A I I | J\ United States	E, A-842-N-18-003
jbpHQ Environmental Protection	June 2018
M \ Agency
THE FLOW OF... TRASH FREE WATERS
ISSUE 9
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
6th International Marine
Debris Conference (6IMDC)	1
Microplastics and Corals
in the Caribbean	2
San Juan Bay Estuary Program
Hurricane Follow-Up	2
Tribes Dealing with
Marine Debris	3
Expanding Trash Free Trinity	4
EPA Region 3 Hosts
Trash Free Waters Summit in
Baltimore, MD	5
PLANning for
Environmental Justice	5
The Rapids: News Drops	6
HOW'S IT FLOWING?
This newsletter is intended to
provide the latest information
to all of our Trash Free Waters
(TFW) partners and friends.
The Flow...of Trash Free
Waters is our opportunity to
highlight recent successes,
as well as shine a spotlight
on news and other related
items. It is produced by the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency, with support from
CSRA. Mention of commercial
products, publications, or Web
sites in this newsletter does
not constitute endorsement
or recommendation for use
by EPA, and shall not be used
for advertising or product
endorsement purposes.
6th International
Marine Debris
Conference (6IMDC)
In March, people came to San
Diego from all over the world
to discuss a wide range of
marine debris topics—from
communications strategies
and microplastics research
to industry efforts and
global coalition building. The
conference was hosted by the
UN Environment Programme
and the US National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA).
As an ORISE Research Participant
for the Trash Free Waters (TFW)
Program, I presented a poster
about how TFW approaches
the problems related to trash
pollution. I started by asking,
"How should one approach a
puzzle? Study the picture on
the box first, so the end goal is
in mind? Group the pieces by
characteristics so they are easier
to apply when it's time? Build
the framework edge or focus on
the central image?"
TFW asks the same questions
when tackling trash pollution
and uses every technique to
connect the pieces. TFW starts
by building partnerships in
communities and with other
US EPA TRASH FREE WATERS PROGRAM:
INTEGRATION - THE HOLISTIC PICTURE OF TRASH POLLUTION
place-based programs, such
as the Urban Waters Federal
Partnership or the National
Estuary Program. With a focus
on community-driven projects,
the level of engagement is
often high and the effort can
shift from reactive to forward-
looking when projects are
designed in an integrated way.
For example, the Trash Free
Trinity Adopt-A-Spot program
aligns aquatic trash prevention
and stormwater management
with community engagement
in an area upstream from the
Galveston Bay Estuary Program,
The Trash Free Waters Program
uses a holistic approach for
aquatic trash prevention and
reduction. Each puzzle piece
has a place, but finding the right
fit for a project takes careful
consideration of its many parts
and connections.
—Emma Maschal
ORISE Participant
maschal. emma@epa. gov
The 6IMDC was held on March 12-16 in San Diego. The conference examined how marine debris
can harm natural resources, human health, and national and local economies. The conference also
celebrated and encouraged further global innovation, collaboration, and action.
More than 700 attendees from over 50 countries shared lessons learned, promoted international
dialogue, exchanged ideas, and discussed research methods and results. The conference included
74 technical sessions, 400 oral presentations, and 170 posters.
Learn more about the great presentations, posters, speakers, technical sessions, and attendees at
internationaimarinedebrisconference.org. In addition, highlights from the 6IMDC will be featured
in an upcoming Virtual Special Issue of Marine Pollution Bulletin, a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
LOOKING
VWVW. EPA.GOV/TRASH-FREE-WATERS
STORMWATER
MANAGEMENT
SOLD WASTE
MANAGEMENT
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JUNE 2018 - ISSUE 9
THE FLOW OF.,, TRASH FREE WATERS
EPA's Cheryl Hankins takes a corot sample in St. John, USVI for mixoplastic quantification and polymer analysis.
