May 16, 2018 Fish Work Group Conference Call

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The next Fish Work Group meeting will be a conference call:

Wednesday,  May 16th, 2018
10 am – 12 pm

Spokane Biofilm Locations
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
10:00 am  |  Pacific Daylight Time (San Francisco, GMT-07:00)  |  2 hrs

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Join by phone
+1-240-454-0887 US Toll

Toll Free
+1-855-929-3239

Meeting number (access code): 802 818 274

Meeting password: Spokane2018

Agenda: Objective 1. Design a study (data/models) that will further our understanding of what is causing the PCB concentrations in fish that we are observing in the river.  Determine the source(s) and avenues of exposure so that we can focus future efforts on controls that will likely lead to a reduction in concentrations of PCBs in fish tissue.

Meeting Documents:

Meeting Notes 3-9-2018

 

May 15, 2018 Green Chemistry Work Group Conference Call

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The next Green Chemistry Work Group meeting will be a conference call:

Tuesday,  May 15th, 2018
10 – 11 am

To join the meeting:

Join WebEx meeting

Meeting number (access code): 809 946 323
Meeting password:      ymM9RJA9

Join from a video system or application
Dial 809946323@watech.webex.com
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.

Join by phone
+1-240-454-0887 US Toll

Purpose of the meeting: To discuss status of product testing activities as it relates to the Comprehensive Plan
Desired Outcome: Recommendation to the SRRTTF about path forward with respect to Product Testing

Proposed Agenda:

  1. Review of Comprehensive Plan and status of Control Action items relating to Product Testing (Adriane)
  2. Summary of PCB Product Testing in Spokane (Roundtable)
  3. Discussion on what is currently being planned by member organizations (Roundtable)
  4. Data gap discussion: what are the questions, what data is needed as it relates to product testing, what testing would best further the Task Force purpose? (Roundtable)
  5. Frame report back/recommendation to the SRRTTF (Roundtable)

 

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.

 

May 23, 2018 Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force Meeting

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

Date: Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Location: Liberty Lake Sewer & Water District Office
22510 E. Mission Avenue Liberty Lake, WA 99019 
To attend by phone:
Call In Number: (509) 335-2277
Participant Code: 6456706
Meeting Documents:
SRRTTF Mtg.Notes 5.23.14_Final

 

May 3, 2018 Task Force/TSCA Work Group Conference Call

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The Task Force will hold a conference call, as part of the TSCA Work Group meeting scheduled for May 3, 2018 to approve an issues letter to EPA Region 10 Administrator, Chris Hladick. The letter was drafted and vetted with some members of the TSCA work. In order to get the letter approved, at least 7 Voting members of the Task Force must be on the call to reach a quorum.  The decision part of the call will be the first agenda item, and should be fairly brief. A cc list for the letter will also be developed during the meeting.

Please do not send editorial comments on the letter. If you can live with the letter as is, that is great. If you cannot live with the letter as it stands, please provide your comments with specific wording changes to Lisa Dally Wilson (lisadallywilson@gmail.com) no later than 5 pm on Monday April 30th, 2018.

Meeting Details: 

Date: Thursday, May 3, 2018
Time:  10:00 a.m. to  11:00 a.m.
Location: Conference Call
Conference Line: 509-335-2277, Meeting Code: 8042917#

The agenda for the meeting will be as follows:

 1.     Review and approve the draft “Issues” Letter to EPA Region 10 Administrator Chris Hladick (attached).  Voting members of the SRRTTF will be on the call at this time to approve the letter for submittal (minimum of 7 voting members required for a quorum).  Voting members that are not participants of the TSCA workgroup will be excused after completion of the vote.

2.     Review and approve the draft letter to Governmental Organizations regarding “Adoption of Alternatives to PCB-containing Road Striping Paints” (attached).  The TSCA Workgroup members will be approving this letter for posting to the SRRTTF Advisory Committee for their final approval at the May 23rd meeting.

3.     Review and status update of the Action Items from the “2018 Plan of Activities Meeting Summary” (attached) from our prior meeting held on April 4th.

