Shoreline Programs hit the century mark!

By Brook Beeler, communication manager, Eastern Region

Millwood's approved plan makes 100

With more than 28,000 miles of shorelines in Washington, there is a lot of work to do in order to adequately protect this important natural resource so crucial to the state’s economy and our personal enjoyment. But there is good news. The city of Millwood in Spokane County has the honor of receiving our 100^th Shoreline Master Program approval!



Local governments and communities are making real progress. Shoreline programs allow us to plan for our use of shorelines while preserving what we value, and protecting lives and property.

Millwood’s plan covers just under two of the 28,000 miles in our shoreline tally. But even these miles of the Spokane River are as important to manage as every mile of Puget Sound, Moses Lake, or the Yakima River.

“Millwood and its citizens thoughtfully considered their shoreline needs,” said Shoreline Planner Jaime Short. “The local Citizens Advisory group, Planning Commission members, and City Council all dove headfirst into the weighty issues of public access, environmental protection, and redevelopment along their shorelines during the planning process.”

“The time and energy they devoted to these issues was commendable and a shining example of what public participation can look like – regardless of how many shoreline miles you are planning for.”

The dynamic nature of shorelines draws us to the water’s edge. Everybody gains from having good, safe access to the shorelines. It’s where we go on a hot day, fish, hunt, gather shellfish, walk, and just enjoy nature.

Thanks Washington for ensuring our children and future generations have the beaches, shorelines, and waterways we love so much today.

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Passing SUP, love and happiness on to our kids

Reflections of a stand up paddle board journey
By Linda Kent, communication manager, Southwest Region

As I listen to the flop-chop of water passing below my board I realize—this is happiness.

It’s my moment of Zen.

And I feel it every time I paddle out on Lake Tapps, standing atop Big Blue (aka my standup paddle board).

No two paddle outings are the same.

On summer days, I can smell the sunburn. The water’s smooth as glass. And I’m quietly happy.

More often, my fingers are so cold they burn, and I’m paddling hard into the wind to keep forward momentum. I’m still happy.

In a state of Zen, it’s easy to clear your mind and think. To ponder. To focus on what’s really important in life. I think about how I can preserve the things I love, the things that are important, and pass them on to my kids. Teaching them to paddle on the lake comes to mind, but it goes much deeper than that.

Protecting and preserving this little part of the earth that I connect with each and every chance I get—that’s the heart of it.

Be the change

There are hands-on things that I can teach my kids today. Ways we can be the change. Small things. Things that ultimately add up and make a big difference:

• We can wash our car on the grass instead of in the driveway because this ensures less pollution reaches the lake.
• We can choose not to drip and drive – fixing a leaky car means less oil and other automotive fluids wash into waterways (and it also saves money in the long run).
• We can make sure boat gas goes in the tank, not the lake.
• We can use weed killer and fertilizer in the right amounts – and at the right times. This not only helps protect fish and other critters, it lessens problems with algae.
• We can scoop pet poop -- when it rains, dog poop melts away and runoff carries it to waterways, storm drains, ditches and streams. It’s nice to have clean shoes, too.

The big picture

Then there’s the bigger picture – plans crafted to protect water-dependent uses like paddling and boating, not to mention the lake’s water quality and integrity into the future (which, as I see it, ultimately also protects property values). These shoreline master programs are crafted by cities and counties at local level and then reviewed by Ecology.

I know my kids won’t be all that interested in the planning process, but the end goal will ultimately matter to them, because they will be able to enjoy the lake into the future.

These may seem like strange things to think about as I dip my paddle into the water, but they matter.

Balance matters too – and not just the kind that keeps me on my board.

There’s more to this modern world than the environment. Nurturing growth in the economy and our communities, protecting property values and supporting all of the other things that help provide the security and success important to families like mine are just as essential as protecting our water, earth and air.

So my thoughts turn to teaching my children this: In today’s world, we can have a healthy economy and a healthy environment.

Innovative partnerships and working together to find solutions – these are the things that help us catch waves.

It may not always be an easy journey. It can get choppy as concerns arise, and it may be difficult to achieve balance at times. 

But with the old “economy versus environment” thinking (so very 1980), we risk paddling into a wind that pushes us backward. We risk losing our balance.

How we pass it on

So I want them to learn that how we preserve our environment, the way we work to protect our livelihoods -- these things are just as important as what we seek to achieve. This is how we find sustainable results.

As I ply my paddle and watch water curl past the nose of Big Blue, I hope to pass much more to my children than a moment of SUP-love and happiness.

Earth…pass it on.

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Earth… pass it on: Ecology’s joint project with the creator of The Twilight Zone

By Dan Partridge, communications manager, Water Resources Program

For many of us who sat glued to our black and white television sets for a half hour once a week in the early 1960s, the voice is immediately recognizable:

“Historians will look to the early 1970s as a turning point of concern about the world around us. This awareness centers on our environment yet today we must admit we have only begun to tackle the problem. In our nation Washington stands out as the first to address itself directly to the problems and take positive legislative action on environmental concerns. This is Rod Serling speaking for the Washington state Department of Ecology.”

How did Rod Serling get involved?

That’s how the creator of the iconic television show The Twlight Zone starts his narration of the slide show on the fledgling Department of Ecology. Gary Amos, an ecology employee at the time, created it in 1974 for school children across the state. 

Gary Amos was a 22-year-old Ecology employee in 1974. Ecology was the first government agency in the nation committed to environmental protection when it was created by the state Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Dan Evans in 1970. Ten years earlier, the original The Twilight Zone was in its second season on network television. Like many viewers, Gary was fascinated by the show’s stories of fantasy, science fiction and psychological intrigue that often ended in a macabre twist. The endings left our imaginations racing but, as a young fan, Gary could not have imagined that he would someday meet Rod Serling, the show’s creator and producer and that Serling would help him educate the public about the Department of Ecology.

Ecology employee Gary Amos and Rod Serling in California in 1974

The first Earth Day

The activism of the 1970s that resulted in the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, spurred hundreds of school children to write Gov Evans’ office about environmental concerns and put Gary on the road speaking to classrooms and community groups about Ecology’s mission and challenges.

