Note: This is the second guest post by Integral on this subject, it is also worth reviewing their prior post from February on this topic.

In addition to the updated national recommended water quality criteria discussed by Doug on May 20, EPA has recently released another document with implications for selection of an appropriate

A quick roundup of some of the articles that caught my eye on Twitter in the past week or so:

First, U.S. NewsWashington Whispers page has a report out on EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy seemingly snubbing the press after a private event at the National Press Club yesterday where she gave a presentation

I spent much of this morning listening in on the Department of Ecology’s latest Delegates’ Table meeting regarding the ongoing efforts to revise Washington’s Water Quality Standards to account for higher fish consumption rates. The meeting included an update on where Ecology is in the process, Ecology’s current thinking on where the rule making may be going, and a discussion of feedback provided by stakeholders. Here are some of the discussion points I highlighted in my notes:

Ecology is still expecting a draft of the rule to be circulated in March, with the possibility of an additional delegate meeting between now and then. That rule is anticipated to include both draft Human Health Criteria and Implementation Tools. There was some discussion at today’s meeting about whether these two components would be done at the same time or as separate rules, and Ecology provided clarification that it intends to do both components in one rulemaking process.

When Ecology last held a public meeting on the subject (on November 6, 2013), Ecology provided some chemical-specific scenarios for arsenic, PCBs, and mercury that may be carried forward in the rule making. Today, Ecology provided some direction on where it may go with the rule for the following substances (the entire presentation from today is available here). Those specific toxics present unique challenges–you can review current thinking on them starting on page four of the presentation. I noted a few interesting points…


Continue Reading (Almost) Live Blogging: Ecology’s Delegates Table Meeting on Water Quality Criteria Revisions to Account for Higher Fish Consumption Rates

With a hat tip to Ken Lederman at Foster Pepper for getting the release in my inbox before my  twitter feed blew up on the subject:

This afternoon, Governor Inslee announced a deal with Boeing that involves a special legislative session starting Thursday to implement a number of items in exchange for Boeing producing