San Juan Bay Estuary Program Hurricane Follow-Up
Microplastics
and Corals in the
Caribbean
EPA research plays a critical
role in understanding the
fate, transport, and effects
of microplastics in the
environment. In addition
to the Microplastics Expert
Workshop of June 2017 (see
www.epa.gov/trash-free-
waters/epa-reports#MEW),
EPA's Office of Research and
Development has supported
multiple Regional Applied
Research Efforts (RARE) in this
area.
One of the two-year RARE
projects that began in 2017
is the Quantification and
Fate of Microplastics in U.S.
Caribbean Scleractinian
Corals. Researchers looked
at the ingestion and egestion
rates of two coral species,
Montastraea cavernosa and
Orbicella faveoiata, after
exposure to different class
sizes of plastic microbeads
and microfibers. The use
of a iarge polyp coral and
small polyp coral in these
experiments, as well as the
different microplastic class sizes,
wili help give context to how
microplastics may affect coral.
Furthermore, field data
analyses of both subsurface
water samples and coral
tissue samples will include
FTIR analysis for polymer
identification. This will support
research into sources of
microplastics for a deeper
understanding of interventions
that will be effective at
stemming the tide.
—Cheryl Hankins, U.S. EPA
Office of Research and
Development
hankins.cheryl@epa.gov
The San Juan Bay Estuary
Program (Estuario) responded
to last year's devastating
hurricane season by tackling
the immediate emergency
while also addressing existing
stressors aggravated by the
hurricanes.
The Estuario designed a
green infrastructure initiative
in the Condado Lagoon to
stabilize the lagoon's borders
and decrease the amount
of runoff and contaminants
reaching this urban nature
reserve. Plants selected for
the restoration, including red
mangrove and sea grapes,
are typical for the coastal
area. Prior to the restoration,
the Estuario cleaned up
and mulched the vegetative
debris, removed solid waste
that could not be repurposed,
and educated volunteers on
the repurposing of resources.
The initiative has continued
with activities such as a
workshop on turning old
clothing into shopping bags,
addressing two watershed
problems at the same time.
In January, the Estuario staffed
a recycling station at a large
street festival in Old San Juan
attended by thousands of
people. The station included
a cigarette butt receptacle as
part of a Trash Free Waters
educational initiative, the
ABC for the Sustainability
of the Estuary. Staff and
volunteers educated hundreds
of attendees on the proper
disposal of cigarette butts.
The Estuario focus for
the upcoming season is
preparing community allies
and decreasing vulnerability.
Efforts include assessing
and cleaning septic tanks
in highly vulnerable areas
frequently compromised with
debris and lack of proper
maintenance, and increasing
monitoring efforts to swiftly
identify point and nonpoint
sources of pollution within
the watershed. At the same
time, the watershed-level
monitoring network is training
citizens to identify and report
sources of contamination
within their communities.
Lastly, we are focusing on
the improvement of green
infrastructure. Community
coordinators are repurposing
vacant lots into community
spaces such as gardens
or parks. Claiming the
abandoned spaces and

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THE FLOW OF... TRASH FREE WATERS
JUNE 2018 - ISSUE 9
integrating them into an
urban forest network
discourages their use as illegal
landfills, promotes community
involvement in public space
maintenance, and strengthens
the social networks that hold
our communities together.
After Hurricane Maria, our
neighbors, our families,
and our local organizations
stepped up physically to
clean and clear debris. As
we move beyond Maria
and into the next hurricane
season, the Estuario is even
more committed to a Trash
Free Watershed through
community empowerment.
—Brenda Torres
Executive Director
San Juan Bay Estuary Program
btorres@estuario. org
w sesAsfi/w
Estuario staff promoting recycling and proper trash disposal at the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian.
Tribes Dealing with Marine Debris
Tribes along the Pacific Coast are seeing the effects of marine
debris and doing something about it.
Cleaning up the debris that ends up on coastal Tribal iands is a
huge effort. The Coquille Tribe has partnered with NOAA, the
Surfrider foundation, and Oregon environmental organizations
to engage youth in community service learning projects for
prevention and removal of marine debris along Oregon coasts.