“The environment became a huge issue. I was really busy, got to travel all over,” Gary recalled. He was a temporary employee working for Ats Kiuchi, public affairs director for Ecology, who asked Gary to “put together a program, a slide show for the kids.”

With the help of Carolyn Empey, a photographer and Ecology intern, Gary created the slide show that he first tried to narrate himself.

“That’s when I realized I didn’t have the voice,” he said. A group of Gary’s colleagues stood around talking about what to do and half joking he asked Ats’ assistant, Linda, about getting Rod Serling to narrate the slide show. The group laughed but one thing has never changed at Ecology:  administrative assistants always accomplish the impossible.

Making connections the old fashioned way

There was no Internet at that time so Linda grabbed a copy of “Who’s Who in America," looked up Serling’s address and wrote him a letter asking him if he was willing to donate his time and talents to the project.

The answer was yes but Ecology Director John Biggs asked Gary to write Serling again to make sure he knew what was meant by “donate.” Once in agreement, Gary was on his way to California. His wife and Caroyln Empey came with him but at their own expense.

Then Gary was startled when his pager went off while waiting for his plane at Sea-Tac Airport. Serling had called the agency to cancel their meeting because of an unexpected obligation. Gary reacted quickly and was able to call Serling back and work out an alternative.

Gary, his wife and Carolyn flew to Los Angeles and met Serling at a recording studio near MGM Studios where Serling recorded his narration of the Ecology slide show.

It's no mystery. Rod Serling cared about the environment

“We didn’t get charged for the studio, the technician’s time or the editor’s time,” Gary said. “The only thing I had to pay for was the spool of tape.”

A year later, Serling would be dead of a heart attack. He was only 50 years old. “He donated his time and talents because he thought it was such an important endeavor. He was concerned about pollution and air quality,” Gary said.

It was a heady experience for Gary who left Ecology shortly after completing the slide show and actually never had an opportunity to use it in a classroom presentation. He worked several years as a public school teacher but for the past 35 years has been an investment advisor in Yakima.

"It’s probably my claim to fame,” Gary said of his encounter with the creator of the Twilight Zone, “and when it’s over I hope they mention it at my funeral.”

Earth Day 2014

For Earth Day 2014, Ecology resurrected the slide show and interjected fresh information in it on the progress our agency has made in intervening decades on cleaning up and protecting the air, water and land of Washington state. Watch it now!

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Cleanup Settlement Account holds nearly $100 million for cleaning up contaminated sites

By Hannah Aoyagi, Environmental Planner, Toxics Cleanup Program

 

Over the past few years, the state of Washington has received $154.6 million in legal settlements from companies that polluted our environment.  So where has this money gone?

 

Fearing settlement funds would be siphoned off for unrelated programs, the Legislature took action.  A 2008 law created the Cleanup Settlement Account in the state treasury.  This account earns interest; and every two years, the Legislature provides Ecology with funding for cleanup and restoration projects.

A new legislative report details what Ecology is accomplishing with Cleanup Settlement Account funds.

The Asarco Settlement

In 2009, Asarco settled with the state $188 million for environmental damage from two smelters, four mines, and a landfill site.  A $19 million piece of the settlement paid taxpayers back for past cleanup costs.  The rest went into the Cleanup Settlement Account.  This funding has enabled Ecology to make major progress in cleaning up the following sites:
 

• Everett Smelter
• Tacoma Smelter Plume
• Monte Cristo, Golden King (Lovitt), and Van Stone mines
• B&L Woodwaste Landfill

 


Drilling crew working on the Lilyblad site in Tacoma

Other Settlements and Payments

Lilyblad Petroleum Insurance Settlement – This Port of Tacoma area cleanup site was contaminated with petroleum and other chemicals.  Ecology received $800,000 from the owner’s insurance company to clean up soil and groundwater.

BNSF Skykomish Natural Resource Damage Settlement – BNSF Railway operations contaminated the town of Skykomish with petroleum and other chemicals, damaging nearby waterways.  A $5 million settlement is paying for habitat restoration and water quality projects.

Read more in the 2013 Cleanup Settlement AccountLegislative Report.

 

 

Garden Talk: Time to Plant!

By Kate Nagel, Food Bank Garden Coordinator, Hazardous Waste and Toxic Reduction Program, Washington Conservation Corps

 

Saturday, May 3rd Planting Event

A flowering winter squash plant
from last season's garden.

Come plant winter squash at the Ecology Food Bank Garden on Saturday, May 3 from 9am-2pm! Lunch and tools provided. All levels of gardening experience are encouraged to join! Bring your family and friends as well as gloves if you have them. Please RSVP.

Lunchtime and after-work gardening parties will also be starting soon. To get on the garden volunteer list or for more information, please contact Kate Nagel.

Need some incentive to get out to the garden? Read about why gardening is good for your health!

The Food Bank Garden is a great way to get volunteer hours and give back to the community. Last year, with the help of hard-working volunteers, the garden donated over 2,000 pounds of produce to the Thurston County Food Bank. The Food Bank hands these vegetables directly to our fellow community members in need!

Ecology's garden is located at the Washington Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Dr. SE, Lacey(garden located in the meadow near the far parking lot).

Newspaper pots: Tips for saving money and reusing

Because squash have fragile root systems, planting starts directly into the ground without disturbing their roots is helpful. Using peat pots is one option, or if you are interested in saving money and reusing too, newspaper pots are a great alternative.

During a recent lunchtime work party, volunteers made newspaper pots for the garden's winter squash starts. There are hundreds of tutorial videos online if you type "newspaper pots" or "newspaper pots origami" into your search engine. Any newspaper should work great, but don't use the glossy pages or pages that use a lot of color ink. Once created, put pots into a tray to contain water, but be sure to allow for airflow. Roots will begin to grow through the paper if they become too large. At this point (or a little before) you will want to begin hardening your plants; here is a good description of this process. Once hardening is complete, carefully place start into the hole, newspaper and all!

Students water their newly planted squash seeds.

