Boots on the Ground:

Staying mentally healthy during disaster deployment

Twenty-four Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) AmeriCorps members just finished up a 30-day deployment to Texas assisting communities affected by Hurricane Harvey. We served alongside numerous other programs including the Texas Conservation Corps at American YouthWorks, Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, AmeriCorps' Corporation for National and Community Service, and American Red Cross.

This week, we will send 12 WCC staff and AmeriCorps members to both Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands to help with the response to Hurricane Maria. Six more AmeriCorps members and staff are heading to Florida to assist communities affected by Hurricane Irma, and a new wave of 30 AmeriCorps members and staff will head for a second 30-day deployment to Texas.

AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams capacity expands

It's amazing how fast 24 hours can go by. When you’re serving on an AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team assignment, so much happens in 24 hours it feels like an entire week. It’s hard to believe that our WCC disaster response team members arrived in Austin just three weeks ago.

We have been serving 13-hour days, seven days a week, to maintain and support the overwhelming amount of donations and volunteers. If you were to ask anyone on the WCC response team how long they’ve been deployed to Texas, they might reply, “between 45 to 60 years.” That’s how long three weeks can feel during an emergency response.

A little more than a week ago, 38 Texas Conservation Corps (TxCC) and 52 Minnesota and Iowa Conservation Corps (CCMI) members arrived in Austin and we have been providing disaster response training and hands-on experience for the projects our new colleagues will support.

WCC AmeriCorps members Kelly Lewis (L) and Kayla Seaforth
(R) lead the AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team planning section.

Training new teams through
 peer-to-peer dialogue

As part of the training, we engaged in an exercise that meant a lot to me when I received it as part of my WCC service. We divided the group into two sections: Those who had previous disaster response experience and those who did not.

The seasoned responders wrote down the top five things they wish they had known before embarking on a response assignment. We asked those serving on their first disaster assignment to write their top 10 questions about what it's like to serve on a disaster response team. After much deliberation and conversation, representatives from each group reported back.

Our Texas colleague Byron Zuniga kicked off the session sharing a pointer from someone with response experience: “Remember to take a token or a favorite snack from home because it truly cannot be expressed how comforting a little bit of home can be when you're away for this long.”

As things got rolling, the dialogue opened up, turning into a conversation that helped those with any jitters about heading out to be deployed. The questions reminded more seasoned responders how much advice they had to offer.

WCC AmeriCorps members train with other A-DRT programs
to prepare for upcoming projects across Texas.

Taking time to focus
on mental health and self-care

I think everyone in the group soon realized they would be able to make it through a deployment alongside their friends and fellow AmeriCorps members. We also discussed a few light-hearted issues like ways to spend our down time such as reading books, learning new card games, and engaging in general relaxation activities.

Some of the questions were more serious – such as the best strategies to help people feeling overwhelmed by the disaster and sympathetic stress. That answer wasn't so cut and dried. We discussed taking time to get in touch with loved ones at home, talking with a close member of your crew, or asking for a day off to help with mental health. The atmosphere in the room was one of genuine kinship. The knowledge that everyone there really wanted to help felt supportive and encouraging.

Focused trainings worthwhile across programs

All too often in times of distress, mental health is pushed to the side. However, talking about these issues is one of the healthiest, most important things we can do to help people lower their emotional and physical stress during a disaster. Some of the things that happen during a disaster may not hit a responder until days or even weeks after they’re home and away from the incident.

Providing space for those feelings and talking with people with similar experiences helps responders process the experience. It was extremely reassuring to be in a room full of people telling everyone these feelings are normal and OK.

The issues surrounding mental health during and after a disaster was a critical part of my second- year disaster training as a WCC AmeriCorps member. I was excited to bring some of the same curriculum to a larger audience.

At the end of our training session in Texas, we handed out feedback sheets. Among the questions: “What was your favorite part of disaster training?” I was thrilled to see that overwhelmingly, people said the group discussion about what to expect and how to take care of yourself during and after a disaster response deployment was one of their top sessions.

Trained, geared up, and ready to assist communities in need

WCC AmeriCorps members utilize safety gear when entering homes for debris removal and other projects. Photos by Rob Crawford, Alex Wunder and Dillon Benitez.

CCMI is headed to Houston to begin home assessments and gutting projects while TxCC is off to Corpus Christi to do the same. I was honored to provide training for my colleagues in these amazing programs. I wish them all the best as they head out to their assignments, armed with a little more information and ability to better serve affected communities of Texas and themselves.

By Alex Wunder, WCC AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team public information officer

Join the WCC

Do you want to help the environment, meet great people and make a difference in your community? Recruitment for six-month WCC AmeriCorps positions will open in February 2018! Lean more and apply online today. See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC projects Flickr set and WCC featured projects story map.

Learn more about serving as a WCC AmeriCorps member: www.ecy.wa.gov/wcc

A day in the life of a WCC AmeriCorps member

Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) is seeking young adults ages 18-25 and military veterans for six-month positions on our crews across the state! The WCC, an AmeriCorps program run by Ecology, provides opportunities for young adults and veterans to gain hands-on environmental experience, field skills, formal training and funds for education.

