreach Website: Status, feedback, timeline.
    • main topics, drop down menus
    • content
    • headlines, body text
    • photos
    • videos
    • locations for different items
  • Outreach funding: Task Force has allotted $10,000 for education and outreach. How to use this funding?
  • Select an Outreach Work Group Chair?
  • Implementation Review summary (Kara can pull the first one together)
  • December Meeting?

– WebsiteDesignSuggestions
Rev 11-8-2017 Annual-Implementation-Review-Summary2017_Formatwork-group-reporting-template_draft

November 8, 2017 Technical Track Work Group Meeting

Posted on by

The next meeting of the SRRTTF Task Force and Technical Track Work group is:

Date: Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Task Force, based on the time-sensitive need to get a contract in place for the $155,000 in (Washington state) legislative funds needing to be spent by June 30, 2018, the facilitation team recommends expanding the 11/8/17 TTWG meeting to include all SRRTTF voting members that are able to attend.

 The hope is to attain a quorum on the 8th, for at least the first portion of the TTWG meeting to serve as a joint SRRTTF-TTWG session, at which the Task Force would consider approving the basic elements of the contract, as jointly drafted and proposed by ACE and the Department of Ecology.
Task Force members are asked to participate in person at the Department of Ecology or participate by phone, either is acceptable (see meeting information below).

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

Audio Call In Number: (360)407-3780
Pin code: 205401#

Meeting Documents:
–  SRRTTF-TTWG Final meeting summary for 11.8.17- revised and approved by TF on 11.29.17
– TTWG agn 11-08-17_draft v4
–  SRRTTF – ACE – Contract_fy18-19
– SRRTTF Project Tracking_10-24-2017_rev3 (based off of feedback from October TF meeting)
–  Annual Implementation Review Summary2017_Format+work group reporting template_draft

 

October 25, 2017 Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force Meeting

Posted on by
Date: Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Location: Liberty Lake Sewer & Water District Office
22510 E. Mission Avenue Liberty Lake, WA 99019
Click here for a map

To attend by phone:
Call In Number: (509) 335-2277
Participant Code: 5266916
Meeting Documents:
DES (Sundae Delgado) Presentations