In Washington, the Quinault Tribe and Stiliaguamish Tribe
(a member of the West Coast Marine Debris Alliance) have
centered their initiatives on fisheries debris by working to
survey and develop recovery programs for lost crab pots and
removing the pots when possible. The Makah Tribe has held
beach clean ups along Washington coasts and is working to
remove abandoned vessels from the Neah Bay Marina. The
Wiyot Tribe of California, and the Native Villages of Shishmaref,
Wales, and Kotzebue have also led major efforts for marine
debris removal along the North Pacific coasts.
Staying involved in marine planning for the protection of
ocean ecosystems is just as important. Tribes with marine
planning departments are increasingly involved in regional
and national planning efforts. When new Marine Protected
Areas were proposed in California, the InterTribal Sinkyone
Wilderness Council made sure Tribal input and protections
were included. In 2017, representatives from the Confederated
Tribes of Grand Ronde and the Confederated Tribes of Coos,
Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw collaborated on the Oregon
Marine Debris Action Plan. On a national level, 13 Tribes are
represented in the West Coast Regional Planning Body to plan
and manage ocean ecosystems. The Tolowa Dee-ni Nation in
Northern California opened dialogue on Native management
initiatives by coordinating the Indigenous Ocean Science
Forum in 2013. Here, Pacific coast Tribes worked together to
develop a Common Tribal Marine Planning Framework which
incorporates Tribal values and Traditional Ecological Knowledge
to guide sustainable ocean activities and management.
Excerpted from: "Tribal Initiatives in Marine Debris and
Ocean Management," an article in Full Circle: Newsletter
for Tribes, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals,
March/April 2019, v. 10, issue 2.

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Trash Free Piscataqua
The Piscataqua Region watershed encompasses 1,086 square
miles and includes 42 communities in New Hampshire and
10 in Maine. Fortunately, there are many conservation and
stewardship organizations actively engaged in reducing and
removing debris in the watershed. Some groups, like Blue
Ocean Society for Marine Conservation, have been cleaning
beaches in New Hampshire and southern Maine since
2001. River advisory committees and the Conservation Law
Foundation are also concerned with debris along our estuaries
and freshwater tributaries.
Trash Free Piscataqua was born from a conversation
between senior leadership from the Maine Department of
Environmental Protection and the New Hampshire Department
of Environmental Services. Both organizations recognized a
need to reduce the flow of trash in the Piscataqua river that
separates the two New England states. With support from the
American Chemistry Council, a neutral facilitator was asked to
design and guide a collaborative process to develop a short list
of projects endorsed by the full range of area stakeholders.
Individuals and small groups were interviewed in late 2017
about policies, programs, technologies, and other efforts to
control the flow of debris in the region. They represented
government, conservation and stewardship groups, academia,
and others well respected for their efforts to improve water
quality. Through nearly 40 structured conversations, it became
apparent that three waste streams were of greatest concern to
local and regional leadership: single use plastics, derelict fishing
gear, and pet waste.
Trash Free Piscataqua has been an opportunity to better
coordinate among existing partners and think creatively and
strategically about how to move beyond trash cleanup. Although
we are still in the early stages, there is a palpable enthusiasm
among partners as we work to keep each identified priority
waste stream from entering our inland and coastal waters.
—Abigail Lyon
Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership
Abigail. Lyon @ unh.edu
Expanding Trash Free Trinity
Stakeholders from Fort Worth to the east side of Houston can
"point and click" using the Adopt-A-Spot online mapping tool to
report trash locations and either adopt or foster streets, trails,
paths and even esplanades—any location—up and down the
Trinity River watershed. The project was created by a diverse
group of stakeholders and is being led by the City of Fort Worth
with the generous support of the American Chemistry Council.
The project's goal is to foster a litter-free environment in the
Trinity River Basin by enabling community leaders to promote and
track trash removal activities in their region.