Three classes at a local elementary school volunteered to host several trays of squash seeds. The students learned how to plant the seeds and are now responsible for watering them and watching them grow!

Ecology's garden is hoping to grow about 500 winter squash plants this season. This is the first year the garden is using the newspaper pot method to grow starts, and we are excited to see how they turn out!

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Columbia River water users get quick decisions on water access

By Brook Beeler, communication manager, Eastern Region

Tension was high in early March when the first reports of irrigators without access to water came in to state and local agencies. Thousands of acres of high value fruit orchards were at stake. The Columbia River system had been lowered in response to a crack in the dam near Vantage.

Many state officials made a promise that projects in need of permits would be made quickly. Both state and federal agencies had to ensure that appropriate requirements for safety, in-water work, fish screening, cultural resources, and legal water use were met.

Orchards need water for irrigation and pest management. (Photo credit: wikimedia.)

Permits have been authorized for all 16 irrigation projects brought forward for approval. Close coordination among federal, state, and local partners has allowed irrigators to get to work.

Successful partnerships

“The cooperation among state and federal agencies was key to moving the permits quickly,” said Department of Agriculture Director Bud Hover. “I also really appreciated that we had a seat at the table during this process. Even though we are not one of the permitting agencies, we were able to give voice to the concerns of the farmers and growers affected.”

State departments of Agriculture and Ecology worked with the Washington Conservation Commission to fund local conservation district staff to make technical assistance visits and help farmers through the expedited permit process. Coordination among local PUDs, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the state Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation were also pivotal in securing expedited permits.

“Believe it or not, most folks don’t want Ecology knocking on their door even if it is to help,” jested Central Regional Director Tom Tebb at a public meeting in March.

Providing access to water

“Since our initial meeting in March,” Tebb recently reflected, “We have been fortunate to have such willing state and local partners. Within days, local conservation district and Fish and Wildlife staff were paired to provide technical assistance to farmers and growers with permitting needs.”

Water users at any time through this historical drawdown of the Columbia River may call Ecology’s water resources customer service representatives to report a concern about their surface water intake or groundwater wells.

Customer service phone lines: Chelan, Douglas, and Kittitas counties call 509-575-2490; Grant county call 509-329-3400

For detailed and up-to-date information visit our website: Wanapum Dam structural damage could affect water supply.

Previous ECOconnect blogs:

• Columbia River water users worry they may be high and dry
• Columbia River water users experience smooth permit process

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Earth… pass it on: A laugh-out-loud video interview with our director

Kid reporter asks her tough and inspirational questions

I kid you not, this completely unscripted video interview with our director, Maia Bellon, will make you laugh out loud.

Maia spends time answering tough, thoughtful and inspirational questions, asked in only a way a kid could ask them, about what it’s like being the director of the agency and why Earth Day is so special.

Our cub reporter, Talia, asked, “Would this day be as beautiful as it is if Ecology wasn’t here?” and “As being the director and everything, what does the world mean to you?” (No spoilers here: We’ll let you watch for the video for the off-the-cuff answers.)

One of my favorite parts of the video is when Talia sings a ditty from the hit movie Frozen, but replaces the lyrics to sing about cleaning up Hanford.

You’ll finish the video feeling inspired. And you’ll walk away with a renewed sense of enthusiasm about the next generation.

Oh, and make sure you watch it the whole way through for the surprise ending. It’s too cute to miss. To steal an expression from Talia, the interview is “awesome!”

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Earth ... Pass it on: Tackling Toxics

Safer Chemistry Challenge: Supporting safer products and cleaner manufacturing

By Andrew Wineke, communications, Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction Program

Often, we focus on chemical hazards after there’s already a problem – a spill, an injury, or an unforeseen environmental impact. When businesses use safer ingredients in their products or eliminate hazardous chemicals used in manufacturing, however, those problems can be avoided in the design stage.

In May, Ecology and the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable will introduce a new program called the Safer Chemistry Challenge to support businesses that are working to create cleaner, safer products.

Earth Friendly Products in Lacey, Washington.

"Many Washington businesses and organizations already understand that making safer products is a smart business decision," said Ken Zarker, manager of Ecology’s pollution prevention and regulatory assistance section. "By promoting safer products and cleaner manufacturing methods through the Safer Chemistry Challenge, we want to spur innovation and spread best practices." 

The Challenge will offer participants technical assistance with chemical hazard assessments, training and education, and sponsor cross-industry conversations. Businesses and organizations that demonstrate ongoing leadership in pursuing safer chemistry will be honored as “Safer Chemistry Champions.”

Learn more

• Register for Ecology’s introductory webinar at 9:30 a.m. on May 21 for businesses and organizations interested in the Safer Chemistry Challenge. 
• Find more information on the Safer Chemistry Challenge.
• Read about Ecology’s efforts to support green chemistry innovation and education.

Working hard to clean up the SR 530 slide near Oso

by Janna Ryan and Kate Nagel, Washington Conservation Corps

Continued rains keep crews fighting mud


Base camp of operations for logistical support


Forestry skills help the search and cleanup

The SR530 landslide struck unexpectedly on Saturday, March 22. The Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) rallied to support the response efforts in Arlington, Oso, and Darrington — growing from one 6-person crew deployed on March 26th to nine crews (54 AmeriCorps members and staff) on scene at the peak of the search and rescue operations.

Crews tackle whatever needs to be done

Now, as search operations are nearly complete on the West side of the landslide, seven crews remain.  As this response has evolved so have the roles of our crews — from shoring up logistical infrastructure to providing ground support to responders in the field, our crews have tackled each new project with a strong sense of duty and pride.

Early in this deployment, crews helped to establish the “spike” camp in Darrington for responders staying in tents onsite. This required the construction of yurts that are now used for a variety of purposes like camp logistics, food services, laundry, waste disposal, and sleeping quarters. Within just a few days, response organizations filled this camp. It swelled to a population of more than 500.

