Category Archives: Announcement

Ecology News: Wenatchee River PCB and DDT Source Assessment

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The Wenatchee River has had some of the highest concentrations of PCBs in fish tissue measured in Washington State. This report details the findings of a study which assessed concentrations of PCBs and DDT in water, biota, and sediment throughout the Wenatchee River basin during 2014-2015. The study identified two chemically-distinct sources of PCBs to the Wenatchee River, one located near the City of Cashmere and the second near the City of Wenatchee. The main known sources of DDT to the Wenatchee River are within the Mission and Chumstick Creek sub-basins. Follow-up actions include: further source tracing for PCBs and DDT to refine locations and additional research on the bioaccumulation of toxics in the Wenatchee River.

The significant finding in this study was that PCBs in biofilms were significantly correlated with dissolved PCB concentrations in the river.  See Pages 35-39.

There will also be a second report for Phase 2 of the source assessment.

Weblinks:

Report
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1603029.html 

QAPP
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1403117.html

Addendum #1
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1503107.html

Addendum #2
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1603116.html

 

October 12, 2016 Technical Track Work Group Meeting

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

Date: Wednesday October 12, 2016
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 10.12.16 Meeting Summary – DRAFT

–  tech-track-wg-agn-10-12-16-revised3
–  srrttf-comprehensive-plan-year-one-worksheet
–  PCBs-and-CSPA_Kara Steward
– Ecology News: CSPA Rule 
– Ecology News: Wenatchee River PCB and DDT Source Assessment

October 12, 2016 Education and Outreach Work Group Meeting

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The next meeting of the Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force Education and Outreach Work Group is:

Date: Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Time: 1:30 p.m – 3:30 p.m. 
Location: RiverKeeper
35 West Main, Suite 300 Spokane WA

Click Here for a map.
To connect by phone:
Dial: 509-335-2277
Conf. ID: 9330138
Meeting documents:

Some important dates/deadlines to put on your calendars!

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Comprehensive Plan:

  • First round of comments on the First Full Draft are due by 5 pm PST on October 7th.
  • Dave Dilks will provide a summary of comments by October 24th. A Revised Full Draft will be posted by October 26th (The next full Task Force meeting).
  • Next round of comments due by 5 pm PST on November 2nd –- These comments/revisions should focus on the changes included in the October 26th
  • Final Draft out on November 9th — Final Full Draft to be completed by the November 16th, Full Task Force meeting.
  • If Final draft is not approved in November then final approval will be on the agenda for the December 14th, Full Task Force meeting.

10/5 TSCA work group 10 am -12 pm (WA Dept. of Ecology)

  • Review of TSCA past efforts and future actions.

10/5 Data Management Work Group 1 pm – 3 pm (WA Dept. of Ecology)

  • Topics for discussion:
  • Pilot Project Update
  • EIM Update
  • Continue discussion/update SRRTTF Data standards

 10/12 TTWG 10 am -12 pm (WA Dept. of Ecology)

10/12 Education and Outreach Work Group Meeting 1:30 pm -3:30 pm (Riverkeeper)

  • Education/Outreach actions in Comprehensive Plan

10/26 Task Force meeting 9:00 am -12:30 pm (Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District Office)

Policy 1-11 revisions process: public workshop on November 14th

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States are required, under the Clean Water Act, to regularly assess their waters to meet sections 303(d) and 305(b) of the Clean Water Act.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved Ecology’s September 2015 submittal of our latest Water Quality Assessment on July 22, 2016. 
 Ecology started the next water quality assessment process this last winter with:
 
  1. A call for water quality data and information collected through December 2015 that will be used for the next assessment of fresh and marine waters in Washington.
  1. A 60-day scoping process to solicit ideas on areas of the Water Quality Program Policy 1-11,Assessment of Water Quality for the Clean Water Act Sections 303(d) and 305(b) Integrated Report,  that need to be reviewed and updated.  This Policy guides how Ecology uses data to determine the water quality status for individual waterbodies.
With EPA’s recent approval of Washington’s Water Quality Assessment, Ecology will begin a public process to revise Policy 1-11 based on the comments we received during the scoping process.
 
