U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 Bulletin - EPA 910/9-92-043 February 2009 Columbia River Basin Faces Continued Threat from Toxics EPA Report Seen as "Call to Action" for Governments, Tribes, Public Another problem highlighted in the Report is a general lack of monitoring for toxics in many locations, making it difficult to know if toxics are increasing or decreasing over time. There are many other contaminants in the Basin. They include arsenic, dioxins, radionuclides, pesticides, industrial chemicals, and "emerging contaminants" such as Pharmaceuticals. This report does not characterize those contaminants, but EPA plans to address them in future work. The report also highlights important federal, state, tribal and local efforts to reduce toxics already underway in the Basin. It concludes with six broad Toxics Reduction Initiatives intended to improve understanding about the health of the Basin and strengthen coordination for efforts to reduce toxics. The report can be viewed at The first comprehensive look at toxic contamination www.epa.gov/region 10/columbia/sorr.html. in the Columbia River Basin has been released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Columbia River Basin State of the River Report for Toxics compiles data on four widespread contaminants: Mercury Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its breakdown products Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. A team of more than 20 federal and state agencies, tribes, local governments and organizations drew this latest portrait of the toxic threats faced by the Columbia River Basin. The Basin drains nearly 260,000 square miles across seven U.S. states and a Canadian province. The report calls for a coordinated effort by all levels of government, Tribes, interest groups and the public to address the complicated problem. Toxics are present at levels that could harm people, fish, and wildlife. Federal, tribal, state, and local efforts have reduced levels of some toxics such as PCBs and DDT. However, in many areas, they continue to pose risk. While some populations of important Basin species like bald eagles and ospreys have rebounded over the past two decades, some toxics such as mercury and PBDEs are increasing in wildlife and fish. In This Issue... EWS SPOTLIGHT CALENDAR EPA News to update you on agency activities, pages 1-4. Tools to clue you in on resources, publications, opportunities, and ser- vices, pages 5-8. Waterwords covering water related issues, page 8. Spotlight to showcase success stories and envi- ronmental stars, page 9. Ecosystem to provide news that goes beyond water topics, page 10. Calendar to highlight environmental events, page 11. ------- EPA Authorizes Alaska to Run Water Permits Program EPA recently approved the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation's (ADEC) application to run the NPDES permit program in the state. The NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) program is a key part of the federal Clean Water Act. The program controls water pollution by regulating sources that discharge pollutants to waters in the United States. While the approval gives the State of Alaska responsibility for water quality permitting, EPA will continue its government-to- government relationship with Tribes as it oversees the state's permitting program. By seeking and accepting the NPDES program, Alaska's environmental regulators gain the authority to both write wastewater discharge permits for local businesses and industry, and enforce those permits to ensure compliance with permit conditions. Alaska's authority to write permits will be phased-in over three years. EPA will continue to write permits for those facilities that Alaska has yet to assume. Permits previously issued by EPA will remain in effect and become State APDES permits, administered and enforced by ADEC. For information, contact Christine Psyk, EPA, at (206) 553-1906, or psyk.christine@epa.gov. For information about EPA's NPDES program, visit: http:// cfpug.epa.gov/npdes/index.cfm. For information about Alaska's NPDES Program, visit EPA's Region 10 NPDES website at http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/ water.nsf/NPDES+Permits/Permits+Homepage. EPA Enforcement Reduces Pollution in Pacific Northwest, Alaska In fiscal year 2008, EPA enforcement work in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska helped reduce or treat almost 22 million pounds of pollution. EPA did 1183 inspections which led to 142 completed enforcement actions. These efforts resulted in facilities investing over $57 million in plant and process improvements to ensure compliance. FY '08 more than doubled the pollution reductions of FY '07. According to Elin D. Miller, EPA's regional administrator, the Agency's robust enforcement and compliance program helps protect public health and inspires responsible behavior in the regulated community. "Our enforcement results speak for themselves," said Miller. "We've increased our inspections, more than doubled the pounds of pollution reduced or treated, and required more than $57 million in process improvements to ensure future compliance. This translates directly into better health protection for both the environment and local communities." Here's a snapshot of EPA's regional enforcement record for the past three years: FY06 FY07 FY08 Total inspections: 1299 976 1183 Pollution reduced/treated (in pounds): 26,429,316 9,100,000 21,244,945 Total penalties assessed: $3,567,324 $4,115,000 $3,050,796 For more regional enforcement program results: http://epa.gov/region10/offices/oec/2008results.htm Watertalk February 20(ğ ------- Protecting People Who Eat More Fish: Fish Consumption Rate Review Project Progress is underway for the Oregon Fish Consumption Rate Review Project. Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) has been collaborating with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Umatilla Tribe) and EPA Region 10. The team has been reviewing the fish consumption rate used to set Oregon's human health criteria. The rate at which humans consume fish is used to develop water quality criteria to protect human health. Oregon's current fish consumption rate of 17.5 grams per day is based on EPA's default rate. The default rate is derived using data from studies of the general public. However, in several studies of tribal communities within Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, the rate of fish consumption is shown to be much higher. This difference between fish consumption rates of tribal communities and that of the general public prompted the Umatilla Tribe to seek further review of Oregon's fish consumption rate. Jannine Jennings, Manager of EPA's Water Quality Standards Unit, says, "We are working to change a fish consumption rate so it reflects the dietary patterns of tribal communities. This will help ensure that they do not bear a disproportionate share of health risk from contaminants." The first phase of the review recently culminated in the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission directing ODEQ to: revise the fish consumption rate to 175 grams per day; propose rule language that will allow ODEQ to implement the revised standards in permits and other Clean Water Act programs in an environmentally meaningful and cost effective way; propose rule language or develop other strategies to reduce the impacts of toxic substances in Oregon's waters coming from non-point source discharges; consider the costs and benefits of the fish consumption rate and the latest data and scientific analysis. ODEQ is working closely with EPA, the Umatilla Tribe, and other stakeholders to develop the proposed rule, which will undergo public review and comment. Final rule language adoption is expected within 18-24 months. More information can be found at: www.deq. state.or.us/wq/standards/toxics.htm, or by contacting Melinda McCoy, EPA, 206-553-6102; email mccoy. melinda@epa.gov. Get Watertalk Electronically Save trees and limit mailbox clutter! Sign up now for the Watertalk List-Serv. You'll get your Watertalk electronically every quarter. It's quick and easy to sign up. Just go to www.epa.gov/region10. Click on A to Z Subject Index, then W for Watertalk. There you will find an option to get on the Region 10 Water Issues List-Serv. Every quarter, an e-mail will tell you when the new Watertalk is ready, and link you to its website. Once in a while, you will get other water-related news from EPA. Remember to send an e-mail to lindsay.andrea@epa.gov to be removed from the hard copy mailing list. Page 3 Watertalk February 2009 ------- How Healthy Are America's Coasts? EPA Assessment Provides Check-up The overall condition of the nation's coastal waters has improved slightly, based on a recently released environmental assessment. The National Coastal Condition Report III (NCCRIII) is the third in a series of environmental assessments of U.S. coastal waters. The report is a collaboration of EPA; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; coastal states; and the National Estuary Program. It assesses coastal conditions using five indicators: water quality, sediment quality, the health of bottom-dwelling invertebrate species, coastal habitat loss as indicated by changes in wetland area, and fish