But don’t take it from us! Learn what a WCC position is like from our current WCC AmeriCorps member Steven Quick:

My first few months in WCC

I’ve been interested in Washington Conservation Corps positions for a long time. WCC seemed like a great opportunity to be outdoors, learn about environmental careers and grow professionally. So, late last year I was thrilled by the opportunity to join a spike crew supervised by Junior Fuimaono as a 12-month WCC AmeriCorps member. So far, we have served mostly on planting and wetland rehabilitation projects for Dash Point, the city of DuPont and the city of Orting. We’ve also participated in eight-day service spikes for the Kitsap Conservation District (KCD).

Wait, what is a “spike?”

There are a number of different WCC crews throughout Washington state. A spike crew is intended to support short-term projects where a sponsor needs extra hands on deck or fill in if the normal crew is deployed on disaster response.

We’ve only spiked at KCD so far, planting tree plugs and live stakes. During spikes we are allotted money for meals, and lodging is arranged by the WCC program. During our KCD spikes we stayed at a local, family-owned inn in Poulsbo that offered breakfast every morning. I’m told the experience will be a lot different when we spike at places like Mt. Adams or Mt. Rainier as we’re likely to be roughing it in the backcountry.

What’s a typical week like? 

For every spike week so far, we arrive at our crew base in Tacoma at 7 a.m. like any other day and pack up the truck with tools based on what services we’ll be providing (planting, falling trees, etc). Tools could include a chainsaw, Pulaskis, rock bars, stake pounders, loppers and shovels. Then we head out to the project site together in a WCC truck to meet the sponsor, put in a good day’s worth of service, and get groceries before checking into the hotel or other lodging accommodations for the evening. I like to try to enjoy the local scenery or art if possible after a day in the field, but the crew normally brings a board game or something that occupies our time as well.

The services we undertake in the city are just as valuable to our personal enrichment as our spike assignments. Serving in the city of DuPont was an extremely enlightening week because it was the first week of the crew year, and it broke every single standard I had set. It was something to get used to, considering I’ve never had a position this laborious, but I adapted quickly. It was fun to mingle with other public service workers, make connections and create relationships for the future. Junior said on our first day, “Treat these people well, they could be your future employers.” After meeting so many different people through the projects we’ve accomplished, I’m already delighted by the idea of working with them more one day!

What else does the program offer?

I’ll never forget orientation week at Cispus Learning Center. It was a tremendous learning experience and a great chance to meet hundreds of other WCC AmeriCorps members from all walks of life. Orientation training involved a four-day spike week in the woods near Mt. Rainier, where we received the rundown on AmeriCorps expectations and attended additional courses to prepare us for our year in the WCC.

We go back to Cispus Learning Center again in March and June for extracurricular training courses on environmental topics for resume enrichment, which everyone is really excited for. Orientation, though, was particularly fascinating to me because of the sheer diversity of people and the chance to network and hear ideas.

WCC is already teaching me lessons for life

Ultimately, the lesson I’ve learned during my application process and over the last three months is to prepare and persevere. My supervisor, Junior, told me to take advantage of the networking opportunities this position offers. I encourage prospective applicants to do the same, even if they haven’t been interviewed yet. Find someone willing to share about the program and answer your questions!

Before WCC, I met two corps members that offered their recommendation, I spent time researching online to piece together what the next year would look like, and I spoke to people about what else I could do to put my best foot forward. I volunteered, wrote and researched. I think anyone can really grow in this program; it is what you make of it.

By: Steven Quick, WCC Pierce County spike crew AmeriCorps member

Do you want to help the environment, meet great people and make a real difference? Join Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps Program consisting of three subprograms: the core WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps.

See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set and WCC Featured Projects Story Map. Learn more and apply online today to become a member of WCC:

www.ecy.wa.gov/wcc

Is Puget Sound healthy? Join us May 10 to find out!

By: Jessie Payne, Environmental Assessment communications manager

A big question has been on everyone's mind lately: 

Is Puget Sound healthy? 

This may seem like a simple question, but talk to our scientists, and you'll hear that the answer can be quite complicated. The answer depends on the situation and what aspect of health you're interested in. 

Today in Ecology's podcast, we sit down with our Scientific Environmental Modeling Engineer Mindy Roberts to discuss this question and learn about a talk she'll give tomorrow evening in Tacoma for the Pacific Science Center Science Café. 

Join Mindy at the Science Café event

Describing the health of Puget Sound is as complicated as describing your own personal health. At the Science Cafe, Mindy will dive into some of the latest water quality findings and discuss ways that everyone can help improve the health of Puget Sound.

Join Mindy in Tacoma to learn about some of the latest science we have on Puget Sound. Bring friends who want to understand the different ways we measure its health.

What?	Pacific Science Center Tacoma Science Café “Is Puget Sound Healthy?”
When?	Tuesday, May 10 at 6:30 p.m.
Where?	The Swiss Restaurant & Pub 1904 Jefferson Avenue, Tacoma

Science Cafés are open to all ages. No science background is required, and no question is too basic. Learn more about the Pacific Science Center Science Café event.

Puget Sound science at Ecology

Scientists at Ecology collect, research, and provide credible data to guide our agency's environmental choices for Washington. They work to help us track our environmental health, and to ensure the actions we've taken are working. Learn about our Puget Sound science.

WCC: Now hiring six-month positions

By: Laura Schlabach, WCC outreach coordinator

Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) is seeking young adults ages 18-25 and military veterans for six-month positions on our crews across the state.

The WCC, an AmeriCorps program run by Ecology, provides opportunities for young adults and veterans to gain hands-on environmental experience, field skills, formal training and funds for education.