April 25, 2018 Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force Meeting

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

Date: Wednesday, April 25, 2017
Time: 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 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: 6456706
Agenda:
Previous Meeting Summary (DECISION):
SRRTTF DRAFT Notes 3.28.18 meeting
Outreach Work Group:
Website Verbiage: (DECISION) Toni Taylor will present the website at the meeting, prior to making the website  live, please review the text that will be currently included in the website: spokaneriverpcbfree_PageVerbiageForReview
Coordinated outreach messages_survey results
Spokane River Forum Ads that are currently running: (informational only):
Lawn and Yard
SRRTTF RFQ- cover letter and supporting documents for RFQ can be found at: http://srrttf.org/?p=9120 
Work Group Protocols: (Discussion and DECISION):
SRRTTF_draft workgroup protocols_04-10-18

Request for Qualifications and Proposal for Support Services for the Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force (SRRTTF)

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Dear Potential Supplier:

Please find attached the information packet and Request for Qualifications and Proposal for Support Services for the Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force (SRRTTF or Task Force).  The SRRTTF or Task Force was formed for the purpose of developing a Comprehensive Plan for achieving the applicable water quality standards for PCB in the Spokane River.  In December 2016, the Comprehensive Plan was completed and the Task Force is now transitioning from planning to implementation of activities identified in its Comprehensive Plan.  As the Task Force makes this transition, it is in need of support services in the form of project implementation support, facilitation of full Task Force meetings and administrative support.

The attached packet below outlines the services needed, the information to be provided for your submittal and the process for the selection of the provider of these services.  Submittals for bidding on this project are to be sent electronically to the Task Force’s current facilitator.  From there the submittal will be forwarded to the Task Force for its consideration.

The contact information for the Task Force’s facilitator is as follows:

Chris Page
William D. Ruckelshaus Center
901 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2900
Seattle, WA 98164
(206) 770-6060
c.page@wsu.edu

The requested information is to be provided electronically to Chris at the e-mail addresses provided above by 5:00 PM PDST on June 1, 2018 (deadline has been extended).  In addition, if you intend to potentially bid on this work, please notify Chris as soon as possible so that if there are any additional materials or information developed relative to this Request before May 11th, you can be advised.  The Task Force plans to conduct interviews and select a support services provider at either its May 23rd or June 27th meeting depending on the responses received.  The Task Force reserves the right to appoint a service provider without interview. Contracts for the Task Force are administered through its Administrative and Contracting Entity (ACE), a non-profit corporation.  For any questions related to commercial terms or scope, please contact ACE’s President Bud Leber at bud.leber@kaisertwd.com.  He will work to obtain answers to any questions raised and provide the same information to other interested potential service providers.

Sincerely,
The Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force

 

EPA NEWS: EPA Solicits Applications for Grants to Provide Businesses with Pollution Prevention Technical Assistance and Training

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EPA Solicits Applications for Grants to Provide Businesses with Pollution Prevention Technical Assistance and Training

EPA is calling for grant proposals from state and tribal agencies, universities, colleges and other organizations to provide pollution prevention (P2) technical assistance or training to businesses.  These two-year projects are expected to be performed in each EPA region.

The solicitation for this grant competition can be found at www.Grants.gov and at www.epa.gov/p2/grant-programs-pollution-prevention (Funding Opportunity Number – EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-001).  Grant applications are due April 26.

If Congress appropriates Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 and 2019 funds for this grant program at levels comparable to FY 2017 funding levels, individual federal government grant awards may potentially be in the range of $40,000-$500,000 for a two-year funding period (between $20,000 – $250,000 per year).  However, some EPA regions may have lower award caps.  P2 awards will be funded in the form of two-year grants or cooperative agreements.  The actual amount or availability of grant funding released each year is dependent on Congressional appropriation, the final EPA budget, and the quality of proposals received. P2 grant recipients (with the exception of tribes) must provide at least a 50 percent match of the total allowable project cost. 

Pollution Prevention (P2) means reducing or eliminating pollutants from entering any waste stream or otherwise released into the environment prior to recycling, treatment, or disposal.  In keeping with the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990, EPA is encouraging P2 because implementing these approaches can result in reductions in pollutants, the use of water, energy and other raw materials, while also lowering business costs.  All grant awards will support the delivery of P2 technical assistance and/or training for businesses, and the identification, development, documentation and sharing of P2 best management practices and innovations.

Grant proposals should focus on one or more of the following P2 priority areas, referred to as National Emphasis Areas (NEAs):

NEA #1: Business-Based Pollution Prevention Solutions Supporting Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Priorities and Chemical Safety:  P2 technical assistance and projects that identify, test, implement and/or disseminate business-based P2 solutions for TSCA-regulated chemicals, with particular emphasis on chemicals identified in the TSCA 2014 Workplan for Chemical Assessments.

  • NEA #2: Food and Beverage Manufacturing and Processing:  P2 technical assistance and projects to support more sustainable food and beverage manufacturing and processing entities in North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes 311 and 3121 resulting in reduced toxic air emissions or water discharges, water or energy usage, hazardous materials generation and use, and/or business costs.
  • NEA #3: Hazardous Materials Source Reduction Approaches in States or Communities:  P2 technical assistance and projects to support state or community-based approaches to hazardous materials source reduction to reduce the generation and use of hazardous materials from business or industry sectors.  This NEA is intended to leverage governmental/business/economic/infrastructure resources within a geographically contiguous area to address local (community) or broader (state) environmental and public health issues using P2 approaches.