tissue contaminants. The overall condition of America's coasts is rated as "fair," based on the five indicators. Overall condition in U.S. coastal waters has improved slightly since the 1990s. To learn more go to www.epa.gov/owow/ oceans/nccr/. Rule Requires control of Manure, Wastewaterfrom Animal Feeding Operations EPA has finalized a rule helping to protect the nation's water quality by requiring concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to safely manage manure. EPA estimates CAFO regulations will prevent 56 million pounds of phosphorus, 110 million pounds of nitrogen, and 2 billion pounds of sediment from entering streams, lakes, and other waters annually. This is the first time EPA has required a nutrient management plan for manure to be submitted as part of a CAFO's Clean Water Act permit application. The regulation also requires that an owner or operator of a CAFO that actually discharges to streams, lakes, and other waters must apply for a permit under the Clean Water Act. EPA provides an opportunity for CAFO operators who do not propose to discharge to show their commitment to pollution prevention by obtaining certification as zero dischargers. EPA worked closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture during rule development and will work closely with states during implementation. The deadline for newly defined facilities to apply for permits is February 27, 2009. For more information, visit www. epa.gov/npdes/caforule. Watertalk February 2(XW ------- Grant Opportunity: West Coast Estuaries, Feb. 19 Deadline EPA Region 10 has issued a request for grant proposals for the West Coast Estuaries Initiative. EPA is soliciting proposals to support the protection and restoration of high valued aquatic resources in coastal areas threatened by growth pressure. The grant program emphasizes local, holistic watershed protection and management approaches. Grant funds will assist local and tribal governments in managing land uses while protecting watershed functions and values. Successful projects will match proposed activities to the appropriate watershed scale to ensure environmental results. EPA plans to award a total of $2.8 million dollars. Up to ten awards will be made, ranging from about $400,000 to $600,000. Entities of local governments, special purpose districts, and federally recognized Indian tribes west of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington and in Cook Inlet near Anchorage, Alaska are eligible to apply. State agencies, institutions of higher learning, and non- governmental entities are not eligible to directly receive these grant awards; however, EPA encourages tribes and local governments to solicit their participation as local collaborators. Proposals are due by February 19, 2009. For details, contact Daniel Steinborn, EPA Puget Sound Estuary Program, (206) 553- 2728, steinborn.daniel@epa.gov. Or, visit the website: http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/water.nsf/ Office+of+Water/WEI08RFP. Community "CARE" Grant Proposals Due March 16 March 16, 2009 is the deadline for community groups to submit proposals for Community Action for Renewed Environment (CARE) grant awards that range from $75,000 - $295,000. EPA plans to award about $3 million nationally. CARE grants are to help grantees form partnerships, identify and understand varied sources of risk from toxic pollutants; and then prioritize and work to reduce risks through collaborative action. Eligible groups include: public non-profit institutions/ organizations, federally-recognized Indian tribal governments, Native American organizations, private non-profit institutions/organizations, quasi- public nonprofit institutions/organizations both interstate and intrastate, local governments (not state), colleges, and universities. Information sessions for cooperative agreement applicants will take place through Internet Webcasts, on February 24 and 27, 2009. To register, go to: www.cluin.org/studio/seminar. EPA Region 10 CARE co-leads are Sally Hanft at (206) 553-1207 and Davis Zhen at (206) 553- 7660 (or toll-free 1-800-424-4372). The request for proposals and examples of funded CARE projects in Washington, Alaska, and Oregon can be found at: www.epa.gov/CARE. EPA Website Goes Mobile: m.epa.gov Why not blog on important environmental issues while on the go? EPA recently launched one of the first government websites tailored specifically for cell phone users: http://rn.epa.gov. The world is getting more mobile, with estimates of more than 250 million cell phones in use in the U.S. - and now EPA can go with you. The site has been tailored to load fast on a small