If you know someone who wants to work outdoors in an active team atmosphere, send them our way! Our crew supervisors are currently reviewing applications, so apply today: www.ecy.wa.gov/wcc

Earn college credits through WCC

This year, WCC is offering opportunities to earn transferable college credits through a new partnership with Walla Walla Community College. Two college courses will be offered: Plant Anatomy and Morphology, and Introduction to Agriculture & Natural Resource Careers. These courses, taught by Walla Walla Community College professors, will debut at our June training conference. The courses are part of Walla Walla Community College’s Water Technology and Management and Agriculture degree programs. In addition, six-months or up to two years of WCC service qualifies as Cooperative Work Experience credits at Walla Walla Community College (non-transferable).

Our WCC outreach team spoke with Dave Stockdale, Director of the Water & Environmental Center at Walla Walla Community College, to learn more about what makes their programs unique:

“Our watershed ecology program is one of the few programs of its type at a community college in this region. We have students from all over the country that come to be in the watershed ecology program because it has a strong reputation. Our natural resources program combines ecology studies with technology and management skills, and makes a great platform for many career directions. We are also the only community college in the country offering an irrigation technology degree. Our agriculture degrees include options in precision ag, animal science, plant science and ag business. All of these programs are very hands-on, which is something that crew members can relate to. It’s about both learning and doing things.”

Your WCC job could get you college credit while working in
the field like these Walla Walla Community College students.
Photo courtesy of Dave Stockdale.

WCC members that enroll in the college’s Plant Anatomy and Morphology during our June training conference will take part in plant identification and other lab activities during the training week, then complete a series of follow-up online assignments and exams on their own. The Introduction to Agriculture and Natural Resource Careers course takes places entirely online, although participating members will meet in the evenings during June training week for hands-on class activities.

WCC members can apply credits earned through these courses to degrees at Walla Walla Community College, or transfer them to Washington State University and potentially other institutions across the state.

Dave Stockdale also described what sort of jobs Walla Walla Community College courses and degrees will help prepare students for:

“The graduates of our water technologies and management degree programs and agriculture degree programs have been able to find work with a variety of employers, including conservation and irrigation districts; Tribes; private businesses like water and soil quality testing companies; agri-business including irrigation management; USGS; environmental nonprofits’ colleges; and state agencies such as Washington’s Department of Ecology and the Department of Fish & Wildlife; and the Oregon Water Resources Department; and federal agencies including the Bureau of Land Management. There have also been alumni who now run their own residential landscaping/irrigation businesses.”

To learn more, visit the WCC training program.

Join WCC

Do you want to help the environment, meet great people and make a real difference? Recruitment for the 2016-2017 crew year will begin July 15, 2016. Join Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps Program consisting of three subprograms: the core WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps.

Get environmental career experience, money for school and
make great friends in a job with WCC. 

See photos of the types of projects WCC members work on during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set. Learn more and apply online today to become a member of WCC:

www.ecy.wa.gov/wcc

Water conservation activities for kids

Saving water is a family affair

by Lynne Geller, communications and outreach, Water Resources Program

Photo credit: Province of British Columbia

If there is one thing the 2015 drought is teaching us, it is not to take water for granted. (As of Oct. 20, 68% of our state is still in “extreme drought”.) Practicing water conservation every day, every year, just makes sense. Conserving simply means not wasting.

Why not make learning about water conservation enjoyable, for you and your family? The web has a wealth of free learning materials for kids of all ages. Spend some quality time with the kids in your life, learn some new things, and have some fun -- all at the same time. And along the way, understand more about the importance of water conservation and what you can do to save water.

Check out the Water Use It Wisely web pages. You will find interactive and downloadable games. You can go to the Tip Tank and learn water saving tips using a memory game of matching pictures (you may know the game as “Concentration”). Discover the role of water in our lives: Spin the earth to select a topic (for example, the water cycle, watersheds, using water wisely.) Then for each topic, there are games, quizzes and a video, plus other learning tools. Or have some fun testing your skill at saving raindrops, working against the clock.

WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which is all about using water efficiently. You have probably seen the WaterSense label on products like showerheads and toilets – and even new single-family homes! WaterSense Kids provides some basic water use information and then you are tested in a challenging “Test Your WaterSense” interactive game. Help your kids take a water drop through a maze of water pipes and answer water use questions, while being careful to not to be gobbled up by Water Wasters.

Try your hand at Washing Machine Basketball and other interactive games at conserveh2o.org. The site also has downloadable activity books where you can connect-the-dots, find your way through mazes, color by number, find the picture that doesn’t belong – and be learning about water and water conservation at the same time. 

If you are feeling a little more ambitious, look at the materials developed by WaterSense for kids grades 3 through 5: WaterSense materials for elementary-level kids. There are two sets of learning materials, A Day in the Life of a Drop and Fix a Leak Week. The web has a great selection of materials for educators.

These links are just a start. Conserving water in the home isn’t hard – it’s just about learning some easy things to do, and then remembering to do them! Start today, and make it a family affair.

Cleaning Up: How dredging is cleaning up Ridgefield’s Lake River

By Joyce Mercuri, Diana Smith, and Craig Rankine, Toxics Cleanup Program

How do you remove toxics from a sensitive environment, including a national wildlife refuge? This year, Ecology and the Port of Ridgefield have been using advanced cleanup techniques to remove pollution at the Pacific WoodTreating (PWT) cleanup site.