Concerned citizens across Texas have requested that the tool
be modified to include other watersheds. The Core Team has
developed a five-year plan to achieve that goal, and first steps
have been taken with the addition of the lower portions of three
watersheds—the San Jacinto Brazos Basin, San Jacinto Basin, and
Trinity San Jacinto Basin. These were integral in recent efforts to
develop an action plan under the "Don't Trash a Good Thing"
program in the Houston Galveston area. Additionally, there are
plans in the works to take the tool statewide as the Trash Free
Texas project. For more information, visit trashfreetrinity.com or
contact Doug Jacobson atjacobson.doug@epa.gov.
TRASH FREE
WATERS
Dallas
Waxahachie*
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EPA Region 3 Hosts Trash Free Waters Summit in Baltimore, MD
On March 27th 2018, EPA
Region 3 held a Trash Free
Waters Summit in Baltimore,
Maryland. The Summit
was hosted by the U.S.
Geological Survey, a federal
partner in the Baltimore
Area Urban Waters Federal
Partnership location. The
summit, "Tackling Trash: How
Communities are Finding
Ways to Address Trash in
the Urban Environment,"
was attended by over 50
participants from federal,
state, county, city and local
government agencies, as
well as Non-Governmental
Organizations (NGOs),
representatives from the
Region 3 National Estuary
Programs, Urban Waters
Federal Partners and other
interested parties. The
objectives of the workshop
were to identify tools,
resources, and strategies that
support reducing trash in
the urban environment, and
to showcase practices that
reduce trash runoff caused by
storm water flows.
The summit began with a
background on the Clean
Water Act regulatory tools
that address trash in the
urban environment; moved
into regulatory obligations
and implementation; and
ended with discussion of
non-traditional partnerships
and inter-organizational
collaborations at the iocal
level. After each session,
participants posed questions
to panelists and the larger
group to share information
and challenges. Important
themes discussed throughout
the day included community-
based social marketing,
community knowledge
dissemination, and practical
applications for assessing,
monitoring and removing
land-based and aquatic
sources of litter.
The summit was the first
regionally-led meeting of
its kind focused on trash
in the urban environment.
At the end of the summit,
attendees were asked to
provide feedback, comments
and thoughts on how EPA
can continue to engage and
support the collective group
to tackle trash.
The survey clearly showed
that this will be the first
of many conversations on
the topic. The Region is
Lively discussions at Region 3's first Trash Free Waters Summit.
currently working to compile
and evaluate the feedback
to determine actionable
next steps to continue the
dialogue. It is reviewing
opportunities such as
workgroups, projects or
products that support trash
free efforts in the region.
For more information on
the summit and the outputs
and outcomes of the event,
contact Region 3's Trash Free
Waters Coordinator
Kelly Somers at 215-814-2719
or somers.kelly@epa.gov.
PLANning for Environmental Justice
On October 30, 2017, EPA Region 3 announced the award of an
Environmental Justice Small Grant to the Patapsco Latino Action
Network (PLAN). PLAN will be using the $30,000 grant to (1)
organize four clean-ups and three neighborhood beautification
events in the Brooklyn/Curtis Bay areas of Baltimore, MD; (2)
survey community members on perception of marine debris
and other environmental issues; (3) develop Spanish language
outreach materials; (4) conduct educational outreach to PLAN
partners on marine debris and other environmental challenges in
the neighborhoods; and (5) develop a marine debris mitigation
action plan. The Templo de Ablanza y Restauracion (TAYR)
congregation, the Maryland Port Administration, the Living
Classrooms Foundation, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
will be involved throughout the project, along with community
members. The Brooklyn and Curtis Bay neighborhoods are
located near high levels of industrial activity and the impaired
Patapsco River branch of Baltimore Harbor.
The Environmental Justice Small Grants are awarded to projects
designed to empower and educate vulnerable communities
so they can reap environmental and public health benefits.
By assessing trash pollution and creating mitigation action
plans, communities can achieve water quality gains, build their
stakeholder networks, improve community knowledge, and
better tackle other public and environmental issues. Since trash
pollution can be addressed through a variety of approaches, this
project will allow PLAN'S stakeholders to decide which mitigation
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THE FLOW OF.,, TRASH FREE WATERS
actions will provide the most
benefit to the community.