To launch the Policy 1-11 revisions process, we will hold a public workshop on November 14th  to orient people to the Water Quality Assessment Policy and to the key issues we will be looking at and possibly revising based on the outcome of further discussions and analysis.  The Policy 1-11 Public Workshop will be held from 10:00am – 4:00pm at the auditorium of the Ecology Headquarters building in Lacey.  We will also conduct the workshop as a webinar so that people who choose not to attend in person at the Ecology building in Lacey can participate by calling in from their respective location.  This will be an introduction/kick-off meeting to provide background information on the Assessment and how Policy 1-11 is used. It will also lay out the process we will use to look at possible changes to that policy based on scoping comments that were received.  If you are interested in participating, please save the date on your calendar. 
Agenda and more information on the November 14 Public Workshop & webinar will be coming soon.
Background information on the Policy 1-11 revisions public process, including a summary of the scoping comments that were received and copies of the comment letters, can be found on Ecology’s website at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/303d/proposed/index.html.
Questions or comments about the assessment or Policy 1-11 should be directed to Patrick Lizon (email:  patrick.lizon@ecy.wa.gov; phone: 360-407-6782).
 
Thank you for your interest in protecting water quality in Washington State.
 
Susan Braley
Watershed Management Section
Phone: (360) 407-6414

September 28, 2016 Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force Meeting

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

Date: September 28, 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#

Please review all meeting documents prior to the Task Force meeting.  All comments on the Draft Comprehensive Plan should be sent to Dave Dilks (ddilks@limno.com) by Monday September 26th, and/or participants should be prepared to discuss the Draft at the September 28th Task Force meeting.

Meeting Documents:
–  SRRTTF September 28 2016 Final meeting summary
–  srrttf-september-28-2016-agenda_draft_2
–   srrttf-08-24-16-summary-notes_draft
–  srrttf-08-10-16-summary-notes_draft
–  09-07-16-ttwg-summary-notes_draft
–  srrttf_limnotech_09_28_2016 (Presentation)
–  a-spokane-visit_don-fels
–  comp_plan_draft_9-15-16

 

Latah/Hangman Creek Video Tour!

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” Take a journey along Hangman Creek, also known as Latah Creek. Although few are really familiar with Hangman Creek, the water quality and land use challenges it faces are critically important to the future of our communities.

Enabling native trout to once again swim and spawn in Hangman’s waters, supporting the productivity of farms, and stabilizing sewer rates are all part of the story. Success will require solutions, cooperation and smart investments from many sources.

Join Bert Caldwell, retired Spokesman review editor and writer, to learn about this 60 mile gem in Spokane’s backyard. Beginning in the mountains of Idaho, it crosses the Coeur d’Alene Reservation and eventually joins with the Spokane River just below downtown Spokane. Along the way, it flows through Palouse farms and fields, small towns, along highways, pastures and 2 golf courses.”

http://spokaneriver.net/hangman-creek-restoration/ 

SRRTTF Draft Comprehensive Plan – available for review – Please send comments by September 28th

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The First Draft  draft of the Comprehensive Plan is now available for review. Please provide comments regarding specific Control Actions, Milestones, and/or Effectiveness Monitoring to Dave Dilks (ddilks@limno.com) prior to the September 28th Task Force meeting where they will be discussed. Comments received will be posted on the Comprehensive Plan Page.

Draft Comprehensive Plan: comp_plan_draft_9-15-16

 

Comments requested on Addendum 3 to the Quality Assurance Project Plan, Spokane River Toxics Reduction Strategy Study

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The Ecology Urban Waters program requests comment on the draft, Addendum 3 to Quality Assurance Project Plan Spokane River Toxics Reduction Strategy Study, dated September 6, 2016.

Please submit comments to Adriane Borgias (ABOR461@ecy.wa.gov) by September 20, 2016.

This addendum is an addition to an original Quality Assurance Project Plan.  Addendum 3 represents a minor addition to the existing “Spokane River Toxics Reduction Strategy” project.  The project uses an Ecology approved QAPP (dated July 11, 2014) that was prepared by LimnoTech and approved by the Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force.

This Addendum adds 20 groundwater/spring water samples, with associated quality assurance samples, to the study. The Addendum also includes a new procedure: groundwater sampling for low level PCBs.

The first set of samples were collected in August and September, 2015 following development and technical review of the Addendum. The second and third sets were collected February 17, 2016 and May 17, 2016, respectively. The following people provided comments on the preliminary draft:

Pam Marti, Peer reviewer
Bill Kammin, QA Officer
Mike Hermanson and Ben Brattebo, Spokane County

The significant concerns of the reviewers have been addressed in the draft Addendum. Ecology’s Quality Assurance officer provided email approval for the sampling activities on August 10, 2015.

All field sampling is complete and analytical results received. Comments are being requested prior to completion of data analysis and report write up.