ECOS Resolution Update

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On August 28th, during their annual conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado, the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS), which is the national non-profit, non-partisan association of state and territorial environmental agency leaders, passed a resolution addressed to the EPA that laid out several points about how to best address levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in wastewater discharges to our nation’s waterbodies.

The ECOS resolution is the most recent step in a process that began two years ago when SRRTTF members Inland Empire Paper Company along with Spokane Riverkeeper and The Lands Council wrote a letter to the EPA alerting them of the the regulatory loophole that allows PCBs to continue to be released to the environment.  

“The passage of the resolution was really a significant event,” said Ted Sturdevant the director of the Washington State Department of Ecology. “State environmental regulators heard the exact same message from industry, academia and the environmental community — we need to turn off the faucet that is allowing this pollution stream to continue. That allowed a very diverse gathering of states to agree to a strong statement calling for a national solution. The states are fed up with trying to solve pollution problems at the end of the pipe, when the solutions are best found through prevention at the national level. It’s why ECOS has called for comprehensive reform of the federal law governing toxic substances, and why we’ll keep pushing at the national level, and within our own states, until we get there.”  Ted Sturdevant, Director, Washington State

On September 7, 2012 the Waterkeeper organizations sent EPA a letter in support of the ECOS resolution. EPA sent this response on October 5, 2012.

Read the Huffington Post Article, “State Environmental Heads Pass Resolution about PCBs” by Bart Mihailovich.

October 24, 2012 Spokane River Regional Task Force Meeting

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Spokane River Regional Task Force Meeting Announcement

Date: October 24, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Location: Liberty Lake
22510 E. Mission Avenue
Liberty Lake, WA 99019
Click here for a map.

Call In Number: 800-704-9804;
Participant Code: 34863442#

Please note, the conference call in number will remain open until 15 minutes until after the meeting begins. It will continue to remain open as long as there are callers on the line. If you wish to join the meeting by phone late, please notify Adriane Borgias (abor461@ecy.wa.gov) ahead of time.

Meeting Documents
–  SRRTTF Meeting Summary 10-24-12
–  SRRTTF Draft Agenda 10-24-12
–  Request For Proposals R3 10-15-12
–  RFP Attachment A R2
–  SRRTTF Work Plan 10-10-12
–  SRRTTF Work Plan Milestone Schedule 10-17-12
–  SRRTTF Logos & Letterhead Options 10-17-12
–  SRRTTF Fact Sheet 10-15-12 (v2)
–  PCBs in Products Resolution Draft 10-05-2012 (v1)
–  NACWA TSCA Letter 09-26-2012 (v1)
–  WEF TSCA Letter 09-26-2012 (v2)
–  Spokane River Fish Samples 2012 – Updated 10-15-12
–  PCBs in Products Resolution & Letter – to Suzanne E. Goss, NACWA President
–  PCBs in Products Resolution & Letter – to Ken Kirk, NACWA Executive Director
–  PCBs in Products Resolution & Letter – to Jeff Eger, WEF Executive Director
–  PCBs in Products Resolution & Letter – to Cordell W. Samuels, WEF President

October 10, 2012 Administrative Work Group Meeting

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Spokane River Regional Task Force

Administrative Work Group Meeting
Date: October 10, 2012
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 pm

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

Meeting Documents
–   SRRTTF Admin WG DRAFT Mtg Notes 10-10-12
–   SRRTTF Admin Work Group Draft Agenda
–   PCBs in Products Resolution Draft 10-05-12

October 10, 2012 Technical Track Work Group Meeting

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Spokane River Regional Task Force

Technical Track Work Group Meeting
Date: October 10, 2012
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 pm

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

Meeting Documents
–   SRRTTF Technical Track Work Group Meeting Notes
–   SRRTTF Technical Track Work Group Meeting Draft Agenda
–   Request for Qualifications R2 Draft 10-05-12
–   RFQ Attachment A R2 Draft 10-05-12
–   SRRTTF Work Plan Draft 10-05-12
–   SRRTTF Work Plan Milestone Schedule 10-05-12
–   SRRTTF Definition of Measurable Progress Draft 10-05-12

October 8, 2012 Task Force Conference Call Announcement

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Members of the Task Force have drafted a letter to the Governor and Stan Marshburn (OFM Director) supporting the 2013-2015 Ecology budget.  This was discussed at the last meeting and there was general agreement but no firm decision was made. Please review the letter below. If you have any serious concerns with the letter please let Kelsey (gryklsy@yahoo.com) know by the COB on Friday, October 5th so any changes could be turned around and sent out on Monday morning.

This letter to the Governor and OFM is very time sensitive and needs to go out ASAP as OFM will be doing a review of the budget. In order to meet the 5 day decision making rule of the SRRTTF MOA we will need to have a short conference call on Monday to formally decide to send this letter.

Members of the Task Force are encouraged to call in on Monday as we will need a quorum to confirm the letter and agree to send it off.  The conference call meeting is scheduled for Monday at 11:00 am.

Call In Number: 800-704-9804
Participant Code: 34863442#

Conference Call Documents
–   Draft Letter for Ecology Budget Request 10 1 12 (revised 10-5-12)
–   Draft Letter for Ecology Budget Request 10 1 12 (2)
–   PL AM Spokane River PCB Source Abatement
–   SRRTTF Conference Call Summary 10 8 2012
–   Approved SRRTTF Letter in support of Ecology budget request 10 8 12

September 26, 2012 Spokane River Regional Task Force Meeting

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Spokane River Regional Task Force Meeting Announcement

Date: September 26, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 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#

Please note, the conference call in number will remain open until 15 minutes until after the meeting begins. It will continue to remain open as long as there are callers on the line. If you wish to join the meeting by phone late, please notify Adriane Borgias (abor461@ecy.wa.gov) ahead of time.

