Alaska
Idaho
                                                                ureggn
Washington
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 Bulletin - EPA 910/9-92-043
                                     August 2007
Reducing Toxics in One of the World's Great Rivers:
The  Columbia
Responding to increasing concern about toxics and
their effect on human health and the environment, EPA
and our State partners have launched the Columbia
River Toxics Reduction Strategy. The aim is to
identify and clean up contaminated sediments, restore
critical wetlands, and reduce toxics in water, land, and
fish.

The Columbia River gained status as an EPA priority
ecosystem in the Agency's 2006 Strategic Plan, joining
the ranks of the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, and
Gulf of Mexico. With this increased attention, we have
set numeric environmental targets that must be
reached over the next 5 years. These targets include:
•  By 2011, protect, enhance or restore 13,000 acres of
   wetland habitat and 3,000 acres of upland habitat.
•  By 2011, clean up 150 acres of known highly
   contaminated  sediment.
•  By 2011, demonstrate a 10% reduction in mean
   concentration  of targeted contaminants of concern
   found in fish and/or water in the Columbia River
   Basin.

At 1,214 miles in length, draining almost 260,000
square miles, the Columbia is truly one of the world's
great rivers. The Columbia spans portions of Oregon,
Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Montana,
and British Columbia. Within its domain are many
unique ecosystems, all supporting an array of biologi-
cally significant plants and animals. The Columbia
Basin is a powerful economic engine, driving many
industries vital to the Pacific Northwest: sport and
commercial fisheries, agriculture, transportation, and
recreation. With its 55 hydropower dams, the Columbia
is also a primary source of electric power generation in
the Pacific Northwest.
Columbia River salmon and steelhead runs - once the
largest on earth - are now a fraction of their original
size. Increasing evidence has emerged in the past
decade on the toxics problems in the Columbia River.
Many tributaries, the main stem, and the estuary are
declared 'impaired' under the Clean Water Act, section
303(d). Court-ordered clean up  plans are underway.
                                   continued on Page 2
 In  This Issue...
  &EPACNEWS
                                        EPA News to update you
                                        on agency activities,
                                        pages 1-2, 6.

                                        Tools to clue you in on
                                        resources, publications,
                                        opportunities, and
                                        services, pages 2-4.

                                        Waterwords covering
                                        water related issues,
                                        page 5.

                                        Spotlight to showcase
                                        success stories and
                                        environmental stars,
                                        page 7.
                                  to provide
                        news that goes beyond
                        water topics, pages 8-10.

                        Calendar to highlight
                        environmental events,
                        page 11.

-------
continued from Page 1
Reducing Toxics in the Columbia River

Toxics in fish have been a concern since the early
1990's when Columbia Basin Tribes approached EPA
with fears about tribal members becoming increasingly
exposed to contamination from fish. In response, EPA
funded a study that found Columbia River tribal people
eat greater amounts of fish than the general population.
A follow-up EPA study in 2002 similarly found that
tribally-consumed Columbia River fish contained
significant  levels of toxics. These contaminants, found
in various studies, include legacy toxics such as DDT,
Dieldrin, and PCBs.

The Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership, local
governments, citizen groups, industry, and other federal
agencies, are working to remove contaminated sedi-
ments, bring back native and resident fish, restore
water quality, and preserve, protect and restore habitat.
The partnership, part of EPA's National Estuary Pro-
gram, is working to address toxics and restore wet-
lands in the Lower Columbia River Estuary. Since
1996, their strong leadership has helped directly in the
restoration and protection of the Columbia River
Estuary. In 1999, this group developed a management
plan that has served as a blueprint for estuary recovery
and monitoring efforts.  Now the partnership, as co-lead
on the Columbia River Toxics Reduction Working
    Group, is helping to lead development of toxics-
    focused Columbia River monitoring plans.

    A number of federal and state cleanup efforts are
    already in progress.  A major cleanup is underway by
    the U.S. Department of Energy at the Hanford Nuclear
    Reservation.  On the Willamette River - a major lower
    Columbia tributary - Portland Harbor was listed in 2000
    on the Superfund National Priority List and a cleanup
    effort is underway there. Another environmental
    investigation is underway in Lake Roosevelt.