The remaining crews have made the Arlington Incident Command Post (ICP) their home, providing logistical and ground support to responders in the field. Much of their work is behind the scenes.  It includes ordering and delivering supplies and equipment, maintaining inventory, operating a donation “store” for local community members, and delivering fuel to the field for chainsaws and excavators. Some of the work has improved the facilities. The crews built accessibility ramps, installed canopy tents, and constructed directional signage using repurposed scrap wood salvaged from the old Arlington High School.



Planning ahead makes efficient work

Showing their concern for conservation, crews designed a recycling system at the Arlington ICP. This system ensures that aluminum, glass, plastic, batteries, and food scraps are being diverted from the landfill. The goal of this project is a “no waste” bin system. After getting the project off the ground, crews are now implementing it in Oso, Darrington, and the debris field Drop Point. Local pig farmers pick up food scraps on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Crews deliver the recyclables to the Arlington Transfer Station on a regular basis.

Forestry skills and technology join the effort

WCC forestry skills have also been put to good use. The Washington State Department of Transportation asked that WCC sawyers assist with clearing downed trees in order to install LiDAR equipment. This sophisticated equipment creates a 3D image that geologists can compare to future maps of the site to determine whether the hillside is shifting further and is therefore a risk to the safety of responders below.

These same sawyers have been clearing downed trees from the perimeter of the debris field, allowing water removal for search and rescue operations. Our crews’ background in wildland fire has also proven useful in constructing trenches to funnel water off the field.

Prepared to work as long as needed

WCC crews will remain in Arlington, Oso, and Darrington, as needed, completing 14 day rotations. A special thanks to the local community members for keeping our crews going with home baked treats and kind words. In addition, thanks to our local, state, and federal partners who have voluntarily rescheduled habitat restoration or trail construction projects so that our crews can assist with this response.

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Earth... Pass it on: The Message is in the Materials

By Joye Redfield-Wilder, communications manager

'Sunlight' by Nicole Gallardo


John Storlie, Yakima Makerspace


Rod Hankinson and kinder kids

Art with an environmental twist - Davis and Eisenhower H.S. students in Yakima re-purposed materials like magazines, buttons, pop cans and took apart old jewelry and obsolete electronics and found items to make something new, personal and beautiful. Art is on display at Ecology's Yakima office, 15 W. Yakima Ave.

The vision was to combine environmental education and outreach with creation of student artwork based on environmental themes for Earth Day. Ecology staff and local partners provide inspiration, resources and education related to protecting the environment.

Students create personal works of art reusing, repurposing and recycling existing materials. In this show they used magazines, leather coats, old buttons, broken/old costume jewelry, recycled metals and materials they brought from home to create new jewelry, sculptures and flat art that are creative and low cost and turning trash into something beautiful.

The Art Show

• Eisenhower High School under teacher Katie Hall is presenting 18 pieces of sculptural and flat artwork based on the inspiration of regional Seattle Artist Marita Dingus, who uses recycled materials in her African inspired self-image works. Students thought about their impact on the environment and their culture and created self-portraits using the figure or head as the format.
• Davis High School under teacher Julie Geordias is presenting jewelry made of paper beads, which the students made from cutting up donated magazines, thus keeping the magazines out of the landfill. They also added glass or wooden beads for color. They made leather button bracelets repurposing old leather coats and old buttons. New jewelry pieces were created by taking apart old or broken jewelry and costume pieces and combining it with scrap metals and other materials.

"The projects showed the students they can be creative for very low cost and at the same time recycle," said teacher Julie Georgiades. "The projects are ones they can make at home without needing expensive tools, can teach to others and possibly even sell for cash! The button bracelets also taught students a life skill of how to use a needle and thread and sew on a button."

Earth Week Outreach

Yakima Makerspace’s John Storlie brought a trove of old outdated electronic devices for students to deconstruct and re-create as pieces of art and jewelry. The students had a lesson on the Steam Punk evolving from the late 1980s to the present, which incorporates obsolete mechanical and electronic forms into artwork and fashion.

Using a blender, water and trash basket paper, Rod “The Garbage Man” Hankinson made recycled paper and spoke about the lifecycle of paper and the importance of protecting the environment to five classes of kindergartners at Apple Valley Elementary School.

>> See the whole show at this Flickr set.

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Fecal Matters: Owen Beach/Point Defiance Park is open for swimming, Tacoma, Pierce Co., WA.

BEACH Program Update

On April 18, 2014, Tacoma Pierce County Health Department lifted the no contact advisory for Owen Beach/Point Defiance Park.  The previous swimming closure was posted on April 16, 2014.

Contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses.

Visit the BEACH website to find the latest results for these and other saltwater beaches: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/beach/

Stay updated about water quality at your beaches by keeping up with us on our blog Fecal Matters, on Facebook, or join our listserv.

Debby Sargeant is the BEACH Program Manager and is available at 360-407-6139 or debby.sargeant@ecy.wa.gov for questions.

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Earth ... pass it on: Cleaning-up Hanford

by Madeleine Brown, public outreach, Nuclear Waste Program

Have you heard of Hanford? When I travel east, many folks I meet have not. My quick elevator speech is this: Have you heard of the Manhattan Project? Well, Hanford was where the government made the plutonium for the bomb, in World War II and during the Cold War.

Making plutonium is an inefficient process, so there is a huge mess to clean up. It always takes longer to clean up a mess than to make it, and Hanford made a mess for more than 40 years. So of course it’s going take a long time to clean up.

My job is to help people understand and comment on the decisions about the cleanup.

Outreach is the most important part of my job. It’s through outreach that I can express to people that Hanford’s cleanup requires attention and participation in decisions for decades to come. The people who will do the work, and the people who will be affected by the work, may not yet be born.

Around the state, more and more people have heard about Hanford and know a little bit about it – mainly the last scary headline about leaking tanks or the delays in the cleanup schedule.

Cleanup is costly

The work is dangerous. There are invisible radioactive hazards. There are tons (literally) of chemically dangerous waste. There’s heavy equipment, and old and crumbling infrastructure. The amount of waste is vast.

