Campaigning for clean water and a healthy environment for humans and wildlife
Parent category for reference posts applicable to several categories
Department of Ecology
January 25, 2023
For over 20 years, scientists faced a toxic mystery: coho salmon returning to urban streams and rivers in the Puget Sound region were dying before they could lay their eggs. The culprit was unknown, but it seemed linked to toxic chemicals running off our roads and highways.
Continue reading “Saving Washington’s salmon from toxic tire dust”Lower Issaquah Valley
Issaquah, Washington
Geosyntec Consultants, Inc.
November, 2022
Department of Ecology
October 2022
During summer 2020, the Washington State Department of Ecology’s (Ecology’s) Environmental Assessment Program initiated Phase 1 of a field study to address potential sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in resident fish from Lake Washington, King County (Furl and Meredith 2010, Mathieu and McCall 2017, Mathieu 2022).
During Phase 1, we assessed concentrations of PFAS in Lake Washington and in potential contaminant pathways to the lake. The Phase 1 study design included characterization of PFAS concentrations in the lake and its direct tributaries, groundwater discharges, stormwater discharges, bridge runoff, and bulk atmospheric deposition (Wong and Mathieu 2021, Escobedo 2021).
Continue reading “Survey of PFAS in the Greater Lake Washington Watershed”By Michon Scott AND Rebecca Lindsey Reviewed By Zac Cannizzo, Janine Harris, Veronica Lance, AND Alec Shub
NOAA
Published September 29, 2022
Blue carbon refers to carbon dioxide that is absorbed from the atmosphere and stored in the ocean. “Blue” refers to the watery nature of this storage.
Continue reading “Understanding blue carbon”Department of Ecology
September 2022
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of more than 9,000 synthetic organic chemicals. PFAS can withstand high temperatures and survive highly corrosive environments. They are used in the manufacture of coatings, surface treatments, and specialty chemicals in cookware, carpets, food packaging, clothing, cosmetics, and other common consumer products. PFAS also have many industrial applications and are an active ingredient in certain types of fire- fighting foams (aqueous film-forming foams, or AFFF). PFAS coatings resist oil, grease, and water.
Continue reading “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Chemical Action Plan”Farallon Consulting
July 15, 2022
Department of Ecology
July 2022
Chemical and Environmental Engineering Journal
May 27, 2022
Emerging contaminants (ECs) are synthetic or naturally occurring chemicals or any microorganisms that are not commonly monitored in the environment but have the potential to enter the environment and cause known or suspected adverse ecological or human health effects. The issue of ECs persistent in the environment and can disrupt the physiology of target receptors, they are recognized as Contaminants of emerging environmental concerns.
Continue reading “A review on emerging water contaminants and the application of sustainable removal technologies”Kundan Samal, Saswat Mahapatra, Md Hibzur Ali
Energy Nexus Journal
April 25, 2022
A wide range of unregulated chemicals of synthetic origin or derived from natural sources, which may be a contender for future regulations are called Emerging Contaminants(ECs).
Continue reading “Pharmaceutical wastewater as Emerging Contaminants (EC): Treatment technologies, impact on environment and human health”We’re proud of the community involvement that supports Ecology’s mission. State, regional, and local governmental, non-governmental, and private constituents join forces to provide advice and oversight to a variety of projects and programs.
Below you will find links to many of the boards, committees, task forces, and other groups we contribute to. For additional information about our partnerships, boards, and committees, please visit our partnerships and committees page on our main website, ecology.wa.gov.
Our Committees, Boards, and Workgroups index
Department of Health
331-673 • Revised November 1, 2021
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.
Continue reading “Recommended State Action Levels for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Drinking Water: Approach, Methods, and Supporting Information”Geosyntec Consultants
September 13, 2021
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.
Lower Issaquah Valley
Issaquah, Washington
Farallon Consulting, L.L.C.
April 14, 2021
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).
Continue reading “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Additional Characterization Study Summary Report”Sumaiya Saifur and Courtney M. Gardner
March 2, 2021
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.
Continue reading “Loading, transport, and treatment of emerging chemical and biological contaminants of concern in stormwater”Department of Ecology
March, 2021
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.
Continue reading “Critical Aquifer Recharge Areas Guidance”