Women in Science: Sheelagh McCarthy

The full interview with Sheelagh McCarthy

What do you do at Ecology?

I work as a surface water quality scientist and modeler in Ecology’s Environmental Assessment Modeling & TMDL Unit; I have worked at Ecology since 2016. My projects include Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) studies and other water quality improvement projects for polluted surface waters. These projects involve collecting samples in the field, analyzing data, using computer models and geographic information systems (GIS) to identify sources of pollution, and writing the results in a technical report. I also work with a great group of scientists and engineers as part of the Salish Sea Modeling team. We use the Salish Sea Model, a powerful, complex modeling tool to simulate hydrodynamic and water quality processes. Results from this model are used to guide management decisions to protect water quality in Puget Sound.

Tell us about some of your recent work.

One exciting challenge as a scientist is finding new and different ways to present and communicate our scientific results. Recently, I created the Salish Sea Model results web map. This interactive mapping tool shares Salish Sea Model results that show the impact of excess nutrients on dissolved oxygen levels in Puget Sound. The application provides a visualization of model outputs and includes a series of engaging features to explore. I also worked with Teizeen Mohamedali, a female engineer on our Salish Sea Modeling team, to develop a Nitrogen in Puget Sound Story Map. This story map communicates the state of the science of nitrogen in Puget Sound through another type of interactive web map using a compilation of scientific data and research.  

Last year, I completed the East Fork Lewis River Temperature & Fecal Coliform Bacteria Source Assessment report. This report is now being used to inform implementation and restoration work in the watershed. It’s exciting and fulfilling to know that this scientific report is being used to help guide pollution clean-up activities so that people, fish, and all other living creatures can enjoy clean water!

What advice do you have for women who would like to work in a scientific field?

1. Don’t be afraid to ask questions – Science is about critical thinking, so raise your hand in class, read books to learn more about a subject that interests you, and seek out a mentor.
2. Try new things – Being a scientist requires a bunch of different skills. Our work tends to be interdisciplinary and having skills in other subjects such as writing, computer programming, or GIS, can be very beneficial.
3. Explore – Science is fun! Most scientists in the environmental field are in it because they are inspired by the world around us and are seeking to understand it better.

I love that my job at Ecology allows me to study and protect the places where I spend my time outside of work. Growing up, I spent a lot of my time in and around the Great Lakes. As I learned more about climate change and environmental issues in high school and college, I decided to pursue a career in the environmental field. I started using computer models during graduate school and was drawn to this work because of the role they play in providing scientific support to identify solutions to improve water quality.

By Ruth Froese, Environmental Assessment Program

Cleaning Up: Welcome to ‘the Neighborhood’ – Part 2

Last week, we shared the new What’s In My Neighborhood mapping tool that allows users to search for polluted properties across Washington state.

We received a variety of responses via Facebook, some applauding Ecology’s efforts. Others were understandably alarmed to see dots sprinkling the map around their homes and workplaces.

Don't forget to check the legend!

So let’s talk about what those dots mean and how Ecology goes about enacting Washington’s cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA). While those 12,300 dots may seem overwhelming, don’t forget that almost half – the green ones – are already cleaned up!

Most sites pose little immediate risk to people living near them. In many cases, sites in neighborhoods are old gas stations, home heating-oil tanks, and not big industrial facilities.

MTCA basics

In 1988, voters passed a citizens’ initiative that created MTCA. Part of the act is a tax on hazardous substances such as petroleum products, pesticides, and other chemicals.

Money generated by the hazardous substance tax not only helps fund cleanup of contaminated sites, it also funds state and local government programs that protect the environment and people from threats posed by toxic chemicals. Those programs include controlling sources of toxics, such as polluted stormwater runoff. Prevention is more efficient than cleanup, so focusing some funding there is a proactive way to curb future cleanup costs.

Important cleanup principles

• When the threat is immediate, Ecology takes action before going through the MTCA process (see the cleanup process flowchart below)
• The polluters pay for cleanup, unless they are financially unable or cannot be located – this is where the hazardous substance tax kicks in
• MTCA requires that the public be informed about contaminated sites and given the opportunity to participate in cleanup decisions – the What’s In My Neighborhood tool, though not required by law, is another way Ecology is sharing information and encouraging input
• Because Ecology staff and funds are limited, cleanup sites are prioritized by the risk they pose to people and the environment

The cleanup process

Some flowchart highlights:

• A lengthy part of the process (#5) involves investigating a site to discover how much contamination is there and everywhere it is located. Then we explore cleanup options. On average, this process takes 3 to 4 years, which can vary depending on how complex the site is. This sounds like a long time, but we can’t come up with a cleanup solution without understanding the problem.
• If all seven steps are done sequentially, it can take a site 11–12 years to be cleaned up. However, not all sites go through all the steps, and steps can overlap.