screen. Services available on m.epa.gov include: how to contact EPA environmental information by ZIP code EPA news releases Greenversations blog, including the question of the week links to other government mobile websites. Over the coming months, EPA will add more features. We invite readers to help us improve - there's a feedback form right on the home page. EPA's mobile site: http://rn.epa.gov. Watertalk February 2009 ------- Video Shows Green Practices to Partnership Helps You Manage Stormwater Learn How to Save Water EPA and the U.S. Botanic Garden have produced an online video, Reduce Runoff: Slow It Down, Spread It Out, Soak It In. The video highlights green techniques such as rain gardens, green roofs, and rain barrels to help manage stormwater runoff. The film showcases green techniques being used in urban areas to reduce the effects of stormwater runoff on the quality of downstream receiving waters. The goal is to mimic the natural way water moves through an area before development by using design techniques that infiltrate, evaporate, and reuse runoff close to its source. (See Rain Garden article on page 10.) The innovative stormwater management practices manage urban stormwater runoff at its source. The techniques are very effective at reducing the volume of stormwater runoff and capturing harmful pollutants. Using vegetated areas that capture runoff also improves air quality, mitigates the effects of urban heat islands, and reduces a community's overall carbon footprint. The video highlights green techniques displayed at the U.S. Botanic Garden's 2008 "One Planet - Ours!" exhibit and at EPA in Washington, D.C., including recently completed cisterns. To watch the video: www. epa.gov/nps/lid. If you live in the Puget Sound region, you may have seen a bus drive by with a large picture of a little girl, a deer and a flower all drinking from a glass of water. The caption reads: "We all share the same water. Water is a shared resource. Please use it wisely!" This advertisement is one way the Partnership for Water Conservation (PWC) is raising awareness that our water is a precious resource shared by many, and that it is important we all conserve - rain or shine! PWC is a non-profit organization committed to increasing water conservation in 11 counties of the Puget Sound region and is a partner in the EPA's WaterSense program. PWC's mission is to ensure that the region's water meets the needs of people and business as well as our environment, especially keeping adequate amounts of water in our rivers and streams. The Partnership is a coalition of public and private groups and individuals including -citizens, businesses, water utilities, and those with concerns about the environment. To learn how to conserve water or to get involved, visit www.partners4water.org. Possible Violation of Environmental Law? If you have seen what appears to be a violation of environmental laws and regulations, visit www.epa. gov/tips. This webpage gives you a tool to report possible environmental violations. Because different activities fall under different jurisdictions, the page gives examples of situations and who to call. The webpage also helps you tell the difference between environmental violations and emergencies. Visit Watertalk online at www.epa.gov/rlOearth/watertalk.htm Watertalk February 2009 Page 6 ------- Call for Presentations Community Involvement Training Conference EPA is soliciting presentation proposals for its 2009 Community Involvement Training Conference. The conference will be held in Seattle, WA, August 18-20, 2009. The conference brings together EPA staff and partners who plan and implement environmental community involvement, partnership, outreach, and educational programs. For details or to submit a proposal, visit www.epa.gov/ ciconference. Or, contact Freya Margand, EPA, margand.freya@epa.gov, (703) 603-8889. Proposals are due February 20, 2009. Water and Land Use in the Pacific Northwest The State of Washington Water Research Center, in partnership with USDA-CSREES Regional Water Program, EPA Region 10, and natural resource based departments from the Pacific Northwest States, is calling for presentations. The conference will take place in Stevenson, WA, November 11- 12, 2009. Learn more at www.swwrc.wsu.edu/. Proposals are due February 20, 2009. Bright Ideas! eCycle: Take your old computers \^^ or other electronics to a local recycling center. This helps keep lead, cadmium, and other toxics out of the landfill. Find eCycling centers near you. www.epa.gov/ecycling/live.htm Shop for an Energy-Efficient TV: Televisions that meet the new energy efficiency rating are available in stores