Meeting Documents
–  SRRTTF Meeting Summary 9-26-12
–  SRRTTF Meeting Summary 9-26-12 Appendix A (Resources Responses)
–  SRRTTF Draft Agenda 9-26-12
–  Request for Qualifications R1 DRAFT 9-19-12
–  RFQ Attachment A R1 DRAFT 9-19-12
–  SRRTTF Work Plan DRAFT 9-19-12 (pdf version)
–  SRRTTF Work Plan DRAFT 9-19-12 (word version)
–  SRRTTF Letterhead DRAFT 9-19-12
–  ECOS Resolution 12-9 PCBs in products – Approved 8-28-12
–  PCBs in Products Resolution Draft 09-18-2012
–  NACWA TSCA Letter of Support DRAFT 9-26-12
–  WEF TSCA Letter of Support DRAFT 9-26-12
–  Spokane FY13 Toxics Sampling Summary for SRRTTF TWG 9-7-12

September 5, 2012 Technical Track Work Group Meeting

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Spokane River Regional Task Force

Technical Track Work Group Meeting
Date: September 5, 2012
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 pm

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

Meeting Documents
–   SRRTTF Technical Track Work Group Meeting Notes
–   SRRTTF Work Plan DRAFT 9-4-12
–   SRRTTF Technical Track Work Group Meeting Draft Agenda
–   Request for Qualifications – Discussion DRAFT
–   Attachment B: Evaluation Criteria and Weighting – Discussion DRAFT
–   Spokane Riverkeeper and Lands Council letter to Ecology about Toxics Sampling
–   Report: Human Health Water Quality Criteria for PCBs – Fikslin (2005)

September 5, 2012 Adminstrative Work Group Meeting

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Spokane River Regional Task Force

Administrative Work Group Meeting
Date: September 5, 2012
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 pm

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

Meeting Documents
–   SRRTTF Administrative Work Group Meeting Notes
–   SRRTTF Administrative Work Group Meeting Draft Agenda
–   ECOS Draft Resolution on PCBs in Products

Cleanup work to begin on three Spokane River beaches

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Washington Department of Ecology news
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Aug. 27, 2012
12-281
Cleanup work to begin on three Spokane River beaches    
SPOKANE- For the remainder of the summer, residents walking along the Centennial Trail in the Spokane Valley, may encounter equipment such as loaders and dump wagons that may close the trail for a few minutes at a time. 

Construction begins this week to make sure people and wildlife aren’t exposed to heavy metals that settled on some of the Spokane River’s shorelines as a result of old mining practices in the Silver Valley, Idaho.  

According to the Department of Ecology, the closures won’t be for long durations, and the result will be that beach areas will be cleaner and safer for you and your family to use. Flaggers will be available and signs will be posted to let people know these access areas are closed.

Contractors will remove contaminated soil while water levels are low at three Spokane River beaches: the Barker Road North beach on the north side of the Spokane River, east of the Barker Road Bridge — plus the Islands Lagoon and Myrtle Point beaches on the south side of the Spokane River. Workers will install a protective cap over the remaining soil to reduce the possibility of exposure.  

Similar work was done at the Flora Road beach in 2009. However, heavy spring runoff in 2011 damaged portions of the protective cover or cap. This year a new cap will be installed, designed to minimize future erosion. 

Ecology and local river groups will plant native vegetation on the shoreline to help stabilize the banks at Barker Road North and Myrtle Point. Work will continue through September.

The beach work is part of the Eastern Washington Clean Sites Initiative, an effort that involves communities and other partners in shaping cleanup projects that improve local residents’ quality of life. Cleanup funds come from the state’s voter-approved tax on hazardous substances.

Historic mining practices in the Coeur d’Alene Basin resulted in contaminants known as heavy metals washing downstream from Idaho. The metals include lead, arsenic, zinc and cadmium. They settled in soil and sediments at certain shoreline areas along the Spokane River.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) began studying mining contaminants in the Coeur d’Alene Basin in 1983. Additional studies began in 1998 that included evaluation of mining-related impacts to the Spokane River in Washington. As part of that study, the EPA identified nine beaches affected by metals.

EPA and Ecology cleaned up the Starr Road beach in 2006. Ecology cleaned up Island Complex and Murray Road beaches in 2007, Harvard Road North in 2008 and Flora Road in 2009.

      ###

Media Contact: Jani Gilbert, Communications, 509-329-3495; e-mail jani.gilbert@ecy.wa.gov. 

For more information: Spokane River Metals website https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/gsp/Sitepage.aspx?csid=442 
 
Ecology’s website: http://www.ecy.wa.gov
 
Ecology’s social media: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/about/newmedia.html

PCB Regulatory Information

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This page contains information about the regulation of PCB’s (Polychlorinated Biphenyls)

Toxic Substances Control Act

EPA’s PCB Use Reassessment 08-24-12-2012

ECOS Presentations: August 28, 2012

Inadvertant PCB Production and Its Impact on Water Quality

Spokane Riverkeeper

Inland Empire Paper Company

Inland Empire Paper Company Talking Points