Tag Archives: EAP

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

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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

 

April 5, 2017 Technical Track Work Group Meeting

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

Date: Wednesday April 5, 2017
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: 509-335-2277
Conference ID: 2740350

Meeting Materials:
4.5.17 TTWG DRAFT Summary Notes
Agenda
–  Tech Track WG agn 04-05-17-draft (2)
– LimnoTech presentation – Monthly Sampling: SRRTTF_LimnoTech_04_03_2017 (1)
powerpoint file: SRRTTF_LimnoTech_04_03_2017_with CFS

–  Limnotech contract package 2017

Revisiting PMF and Fingerprinting (SOW from Lisa Rodenburg and follow-up)
–  Work Plan_Rodenburg 5/25/16 , From Lisa Rodenburg 6/1/16

September 7, 2016 Technical Track Work Group Meeting

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

Date: Wednesday September 7, 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:
– 9-7-16-ttwg-draft-summary-notes_revised
–  Tech Track WG agn 09-07-16_revised (3)
–  Summary of Environmental Assessment Projects Relating to SRRTTF
–  SRRTTF_LimnoTech_09_07_2016 (pdf) SRRTTF_LimnoTech_09_07_2016 (pptx)

August 24, 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: Wednesday, August 24, 2016
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: 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 Kara Whitman (kmwhitman@wsu.edu) ahead of time.

Meeting Documents
–  SRRTTF-08-24-16-Summary Notes_FINAL DRAFT
–  SRRTTF Meeting July 27 summary_draft (decision item)
Agenda: SRRTTF August 24_2016 Agenda_draft V2
–  2016 SRRTTF Funding Support Letter_Governor Inslee docx (decision item)
–  Quick comments on the letter_AB
–  Data Managment Pilot Project – Scope of Work – Draft 08-08-16
–  Draft SRRTTF Coment Letter – Solid Waste Handling Standards – 8_12_2016 (decision item)
–  AppendixB_0823_2016_Draft

Presentations:
–  SRRTTF_LimnoTech_08_22_2016_draft

Ecology News: Quality Assurance Project Plan: Spokane River Atmospheric Deposition Study for PCBs

Aside

Quality Assurance Project Plan:  Spokane River Atmospheric Deposition Study for PCBs is now at https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1603112.html .

There is currently a data gap for the atmospheric deposition of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and toxics in general, in eastern Washington.  The only studies that exist for the atmospheric deposition of PCBs in Washington State come from the Puget Sound region.Filling this data gap is an important first step in determining the significance of the role that PCBs in atmospheric deposition play as a source of PCBs to the Spokane River watershed and ultimately to concentrations found in the Spokane River.This study will measure seasonal PCB concentrations and flux in dry deposition and bulk (wet + dry) deposition in the Spokane River watershed.  Dry deposition will be measured by analyzing PM10 (particulate matter ≤ 10 microns) from a high volume sampler located in an urban area of Spokane.  Bulk deposition will be collected with passive samplers at two urban locations and at a regional background location.  Samples will be analyzed with high resolution method EPA 1668c for PCB congeners.  Sampling will commence in early 2016 with quarterly collection periods over the course of one year (through early 2017).

Secondary objectives to be addressed by this study include:

  • Determine if the Spokane Waste to Energy facility is a potential source of PCBs to atmospheric deposition by modeling PCB emission data using AERMOD, a plume dispersion model.
  • Provide data for estimating the contribution of PCBs in bulk atmospheric deposition to stormwater in Spokane’s Cochran stormwater basin.  The City of Spokane will be collecting PCBs in stormwater from the Cochran basin starting in spring of 2016.

If you have questions, please contact Brandee Era-Miller at 360-407-6771 or at bera461@ecy.wa.gov.

Ecology News: Little Spokane River PCBs Final Report available and Quality Assurance Project Plan for the Spokane and Troutlodge Fish Hatchery PCB Evaluation Finalized

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Little Spokane River PCBs: Screening Survey of Water, Sediment, and Fish Tissue

“The lower section of the Little Spokane River is in Category 5 of the 303(d) list for PCBs in fish tissue. This study evaluated current PCB levels in fish to validate the 303(d) listing. Sediment and water were also analyzed”.