nationwide. (Many people will be shopping also for a new TV for the upcoming change to digital broadcasting.) http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/ names/hq_2008-10-30^Energy_Efficient_ Televisions Slay Your Energy Vampires: Electronics and adapters can consume electricity even when they are not being used. Unplug power adapters or battery chargers when not connected to the device. Look for EnergyStar-rated electronics when shopping. The average U.S. household spends $100 per year to power devices when off or in standby mode, http://yosemite.epa. gov/opa/admpress.nsf/names/hq_2008-10- 27_energy Join the Greenversation: Each week we ask you a question related to the environment and invite you to share your thoughts. http://blog.epa.gov/ For Municipalities: Managing Wet Weather with Green Infrastructure EPA is developing a series of documents, collectively called the Municipal Handbook, to help local officials implement green infrastructure programs. Each 15-20 page issue covers a very specific issue related to establishing and carrying / out a comprehensive program. Available issues include: Funding Options, Green Infrastructure Retrofit Policies, Green Streets, and Rainwater Harvesting Policies. Handbook installments coming in 2009 will cover operation and maintenance, municipal incentives, and more. Find the handbook online at: www.epa.gov/ greeninfrastructure. Click on Municipal Handbook on the left menu bar. Page 7 Watertalk February 2009 ------- Guidebook of Financial Tools The Guidebook of Financial Tools: Paying for Sustainable Environmental Systems offers an overview of financial tools that decision-making officials may find useful. It references over 300 tools that can be used to pay for environmental systems. It is divided into ten sections that present information on traditional means of raising revenue, borrowing capital, enhancing credit, creating public- private partnerships, ways of lowering the costs of compliance, encouraging pollution prevention, paying for community-based environmental protection, financing brownfields redevelopment, and improving access to capital for small businesses, local governments, and the environmental goods and service industry. Check it out at www.epa.gov/efinpage/ guidebook.htm. Clean Water Act: Learn More The Clean Water Act is the nation's cornerstone law for protection of our waterways. That law recognizes that citizens are central to the effort to protect the nation's waters. EPA's Watershed Academy Web provides some helpful resources for people who want to become more familiar with this law. A simple introduction to the act is provided, as well as a "Fact or Fiction Quiz" so you can test your knowledge, and a glossary. The entire text of the act is available through this site, too. Visit www.epa.gov/ watertrain/cwa. The Cost of Bottled Water Tap water is a tremendous value for families and communities, typically costing less than half a penny per gallon. Bottled water is often an important and convenient choice for consumers and the traveling public, but it certainly has its costs. Bottled water comes with its own carbon footprint and environmental impacts. It takes a lot of energy to manufacture, transport, and store bottled water. Experts estimate the plastic bottle manufacturing process alone consumes 17 million barrels of oil a year. Street litter and marine debris are costly concerns, as well. Marine debris is a major pollution problem affecting the world's oceans, coasts, and watersheds. Although impacts may be more visible at the local beach, marine debris is a national and international problem. Anything can become marine debris. Extremely light-weight items, like plastic bottles, are more likely to become marine debris than heavier items because they can easily be carried by wind from one location to another. Think globally and drink locally. Tap into the savings and recycle for the streams' sake. Learn more at EPA's Water on Tap website: http://www.epa.gov/ safewater/wot/index.html. WaterSense Factoid If every home in the United States installed WaterSense labeled faucets or faucet aerators in the bathrooms, it would save 60 billion gallons of water annually. It would save households more than $350 million in water bills and about $600 million in energy costs to heat their water. Additionally, water and waste water utilities would save 200 million kilowatt- hours of electricity normally used for supplying and treating that water. The WaterSense website has a complete list of WaterSense labeled products at http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pp/index.htm. Watertalk Februair 2009 Page 8 ------- IGKT Communities Get Public Health Protection Awards Two communities in Region 10 recently received 2008 Sustainable Public Health Protection Awards for activities using the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF). Congratulations to the City of Castleford, in Idaho, and Pasadena Park Irrigation District #17, in Washington! Castleford used_a DWSRF disadvantaged assistance loan to help fund a $1.6 million arsenic treatment and water system rehabilitation project. Despite the challenges of being a smaller community with limited finances, Castleford was one of the first Idaho communities to address compliance with a lowered arsenic standard. The loan helped construct a new well, new water lines, and an arsenic treatment facility. "*RKSATION DISTRICT NO.V Pasadena Park Irrigation District #17 had a 1940's era cast iron water main leaking in over 240 places. This problem was costing the system about $45,000 per year in wasted electricity for pumping. The leaks also posed a public health threat due to the potential for cross connection contamination. Pasadena Park signed a DWSRF loan for $379,684 to replace the water main and install water meters. The project eliminated the public health threat and greatly improved the system's efficient use of water. Since the program began in 1997, the Region 10 DWSRF program has provided more than $656 million in low interest loans to water systems. The infrastructure projects funded by the DWSRF have helped ensure that the 8.5 million people served by these systems continue to receive clean and safe drinking water. For details, contact Rick Green, EPA, at (206) 553-8504, 1-800-424-4372, or green.richard@epa.gov. Water Competition Coming to Anchorage a water project can self-nominate for the competition by entering online. By May, judges select one winning project from each state. Winners and their science teachers get a free trip to the U.S. national competition. The national winner joins the international competition in August in Stockholm, Sweden. For details, visit www.sjwp.org. High School science buffs, get ready! Alaska Water Wastewater Management Association will host the Stockholm Junior Water Prize in Anchorage, AK, June 25-27, 2009. The Stockholm Junior Water Prize is "the world's most prestigious youth award for a water- related science project." Students in grades 9-12 with Watertalk February 2009 ------- Beneficial Landscaping Rain Gardens Help Protect Our Streams Classroom and Installation Workshops, King County, Washington (article adapted with permission from Stewardship Partners) As our area grows, increasing amounts of native forest and prairie lands are replaced by roads, roofs, driveways, and other hard or impervious surfaces. Rainfall that formerly was caught in the forest canopy or soaked into the soils now becomes stormwater runoff flowing across the landscape. This creates two problems. Flooding can occur as too much water flows into yards, streets, and parking lots. In addition, stormwater can wash pollutants into local creeks and rivers, and ultimately Puget Sound. While modern developments include highly engineered solutions for stormwater management, rain gardens offer a low impact development approach that enables homeowners to help protect streams and wetlands. Rain gardens work like a native forest by capturing and infiltrating stormwater. They can help slow down and soak up rain in ail kinds of climates. Rain gardens: reduce flooding by absorbing water from impervious surfaces; filter oil, grease, bacteria from pet waste, and toxic materials before they can pollute waterways; help to recharge the aquifer by increasing the quantity of water that soaks into the ground; and provide wildlife habitat. In a nutshell, rain gardens are modest depressions in the landscape of people's yards where water is directed. Rain gardens are typically excavated to a depth of about two feet. Then a mix of amended, compost-rich soil is placed in the depression, filling it to a level about 6-12 inches below the surrounding landscape to enable ponding to occur during periods of heavy rain. This soil and compost mix soaks up water which is rapidly retained. Rain gardens are finished off with plants that do well in both wet winter and dry summer conditions. While many of these plants are Northwest natives, a number of nonnative ornamentals may also be used to create a colorful, attractive landscape. Rain gardens are easy to create but they must be built carefully. They have to be designed to accommodate the correct amount of rainfall. Soil conditions must also be assessed during the design to determine the depth of the soil and compost