We’re here to help and want your feedback

The Help menu provides quick assistance with navigating the Neighborhood, and if you have questions, suggestions, or find the tool not working, please contact Ecology at TCPWebmail@ecy.wa.gov.

By Erika Bronson, public involvement, Toxics Cleanup Program

Cleaning Up: Welcome to 'the Neighborhood'!

Polluted properties dot Washington's landscape. Literally.

Each dot represents a contaminated site in the state.

More than 12,300 toxic sites have been identified in the state -- and those are just the ones we know about right now. More are reported to us each year, even as others are cleaned up. At this point, just over half of them are considered to be “cleaned up.” But there is still a long way to go.

Search for cleanup sites near you

So do you ever wonder if one -- or more -- of those sites could be next door to your residence or workplace? Or maybe close to the local school or places where you do business?

If such thoughts have crossed your mind, search our new What's In My Neighborhood mapping tool to find contaminated sites around you. Instructions are found by clicking the "help" button on the left side of the web page.

Let's use Ecology's headquarters as an example. The building is located at 300 Desmond Drive SE in Lacey. So we type in that address to search for cleanup sites within 1 mile of the building and we get 13 sites.

Scrolling down the left side shows that many of those sites are "cleaned up." More information may be available on individual sites by clicking on the site name.

You can do the same thing with your home, your workplace, local schools, and other locations. You just need a device with internet access and a few minutes.

The "What's In My Neighborhood" mapping tool shows 13 cleanup sites within 1 mile of Ecology's Lacey building.

Tell us what you think

The "Neighborhood" tool is easy to use, though it's still a work in progress -- information on some of the smaller, less-contaminated sites is not as plentiful as information on more complex sites. We intend to develop and add more information, and we welcome your feedback.

If you have questions, suggestions for improvement, or run into technical issues, please email TCPWebmail@ecy.wa.gov.

By Erika Bronson, public involvement, Toxics Cleanup Program

New report compiles information about Washington’s groundwater health

A new report called the Washington Nitrate Prioritization Project identifies groundwater areas in our state that are most vulnerable to nitrate contamination.

Click on this story map to learn more.

It is not new information – but what’s new is that we have compiled it into one location. Previously the information could only be found by searching a number of sources.

Partner agencies sharing their data and helping with the project included the state Departments of Health and Agriculture, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Washington Conservation Commission. Our data came from our Environmental Information System.

What the report highlights

The report highlights areas in Washington that show the highest levels of nitrates in groundwater.

This matters because groundwater is a source of drinking water for many people. Safe, clean drinking water is important.

Cross-section of groundwater shows how it is vulnerable to pollution 

that occurs on the land surface. Image source: USGS

Nitrates in groundwater threaten public health. Pregnant women, infants and small children are most vulnerable. Nitrate-contaminated drinking water can harm the health of babies and lead to blue baby syndrome, which is a decreased ability of the blood to carry oxygen.

Even though we are not the state’s drinking water experts – that’s the Department of Health – we are experts in protecting water quality, and we are working on solutions to reduce and prevent groundwater pollution.

Where nitrates come from

Nitrates can get into groundwater from many sources, including fertilizers, manure on the land, and liquid waste discharged from septic tanks. Natural bacteria in soil can convert various forms of nitrogen into nitrate. Nitrates make a good fertilizer for plants, but when there is more fertilizer than plants can use, rain or irrigation water can carry nitrates down through the soil into groundwater.

Our state is seeing a rise in nitrate contamination in groundwater. Both public water supply wells and individual residential wells have been contaminated in some areas of the state. Among others, these include the Sumas-Blaine Aquifer in Whatcom County, the Lower Yakima Valley and the Columbia Basin. Millions of dollars have been spent to deal with nitrate contamination of groundwater.

Helpful information

 

The Washington Nitrate Prioritization Project consolidates existing nitrate level information in groundwater areas in Washington. Our goal is to help the public – as well as local and state health and government decision-makers – be better informed about risk. Having access to this data in one location supports our efforts to protect the problem areas.

Keeping an eye on our groundwater health is important because once aquifers are contaminated, it is difficult for them to recover.

Prevention is far cheaper than cleanup. Treatment can cost millions of dollars. Public drinking water systems spend tax dollars to install treatment systems that remove the water contamination. Private drinking water wells have fewer options. They must test and treat their own water to make sure it is safe to drink.

Ecology's Laurie Morgan, report author.

We hope everybody can help us protect groundwater, especially vulnerable groundwater that is shallow or already contaminated.

If you are interested in more details, we invite you to read the Department of Health Office of Drinking Water fact sheet Nitrate in Drinking Water and the Northwest Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units fact sheet Nitrates, Blue Baby Syndrome, and Drinking Water: A Factsheet for Families. And, you may visit our website.

Let us know what you think

If you have comments or questions, you may contact Laurie Morgan, the report’s author, at 360-407- 6483 or laurie.morgan@ecy.wa.gov.

By Sandy Howard, Water Quality Program communications manager