• More than 65 square miles of groundwater are contaminated above drinking water standards.
• 56 million gallons of high-level radioactive and chemically hazardous waste is stored in 177 underground tanks
.
• More than 40 miles of unlined trenches hold contaminated tools, garbage and equipment.
• Unquantifiable numbers of buildings (they go up and come down nearly daily) and immeasurable amounts of contaminated soil.
• Miles and miles of contaminated underground plumbing surround the tanks.

Planning to manage the risks, and all the steps required to accomplish the tasks really add up. The price tag for Hanford’s part of the Manhattan project was around half a billion dollars. Today, Hanford’s cleanup costs American taxpayers about $2 billion per year.

The difference? Cleaning up a mess is harder than making a mess — and today we’re dealing with the very messy work of previous generations. The waste management techniques used during the secret wartime era are not only illegal today, they are hard to even imagine.

It’s our backyard

Location, location, location. During World War II the Army chose Hanford because it was remote and sparsely populated. Today, Hanford’s economic impact results in a bustling community and a Metropolitan Statistical Area of more than 250,000 people.

When we finish a job, we can walk away, dusting off our hands and thinking of what to do next. But – as our parents always reminded us, we are not done until we clean up and put away the tools, too. Hanford’s cleanup will take decades.

Ironies

Hanford has ironies. The first is that while Hanford’s wastes have profoundly contaminated several square miles of desert, they also have preserved hundreds more. Hanford’s former buffer areas are now the Hanford Reach National Monument, home to dozens of rare, threatened and endangered species, bountiful fish, and sensitive sage-steppe habitat.

Hanford not only has toxic cocktails of chemical and radioactive waste; it’s also home to more than 30 species new to science, discovered about 20 years ago when the government turned some scientists loose to assess Hanford’s natural resources.

Another irony: while the government chose Hanford for its plutonium mission, the work drew to the area thousands of people, who created the vibrant communities of the Tri-Cities.

While most places evolved, Hanford has dramatic history. Cataclysmic geologic events formed the landscape: first, basalt floods, then the Missoula floods at the end of the Ice Age. And a catastrophic geopolitical event, a world war, put the Hanford mission in this special landscape.

Bringing it back to Earth – Pass it on

Hanford’s dramatic history preserved a great deal of sensitive habitat that elsewhere has been converted to agriculture and communities. But it was at a huge environmental and financial cost. Our work in the Department of Ecology is to make sure the federal government cleans up Hanford according to our regulations that protect air, land, and water. We are charged with remediating a very large, unique, and special part of the earth. And my job is to help people help us with those cleanup decisions.

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Fecal Matters: Swimming Closure for Owen Beach/Point Defiance Park, Tacoma, Pierce Co. WA.

BEACH Program Update

On April 16, 2014, Tacoma Pierce County Health Department issued a swimming closure for Owen Beach/Point Defiance Park.  This closure is due to a sewage spill from a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO). The county has posted closure signs. The public is to have no contact with the water until further notice.

Contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses.

Stay updated about water quality at your beaches by keeping up with us on our blog Fecal Matters, on Facebook, or join our listserv.

Debby Sargeant is the BEACH Program Manager and is available at 360-407-6139 or debby.sargeant@ecy.wa.gov for questions.

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Earth ... pass it on: Cleaning Up

Cleaning Up — It's about 'environment, economy, community'

By Seth Preston, Communications Manager, Toxics Cleanup Program

We’ve learned a lot about the power of cleanup since the first Earth Day in 1970 and since our Toxics Cleanup Program was born in 1989. Helping to clean up roughly 6,000 contaminated sites all over the state provides plenty of lessons.

The old Scott Paper mill, shown in this 1947 photo, dominated a large part of the Anacortes shoreline for decades.


Today, after several cleanup actions, it’s a thriving mix of public space, education-focused centers and commercial activity.

Cleanup does more than improve and protect the environment. It protects people from health risks. It creates short-term jobs and long-term opportunities. And all of that together improves the quality of life in our communities.

Let’s call this the “environment, economy, community” relationship.

From toxic … to terrific

Toxic substances from historical industrial activities, accidental spills or poor past practices contaminate sites in many Washington communities. Often, the damage happened decades ago, and the sites sat unused and unchanged.

Ecology doesn’t have the blanket authority or resources to simply decide to clean up a site without the owner’s cooperation and, often, financial participation. After all, the bottom-line principal of our cleanup work is “the polluter pays.”

Many times, a change in a site’s ownership or favorable economic conditions have spurred the cleanup and redevelopment of these properties. And that’s when the “environment, economy, community” relationship kicks into high gear.

Here are just a few examples of how the health of our environment, our economy and our communities thrive together:

A place on the water

In Anacortes, the old Scott Paper mill dominated the shore of Fidalgo Bay. Eventually, the operations closed, and the site was used for other industrial purposes. Those, too, stopped later.

Over the years, sections of the site were cleaned up and revived. Now it’s home to a scenic waterfront park and a mix of commercial and education-focused operations. Those include the local Educational Service District and the Northwest Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing and Technology.

New life for old land

In two Central Washington communities, local port districts are working with us to revitalize old industrial sites so they can create new economic opportunities.

The Port of Chelan County is working to clean up the old Cashmere Mill site. And the Port of Sunnyside is focusing on the former home of a Carnation milk-processing plant.

A building boom in Seattle

In Seattle’s South Lake Union area, work at several sites is in progress as sites are cleaned up to make way for new businesses and housing. This recent KING 5 news segment does a good job of telling the story.

Industrial past, bright future

Ecology, along with local and federal partners, continues to help remake Tacoma – from the waters and shores of Commencement Bay to land impacted by widespread fallout within the Tacoma Smelter Plume. And in other areas of the city, such as downtown, cleanup has led to new development and vibrancy.

Don’t just take our word for it

Of course, it’s easy for us to say these things. But we’re not the only ones – just listen to what people in Spokane, Palouse and other places say about some of the ways we’ve helped them.

The “environment, economy, community” relationship – it makes a difference for all of us.