mix. EPA's Nisqually River Targeted Watershed Grant to the Nisqually River Foundation, along with funding from Washington Department of Ecology, supported Stewardship Partners in training and installation of three large rain gardens in the Nisqually watershed. This new poster designed by John Pitcher shows how a rain garden can be incorporated into yards and landscapes. Publisher: Good Nature Publishing. More Rain Garden Resources Rain Garden Webcast, a streaming audio version of Internet training which took place in December 2008, for public viewing and listening, www.epa.gov/ watershedwebcasts/ (look up rain garden webcast) tomtit Rain Garden Handbook for Western Washington Homeowners, funded in part by EPA, http://www. pierce.wsu.edu/Water Quality/LID/Raingarden introduction.pdf. EPA's National Green Infrastructure Webpage, which offers basic information, technical resources, case studies, and funding tools, www.epa.gov/ g reen i nf rastructu re. Watertalk February 2009 P./.S.V 10 ------- CALENDAR March March 8-14: Ground Water Awareness Week, www.ngwa.org/public/awarenessweek/index. aspx March 16: Northwest Conference on Climate Change, Environmental Law Education Center, Portland, Oregon, www.elecenter.com March 22: World Water Day, www.worldwaterday.org/ April April 1-3: Working Collaboratively for Sustainability Conference: Research Meets Practice, Seattle University, John Dienhart, dienharj@seattleu. edu, (206)296-5714. April 5-11: National Week of the Ocean, www.national-week-of-the-ocean.org/ April 9: Washington's Innovation Summit 2009: Innovating to Sustain our Future, Bellevue, WA, http://watechcenter.org/?s=1603 April 18-26: National Park Week, http://usparks.about.com/od/ nationalparksus/a/natlparkweek.htm April 22: Earth Day, www.epa.gov/earthday May American Wetlands Month, http://www.epa. gov/wetlands/awm/ May 3-9: National Drinking Water Week, www.awwa.org May 4-6: Managing Water Resources and Development in a Changing Climate: AWRA Conference, Anchorage, AK, 907-479-8891, www.awra.org/meetings/Anchorage2009/ index.html May 11-14: National Conference for Nonpoint Source and Stormwater Outreach: Achieving Results with Tight Budgets, Portland, www.epa.gov/nps/outreach2009 Build Your Own Rain Garden To learn how you can add a rain garden to your yard's landscape, sign up for a free, hands-on classroom workshop on rain garden design and construction. King Conservation District, Stewardship Partners, Native Plant Salvage Project, Seattle Tilth, Seattle Aquarium, Seattle Public Utilities, NW Environmental Education Council and King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks are offering Rain Gardens: The Key to Managing Rain Water and Protecting Puget Sound classroom workshops. An installation workshop will be scheduled later in the spring. The rain garden classroom schedule: Tuesday, March 3, Renton Tuesday, March 17, Downtown Seattle Thursday, March 26, Wallingford Thursday, April 23, South Seattle Workshops will be held in the evening and registration is required. Contact Stewardship Partners to register, for details, or to learn about possible classes in Pierce and Thurston Counties: (206) 292-9875 or email ba@stewardshippartners.org. Visit www. stewardshippartners.org. II Watertalk February 2009 ------- v>EPA Watertalk U.S. EPA 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 900, ETPA-081 Seattle, Washington 98101-3140 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Pre-Sorted Standard Postage and Fees Paid U.S. EPA Permit No. G-35 For Official Business Use Penalty for Private Use $300 i,.i,m,.,,u,iui,,.ii.,,ii...ii mi ii.ii.ii 5*2AAAAAAAAAAA*ĞA**M|XED AADC 555 E. P. A, HDQS ATTN: LIBRARY. 3403 401 M ST SW WASHINGTON DC 20460-0001 Watertalk February 2009 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. You are invited to contribute items for publication. Submittal deadline is the 15th day of the month before publication. Watertalk articles can be used in other publications. Please give credit to Watertalk. For mailing list changes, or to contact the editor, call Andrea Lindsay at (206) 553-1896 or l-800-424-4EPAx!896, or e-mail lindsay.andrea@epa.gov. Mention of trade names, products or services does not convey, and should not be interpreted as conveying, official EPA approval, endorsement or recommendation. I Alternative formats available upon request. Please call Andrea Lindsay to request \reasonableaccommodation. TTY: 1-800-877-8339. Please recycle or share with a friend. In This Issue... Columbia River Basin Call to Action Fish Consumption study Grant Opportunities Environmental Tools and Tips Raingardens Environmental Events And More... ------- |