Recently, work shifted from Carty Lake to Lake River. The Carty Lake cleanup was finished in late October (learn more here and below). Meanwhile, the port’s contractor started cleaning up Lake River sediments in late October.

PWT’s operations polluted Lake River sediments near the port property with dioxins, pentachlorophenol (PCP), cresols, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Dioxin is the main contaminant of concern.

Removing these contaminated sediments from the river is the most effective way to reduce risk to human health and improve the environment for fish and animals that eat fish. However, ensuring that dredging doesn’t harm water quality or spread contamination is tricky. The port and Ecology are working hard to ensure dredging protects the surrounding environment.

 

Lake River dredge area

Designing “precision” dredging

The port, under Ecology’s oversight, chose precise dredging technologies. Precise methods help minimize sediment disturbance and keep contamination from spreading or affecting water quality.

Careful planning was used to select the dredge area up front, which saves time and money during construction. The dredge area was identified by extensively sampling the river bottom to find out how widespread and deep contamination is.

Engineers then used computer mapping and statistical methods to plan the exact outline and depth of the area to be dredged. The dredge area is shown in green and dark blue on the map. The light blue area outside of the dredge area is less contaminated and will be covered with one foot of clean sand.

Then, project engineers used very high resolution underwater sonar surveying to make a detailed map of the river bottom in the dredge area. From this, they created a grid map showing where each dredge bucket would be placed and how deep it needs to go to get the contamination out. After dredging, sonar surveying is done again to make sure dredging goes to the planned depth.



Grid map showing dredge bucket areas (tiny squares)

Preparing to dredge

Removing pilings with a vibratory extractor

Once workers got to the site they removed old pilings and other debris that could get in the way of dredging equipment. Debris can keep the dredge bucket from closing, which can let contaminated sediments leak out. Debris can also make the dredge bucket disturb and spread contaminated sediments.

In October, the port’s contractor pulled out 121 wood pilings, some logs, and about 180 tons of concrete, asphalt, and debris.

Dredging the right sediments

This dredging equipment is designed to avoid releasing or spreading contaminated sediments. During dredging:

1. A large excavator with a specialized clamshell bucket is placed onto a barge that is anchored over the dredge area. Rather than using a bucket dangling at the end of a cable, the clamshell bucket is attached to a fixed arm so the operator can precisely place the bucket. 
2. An equipment operator carefully places the open bucket on the area to be dredged.
3. Then, the two halves of the bucket slowly close and seal. This prevents sediments from leaking out while the bucket containing water and sediment is brought to the surface.
4. The first pass over the area collects most of the contaminated sediments.
5. The equipment goes over the area a second time to remove any loose sediment that the first pass could have disturbed. The operator also makes sure they reached the design depth for that 
   area.

Empty bucket being lowered into Lake River and closed bucket coming out with contaminated sediments

Computer software for dredging and high resolution global positioning system (GPS) devices attached to dredging equipment help ensure precision dredging. With these tools, the dredge operator can essentially see underwater to ensure each scoop of the bucket removes sediments from the right area and at the right depth. Engineers oversee this in real time.

Operator in excavator over Lake River using software to make sure he's placed the bucket correctly

Disposing of contaminated sediments

The bucket collects water along with sediments. The operator carefully releases this water into a bin on the dredging barge. Since it might be contaminated, this water is pumped to a treatment system on the port property. The operator also places the sediments into a barge that has been sealed to prevent sediments or water leaking back to the river. Watch a video

Releasing water to container, then releasing sediments to another container on the barge

Once the barge is full, it is towed to the end of Division Street near the sediment handling and water treatment area. Excavators load the sediments from the barge into dump trucks and they are taken into a covered handling area. In order to be dry enough to be accepted at the landfill, some cement needs to be added to the sediments. Once they are dry enough, the contractor loads them into trucks and takes them to the nearby landfills.

Unloading sediments from the barge, then transferring dried sediments out of the handling area

Restoring the area and finishing Lake River cleanup

The port is almost finished with dredging contaminated sediments from Lake River. The port has started placing clean sand over dredged areas and areas that contain lower levels of contamination (see light blue areas on the map above). They’ve also started placing “fish mix” sized rocks to stabilize and restore the shoreline.

Crane operator grabbing sand for the riverbed and equipment placing fish mix rocks on shoreline

To finish this part of the cleanup, the port will finish the dredging, as well as stabilizing and restoring the shoreline. They will also plant native plants and trees along the embankment. This work will continue through early spring 2015.

The port is doing the current cleanup under a 2013 legal agreement with Ecology. Ecology and the port are funding the cleanup.

Finishing the Carty Lake cleanup

Carty Lake plant restoration

The port used a different technique to clean up contaminated sediments in Carty Lake. You can read about that here. Now, native grasses planted along the Carty Lake shoreline have started to sprout. Landscape crews also planted wetland plants. They will finish planting the banks in the spring.

Questions?

• Cleanup website
• Fact sheet about 2014 – 15 cleanup
• Sediments specialist Joyce Mercuri – (360) 407-6260 or Joyce.Mercuri@ecy.wa.gov
• Cleanup project manager Craig Rankine – (360) 690-4795 or Craig.Rankine@ecy.wa.gov
• Public involvement coordinator Diana Smith (360) 407-6255 or Diana.Smith@ecy.wa.gov

Recycling in Washington: How are we doing?