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Earth ... pass it on: Tackling Toxics

Children First

By Erika Bronson, communications manager, Reducing Toxic Threats

Toxic chemicals, especially long-lasting ones that build up over time, can be found everywhere – our air, land, water … and our bodies. Some pose an immediate health threat, especially to children exposed during critical periods in their development. Others, called persistent, bioaccumulative toxics, gradually increase in the environment and in our bodies, causing disease long after we are first exposed.

Preventing exposures to toxics is the smartest, cheapest and healthiest way to protect people and the environment, which guides the Department of Ecology’s approach to reducing toxic threats in Washington.


Children are more sensitive to toxic chemicals than the general population. The presence of a chemical in a product does not necessarily mean it’s unsafe. However, knowing which chemicals of high concern to children manufacturers use in products provides essential clues to understand when safer alternatives are needed.

Groundbreaking laws help move toward safer products for children and general consumers

Many laws aimed at reducing the impacts of toxic chemicals ban or limit one chemical or product at a time. Washington is taking a broader approach by creating laws addressing one of the biggest challenges in developing more effective toxic chemical policies – the lack of data.

In 1991, Washington was one of the first states to pass legislation limiting four toxic metals (mercury, lead, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium) in all packaging. The toxics in packaging law takes a broad view of packaging by including its components and covering a wide range of materials used as packaging.

In 2008, Washington passed the Children’s Safe Product Act (CSPA). The law has two parts. The first part limited the amounts of lead, cadmium and six phthalates allowed in children’s products sold in Washington after July 1, 2009. Ecology and the Department of Health enacted the second part of the law by developing a list of chemicals of high concern to children and rules requiring manufacturers to report their use of these chemicals in children’s products.

Taking action: Moving from the law books to the laboratory

During 2012 and 2013, Ecology tested children’s and consumer products to verify that manufacturers are complying with CSPA and toxics in packaging requirements. Making sure manufacturers report the required information and discontinue using restricted metals involves enforcement. So we applied for grant funding from the Washington Attorney General’s Office to purchase and test products for several classes of chemicals:

• Metals, including lead, mercury, cadmium, antimony, arsenic, molybdenum, chromium, cobalt, zinc and copper.
• Phthalates, which are used to make plastic softer.
• Parabens, which are used as preservatives in personal care products and cosmetics.
• Formaldehyde and other volatile organic chemicals.

Ecology targeted products sold by local retailers and internet sellers that we thought were likely to contain these chemicals. We carefully prepared samples from each product and sent them to a lab to be analyzed for the chemicals of concern.

What we found

After comparing our test results with manufacturer-reported data, Ecology found that most are reporting as required and that most packaging in Washington is in compliance. Due to the phased reporting schedule in CSPA, some products that we identified as non-compliant were manufactured by companies with annual sales low enough that they did not yet have to report any chemicals of high concern to children in their products.

The most common chemicals in the enforcement letters that Ecology sent to manufacturers were chemicals like antimony, cobalt, phthalates, and parabens. We found 15 potential violations of limits on phthalates and seven potential violations of limits on lead or cadmium in the children’s products tested. We also found two violations on toxic metals in packaging that came with children’s products.

Here is a video clip explaining one example:



We did find, however, that chemicals of concern to children are being used in packaging, but packaging is currently exempt from CSPA and most chemicals of concern to children are not included in the toxics in packaging legislation. Packaging was tested for CSPA metals and for phthalates. Several packaging components were found to contain phthalates, including DEHP, one of the phthalates of highest concern as a reproductive toxic chemical. Similar results were found for some of the metals of concern.

Next steps

Ecology notified manufacturers of potential violations and is working with state and federal partners to ensure compliance. We are using information reported under CSPA to help us identify opportunities to replace toxic chemicals of concern with safer alternatives. But it’s also important to realize that the products we tested were purchased some time ago and may not be on the shelves anymore.

Recently, Washington’s legislature designated $611,000 to enhance Ecology’s work on testing consumer products for toxic chemicals and assessing alternatives to these chemicals. With this funding, we will coordinate with other states to ensure effective testing of products and packaging. As part of this funding package, the legislature also authorized Ecology to review the uses and alternatives to various flame retardants.

Putting together the toxics puzzle provides the big picture

These product-testing campaigns are just one piece of a much larger toxics puzzle. Thousands of toxic chemicals are used in our economy today, and we have limited data on how these chemicals impact people and the environment.

To effectively reduce toxic threats, we need new tools to help manufacturers make more informed choices about chemicals in their products. The smartest, cheapest and healthiest way to protect people and the environment is to find safer alternatives for chemicals of concern.

Ecology is working to reduce toxic threats through a series of projects and initiatives that we will cover in the Tackling Toxics ECOconnect blog series, including:

• Enforcing the Better Brakes Law to reduce the use of toxics, such as copper, asbestos, and certain heavy metals, in automotive brake pads and shoes.
• Developing chemical action plans for some of the worst chemicals. Currently we are working on a plan to identify and reduce sources of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
• Adopting a standard, statewide process for manufacturers to find safer alternatives to toxic chemicals.

Get involved

You can stay informed on these issues by:

• Following our Tackling Toxics series right here on the ECOconnect blog.
• Signing up to receive email notifications about toxic chemicals in children’s products.
• Accessing manufacturer-reported CSPA data online.
• Taking action to reduce toxic threats in your everyday life.

IDEX goes from large to small generator and $aves thousands: A P2 success story

How waste designation saved IDEX in disposal costs

By Erin Jeffries, Community Outreach and Environmental Education Specialist, Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction Program

IDEX Health and Science in Oak Harbor, WA

The company

IDEX Health and Science is a global manufacturer. Their facility in Oak Harbor, Washington, makes products under the Upchurch Scientific and ISMATEC brands. They make fluidics – the tiny tubes, pumps, fittings, and filters used in labs and medical facilities. These products must meet precise standards.  

Know if a waste is dangerous – Designation changes everything

Businesses are required to “designate” their wastes. Designation assigns each type of waste a code. It helps determine whether a waste is considered dangerous and how it must be managed.

Correctly designating their wastes saved IDEX about $2,500 annually.