    EPA will continue partnering to build on the monitoring
    work done in the Lower Columbia and to monitor fish,
    water, and sediment above Bonneville Dam. Efforts
    will be designed to connect with the Columbia River
    estuary work and help further our understanding of
    toxics in the river and the risks they pose.

    A "State of the Columbia River Report" is set to be
    released in late 2008. The report is intended to char-
    acterize the Columbia River, inform and educate,
    encourage greater involvement, and attract future
    resources for Columbia River recovery and restoration.
    To learn more about Columbia River efforts, contact
    MaryLou Soscia, EPA, at 503-326-5873 or
    soscia.marylou@epa.gov.
World  Water Monitoring Day: September 18
Test kits help you check the health of your local waterway.
    World Water Monitoring Day is September 18. This
    day marks the beginning of an annual outreach pro-
    gram that builds public awareness about protecting
    water resources around the world. Held between
    September 18 and October 18, the program engages
    communities in monitoring the condition of local
    waterways. Since 2002, more than 80,000 people in
    50 counties have participated.

    To participate, choose a lake, stream, bay, or other
    water body where you can safely monitor.  Register
    your site online soon. Use your own equipment or
    purchase an easy-to-use test kit on the website. A
    limited number of test kits are available for free loan
    from EPA at 206-553-1200 or 800-424-4372. Invite
    others to help you monitor, or do it yourself.  Visit your
    site anytime from September 18 through October 18 to
    test the water. Enter your results on  the website before
    December 18, for inclusion in the annual World Water
    Monitoring Day summary reports.  For details go to
    www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/.
 WaterTalk August 2007
Page 2

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Nonpoint Source Toolbox

Gives Outreach Help

                    The Nonpoint Source Out-
                    reach Toolbox is now avail-
                    able. The toolbox is a set of
                    web-based resources designed
                    to help communities conduct
                    locally effective watershed
                    outreach. The Toolbox in-
                    cludes a searchable catalog of
                    nearly 800 print, radio, and TV
                    ads and outreach materials.
                    Categories include: lawn and
garden care, motor vehicle care, pet care, septic
system care, household chemicals and waste, and
general stormwater and storm drain awareness.
Materials are contemporary and audience-tested.

The Toolbox is designed to meet the needs of
stormwater professionals who might be strapped for
ideas, money, time, or staff to develop messages and
products for their own communities. The Toolbox also
provides EPA's publication "Getting in Step -A Guide
to Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns,"
as well as a collection of surveys and evaluations of
outreach programs and a collection of logos, slogans,
and mascots to help unify a community's campaign.
Find the Toolbox on-line at www.epa.gov/nps/
toolbox.
Magnet: Fish for Your Health
Report Summarizes
Stormwater-Related  TMDLs
                |B  EPA recently issued a new
                     document called "Total
                     Maximum Daily Loads with
                     Stormwater Sources: A
                     Summary of 17 TMDLs." A
                     TMDL is a calculation of the
                     maximum amount of a pollut-
                     ant that a water body can
                     receive and still meet water
                     quality standards, and an
                     allocation of that amount to
                     the pollutant's sources. The
                     report summarizes TMDLs
                     that have been developed for
stormwater sources in 16 states during the past eight
years. They represent a range of pollutants, models,
and allocation and implementation methods. These
summaries may be helpful to TMDL practitioners,
wastewater permitting agencies, and permittees. The
document may be viewed online at www.epa.gov/
owow/tmdl/techsupp.html.
         yow health department about
Here's a healthy way to decorate your refrigerator.
EPA is offering free fish-shaped magnets.  The text
reads: Fish for Your Health. Fish are a healthy source
of protein, but some fish may be high in contaminants.
Use EPA's website to contact your health department
about local fish advisories, www.epa.gov/
waterscience/fish

Fish are a lean, low-calorie source of protein. However,
some fish may contain chemicals that could pose
health risks. When contaminant levels are unsafe,
consumption advisories may recommend that people
limit or avoid eating certain species of fish caught in
certain places.

