WaterTalk - August 1997
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EPA News
EPA Knee-Deep in Dairy Waste Compliance
EPA Stream Team Tackles "Impaired Waterbodies"
EPA Reaches Settlement with Alaska Mine
WaterWords
Jump In and Get Your Feet Wet!
Oregon Cow Poo Soon Put to Better Use
Report Documents Declines of Puget Sound Species
Salmon are not the only species in decline in Puget Sound. Alarming declines in an array of species in the inland marine waters of British Columbia and Washington have occurred in recent years. Many of these resources have declined due to a variety of reasons including harvest, habitat loss, pollution, disturbance, and climate-related factors. Reversing the trends will require complex solutions.
A free report on this issue, funded by EPA with the Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team, is now available. Protection and Restoration of Marine Life in the Inland Waters of Washington State contains descriptions of critical life history information for the species of concern, natural and human-caused stresses upon each species, and recommended actions to stop or reverse the declines of these species. To request a copy of this 150-page report, call the Action Team at 1-800-54-SOUND. For more information, or to find out how to locate the report on the Internet, call Holly Schneider Ross at 206/553-1631 or 1-800-424-4EPA x1631.
Model Program Takes Root, Provides Plants for Wetland Restoration
SPOTLIGHT
Edmonds Wins Wastewater Award
There’s something special in the air at the Edmonds wastewater treatment plant in Washington, and officials at the facility are savoring the sweet smell of victory. The City of Edmonds has taken top regional honors in EPA’s annual Operation and Maintenance Award Program. This program recognizes outstanding operation of municipal sewage treatment facilities.
The facility has not only maintained compliance with its wastewater discharge permit, but since a 1991 upgrade and expansion to fully-automated secondary treatment, has actually improved effluent quality beyond their permit requirement. The facility’s aggressive maintenance program has also helped preserve infrastructure and prevent undesirable overflows and bypasses. At the same time, the facility maintains one of the lowest utility billing rates in the state.
The Edmonds plant currently handles an average annual flow of 9.1 million gallons of combined domestic and commercial wastewater per day. Effluent is dechlorinated before it is discharged to Puget Sound.
Congratulations to Edmonds for a job well done!
For more information about the award program, including guidelines and competition categories, call the following state officials:
Alaska: Kerry Lindley, 907/465-5143
Idaho: Al Stanford, 208/373-0577
Oregon: Steve Desmond, 503/229-6824
Washington: Carl Jones, 206/407-6431
Farm and Home Self-Assessment Program Wins Honors
Citizens Become Certified Watershed Stewards
TOOLS
Watersheds ‘97 Conference - A Watershed Event
Come be part of the regional watershed event of the year, Watersheds ‘97: Water, People, and Wildlife! On-the-ground watershed protection in Alaska and the Northwest will be the cornerstone of this event at the Egan Center in Anchorage, Alaska, October 26-31.
At the event, a broad mix of hundreds of people interested in, involved in, and affected by watershed activities will come together in an atmosphere of learning and sharing. Participants can expect to explore new ideas, technologies, and approaches for dealing with watershed issues, and gain practical tools and action plans for watershed stewardship.
Kicking things off for Watersheds ‘97 will be a Festival of Watersheds. All afternoon on October 26, we celebrate Alaska’s unique watersheds with free events and activities at Anchorage’s Egan Center. Those with a desire to explore will be running and wading through two of Anchorage’s prime watersheds, or exploring local streams. Meanwhile inside the Egan center, a medley of interactive displays, hands-on activities, presentations and entertainment will be going on.
The central portion of the conference, "Working in Watersheds," takes place October 27-29. This part of the conference will feature topics related to the watershed protection approach, tools for working in watersheds, social and economic considerations, and outreach and public participation.
A Cook Inlet Symposium, focusing on scientific understanding, conservation, and management of aquatic environments of the Cook Inlet watershed, runs from October 29-31.
The event is sponsored by EPA and a number of other agencies and organizations. For program details or registration information, call Greg Kellogg, EPA, at 907/271-6328.
Wetland Training Video Available
Financial Tools Guide Offered
Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Report
ECOSYSTEM
New University-Government Partnership to Benefit Environment
A landmark Northwest partnership between universities and agencies is now off and running! GATE/NorthWest refers to a brand new alliance between government and the academic community. It’s full name is Government and Academia Team for the Environment / NorthWest. The partnership includes EPA Region 10, state environmental agencies in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, and twenty-three universities. Capitalizing on mutual interests and combining different but complimentary strengths, participants will engage in special projects to benefit students and the environment.
Officially launched at a kick-off meeting in June, GATE/NW is now in business. Already, two projects are underway. The first is an annual GATE/NW Student Challenge Competition. GATE/NW will formulate a challenge question related to solving perplexing environmental problems, and will fund a team of students from each university to tackle the question. Teams will present their solutions to a panel at year-end, and a “winner” will be selected.
The second project, a GATE/NW Communication Enhancement Project, centers around designing, building, and operating an Internet-based communication system. The system will make it easier for people on all sides of the government-university partnership to maintain connections to one another and to find information on a range of specific topics, from internships to guest lecturing to mentors, and more. Anyone with questions, or with suggestions for GATE/NW projects, contact Clark Gaulding, EPA, at 206/553-1849.
Oregon To Streamline Dredge and Fill Rules
CALENDAR
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WaterTalk is published quarterly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10. WaterTalk seeks to be a useful tool for those who protect water resources and ecosystems in communities of the Greater Pacific Northwest, by providing practical resources and relevant agency news.
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