By Gretchen Newman, Lead Data Analyst, Waste 2 Resources

In a recent ECOconnect post, we talked about how food is the largest component of our garbage in Washington, at 17 percent (by weight) of what we throw in the trash. Wonder what makes up the rest of the trash? And how much are we recycling in Washington households and businesses?

Composting at the office turns would-be waste into valuable product

By Michelle Andrews, organics specialist, and Erika Holmes, communications

Food is the largest component of our garbage by weight, at 17 percent in Washington and 21 percent nationwide. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, about 40 percent of the food grown in the United States isn’t eaten. Meanwhile, about 15 percent of our population doesn’t know where their next meal will come from.

Ecology Experts Assist Craft Brew Alliance to Produce Better Beer with a Better Bottom Line

By Joanne Lind, communications, Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction

Most breweries are focused on getting product out the door. They have little time to consider what their wastes are costing them.

Craft Brew Alliance (CBA) is trying a new approach with the help of Ecology’s Technical Resources for Engineering Efficiency (TREE) team. CBA’s sustainability manager Julia Person asked us to assist her team in cutting waste and increasing efficiency. The goal was to eliminate as much waste as possible, while becoming more productive and continuing to produce great libations.

CBA is the merger of leading Pacific Northwest craft brewers: Redhook Brewery, Widmer Brothers Brewing, and Kona Brewing Company. Together they aim to preserve and grow one-of-a-kind craft beers and brands. The TREE team focused on the Redhook Brewery in Woodinville. The facility’s expansive grounds host many events and include a tasting room and a full-service restaurant. Redhook wanted to improve their solid waste handling and recycling.

Cutting waste and increasing energy efficiency saves money

Our TREE team visited Redhook several times (at no charge to the company) and suggested a number of ways to reduce waste and save money. One was to carefully separate bottles, cans, and other recyclables from solid wastes coming out of the restaurant.

But the brewery also had high surcharges on their sewer bill due to excessive organic material in their discharge. Breweries struggle with this type of waste because their discharges contain expired beer product, spent grain liquids, and other brewery liquids. The trick was figuring out how to better manage these wastes. We recommended diverting spent yeast, grains, and liquids from the sewer, and instead providing them to local dairy farms for cattle feed. This got the organic materials out of their discharges and ended the high sewer surcharge.

Ecology audit identifies waste

To help Redhook with energy costs, the TREE team conducted an audit of machinery on their production line. We used an infrared device to find compressor air leaks and motors not functioning efficiently. The air leak audit found 48 leaks costing the company about $19,000 each year in electricity. The motor function audit found 18 motors and 20 gear boxes running hotter than normal.

Fixing these problems will save the brewery about 216,531 kilowatt hours per year and cut more than 17,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions - in addition to the money saved.

Redhook boasts impressive results. So far, they:

• Reduced the costs of both sewer and electricity.
• Eliminated the water-soap mixture used to move bottles in favor of a liquid-free bottling line. This is expected to bring an even larger drop in water usage and sewer fees.
• Educated others by hosting a workshop to share what they learned. They also helped other breweries connect with resources throughout the Northwest Region, such as our TREE team and the Pollution Prevention Resource Center.

CBA is applying the improved practices they learned from Ecology’s TREE team to their other brewery facilities. And they’re discovering more improvements and innovations on their own. They realize cutting waste and conserving water and energy are big money savers and good for business. Beer drinkers can toast to that!

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New dangerous waste training video makes labels stick

By Mariann Cook Andrews and Erin Jeffries, Outreach and Education, Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction Program

How do you know what’s in a box of cereal? You look at the label. How do you know what’s in a container of dangerous waste? You look at the labels. What happens when the labels aren’t there? People can get hurt.

Imagine responders arriving at the scene of a fire. They see spilled drums of waste and chemicals, but there aren’t any labels to tell them whether they are ignitable. The fire approaches the spills – are the responders in danger of explosion? In this situation, the absence of labels could shift a manageable incident to a major disaster.

Missing or incorrect labels is the most common violation found during dangerous waste compliance inspections.

Our new, four-minute video helps facilities with dangerous waste understand how to label it properly:


A 2013 survey showed that Washington businesses place a high value on keeping workers safe. Safe handling of dangerous waste includes proper labeling, management, and disposal.

Labeling problems are easy to avoid. Three items must be on every container of dangerous waste:

• The words “Dangerous Waste” or “Hazardous Waste”
• Accumulation start date (when the first drop of waste goes into the container)
• Risk label for each risk the waste poses (flammable, explosive, etc.)

Learn more about dangerous waste labeling

1. Visit our Label Dangerous Waste web page
2. Download and print your own labels
3. Read the Focus Sheet: Risk Labels Required for Dangerous Waste Containers

Las Etiquetas (Labels in Spanish)

Etiquetas para las materiales peligrosas y la seguridad personal

Also learn how to keep containers closed in the video Dangerous Waste Containers: An Open and Shut Case.

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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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Re-use Center saves money and resources

By Tina Simcich, Green Purchasing, Waste 2 Resource Program

Need some binder clips? Looking for office organizing supplies? Want file labels NOW?!

At Ecology’s Lacey building, you can quickly find these items and more just an elevator ride away. Instead of purchasing new products, staff and agency purchasing coordinators often find what they need in the Re-use Center. Our new video takes you on a journey to the “treasure trove” organized by shipping and receiving warehouse staff.