For further information, please contact:

 

Primary EPA HQ
Contact		 Michele Amhaz
202-564-8857
amhaz.michele@epa.gov 
EPA Region 1
CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT		 Lee Fiske
Phone: 617-918-1847
Email: fiske.lee@epa.gov 
EPA Region 2
NJ, NY, PR, VI		 Alex Peck
Phone: 212-637-3758
Email address: peck.alex@epa.gov 
EPA Region 3
DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV		 Mindy Lemoine
Phone: 215-814-2736
Email: lemoine.mindy@epa.gov 
EPA Region 4
AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN		 Daphne Wilson
Phone: 404-562-9098
Email: wilson.daphne@epa.gov 
EPA Region 5
IL, IN, OH, MI, MN, WI		 Christine Anderson
Phone: 312-886-9749
Email: anderson.christineA@epa.gov 
EPA Region 6
AR, LA, NM, OK, TX		 David Bond
Phone: 214-665-6431
Email: bond.david@epa.gov 
EPA Region 7
IA, KS, MO, NE		 Lisa Thresher
Phone: 913- 551-7964
Email: thresher.lisa@epa.gov 
EPA Region 8
CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY		 Melissa Payan
Phone: 303-312-6511
Email: payan.melissa@epa.gov 
EPA Region 9
AZ, CA, HI, NV, AS, GU		 Jessica Counts–Arnold
Phone: 415-972-3288
Email: counts–arnold.jessica@epa.gov 
EPA Region 10
AK, ID, OR, WA		 Robert Drake
Phone: 206-553-4803
Email: drake.robert@epa.gov

 

EPA NEWS: EPA Announces New Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects

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EPA Announces New Funding for Water Infrastructure Projects
Funding will leverage public and private investments to keep lead and other contaminants out of drinking water and upgrade aging water infrastructure

04/04/2018
Contact Information:
EPA Press Office (press@epa.gov) 

WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of funding that could provide as much as $5.5 billion in loans, which could leverage over $11 billion in water infrastructure projects through the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program. Prospective borrowers seeking WIFIA credit assistance must submit a letter of interest (LOI) by July 6, 2018.  

“Thanks to the President’s leadership, this WIFIA funding will spark new investments to repair our nation’s crumbling water infrastructure,” said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “EPA will play a key role in the President’s infrastructure efforts by incentivizing states, municipalities, and public-private partnerships to protect public health, fix local infrastructure problems, create jobs, and provide clean water to communities.”  

The WIFIA program received $63 million in funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, which was signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 23, 2018. This more than doubles the program’s funding from 2017. Leveraging private capital and other funding sources, these projects could support $11 billion in water infrastructure investment and create more than 170,000 jobs. This year’s Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) highlights the importance of protecting public health including reducing exposure to lead and other contaminants in drinking water systems and updating the nation’s aging infrastructure.    

“An investment in water infrastructure is an investment in our communities,” said Dr. Andrew Sawyers, director of the Office of Wastewater Management. “The WIFIA program helps improve water quality and protect public health while supporting the local economy.”  

The WIFIA program will play an important part in making vital improvements to the nation’s water infrastructure and implementing the President’s Infrastructure Plan, which calls for increasing the program’s funding authorization and expanding project eligibility. 

Background
Established by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2014, the WIFIA program is a federal loan and guarantee program at EPA that aims to accelerate investment in the nation’s water infrastructure by providing long-term, low-cost supplemental loans for regionally and nationally significant projects. 

WIFIA credit assistance can be used for a wide range of projects, including:

  • Drinking water treatment and distribution projects;
  • Wastewater conveyance and treatment projects;
  • Enhanced energy efficiency projects at drinking water and wastewater facilities;
  • Desalination, aquifer recharge, alternative water supply, and water recycling project; and
  • Drought prevention, reduction, or mitigation projects.
  • EPA will evaluate proposed projects described in the LOIs using WIFIA’s statutory and regulatory criteria as described in the NOFA. Through this competitive process, EPA will select projects that it intends to fund and invite them to continue to the application process.

In 2017, for WIFIA’s inaugural round, EPA invited 12 projects in 9 states to apply for more than $2 billion in WIFIA loans.
For more information about WIFIA and this funding announcement, visit: https://www.epa.gov/wifia
For an example Governor letter (Alabama): https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2018-04/documents/al_4-4-18.pdf