By leveraging the EPA's
Environmental Justice
Small Grants, the Patapsco
Latino Action Network
is setting an example for
other community groups
looking to use trash pollution
prevention as a gateway to
fostering stewardship for
all natural, public spaces.
For more information on
the Environmental Justice
Small Grants, visit www.epa.
gov/environmentaljustice/
environmental-justice-small-
grants-program.
The Rapids: News Drops
NEWS/EVENTS
Call for Abstracts: 11th National Monitoring Conference
Sponsored by the National Water Quality Monitoring Council, this
conference provides many opportunities for water stakeholders-
federal, state, tribal and local water professionals, non-profits,
academia, and volunteer citizen scientists—to network, develop
new skills and partnerships, and exchange information. The
National Monitoring Conference will be held in Denver, CO on
March 25-29, 2019. The Council is issuing a call for abstracts
for oral presentations, posters, and extended sessions covering
topics related to rivers and streams, lakes, wetlands, coastal
waters and estuaries, ground water and drinking water. Trash and
micropiastics monitoring fit under several conference themes.
Abstracts are due August 15, 2019. Details about submitting
abstracts can be found on the conference web site at
http://acwi.gov/monitoring/conference/2019/index.html.
Patrick H, Hurd Sustainability Award
On May 21, EPA Region 9 announced the winner of the Patrick
H. Hurd Sustainability Award. Melanie Quan, a high school
freshman from Wainut Creek, CA, was selected from nearly 1,800
student scientists competing in the Intel International Science and
Engineering Fair. Melanie's project is titled "Micropiastics, Macro
Problem: A Novel Technique to Remove Micropiastics from Water
Using a Modified Electrostatic Filter." It is a novel micropiastics
filtration system with a variety of applications to minimize
microfiber from laundry loads to commercial or industrial uses.
The filter, a proof-of-concept research project, uses the concepts
of ionization and attraction. "Micropiastics can have a devastating
impact on our nation's waterways," said Mike Stoker, EPA's Region
9 Administrator. "It is important to find innovative ways to remove
this pollution that affects our water resources and the aquatic
animals that live in it."
MICRO 2018 Call for Abstracts
Micro 2018 Fate and Impacts of Micropiastics: Knowledge,
Actions and Solutions is an international conference to be held
November 19-23, 2018 in Lanzarote, Spain. The deadline for
abstract submissions is June 21, 2018. Some of the main themes
will be marine ecosystems; freshwater bodies; social change and
behavior; human health; and policy. For more information, visit
the website: micro2018.sciencesconf.org/.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
National Geographic Reducing Marine Plastic Pollution Grants
Deadline: July 10, 2018
The goal of this RFP is to measurably reduce plastic pollution
before it reaches the ocean. To support scientists working to fill
key knowledge gaps around the flow of plastic from their sources
into the ocean, they seek innovators, including conservationists,
educators, and storytellers who can develop solutions to effect
behavior change. Well-developed proposals can include innovative
solutions to help stop plastic from reaching waterways through
improved recycling, waste management, or other means. You
can also aim to implement innovative methods that engage
stakeholders to create solutions that dramatically reduce plastic
use and/or input into watersheds. Proposals should be less than
$30,000, but can be up to $100,000. Preference will be given to
projects with higher potential for scaling and impact. For more
information, visit: www.nationalgeographic.org/grants/grant-
opportuniti'es/reducing-marine-plastic-pollution/.
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David and Lucile Packard Foundation Grants
Deadline: Rolling
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation offers over $40 million
annually through their Ocean program grants. The program aims
to eliminate IUU fishing, ensure fisheries are sustainable, and
protect shorebird and seabird habitat—none of which is possible
without addressing trash pollution in our environment. New
project proposals could build off the research theme from last
year, "American Millennials: Plastic Pollution as a Gateway to
Engaging the Next Generation of Ocean Conservationists." For
more information, visit: www.packard.org/what-we-fund/ocean/.
Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation Grants
Deadline: Rolling
Geographic focus: Metropolitan Detroit Area
Non-profits in the Great Lakes area are encouraged to submit
Letters of Intent to the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family
Foundation for funding related to improving water quality in the
Great Lakes Ecosystem. Projects may focus on environmental
justice, green infrastructure for stormwater management,
engagement and education through watershed-wide activities,
and/or supporting binational cooperation between U.S. and
Canadian policy efforts to improve water quality. For more
information, visit: www.erbff.org/how-to-apply/.
EPA National Wetland Program Development Grants
Deadline: June 21, 2018
EPA is soliciting proposals from eligible non-profit non-
governmental organizations, interstate agencies, and intertribal
consortia to develop or refine state/tribal/local government
wetland programs as a whole, or individual components of those
programs. Projects must be on a national scale or affect state/
tribal/local wetland programs in two or more EPA Regions. This
Request for Proposals (RFP) centers around Core Elements of an
Effective State/Tribal Wetlands Program Framework. The authority
for this grant program is section 104(b)(3) of the Clean Water Act
(CWA), which restricts the use of these grant funds to improving
wetland programs by conducting or promoting the coordination
and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, training,
demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes,
effects, extent, prevention, reduction, and elimination of water
pollution. The federal portion of the awards for projects selected
will range from $75,000 to $200,000. This RFP is open through
June 21, 2018,11:59 pm EDTand can be found on grants.gov
or at epa.gov/wetlands/fy-2018-and-fy-2019-national-wetland-
program-development-grant-request-proposals. For information,
contact Myra Price at price.myra@epa.gov.
CONTESTS
Bow Seat 2018 Ocean Awareness Student Contest
Deadline: June 18, 2018
Middle and high school students from around the world are
invited to create works of art, poetry, prose, or film that speak
to this year's theme —Ocean Pollution: Challenges & Solutions.
Students need an adult sponsor to submit to the Contest, and
the Contest is completely free to enter. Students can earn awards
up to $1,500 in each category, and Bow Seat also grants Sponsor
Recognition awards of $750 for outstanding teachers, parents,
and mentors who help a student submit to the Contest. For more
information, please visit: fromthebowseat.org/contest.php.
Bow Seat 2018 Marine Debris Creative Advocacy Competition
Deadline: June 18, 2018
This competition challenges middle and high school students
from the U.S. to implement real-world advocacy projects in their
schools and communities, with the goals of educating the public
about marine debris, inspiring people to change their behavior,
and engaging them in activities that reduce or prevent marine
debris. Students need an adult sponsor to participate in the
competition, and the competition is free to enter. Students can
earn awards up to $5,000. For more information, please visit:
fromthebowseat.org/advocacy-competition.php.
Ocean Exchange Call for Solutions
Deadline: July 31, 2018
Ocean Exchange is an international nonprofit that focuses on
sustainable solutions that improve economies, health and the
environment while respecting local cultures. Its Call for Solutions
is now open for entries for the WW Orcelle® Award 2018 and the
Neptune Award 2018. The Neptune Award is given to the solution
that advances our understanding of the ocean and helps minimize
our impact, resulting in more resilient bodies of water including
healthy marine life and coastlines. Visit www.oceanexchange.org
for more information.
Ocean Exchange BIG Pitch Competition
Deadline: September 8, 2018
The BIG Pitch Competition seeks undergraduate and
graduate innovations that improve economies, health, and the
environment, fitting under the sustainability theme. The contest is
sponsored by Georgia Southern University and Ocean Exchange.
Eight finalists will be invited to present at Ocean Exchange on
October 7th, in front of 150 delegates from business, NGOs,
academia, and government. Delegates will vote on who receives
one $10,000 cash award. Registration fee. Visit
www.oceanexchange.org for more information.
Have a TFW Story to Share?
The Flow is always looking for TFW articles, news, and event information.
Contact the editor at mayio.alice@epa.gov for submission deadlines.
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