The Re-use Center a quick way to restock supply rooms at no cost. "I find something our program needs each time I go down there. Usually, I check the Re-use Center for an item before placing a purchase request. I think it’s a pretty cool place, and sometimes I find supplies are in packaging that isn’t even opened," Purchasing Coordinator Divina Clark remarked about her experience.

Ecology saves money by avoiding the purchase of new items. Reuse also means avoiding the hassle of putting in a purchasing order and takes a load off of Ecology’s busy staff.

Many agencies and businesses are seeking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, wastes and other environmental impacts through a focus on sustainable consumption, including source reduction. Source reduction minimizes the quantity and toxicity of materials that later need to be disposed. Re-use can be a big part of source reduction as each file folder, stapler or calculator can be used by several staff until its functional life is over.

The Benefits of Re-use 

• Eliminates the cost of and shipping fees for new products.
• Reduces waste that is sent to landfills.
• Reduces the costs and waste of new product packaging.
• Reduces staff time to process purchase orders.
• Reduces toxics and greenhouse gases associated with the lifecycle of new products.

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The Benefits of Recycling

By Dan Weston, Recycling Data Analyst

Each year, Ecology's Waste 2 Resources Program collects recycling data from facilities throughout the state and compiles them in our Annual Solid Waste Status Report. Recycling in Washington continues to result in significant environmental and economic gains, and we track our progress from year to year in this report.

Saving energy

In 2012, over 8 million tons of material were collected for recycling across the state. Using recycled material to make paper, plastics, glass, and metal products requires less energy than extracting, refining, transporting, and processing raw materials.

The 8 million tons of material collected saved roughly 1 billion gallons of gasoline, equal to 128 trillion BTUs (British thermal units) of energy, which is enough to power 1.1 million homes for a year (nearly half the households in Washington)!

Reducing pollution

Recycling also keeps materials out of landfills where they can contaminate groundwater and generate greenhouse gases (GHGs), reduces the amount of pollution entering the air and water, and keeps materials out of incinerators that can pollute the air and create ash residue.

The amount of material recycled in 2012 prevented 2.6 million tons of GHG emissions, similar to keeping 1.9 million cars off the road each year. It also reduced the 27 different types of air and water pollution that are produced when raw materials are used for manufacturing.

Conserving natural resources

Recycling reduces the harmful effects of mining and logging on the landscape. Supplying industry with recycled materials, instead of virgin resources from forests and mines, conserves these scarce resources.

By recycling over 1.5 million tons of scrap metal in 2012, Washington avoided mining and processing nearly 3 million tons of limestone, iron ore, and coal.

Learn more

• Focus on the Benefits of Recycling: Washington’s 2012 Recycling Produces Results (Ecology publication 11-07-007)
  
• Solid Waste in Washington, Twenty-second Annual Status Report (Ecology publication 13-07-070)
  
• Solid Waste and Recycling Data
  
  
  

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Stories about Getting to Clean Water: Cottage Lake – Watershed Education Helps to Protect a Valuable Resource

By Diane Dent, Water Quality Stories Lead, Water Quality Program

Since the early 1970s, King County’s Cottage Lake has experienced algae blooms due to excessive amounts of phosphorus entering the lake. King County began monitoring the lake and its two inlet streams (Daniels Creek and Cottage Lake Creek) in 1993. As a result of King County’s year-long study, the Cottage Lake Management Plan was created. Data from the lake management plan aided development of the Cottage Lake Water Quality Cleanup Plan (formally known as a Total Maximum Daily Load study) for phosphorus in 2004, followed by the Cottage Lake Water Quality Implementation Plan in 2007.

The problem

Elevated levels of total phosphorus in the lake water led to increased occurrences of blue-green algae blooms. Excessive amounts of noxious weeds, such as White Water Lily and Purple Loosestrife, replaced many native plant species in the lake and its wetland areas. Friends of Cottage Lake (FOCL) spearheaded local efforts in the area to provide education and outreach to residents within the watershed through their website. Once the Cottage Lake Implementation Plan was complete, FOCL and King County worked in partnership to develop the Cottage Lake Total Phosphorus Reduction Plan Grant, provided by Ecology’s Centennial Grant Program.

Milestones and outcomes

King County continues to work in partnership with the FOCL to distribute educational materials and to keep residents interested in protecting Cottage Lake and its watershed. Overall, the response from residents living in the watershed has been positive. However, it has yet to be determined if projects conducted in the grant have influenced a reduction in total phosphorus in Cottage Lake and its inlet streams. Further monitoring and analysis of water quality data in the next few years will help to answer these questions.

• Read this full story online.
• Story written by Tricia Shoblom, Ecology Northwest Regional Office

Telling our success stories

Water quality success stories provide a wealth of information associated with novel project designs, funding ideas, and useful resource suggestions. Some are clear successes; others supply valuable lessons to help us grow in our understanding of water quality protection and restoration. Stories illustrate successes gained from cooperation among Washington’s citizens and organizations.

Read all of our Ecology's water quality success stories, and check out our complete catalog of stories.

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Fix that Leak! - Youth drive home clean water point

by Justine Asohmbom, Shorelines & Stormwater Education Manager for Puget Sound, Northwest Regional Office

** NEW 2013 Workshops! for more information about FREE workshops see Don't Drip and Drive - Fix That Leak workshops (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/washington_waters/fixcarleaks.html) **

There is nothing more captivating than when young people help inspire and educate their peers. The possibilities are as endless as their imaginations. Students from Ballard, West Seattle and Roosevelt high schools, with their youthful zeal and passion, are engaging and educating their peers on the importance of checking for and fixing vehicle oil leaks and protecting Puget Sound.

