Columbia River Basin Restoration Program Success Stories from the 2020 Grant Projects Grattix Boxes to Reduce Toxics or the Great (get Real Environmental Attenuation of Toxics) Grattix Box Project (or WA)


*>EPA

Columbia River Basin Restoration Program
Success Stories from the 2020 Grant Projects	RESTORATION PROGRAM

ABOUT THE COLUMBIA
RIVER BASIN RESTORATION
FUNDING ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM

Congress amended the Clean Water
Act in 2016, which required EPA to
establish a Columbia River Basin
Restoration Program. EPA was directed
to develop a voluntary, competitive
grant program for eligible entities to
fund environmental protection and
restoration programs throughout the
Basin. Eligible entities include state,
Tribal, and local governments; regional
water pollution control organizations,
nongovernmental organizations,
and soil and water conservation
districts. Funded work must be for the
purpose of environmental protection
and restoration activities within the
Columbia River Basin; and may include
programs, projects, and studies.
EPA funded 14 projects in the 2020,
inaugural round of grants that address
the following four priorities:

1.	Increase monitoring and access
data from monitoring.

2.	Reduce stormwater and
agricultural runoff.

3.	Reduce toxics through small
scale cleanup of non-CERCLA
(also known as Superfund)
contaminated sites.

4.	Promote citizen engagement,
education, and involvement to
increase pollution prevention
actions.

In September of 2020, EPA was able
to provide the full amount requested
by successful grantees for a total of
$2,053,903 in FY19 and FY20 grant
funding. These are their stories of
progress made to date.

GRATTIX BOXES TO REDUCE TOXICS OR THE GREAT (GET REAL
ENVIRONMENTAL ATTENUATION OF TOXICS) GRATTIX BOX
PROJECT (OR, WA)

EPA awarded $67,597 to The Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership's GREAT (Get
Real Environmental Attenuation of Toxics) Grattix Box project, which will improve
water quality of the Columbia River by reducing zinc and copper discharges, using
inexpensive, low-tech green technologies to filter stormwater runoff. The project will
develop a list of potential Grattix Box placement sites; conduct on-site meetings with
site owners or managers to provide stormwater education and assess Grattix Box
location opportunities; install 15-20 Grattix Boxes (built by the Port of Vancouver
and Oregon State University); and conduct post-placement follow up. The project is
focusing on two specific, high-need geographies in Longview and St. Helens/Rainier.
Working with 20 local site owners or managers, the Estuary Partnership will expand
partnerships and the application of these toxic reduction boxes to new area businesses.
The project will address Columbia River Basin Restoration Program priorities 1)
Eliminating or reducing pollution, 3) Improving water quality, 5) Reducing runoff, and
promoting citizen engagement or knowledge.

The Lower Columbia Estuary
Partnership is a non-profit,
a National Estuary Program,
and a collection of dedicated
scientists, educators, and
community members who are
passionate about the Columbia
River. Key partners for the
program are the businesses,
the Port of Vancouver, and
Oregon State University. The
Port of Vancouver will provide
insight and expertise on the
boxes to other industrial peers.
Oregon State University brings students and professors to the network and connects
students with real-life application of their stormwater research and the boxes they have
built. Additional partners include EPA, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality,
Washington State Department of Ecology, Columbia County, Cowlitz County, the Cities
of St. Helens, Rainier, and Longview, the Port of Columbia County, and the Port of
Longview. These partners will guide the project by recommending locations, providing
local expertise, providing educational materials, and participating on a Steering Team to
provide project guidance and feedback.

Grattix boxes being loaded for transport to the installation sites.

SEPTEMBER 2022 I 1

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COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN

RESTORATION PROGRAM

"The GREAT Grattix
Box project builds on
the proven Grattix Box
technology developed
by the Port of
Vancouver. Since their
invention, the Port
has promoted their
use, provided detailed
building plans, and
spread the word
about this effective
and inexpensive
stormwater treatment
technology. As a
result, numerous
companies have built
and deployed their
own Grattix Boxes."

- Aaron Guffey
Lower Columbia Estuary
Partnership

The project area focuses on industrial areas in Longvlewand St. Helens/Rainier.

The GREAT Grattix Box project will begin a concerted
program by the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership to
place proven, cost-effective, stormwater treatment at
sites in Oregon and Washington and reduce copper and
zinc concentrations in the lower Columbia River. Zinc
and copper are a common component of stormwater
runoff and harmful to fish. A 3-year pilot study conducted
by Kennedy Jenks found that Grattix Boxes reduced
zinc concentrations by 90-95% and copper by 85% in
stormwater runoff. The boxes are plastic, food-grade
275-gallon totes, layered with different materials. Boxes
are placed near downspouts and the downspouts are routed directly into the box. It's an
above ground, easy-to-install solution—at a cost of $400-800 per box.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE

Developed a list of 40 potential Grattix Box placement sites.

Oregon State University students built 10 Grattix Boxes, which were transported
to the Port of Vancouver for storage prior to deployment in the project.

Oregon State University created a YouTube video documenting the
experiences of the students who built the Grattix boxes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQ3qHqYXtM4

WHAT'S NEXT? WHERE DO THEY GO FROM HERE?

Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership will conduct meetings with the Steering Team.

Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership will conduct on-site assessment and
stormwater education meetings with building owners.

20 Grattix Boxes will be installed to reduce metals and other pollutants in the
Columbia River.

Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership will conduct post-installation follow up with site
owners to evaluate results.

To learn more, check out The Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership website:
https://www.estuarypartnership.org/.

SEPTEMBER 2022 I 2

A Grattix box after installation at the
project site.

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