For a free magnet, call the EPA Region 10 Public
Environmental Resource Center at 206-553-1200 or
800-424-4372.
                                                 Surf Your Watershed: Online Tool
EPA's Surf Your
Watershed
website offers
tools to help you
learn about your
own watershed.
This site can help
you locate your
watershed and
get access to
citizen-based
groups at work in
the watershed.
The website also
can help you find
out about restora-
tion projects,
access data, and
get contacts for more help.
www.epa.gov/surf.
Visit the website at
                                             Page .?
                             WaterTalk August 2007

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 Enhanced Water Quality Standards
 Info Online

 EPA has upgraded the website that provides Agency
 guidance for administering state and tribal water quality
 standards. Containing EPA's 1994 "Water Quality
 Standards Handbook," the website now provides
 over 100 new links to EPA documents and web pages
 with supporting information.  The Handbook gives
 comprehensive guidance for implementing EPA's water
 quality standards regulation.

 Visit the enhanced site on the Internet at
 www.epa.gov/waterscience/standards/handbook/.
 Free  Subscriptions  for
 Small  Communities
 Small communities looking for information to help with
 environmental issues may be interested in some free
 publications from NESC. NESC, or the National
 Environmental Services Center, offers these four
 publications:

 Small Flows Quarterly: a magazine with news and
 feature stories to help deal with wastewater concerns.

 On Tap: a magazine with news and information on
 small community drinking water issues.

 Pipeline: a newsletter explaining technical wastewater
 topics in clear, easy-to-understand language.

 E-train: a newsletter giving current information,
 resources, and articles on small community training
 topics.

 For free subscriptions, call NESC at 800-624-8301.
 NESC, with funding from EPA, helps small communi-
ties with their water, wastewater, environmental train-
ing, solid waste, infrastructure security, and utility
management needs.
     Websites Give Watershed Information

     EPA provides a variety of frifbrmatkjn aboat water-
     sheds, watershed planning, and project funding
     online. Here are few websttes which may be worth
     bookmarkingl          ••-.;''          :
     • Funding: www.epa.gov/owow/funding.html
     « Tools: www.epa.gov/owqw/watersJhed/tools
     • Training: www.epa.gov/owow/wafersh6d/
      wacademy
     •Section 31 9 Nonpoint Source Grants:
      www.epa.gov/owow/nps/cwact.htmi
     • Targeted Watersheds Grants Program:
                                                  Watershed Approach Framework; www.epa.gov/
                                                  owow/watershed/framework/html
   Water Infrastructure Financing Tool to
   Help Borrowers

   A new financial comparison tool developed by EPA will
   help states, municipalities, utilities, and other borrowers
   identify the most cost-effective method to fund water
   quality projects. The Financing Alternatives Com-
   parison Tool (FACT) calculates and compares costs
   associated with financing options for infrastructure
   projects. FACT can help borrowers select the best
   financing option, whether it is a state revolving fund, a
   local bank, or another financing program.

   Potential borrowers can enter project information and
   data from multiple self-selected financing options.
   FACT will then produce a comprehensive analysis that
   looks at financing, regulatory, and other cost factors. It
   will also create useful reports and graphs, including a
   summary report which compares various financing
   options using key financial figures. FACT can also
   generate graphical comparisons of annual and total
   costs of various financing options over time. The
   software program is available on CD ROM or may be
   downloaded for free from the Clean Water Financing
   website at: www.epa.gov/owm/cwfinance/cwsrf/
   fact.htm.
Visit Vfaterlalk online at www.epa.gov/rlOeurth/wMeftalk.htm
WaterTalk August 2007
Page 4

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EPA Grants Support Watershed Capacity Building
                  EPA has announced six finalists
                  eligible for EPA's Targeted
                  Watersheds Grants to support
                  watershed organizations through-
                  out the nation. These capacity-
                  building grants will range from
                  $300,000 to $800,000 each. They
                  are awarded to organizations that
                  promote the growth of local
watershed partnerships through training and technical
assistance.

This year, one of two finalists with a national focus is
located in Region 10: the River Network. River
Network is a national nonprofit organization working for
clean and healthy waters, which supports grassroots
groups working for watershed protection.  Their nation-
ally-focused project will train up-and-coming watershed
organization leaders, create a community of capacity-
builders to help the watershed community grow, and
provide direct assistance to watershed organizations.
Four other finalists outside Region 10 will support
watershed groups in their regions.

Targeted Watersheds Grants encourage protection and
restoration of the nation's watersheds. Watershed
health is important to providing clean water where
Americans live, work, and play. Since 2003, more than
$40 million has been provided through EPA Targeted
Watersheds Grants. This is the second time that
capacity building grants have been awarded. A final
decision on awards for implementation-focused Tar-
geted Watershed Grants is pending. Stay tuned to the
website for details.

For more information on Targeted Watersheds Grants,
visit www.epa.gov/twg/capacity.html.
  WoterSense—Practice Smart Watering:
 A third of the water Americans consume daily is
 used to .irrigate lawns, water gardens, and maintain
 landscaping. More alarming, up to fifty percent of
 that water goes to waste due to over-watering,
 runoff, and evaporation.  With a few simple steps,
 we can reduce th@ amount of water we use—and
 wasted—on our lawns and gardens without compro-
 mising their health or appearance. EPA encourages
 homeowners to take a closer took at their outdoor
 water use. Some simple steps can save water and
 money;,. Water in lie earty-woming to minimize
 evaporation. Avoid watering driveways and side-
 walks. Use micro-irrigation (such as soaker hoses).
 Consult a WaterSense irrigation partner for advice
 on irhground sppnjster systems. For more informa-
 tion Metering wicfentiy and to locate a
 WaterSense irrigation partner, visit www.epa.gov/
 watersense/pp/irrprof.htm.
 WaterSense Factoid:
 The amount of water leaking from plumbing fixtures
 in U.S. homes could exceed more than 1 trillion
 gallons a year. Water leaked still requires electricity
 to pump, supply, and treat it, but it's not being used
 beneficially. That's a real waste of energy re-
 sources! If one out of every ten American homes
 addressed their leaky plumbing fixtures, not only
 would it save lots of water but it could also save
 more than  400 million kilowatt-hours of electricity
 annually, avoiding about 315,000 tons of green-
 house gas emissions. That1 s equivalent to taking
 nearly 55,000 cars off the road.  Check
 www.epa.gov/watersense for more information.
                                                       EPA
                                                       WaterSense
                                              Page 5
                             WatetTalk August 2007

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Report:
America's Beaches Get  a  Checkup
America's beach scorecard topped 95 percent during
2006, according to EPA's Annual Beach Report.  Of
more than 676,000 beach days, fewer than five percent
were restricted due to contamination-related closings.
More than half of the actions lasted for two days or
less. More than 3,700 beaches were monitored by 35
states and territories under EPA's Beach Program.
Beach contamination often  results from stormwater
running off streets, fields, and other sources.

The EPA Beach Grant program has made available
$62 million nationally since  the passage of the BEACH
Act in 2000. The funding level for beach monitoring will
continue at $9.9 million this year.

EPA beach research centers on setting benchmarks,
exploring emerging technologies, and refining method-
    ology. Actions to prevent the pollution that can make
    beaches and waters unsafe include:
    •  developing a test for water-borne pathogens that will
      provide results within two hours
    •  researching the incidence of health effects
      associated with beach water
    •  uncovering and correcting sources of disease-
      causing microorganisms
    •  working with communities to help build and operate
      their sewage treatment plants and end sewage
      overflows from outdated sewer systems
    •  implementing a national storm water program to
      reduce urban  runoff
    •  working with the Coast Guard to improve sewage
      and other waste disposal from recreational boats and
      other vessels.

    To view the national summary, go to www.epa.gov/
    waterscience/beaches/seasons/2006.
National Estuary Report Released
                          EPA has released its first
                          National Estuary
                          Program Coastal
                          Condition Report.  This
                          report ranks the ecologi-
                          cal condition of the 28
                          estuaries of EPA's
                          National Estuary Pro-
                          gram (NEP). This report
                          serves as a foundation
                          for EPA's efforts to
                          protect, manage, and
                          restore coastal ecosys-
                          tems.
   Overall, the NEP estuaries are in fair condition and
   scored better than or equal to all other non-NEP U.S.
   estuaries, despite significant population pressures.
   The NEP estuaries were rated individually, regionally,
   and nationally using four main indicators: water quality,
   sediment quality, benthic (bottom) condition, and fish-
   tissue contaminant concentrations.

   Estuaries are designated as estuaries of national
   significance because of their unique economic, ecologi-
   cal, recreational, and aesthetic values. In Region 10,
   estuaries under the National Estuary Program include
   Lower Columbia River, Puget Sound, and Tillamook
   Bay. The complete NEP Coastal Condition Report can
   be found at www.epa.gov/owow/oceans/nepccr/
   index.html.
 WaterTalk August 2007
Page 6

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Environmental Ed Projects

Get EPA Support

Environmental education efforts in the Northwest and
Alaska just got a little more support, thanks to some
EPA Region 10 grant awards totaling nearly $100,000.
In Alaska, EPA awarded a grant to Sitka Community
Schools to support the use of a nature trail and pre-
serve for environmental education.  In Idaho, the Idaho
Environmental Education Association received a grant
to continue their efforts to build statewide environmen-
tal education capacity through leadership development
and strategic planning.

EPA awarded two environmental education grants in
Oregon. One was awarded to the Jackson Bottom
Wetlands Preserve to support an  algae barley and
science inquiry project. The other was awarded to
Tillamook School District #9 for development of wet-
land monitoring curriculum as a tool to promote envi-
ronmental stewardship and vocational training.

In Washington, EPA  made a grant to the River Center
Foundation for continuing education workshops for
teachers. The Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhance-
ment Task Force also received  EPA funding, to support
a program where students do experimental stream
restoration.  Congratulations to all the grantees.  For
more information about EPA's Environmental Ed
Grant Program, visit www.epa.gov/enviroed/
grants.html. Or, contact Sally Hanft at 206-553-1207,
800-424-4372, or hanft.sally@epa.gov.
Webcasts Set

Ten  Years  of Protecting

Children's Health

Distinguished speaker webcasts are scheduled to help
celebrate the Ten Year Anniversary of the Executive
Order on Children's Health. In 1997, EPA established
the Office of Children's Health Protection to make the
protection of children a fundamental goal of public
health and environmental protection. Ten years later,
the agency is reflecting on the progress and formulat-
ing a vision for the future of children's environmental
health.  This year also marks the 10th Anniversary of
Executive Order 13045 - "Protection of Children from
Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks." This
order requires Federal agencies to identify and evalu-
ate environmental health and safety risks that may
hinder children's health.

The Distinguished Speaker Webcast Series is
getting underway.  The series provides an opportunity
for individuals in the children's environmental health
and allied fields to hear from leading  researchers and
practitioners via computer webcast. An October 1
webcast will feature, in Spanish only, "You Can Pre-
vent Lead Poisoning - Some Things Your Children
Put in Their Mouths  Could Affect Their Future!"
This Spanish language webcast, in celebration of both
Hispanic Heritage Month and Children's Health Month,
focuses  on how to decrease children's contact with
lead and learn if they have been exposed.

Future webcast topics will include:
•   Protecting Children's Environmental Health in
   Disasters.
•   Pregnancy and Environmental Health - Protecting
   the Next Generation.
•   Development Disabilities and Environmental
   Exposures.

Learn more at http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/
ochpweb.nsf/content/2007activities.htm.
6th Graders collect insects and learn about water quality at
the Polk Soil and Water Conservation District's Nature's
Wild Adventure Outdoor School.
    Prevent Mailbox Clutter and
               Save Trees!

    Get WaterTalk Newsletter electronically.
   Sign up for the WaterTalk List-Serv online
  at www.epa.gov/r1 Oearth/watertalk.htm.
                                             Page 7
                             WaterTalk August 2007

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ECO
Beneficial Landscaping:
Native Pollinators - Our Help in Ages Past, and Present
Colony Collapse Disorder
(CCD) has caused widespread declines in the bee-
keeper-managed European honey bee colonies.
These colonies are used extensively to pollinate
agricultural crops. This year, the scarcity of hives
caused California almond growers to pay $150 for each
bee hive they rented for pollination services. The
specter of CCD, the cause of which remains a mystery,
is disturbing.  We rely upon animals to pollinate over
70% of the world's crop species, which yield about
30% of our food and drink in the U.S. Can we survive
without this valuable ecological service?  Will we have
to do this work ourselves?

Researchers are finding that native pollinators, specifi-
cally native bees, are also important pollinators.
There are about 4,000 species of native bees in North
America. Among them, for example, are tiny carpenter
bees, sweat bees, longhorn bees, and bumble bees.
Native bees are responsible for approximately $3
billion in produce annually in the U.S. In fact, these
unsung heroes cause honeybees to be more effective,
they are more efficient than honeybees, 100% pollina-
tion occurs only when native bees are present, result-
ing in greater crop production, and there are no rental
fees! Given a chance, native bees could help to fill the
pollination gap.

So how do we help them to help us? Mace Vaughan,
Conservation Director and Entomologist/Educator at
the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation,
offers answers.  He says we can offer them nesting
    Native bees may help fill the gap left by declining honey bee
    populations.
                 Photo by Mace Vaughan, Xerces Society


    sites, a variety of flowering plants that can provide a
    continuous supply of nectar and pollen, and refuge
    from pesticides. Whether you manage a farm, a
    garden, or other landscape, Mr. Vaughan's guidance
    will help you to establish a healthy population of native
    bees on your land:
 WaterTalk August 2007
Page 8

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Preserve natural areas.
Natural areas can be provided in small patches or in
marginal areas across, within, and/or adjacent to your
farm or garden.  Farm ponds, fence rows, or field
margins are examples.

Ensure adequate nest sites.
Examine your property for existing bee nests and
protect them.  Ground nesting bees often occur in well-
drained, bare, sandy loam soils that are not tilled every
year. Tunnel nesting bees use holes in old snags or
the center of pithy twigs. Artificial nests can be made
by boring holes in lumber or creating small patches of
bare soil with sparse vegetation.

Provide forage areas.
This can be done by leaving weedy borders, allowing
cover crops to bloom, growing a diversity of crops or
other flowering plants, and/or planting patches of native
flowers.  The idea is to always have something in
bloom from spring to fall. Forage patches should
include flowers that bloom before and after the crop for
which pollination is most needed, in order to sustain
the adult bees through 5 weeks of activity and suc-
cessful reproduction.
Provide refuge from pesticides.
Avoid using pesticides.  If pesticides of any kind must
be used, apply them just after dark.  Never apply
insecticides to blooming plants, including weeds at the
field margins. Use pesticides that are least toxic to
bees, and practice integrated pest management.

Of course, the cultural practices that foster native bees
provide a host of other benefits, such as protecting
water quality, preventing soil erosion, supporting other
beneficial insects,  maintaining biological diversity of
local plants and animals, and visual aesthetics, to
name just a few. Why not give it a try?!
For more information about this and other topics in
beneficial landscaping, contact Elaine Somers at 206-
553-2966, 800-424-4372 x 2966, or
somers.elaine@epa.gov.  Or, visit our website at
www.epa.gov/r10earth/bl.htm.

This article was adapted from publications and presen-
tations by Mace Vaughan, Conservation Director of the
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation,
www.xerces.org. We extend our sincere gratitude to
him, and to the Xerces Society, the NRCS, and other
collaborators, for their valuable research and educa-
tional efforts.
         Resource to Help Build

            Sustainable Future

 A comprehensive new resource for folks interested
 in sustainability is now available.  EPA Region 10
 recently launched a webpage devoted to this
 important topic. What is sustainability?
 Sustainability is a new way of thinking about an age-
 old concern: ensuring that our children and grand-
 children inherit a tomorrow that is at least as good
 as today, preferably better. We want to make sure
 that the way we live our lives is sustainable - that it
 can continue and keep improving for a long, long
 time.  Economic prosperity, environmental progress
 and community concerns are all aspects of
 sustainability. Global climate change and land
 development are significant environmental issues
 that demonstrate the need to think sustainably.