IDEX already reduced pollution by switching to a non-halogenated coolant, but they were disposing of it as dangerous, persistent waste. During a routine inspection, an Ecology dangerous waste inspector suggested testing the waste to help designate correctly.

IDEX followed up and tested their spent coolant. In this case, they needed to analyze it with a fish bioassay test. They discovered that it’s not considered dangerous waste, which saved disposal costs for 1,200 pounds of spent coolant per year.

The company later decided to look at their spent citric acid waste. Citric acid is used to protect stainless steel in their products from rust. Using the designation process, they discovered that their spent citric acid was not considered dangerous waste. This reduced their waste generation by 1,100 pounds per year.

Equipment improvements gain efficiencies

IDEX uses a saline solution in the equipment that cuts stainless steel tubing. A new kind of equipment requires only one percent of the saline compared to what they were using. Upgrading the cutting equipment reduced the saline waste by 1,600 pounds per year. As a result, they no longer have to dispose spent saline as dangerous waste.

The new equipment requires less water, so the upgrade also cut most of the water used in the process.

Results

Reducing dangerous waste meant big results. IDEX was able to move from being a Large Quantity Generator of Dangerous Waste to a Medium Quantity Generator in 2005, then to a Small Quantity Generator in 2012. This means IDEX now has lower disposal costs and they save on their Pollution Prevention Planning Fee. They also have fewer regulations to follow – which reduces waste management costs.

Ecology Toxics Reduction Engineer Dan Ferguson said, “IDEX Oak Harbor put a lot of effort into reducing waste generation through research, testing, pilot projects, and working with its employees to find solutions.”

Reductions of dangerous waste per year:

• 1,000 pounds spent coolant
• 1,100 pounds spent citric acid
• 1,600 pounds spent saline

Annual cost savings:

• $4,290 in waste disposal
• Reduced regulatory requirements, reducing staff time spent on waste management

Could your business benefit from a visit with our Toxics Reduction staff? They can help with your pollution prevention (P2) efforts. Contact your regional office.

For more P2 success stories, visit Ecology's website.

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Earth ... pass it on: Spills Prevention

Spills Prevention Team helps safeguard Puget Sound

by Lisa Copeland, communications manager, Spills Program

They aren’t a huge team, but they have a tall order. The Spills Prevention Team is helping ensure our waters stay clean by keeping spills from happening in the first place.

On a daily basis, Ecology’s team of maritime and environmental experts conduct ship inspections (which includes fishing vessels, container ships, car carriers, grain ships, log ships, and general cargo ships) and passenger ship inspections on board ships of 300 gross tons and larger. These ships range in length of approximately 150 feet to over 1100 feet long.


Ecology’s Laura Stratton, vessel inspector,

reviews  required documentation for oil-spill prevention.

Inspectors are looking at the equipment used when bunkering (fueling from a barge), the process used during fuel transfers, procedures in place in the event of a spill, and any gaps that can be identified that increase efficiency and minimize the chance of human error.

Ships' officers and Ecology work together

“Vessel inspectors talk with senior officers on the ships that call in our waters,” said Laura Stratton, vessel inspector. “Our objective is to raise their awareness of the importance of preventing oil spills and serious marine accidents. The face-to-face discussion on how to accomplish this is what makes the difference.”

Areas of discussion include work and rest hours, preventive maintenance, emergency procedures, training, and much more. Inspectors verify that crews are following state and federal rules and they provide recommendations for improvement. But how do they know when they are successful? How does one capture the number of spills that almost occurred? It’s not easy, but every now again inspectors receive feedback like the following letter from YM that confirms the work they’re doing is valued and taken seriously. And who knows? Maybe a spill or two was avoided.

Letter from a ship's captain

Good morning!

With reference to the Vessel Boarding Evaluation conducted on board YM North at your good port firstly, I want to express my sincere gratitude for your valuable recommendations aiming at upgrading the vessels’ capability as to environmental protection and secondly, I would like to take this opportunity to explain what have been done in addressing the recommendations.

1. A fleet circular “EMD-140303-1 CIRC-Precaution of Bunker Operations in US port” was issued on Mar/03/2014 describing the said recommendations in detail and means to achieve the relevant requirements.

2. Washington regulations with regard to bunkering were studied and Information was gained by shipboard experience from Chief Engineers for the preparation of revision to the SMS procedures.

3. Revision to the SMS procedures with regard to bunkering was announced to fleet by an Observation List required by Company internal procedures to request shipboard staff to take such recommendations and Company instructions into consideration while making risk assessment for bunkering prior to the dissemination of the revised SMS procedures.

I really hope the above can satisfy you that YM always commit in the continuous Improvement in safety, health and environmental protection and please contact me if you have any doubt or advices in this connection. ~ Capt. John Ba;

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Eyes Under Puget Sound: Studying Puget Sound benthos

By Maggie Dutch, Senior Benthic Ecologist, Environmental Assessment Program

We have 20 new images of the more than 1,200 unique species of tiny invertebrates, including worms, clams, snails, shrimp, crabs, brittle stars, and many others, that live in the sand and mud at the bottom of Puget Sound.

Scientists refer to these creatures as benthic invertebrates, or benthos, meaning bottom-dwelling.

The benthos are eaten by larger invertebrates such as fish, birds, and gray whales. The tiny animals are an essential link in the Puget Sound food chain.

Ecology scientists study Puget Sound sediment quality to determine whether the sediments support an abundant and diverse community of benthic invertebrates.

We’ve introduced you to the benthos in a recent blog and emphasized their importance in the Puget Sound food web.

But how do we collect, study, and sort out this diverse group of animals that live their lives buried in the mud?

Gotta catch ‘em all!

Sediment and benthos samples are collected by our scientists each year from different regions and urban bays throughout Puget Sound.Working from a research vessel, we use a stainless-steel double van Veen grab sampler to collect bottom sediments from selected station locations.

Consisting of two single grabs that are joined together, the sampler works like a giant claw. With the claw open, the grab is lowered from a winch to the bottom of the Sound. When it hits the bottom, it snaps shut, collecting a 0.1 square meter x 17 cm “bite” of the sand and mud.