Final Report can be found at https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1603001.html

 Quality Assurance Project Plan:  Spokane and Troutlodge Fish Hatchery PCB Evaluation is now at https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/SummaryPages/1603104.html

The Spokane River Toxics Task Force has been identifying sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to the Spokane River with the goal of reducing PCB inputs to the Spokane River.  Previous studies have identified PCB contamination in fish raised in hatcheries.  Several studies have correlated PCB concentrations in fish tissue to concentrations in hatchery feed.

This proposed study will investigate PCB concentrations in hatchery fish from Troutlodge, a facility in Soap Lake, WA, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) Spokane Fish Hatchery, located on the Little Spokane River.  In addition, effluent from the Spokane Fish Hatchery will be evaluated for PCBs.  PCB concentrations will also be measured in settleable solids and fish food from the Spokane Fish Hatchery.  A PCB annual load contribution estimate from hatchery fish from both hatcheries and effluent from the Spokane hatchery to the Spokane River will be calculated.

In order to determine concentrations of PCBs in hatchery fish being removed from the river, two composites of fish collected from the Spokane River will be analyzed for PCBs.  An attempt will be made to collect fish during the fall from the same age class as those collected in the spring from the hatcheries.

If you have questions, please contact Siana Wong at swon461@ecy.wa.govor at 360-407-6432.  Or you may contact Brandee Era-Miller atbera461@ecy.wa.gov or at 360-407-6771.

 

 

Quality Assurance Project Plan for “Spokane River Atmospheric Deposition Study” is available for review: Please send comments by April 13, 2016

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The Department of Ecology has prepared a draft Quality Assurance Project Plan for the “Spokane River Atmospheric Deposition Study for PCBs” project.

Please provide comments to Brandee Era-Miller, Department of Ecology Environmental Assessment Program no later than April 13, 2016.

Contact information:

 Brandee Era-Miller
Washington State Department of Ecology
Environmental Assessment Program
Email: BERA461@ecy.wa.gov
Phone: (360) 407-6771”

Summary of EAP’s recent analysis of the stormwater PCB data collected by the City of Spokane (2012-2014)

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From Will Hobbs (Ecology, Environmental Assessment Program, EAP) 

Below is a memo which summarizes Will Hobb’s recent analysis of the stormwater PCB data collected by the City of Spokane (2012-2014). The origin of this analysis was from discussions at a Task Force meeting this past summer, where EAP volunteered to look at the PCB contributions of stormwater to the Spokane River using the City’s recent data. Will also compared this data to previous sample events by Ecology. However, it should be noted that both grab samples (Ecology) and composite samples (City of Spokane) had to be used in the analysis in order to have enough data; this obviously introduces some bias. This memo is informal and aimed at encouraging discussion prior to planning any “wet weather” sampling on the Spokane River and City of Spokane drainage basins.

 

October 7, 2015 Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force and Technical Track Work Group Meeting

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The next meeting of the Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force and Technical Track Work group is:

Date: Wednesday October 7, 2015
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#

This meeting will be an official Task Force meeting in order to make a decision on the letter to Ecology commenting on the Draft General Hatchery Permit.  In order to make this decision there will need to be a quorum of voting members present either in person or on the phone for this meeting.  (7 out of 12 voting members).

The small work group tasked with pulling the General Hatchery Permit response letter together has been working very hard and have pulled together a letter that addresses very specific issues in the fact sheet and the permit as they pertain to the key points that the Task Force identified. Task Force members are asked to review the letter as soon as possible and provide comments/major edits to Kara Whitman (kmwhitman@wsu.edu) no later than 12 pm on Monday October 5.  Task Force members should provide only substantive comments about major points that have been missed and/or major points that they cannot agree with. If a comment is regarding a point or points that they do not agree with, Task Force members should provide alternative language. All comments/edits will be compiled and posted prior to the Task Force meeting for review.

Meeting Documents
–  10.7.15 TTWG Meeting Summary DRAFT
–  Tech Track WG agn 10-07-15 revised

–  Hatchery Permit Comment letter 9-30
— Spokane County comments_Hatchery Permit Letter

–  EAP project summaries
–  Urban Waters 2011 Source Investigation
–  SRRTTF_2014_Data Usability Assessment_2015_09_08
–  SRRTTF_2014_Field Audit_2015_09_02 (1)
–  hydroseed PCB load estimate
–  Spokane Fish Hatchery PCB Case Study Plan Proposal

–  SRRTTF_ComprehensivePlan_WorkPlan_2015_0923_draft
—-  Compiled Comments on LimnoTech Comp Plan Scope