 The webpage offers local success stories in
 sustainability, information about programs promoting
 sustainability, educational resources, links to na-
 tional resources, and more.  Visit the new webpage
 at  http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/oi.nsf/
 sustainability/sustainability. Or, simply go to
 www.epa.gov/r10 and click on "Sustainability in
 the Pacific Northwest."
                                                Page 9
                              WaterTalk August 2007

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Climate  Change and Greenhouse Gas  Reduction:
What You  can  Do
You release greenhouse gases as a result of using
energy to drive and using electricity to light and heat
your home. Releases also come through other activi-
ties that support quality of life, like growing food, raising
livestock, and throwing away garbage.

Greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced through
simple measures like changing to compact fluorescent
light bulbs and properly inflating your tires. EPA offers
a website that provides over 25 easy steps you can
take to not only reduce your greenhouse gas emis-
sions, but also reduce air pollution, increase the
nation's energy independence, and save money.
    The website gives you specific ideas for reducing
    emissions at home, at the office, on the road, and at
    school. You can use EPA's personal greenhouse gas
    emissions calculator and your household energy bills to
    estimate your household's annual emissions and
    identify ways to cut them.

    Detailed information and resources are also available
    for state and local governments and businesses
    interested in learning what steps they can take to
    reduce greenhouse gas emissions. State and local
    governments and businesses play an important role in
    meeting the national goal of reducing  greenhouse gas
    intensity by 18 percent by 2012. For more information,
    visit the website www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/.
                                         Find past issues of WaterTalk online at
                                         www.epa.gov/r1 Oearth/watertalk.htm.
                                         Not all resources and publications listed in past
                                         issues will still be available.
 WaterTalk August 2007
Page 10

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 August

 August 22-23:
    2007 Tribal Nations Children's Environmental
    Health Summit, Denver, CO, http://epa.gov/
    regionS/humanhealth/children/
    2007summit.html.

 August 28:
    National State Revolving Fund (SRF) Eligibility
    Rules, web seminar, www.epa.gov/cwns/
I    sebseminar.htm.
 September

 September 18:
    World Water Monitoring Day,
    www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/.

 September 23-25:
    Nearshore Restoration Short Course, Seattle
    and Stanwood, WA, Washington State
    University, by application, http://king.wsu.edu/
    enviro/nearshore2007.htm, 206-205-3203.

 September 25-28:
    Ecological Restoration Conference, Society for
    Ecological Restoration Northwest and NW
    Chapter for the Society for Wetland Scientists,
    Yakima, WA, www.ser.org/sernw.

 September 29:
    National Estuaries Day, www.estuaries.gov.
October

Children's Health Month,
    http://yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/
    content/homepage.htm.

October 1:
    Spanish-Language Webcast: You Can Prevent
    Lead Poisoning: Some Things Your Children Put
    in their Mouths Could Affect their Future, http://
    yosemite.epa.gov/ochp/ochpweb.nsf/
    content/2007activities.htm.

October 3-5:
    Western Brownfields Workshop, Portland, OR,
    EPA, Laura Sneeringer, 303-861-1637.

October 15:
    Deadline for contributions to the November
    issue of WaterTalk. Andrea Lindsay, Editor,
    206-553-1896, 800-424-4372,
    lindsay.andrea@epa.gov.

October 17:
    Satellite Video Stream Workshop: Targeted
    Watershed Grants—Pacific Northwest Success
    Stories, County Extension Offices in AK, ID, OR,
    WA. Jan Seago, 206-553-0038, 800-424-4372,
    seago.jan @ epa.gov.

October 17-18:
    Northwest Environmental Summit, Tacoma, WA.
    www.envsummit.com.
                                                 November

                                                 November 7-9:
                                                    Water in the Pacific Northwest: Moving Science
                                                    into Policy and Action; Skamania, WA,
                                                    www.capps.wsu.edu/waterpolicy/, 509-335-
                                                    3530.

                                                 November 15:
                                                    America Recycles Day,
                                                    www.americarecyclesday.org.
                                            Page 11
                            WaterTalk August 2007

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 WaterTalk is published quarterly by the U.S. Environmental Protection
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Please recycle or share with a friend.
         alk
Oregon      Washington
                In This Issue...

                Reducing Toxics in the
                Columbia

                Grant Awards

                How to Support Native
                Bees

                Ways to Get Involved

                Environmental Events

                And More...

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