“We are trying to stop pollution and raise awareness for the younger generation and not just for the older generation because oil leaking from cars ends up in Puget Sound, it pollutes everything, and it all comes back to us. We are not hurting just the environment, we are hurting ourselves,” said Macauley Cameron and Kelsey Mendenhall, both Juniors at Ballard High school.

These students are members of the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA Washington), and they are working in collaboration with the Department of Ecology, Seattle Public Utilities and KUBE 93 FM radio. DECA is the club for high school students interested in marketing.

“The youth are change agents in our society. That is why we are focusing on them. They are first time drivers. They are learning new habits, so we want to start them off on the right foot,” said Michael May, Public Relations Specialist, with Seattle Public Utilities.

The teens used social marketing principles to produce radio commercials, videos, iPhone games, brochures and posters with messages to encourage their peers to check for and fix vehicle leaks and fluids.

Susan Trunk, Account Executive with KUBE 93, who was one of the judges of the student campaign materials, said: “I was very impressed by the caliber of work that the high school students were able to present to us. It was very creative and they are the best people to get messages out to their peers, so what they created was very spectacular.”

Students sneak a peek at KUBE 93 FM Radio

The students with the winning submissions visited KUBE 93 FM radio station for a learning experience and to contribute to the official eight-week on-air, online and onsite auto leaks campaign. http://www.kube93.com/pages/auto_leaks.html. Catalina Solberg, Account Executive with KUBE 93, gave the students a sneak peek behind the scenes at the station.

The students were impressed by how much work gets into each radio production.

Young voices for clean Puget Sound

Listen to the radio commercial by one of the groups of students.

Wael Abou-Zaki, KUBE 93 and KISS FM Creative Director, worked with the winning team to produce their final radio commercial. He said, “Tailoring and putting together a commercial and getting it on radio is genius; there is no other way to capture kids attention than putting them on the radio where everybody can hear them.”

Check out the partners’ YouTube site and watch the contest-winning Fix That Leak video by one of the groups of students.

Gearing up for action

These students will bring the inspiration and magic of the campaign to life for other young people in their schools and communities at a youth-driven auto leaks education kickoff event scheduled for May 16, 2012 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Ballard High School. KUBE will be onsite with their sound system. The host, DJ Eddie Francis, will conduct a live on-air call-in at the event. Students will answer auto leaks questions, and listeners will vie for a chance to win Summer Jam tickets and other fun prizes.

Will you say “yes!” to our youth?

Start by checking your own car for oil leaks. Get started today at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/washington_waters/cars.html

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Brazilian nuclear experts get well-rounded education in Richland

By Dieter Bohrmann, Communications Consultant, Nuclear Waste Program

A group of five nuclear experts from Brazil had a lot of serious questions when they visited Ecology’s Nuclear Waste Program in Richland last month. One less serious – but no less important – question was: “How is the quality of your wine?”

A team of high-ranking officials in the Brazilian government’s nuclear energy sector traveled to the U.S. in August to learn how our country’s nuclear regulations and oversight system works, explore best practices for improving public perceptions of nuclear issues, and experience American culture and society. For some of them, it was their first trip to the U.S.

The team spent nearly three weeks talking with various groups in Washington, D.C., North Carolina, and Nevada, in addition to their swing through the Pacific Northwest. The tour was part of the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program.

In Washington, the group was particularly interested in the state’s role in overseeing and regulating the byproducts of nuclear programs to ensure community health and safety. The group was also interested in understanding the purpose of the Northwest Interstate Compact, and how it provides a regional framework for securing nuclear materials. The compact oversees the management and disposal of commercial low-level waste within its region that includes eight Western states.

The Nuclear Waste Program got involved when the World Affairs Council in Seattle contacted Ecology’s headquarters office in Lacey to request a meeting with the Richland office. But it quickly became apparent that the scope of the group’s interests went beyond our program’s expertise. So reinforcements — in the form of our partners at the Department of Health and the Energy Facilities Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) — were called in to provide all the information the experts were seeking.

Pictured from left to right: Guilherme Carmargo (Superintendent of Quality Management, Eletronuclear); Paulo Viegas (Legislative Advisor in Economics & Energy, Federal Senate); Wagner Tavares (Legislative Counsel, Federal Chamber of Deputies); Leonam Guimares (Special Assistant to the CEO, Eletronuclear); Marcelo Suano (Advisor to the Presidency, Federal House of Representatives)

The multi-agency effort proved to be effective in covering a lot of ground. Ron Skinnarland went over the Nuclear Waste Program’s role in regulating environmental cleanup at Hanford. Ecology’s Mike Garner provided an overview of commercial low-level radioactive waste laws and interstate compacts. Earl Fordham, Mike Priddy, and Tom Rogers from Health’s Office of Radiation Protection discussed radiation monitoring and emergency preparedness at the Columbia Generating Station, the state’s only operating nuclear power plant. And Stephen Posner from EFSEC came to the rescue to talk about the state’s role in licensing and siting energy facilities, including the nuclear plant.

The meeting was a great opportunity for the agencies to be ambassadors for our work in protecting Washington’s environment. We were also left with an appreciation for the regulatory structure that ensures those protections are effective and efficient. Something that’s easy to take for granted.

