John Brock – Page 11 – Edmonds Environmental Council

Recommended State Action Levels for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Drinking Water: Approach, Methods, and Supporting Information

Department of Health
331-673 • Revised November 1, 2021

Summary

In October 2017, the State Board of Health (board) accepted a petition from ten organizations to establish drinking water standards for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Board authority to adopt such standards comes under RCW 43.20.050(2), RCW 70.119.080(1), and RCW 70.142.010.

To support the board, the Washington Department of Health (department) released draft state action levels (SALs) for five PFAS in November 2019. These PFAS occur in Washington drinking water and had sufficient scientific information to recommend a value. We presented the draft rule language at stakeholder workshops and at numerous meetings with stakeholders. After evaluating the feedback from these events and from two public comment periods, we updated our technical document and lowered our recommendation for the PFBS SAL from 1,300 to 345 ng/L to better protect infants. We also revised the PFNA SAL from 14 to 9 ng/L based on new evidence of serum half-life in humans. The PFHxS SAL was revised slightly to correct our calculation of average maternal body weight used in the infant exposure model. The revised SAL values are part of the proposed rule being considered for adoption by the State Board of Health in 2021.

Letter to the editor: What’s the status of Perrinville Creek restoration project?

Posted: September 26, 2021

Link to My Edmonds News article

(The following letter was sent to Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson and is being published here at the author’s request)

Mayor Nelson:

Last March, you put out a press release titled “Mayor Nelson Calls for Perrinville Creek Restoration Project” that acknowledged the stormwater damage to Perrinville Creek and said “Once staff have formulated a better idea of the full effort and cost required to pursue a restoration project, they will present it to City Council for their review and direction, which will also include an opportunity for public input.”

Groundwater Flow and PFAS Transport Modeling Report Issaquah, Washington

Geosyntec Consultants
September 13, 2021

Introduction

Geosyntec Consultants (Geosyntec) has prepared this Groundwater Flow and Per- and Poly- Fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Transport Modeling Report (Report) on behalf of the City of Issaquah (City). Geosyntec performed this work on behalf of the City, Eastside Fire and Rescue (EFR), and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), collectively referred to as the Issaquah Valley PFAS Partnership (the Partnership). The Partnership is conducting additional investigation of PFAS contamination of the Issaquah Valley Aquifer, through legislative funding provided to Ecology. Farallon Consulting, LLC (Farallon), on behalf of EFR, is the leading consultant for the field investigations that support the model development.

2021 Issaquah PFAS transport Download

Volunteers making a difference at Edmonds Marsh

Posted: August 25, 2021

Link to My Edmonds News article

Before: Nightshade thicket on fence and waterway preventing water flow.
After: Volunteers removed nightshade leaving only fence posts and open channel for freshwater flow. Note large pile of nightshade vines in foreground.

The “before” and “after” photos show the remarkable difference that community volunteers have made in restoring freshwater connections and native plants in the Edmonds Marsh-Estuary, according to project coordinator Joe Scordino.

Volunteers making progress on Edmonds Marsh restoration

Posted: August 5, 2021

Link to My Edmonds News article

Community volunteers and Students Saving Salmon club members made progress Thursday in removing invasive nightshade thickets and several sections of fence in the marsh along Highway 104. Volunteers got creative in putting the fence rails and chainlink down over cleared areas to make it easier to walk across wet areas and thick mud.

Scene in Edmonds: Volunteers help restore the Edmonds Marsh

Posted: July 31, 2021

Link to My Edmonds News article

Over 30 Edmonds community volunteers helped remove invasive nightshade and blackberry along Highway 104 over two days under a Washington State Department of Transportation “Adopt-A-Highway” restoration project.

Edmonds Marsh restoration volunteer work parties set for July 29, 31

Posted: July 26, 2021

Link to My Edmonds News Article

Joe Scordino and Greg Ferguson working to remove nightshade.

Two volunteer work parties are scheduled for this Thursday and Saturday, July 29 and 31, to begin removing the invasive nightshade in the Edmonds Marsh along Highway 104.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Additional Characterization Study Summary Report

Lower Issaquah Valley
Issaquah, Washington

Farallon Consulting, L.L.C.
April 14, 2021

Executive Summary

Farallon has prepared this Summary Report on behalf of Eastside Fire and Rescue to summarize the work performed and analytical results for the Lower Issaquah Valley Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Additional Characterization Study performed from March through October 2020 (Study).

Mayor proposes Perrinville Creek Restoration Project to address long-term flooding, threats to fish

Posted: March 2, 2021

Link to My Edmonds News article

City crews worked through the night Dec. 21 to keep water flowing. (Photo courtesy City of Edmonds)

Citing heavy rainfall that overwhelmed the lower portion of Perrinville Creek, causing floods in December and January that washed out Talbot Road, damaged private property and threatened critical infrastructure, Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson on Tuesday called for “immediate creation” of a plan to restore Perrinville Creek.

Loading, transport, and treatment of emerging chemical and biological contaminants of concern in stormwater

Sumaiya Saifur and Courtney M. Gardner
March 2, 2021

Abstract

Stormwater is a largely uncontrolled source of pollution in rural and urban environments across the United States. Concern regarding the growing diversity and abundance of pollutants in stormwater, as well as their impacts on water quality, has grown signicantly over the past several decades.

Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas Guidance

Department of Ecology
March, 2021

Abstract

The Growth Management Act (GMA) requires all cities and counties in Washington State to protect public groundwater drinking supplies so that tragic contamination events and their associated costs can be prevented. Public drinking water supply also depends on groundwater availability. Without replenishment, the amount of water in aquifers can be diminished or even depleted.

Minimizing the environmental impact of PFAS by using specialized coagulants for the treatment of PFAS polluted waters and for the decontamination of firefighting equipment

Emerging Contaminants Journal
February 22, 2021

Abstract

Per- and poly uoroalkyl substances (PFASs) represent an increasingly global challenge for keeping water and soil“non-toxic”. 100 of millions of people are exposed to PFAS levels of concern, in particular, around PFAS production sites and sites where PFASs are/were used and released or disposed.

Per – and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Characterization Study Work Plan Addendum

Lower Issaquah Valley
Issaquah, Washington
Farallon Consulting, L.L.C.
April 3, 2020

Introduction

Farallon Consulting, L.L.C. (Farallon) has prepared this addendum (Addendum) to the Per- And Poly-Fluoroalkyl Substances Characterization Study Work Plan, Lower Issaquah Valley, Issaquah, Washington dated 2018, prepared by Farallon (2018) for Eastside Fire & Rescue (EFR) (Work Plan), to present the work elements and rationale to further characterize the nature and extent of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soil and groundwater in a portion of the Lower Issaquah Valley in Issaquah, Washington (Figure 1).

Scene in Edmonds: At work on Shell Creek

Posted: March 5, 2019

Link to My Edmonds News article

Screen-Shot-2019-03-05-at-3.26.38-PM

The Edmonds-Woodway High School’s Students Saving Salmon Club has received well-deserved press for their restoration work in Shell Creek. But there is another important person working behind the scenes: