We have a rare treat in the WSC blog feed today as we offer a repost of the Bi-Weekly Municipal Bulletin! Every issue of this bulletin is packed with helpful information, resources, training opportunities, events, and much more. If you are interested in receiving future issues of this bulletin, please contact Laurie Larson-Pugh to sign up! You can also visit our Municipal Bulletin Archive page to catch up on what you may have missed.
This bi-weekly Municipal Stormwater Bulletin contains information to be shared, including a request for information from permittees, updates on workshops/training, and news. There is a lot of useful information and attachments. Please share with others who could use the information.
NEWS
- EPA Announces 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award Winners
The Safer Choice program helps consumers and purchasers of facilities, such as schools and office buildings, find cleaning and other products containing chemical ingredients that are safer alternatives for human health and the environment. Applicants for this year’s awards were encouraged to show how their work promotes environmental justice, bolsters resilience to the impacts of climate change, results in cleaner air or water, improves drinking water quality, or advances innovation in packaging.
The Washington Winners are:
- Hazardous Waste Management Program, King County,
- North Central Educational Service District, Wenatchee,
- Pollution Prevention Resource Center, Everett
Learn more about the 2023 Safer Choice Partner of the Year award winners and summaries of their accomplishments.
- Biden orders whole-of-government effort to restore salmon in Columbia, Snake rivers – The Spokesman Review Article by Orion Donovan Smith
President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a landmark memorandum ordering federal agencies to do their part to restore salmon runs in the Columbia and Snake Rivers and honor the U.S. government’s treaty obligations to Northwest tribes. ‘This is historic’: Biden orders whole-of-government effort to restore salmon in Columbia, Snake rivers | The Spokesman-Review
The Nature Conservancy Indian Country 101 Training
SAM Tree Study Factsheet: Measuring Individual Tree Water Use in Mature Native Species in the Pacific Northwest to Determine their Benefits for Stormwater. View on the Department of Ecology website.
Check out the Stream Team of Thurston County webpages providing free environmental education programs and activities and a YouTube video featuring the latest Stream team project planting oysters.
New outreach tools WSC is excited to share some new outreach documents with you! They were designed to address concerns about construction stormwater issues in eastern Washington. The documents were created collaboratively with the Eastern Washington Stormwater E&O Workgroup. They are available on our Eastern Washington page
There are three specific audiences they were trying to reach.
- A brochure for Planners, Engineers, and Review Staff.
- A flip book for Contractors and Construction Crews.
- A brochure for Developers – almost complete
NEWS STATE, NATIONAL & LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Water Quality Financial Assistance (State Fiscal Year 2025) Applications close Wednesday, October 12th by 5 pm Please allow at least 30 minutes to complete the submittal. The WQC Program is an opportunity for project implementers to apply for multiple state and federal funding sources with a single funding application. Application guidance materials, including the EAGL Overview with submittal instructions, can be found on our General resources – Washington State Department of Ecology web page.
Municipal Stormwater Public Workshop & Hearing
Eastern WA
- November 6, 2023, 1:30 PM Register here virtual
Western WA
- October 17, 2023, 9:30 AM, Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Ave. SE, Lacey, WA
- Nov. 6, 2023, 9 a.m. – Register here
Ecology Annual feedback on TMDL prioritization October 19, 2023, 9 – 11 AM
This webinar will be offered via Zoom. Register for the webinar
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $7.5 Billion in Available Financing for Water Infrastructure Projects This announcement initiates EPA’s 7th round of WIFIA financing with $6.5 billion available through the WIFIA program and $1 billion available through the State WIFIA (SWIFIA) program, which provides loans exclusively for State infrastructure financing authority borrowers. EPA is currently accepting letters of interest for both WIFIA and SWIFIA loans. Prospective borrowers can also receive technical assistance to develop a funding request that meets the WIFIA program’s requirements. This assistance will help small and disadvantaged communities benefit from WIFIA funding.
- Learn more about the WIFIA program, our selected projects, and this funding announcement
- Learn more about EPA’s WaterTA services, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the Innovative Water Infrastructure Workforce Development Grant program.
EPA announces 3 Pollution Prevention Award winners in the Pacific Northwest.
This is the first time the Pacific Northwest was recognized in the Pollution Prevention Awards. The winners from EPA Region 10 are:
Exotic Metals Forming Division of Parker Aerospace, Kent, Washington, for eliminating chemical processes that contain n-Propylbromide, a hazardous compound that will soon be noncompliant in Washington State. By switching to a non-hazardous alternative to the anti-spatter product it was using and entirely removing a vapor degreasing process, the company estimates that it is preventing thousands of pounds of nPB waste from being released into the environment and it is saving thousands of dollars in disposal costs.
Production Plating, Incorporated, Mukilteo, Washington, for successfully reducing sodium hydroxide waste by 50 percent in its operations. Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye or caustic soda, is a corrosive inorganic compound. The change has decreased its waste disposal weight by 75 percent in most waste streams and is saving approximately $500,000 per year.
Pacific Seafood, Clackamas, Oregon, for switching to safer cleaning options at its seafood processing facility, implementing actions to decrease the amount of chemicals wasted, and focusing on water and energy conservation.
PEER-TO-PEER PERMITTEE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
If you have any information to share for the permittee’s requests below, please reach out!
The City of Tukwila is looking for information: Hoping another jurisdiction has already managed this effort. The above photo shows a recently completed warehouse and its fire system being put into service. They are periodically draining down portions of their system with for leak detection/pressure testing. The water draining to the CB is non-stormwater, from a potable water source with chlorine above range. Fire code requires this setup but does not go far enough to manage the discharges from it. Has another jurisdiction modified its building code/fire code to require a drain to the sewer at this point? Has someone enforced IDDE rules on a fire contractor performing fire sprinkler system maintenance? Is there a BMP already acceptable to Ecology been developed? Contact Russell Betteridge.
The City of Kent is requesting information: I am looking to find out if there are other jurisdictions that have an NPDES program tracking database that they are happy with so that we can look into these databases. We are currently looking at NPDES Pro but finding that it may not meet our needs. You can have them contact me directly. Send responses to Laura Haren.
King County is looking for an organization to develop, administer, and promote an OSS and sewer maintenance rebate program. The program would help people take action on their wastewater systems to prevent pollution of our local waters. While not stormwater-centric, the work is intended to support improved water quality outcomes. More information can be found on the King County page. For questions contact Todd Hunsdorfer.
City of Port Angeles Pre-existing non-conforming parking lots. Port Angeles has a lot of parking lots that connect to a sanitary sewer. We would like to encourage folks to connect to the storm drain, but probably not if the surface water from the PGIS is untreated. What have jurisdictions been doing for this and is there any grant money that we know of to address this scenario? Send your responses to Matthew Moore, City of Port Angeles.
A jurisdiction is looking for municipal jurisdictions that have a short video on typical municipal stormwater spill response they are willing to share. Just looking for a simple visual to add to their training program. If you have a video to share, please contact Laurie Larson-Pugh.
REGIONAL PERMIT COORDINATOR MEETINGS:
Interested in more information on Regional Stormwater Coordinator Groups?
APWA November 17, 2023, 9:00am-12:00pm
Central NPDES Permit Coordinators Forum October 19, 2023 1:00-3:30 pm
ROAD Map (Regional Operations and Maintenance Program) October 12, 2023, 1:00-3:30 p.m. Virtual
South Sound Phase II Coordinator’s Group October 26, 2023, 9:00-11:00 am
Business Inspection Group (BIG) October 17, 2023, 1:30-3:30 pm
STORM Quarterly meeting
STORM November 30 Symposium, 9 am-4 pm at Brightwater Environmental Center, Woodinville. Register now!
Stormwater Partners Symposium Thursday, November 16, 2023, This year’s symposium will be held at the Vancouver Water Resources Education Center from 2:00 – 5:30 PM.
RESOURCES:
STORM: The Puget Sound Starts Here (PSSH) team says: Don’t Wait to Inflate!
Don’t Wait to Inflate Communications Plan | Don’t Wait to Inflate Partners Toolkit
- Please use the Don’t Wait to Inflate Partners & Pals Toolkit toolkit to share and expand the engagement.
- The Don’t Wait to Inflate Communications Plan gives some background, messaging, the toolkit, sample media info
- Language information in Spanish, Korean, and Vietnamese will be up soon, and we will share media and ads from language partners too.