Wrapping up with us on a Friday afternoon after a busy week of meetings and a long East Coast flight, our visitors were looking forward to a chance to relax and play tourist over the weekend. I hope they got a chance to sample some of the highest quality wine in the world made right here in the Columbia Basin.

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Getting to know Citizens for a Healthy Bay, partners in protecting Commencement Bay

By Jocelyn Jones

Tuesday, I was lucky enough to join others from the Department of Ecology on a tour around Tacoma waterways. I saw firsthand the incredible work that has been done to restore the waters—and I met some of the folks instrumental to this success.

Marv Coleman from Ecology’s southwest regional office and Jeff Barney, from Citizens for a Healthy Bay (CHB), took time out of their busy schedules to show us around. All along the way, they pointed out the successes they have had in cleaning up the water—and the work still left to be done.

The pride at the successes and the determination to achieve even more left me feeling pretty inspired and certainly less pessimistic than when I started the day. With talented and knowledgeable people like this working to keep Washington waters clean and healthy, I know we can all do our part.

Ecology and CHB are partners in preventing pollution and correcting problems in Commencement Bay. The photo is of a vessel being cut up on the water, which is a violation of 90.48 water quality regulations. This is just the kind of violation that Jeff would spot during his Baywatch tours and let Ecology know about, so Ecology may follow up with potential regulatory actions.

Founded in 1990, Citizens for a Healthy Bay is also a partner in public outreach, functioning as one of Ecology’s information repositories when we issue documents that are subject to public notice and comment periods. They help us spread the word when we need input from citizens around the Sound.

They also organize great events that help get and keep citizens engaged in a clean and healthy Puget Sound.

In fact, this weekend is the 19th Annual Tacoma Maritime Fest. You should come check it out! CHB and Ecology will each have booths there!

Find out more about Citizens for a Healthy Bay at the Maritime Fest this weekend. Their booth will be located near the information booth, or “like” them on Facebook. If you stop by the Festival, be sure to thank Jeff for his work to protect Washington waters!

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Speak for the Trees, for the Trees Have No Tongues!

By Brook Beeler, Environmental Educator, Office of Communication and Education

Brook Beeler explaining how to use this habitat map to Kindergarten students.

Happy Earth Week!

This past week I spent an entire day with Kindergarten students studying healthy habitats, each eager to protect our planet. While preparing to relay the four basic components that make up wildlife habitat (food, water, shelter, and space) I reflected on Ecology’s mission.

The Mission of the Department of Ecology is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington’s environment, and promote the wise management of our air, land and water for the benefit of current and future generations. In order to fulfill our mission and move Washington forward in a global economy, the Dept. of Ecology has three goals:

• Prevent pollution



• Clean up pollution



• Support sustainable communities and natural resources

You’re right, that is a bit much for a 6 year old to digest. So the basic message that I shared, is that wildlife and people need access to clean food, water, shelter, and space. Here at Ecology it is our job, along with other natural resource agencies, to ensure that Washington’s environment is clean, healthy, and managed wisely.

To explain this concept to these kids I used an activity from a nationally known curriculum, Project WILD. Then, read a well known story, Dr. Seuss’s 1971 children’s classic The Lorax.

In this classic tale, a daft businessman, the Once-ler, recounts his story to a young man about his encounter with the original spokesman for the environment, the Lorax. At first glance it seems to pit big business against the environment, but as always there is a moral to this story with a special twist.

“Ga-Zump”

The Lorax appears, with a “ga-Zump” in this story to “speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.” He shows the Once-ler how poor practices can affect habitats and the environment.

The Department of Ecology popped onto the scene in 1970, the same year as the first Earth Day as a matter of fact. We have come a long way in the last 41 years, speaking for the environment. However, we know that a clean environment and healthy economy go hand in hand. We know that when we protect our environment, we also protect human health, communities and jobs in our state. More than one-third of Washington’s economy is directly supported by natural resources activities.

If you are interested in learning more about how we protect Washington’s environment you can keep up with us through our website. We have news, publications, videos and more.

UNLESS

Near the end of our story the Lorax gives up on the Once-ler. He takes leave to find a new place that his wildlife friends can inhabit. He searched for a place where there is enough clean food, water, shelter and space. But he leaves a small challenge behind, “unless.” Our businessman, the Once-ler, takes this challenge to heart and passes the challenge on to the young man. He said, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

We know many of you out there who care a whole awful lot and we want to make sure you can meet the challenge of the Lorax.

You can start today:

• Find an Earth Day event near you and participate
  
  
• Take the Shrink Your Carbon Footprint Pledge
  
  
• Participate in our Spills Aren’t Slick photo campaign
  
  
• Learn about Toxic Free Tips for your household.
  
  
• “Like us” on one or all of our Facebook pages to learn about how you can
  protectourenvironment.
  
  
  
  • EcologyWA
    
    
  • Ecology’s Hanford Education and Outreach
    
    
  • Washington State Spills
    
    
  • Washington Waters – Ours to Protect
    
    
  • Washington Beach Program

Follow @EcologyWA on Twitter!

Have your voice heard. See our Public Involvement Portal to find out how.

And those Kindergarten students, well, they learned a whole awful lot. After hunting down all the components of a healthy habitat they were ready to share. Students drew pictures of their habitats that included clean water and fresh air in hopes that the Lorax and his friends would come back.

Six year old, Emma Beeler's, healthy deer habitat drawing
which includes: water, food, shelter, air, and space.

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