Sediments are collected from one of the paired grabs for chemical and bioassay testing, while the sand and mud from the other grab is washed through a 1mm mesh screen to remove all benthos living within them.

To learn more about how this works, check out other photos from our sampling trips at Marine sediment monitoring in Puget Sound and watch a video of our team sampling sediments in Commencement Bay.

Gotta sort ‘em all!

Puget Sound sediment sample.

The sieved benthos are brought back to the lab, where they are examined under a microscope and sorted into four dominant phyla (a phylum is a major category used to classify organisms) and a miscellaneous grouping for all remaining benthos phyla. The four dominant phyla are Annelids, Molluscs, Arthropods, and Echinoderms.

Gotta name and count ‘em all!

You can’t understand or protect what you can’t keep track of!

To study and understand the dynamics of the benthic invertebrate communities in Puget Sound, Ecology’s marine sediment monitoring scientists must know which benthic species are living at each station, and in what numbers.

An average sediment station grab contains about 50 of the over 1,200 Puget Sound invertebrate taxa, and around 600 animals (but can range from less than 100 to over 1000). It is no small task to name and count every animal found in each sample!

Taxonomy — What’s in a name?

Taxonomy is the science of grouping and ranking organisms based on shared physical and genetic features, and then assigning a hierarchical series of names (scientific classification) to each unique group of organisms. Progressing from broadest to most specific, organisms are assigned to the categories Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.

Scientists typically refer to each unique type of organism using binomial nomenclature, or a two-part naming system, which includes only the Genus and species. For example, humans are known as Homo sapiens, Orca whales as Orcinus orca, and Dungeness crab as Metacarcinus magister.

Taxonomists are scientists who specialize in (what else?) the taxonomy of different groups of organisms. Ecology’s sediment team works with a small number of regional taxonomists, each a specialist in identification of one major group of Puget Sound benthos.

It takes patience

Our taxonomists patiently and meticulously examine each organism collected from our sediment samples. Then, with their intimate knowledge of the number and shape of the many spines, palps, tentacles, and other assorted body parts that define each species, they carefully assign a name to, and count each animal, generating a set of benthos data for all of the sampled sediments.

A lost science?

There are very few taxonomists who can identify Puget Sound benthos to the species level. Only one or two local experts currently specialize in the taxonomy of each of the major phyla, and very few students in our universities are learning this craft. Our sediment team is worried about continued monitoring of benthos when these specialists retire, and so we are working to record this taxonomic knowledge to use well into the future.

Recent declines seen in the condition of Puget Sound benthic communities

R With these benthos data in hand, our sediment team scientists examine the benthic community condition throughout the Sound, and look at changes over time. Our Puget Sound Sediment Quality Vital Sign indicators, and our recent reports have shown poor and declining condition (that is, fewer species and lower total abundance) of the benthos in many locations throughout the Sound, including the Strait of Georgia, Central Sound, Hood Canal, Bainbridge Basin, Bellingham Bay, Elliott Bay, Commencement Bay, and Budd Inlet. Work continues to better understand both the human and natural environmental pressures and mechanisms causing these changes.

Marine monitoring website and info

More details about the sediment quality and benthos in Puget Sound’s regions and bays can be found on the Marine Sediment Monitoring Team’s website, along with information on the design and implementation of the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) sediment monitoring component.

We hope you enjoy browsing through our Eyes Under Puget Sound photographs. We promise to show you more new photos soon.

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After 39 years, the 1-800-RECYCLE Hotline has joined the social revolution!

by Michelle Payne, outreach & education, Waste 2 Resources Program

The Washington Department of Ecology invites you to join our Facebook page for the 1-800-RECYCLE Hotline! Please visit our page, “like” us, and “share” it with your Facebook friends. You'll find Green Tips on Tuesday, Shout Outs on Wednesday, Throwback Thursday, Trivia on Friday, and other interesting recycling information.

Throwback Thursday? Yeah, we do that.

Check out the 1-800-RECYCLE Hotline Facebook page to:

• Post recycling questions and receive answers.
• Locate recycling facilities and events.
• Learn ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle.
• Share innovative recycling ideas.

If you know of a useful recycling website, facility, or special collection event that we don’t have listed, please share it on our Facebook page. We want to learn from you, too!

What is the 1-800-RECYCLE Hotline?

The 1-800-RECYCLE team maintains a database of more than 1,500 recycling facilities to link the public with recycling opportunities available in Washington. We hope that through our use of social media, we will increase that number as we connect with new potential recyclers.

The hotline phone service remains a vital part of 1-800-RECYCLE and the E-Cycle program. You can still dial 1-800-RECYCLE and talk to a real person between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday (except holidays). You can also email us at 1800recycle@ecy.wa.gov.

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Earth … pass it on

#earthpassiton

#whatonearthareyoudoing

Earth, it’s where we live, love, work and it’s our home. It’s our children’s home, and their children’s home. We think it’s worth passing on in good fashion.

And with that in mind, at Ecology we all have April 22 blocked out on our calendars. A day set aside to specifically celebrate Earth Day. It just so happens to be our 43rd birthday. Or, as we like to refer to it, our bEARTHday!

Spread the word

Earth Day isn’t just about us though. We want YOU to celebrate with us. We would love to see all the great things you’re doing for the planet and celebrate one of the world’s most beautiful places — Washington state.

We’re sharing pictures of our favorite places, the work we are doing to protect those places, and opportunities we have to engage the next generation to carry on the mission. We want to see your photos, videos, notes, poems, posts or tweets.

Tag us with @ecologywa on Twitter or Instagram. Post a note on our Facebook page and use the hasthags #earthpassiton and #whatonearthareyoudoing.

Tell your story

Here are a few questions that could help kick-start your creativity:

• What am I doing to protect, preserve, or enhance the environment?
• What is one of my most treasured places that I want to protect?
• What on earth am I doing to pass on my passion for the planet to the next generation of environmental stewards?

We look forward to seeing all the wonderful things you are doing. Earth … pass it on.

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