- The campaign will run into late 2023 with digital ads and social media.
- There are a limited number of stickers and window clings available for events and sharing. Please contact Mary Rabourn or connect with your city stormwater staff.
Federal Funding for Nature-Based Solutions – The National Wildlife Federation has developed a new searchable database of federal funding sources for nature-based infrastructure solutions. To view the list and see if your project would qualify for over 88 programs please visit the NWF Funding Database.
Volkswagen enforcement action grants. Under the settlements, money can be invested in projects that replace or repower eligible vehicles, vessels, and equipment with new less-polluting diesel engines, alternate fueled (compressed natural gas, propane, or hybrid) or all-electric engines, and developing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. The Governor designated Ecology to lead Washington’s efforts to manage the settlement funds. Check out the details in the Street Sweeper Replacement Grant.
PSP has developed a Funding Announcement Tool. The goal of this tool is to help distill information on the unprecedented amount of funding opportunities into a central location. This is a place to find those funding opportunities relevant to Puget Sound and salmon recovery. You can also use the Connections tab to find others that are interested in collaborating on the same funding opportunity. We anticipate that over the coming weeks and months, we will be able to add more funding opportunities to the tool. If you would like to add an opportunity, please reach out via email.
SAM Tree Study Factsheet: Measuring Individual Tree Water Use in Mature Native Species in the Pacific Northwest to Determine their Benefits for Stormwater.
WSC Stormwater Talks: Biophilia –Take a peek behind the curtain with Heidi Siegelbaum. The presentation recording will be available to view on our Stormwater Talks page.
UW Article: Can the age-old affinity between beavers and salmon be restored?
Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) introduces a new Data Resource to help Determine Racially Disparate Impacts. They updated our Community Profiles tool to add resources that can help local jurisdictions address racial exclusion and displacement in housing in their Comprehensive Plan updates.
NEW! Sustainable Forestry Standard for Urban Forestry – The Sustainable Forestry Institute released a new standard for Urban and Community Forestry during the summer of 2023. This community-based standard is the first of its kind and prioritizes nature-based solutions for resilience to climate change. The standard is applicable worldwide and to communities of all sizes. It serves as a guiding light to successful urban forestry management. Learn more about the SFI Urban Forestry Sustainability Standard.
PSRC Passport to 2044: Stormwater New Guidance on Integrating Stormwater Solutions into Comprehensive Plans.
ASCE Library Article: Incorrect Sizing Calculation Methods for Bioretention Cells. There is a $35 fee to download articles from ASCE Library.
Fish Passage Funding – The NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation is announcing that two fish passage restoration funding opportunities are open under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, with one dedicated to tribal applicants. Tribes around the country, including the Great Lakes, are eligible to apply for both funding opportunities.
Nearly $85 million in funding is available for fish passage and tribal capacity building under the Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity. This fish passage funding will facilitate tribes and tribal supporting organizations in building capacity and implementing projects that reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitats for tribally important species. NOAA will accept proposals between $300,000 and $12 million total over the award period. For more information, view the Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity. *Applications are due by November 8, 2023.
WORKSHOP/TRAINING/CONFERENCE OPPORTUNITIES:
The Puget Sound Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead (SW SIL) You are invited to participate in upcoming engagements for Compliance, Incentives, and Technical Assistance. There are three opportunities to engage in the current and short-term improvements to stormwater management and incentive/technical assistance programs. These workshops and online engagements are designed for stormwater practitioners, local planners, permit, and education staff, and industry professionals who interact with the stormwater permit process. Two workshops will be held in early November and be working meetings to discuss and identify solutions to common barriers to stormwater compliance. An online/non-workshop opportunity is also available to share solutions for developer resources and challenges.
- Workshop 1: Local Government Capacity and Information Gaps Workshop Date/Time: November 1, 1-4 pm
- Workshop 2: Pathways to Compliance Workshop Date/Time: November 6, 9 am-12 pm
- Online/No Workshop: Developer Resources and Challenges; This engagement will be primarily online to be completed when your schedule allows in late October through early November.
Please complete this form by Friday, October 27 to register for the Compliance, Incentives, and Technical Assistance engagements. Contact Samer Khan for more information.
Quarterly Environmental Compliance and Training Newsletter from CWT Training Academy.
Urban Forestry Grant Webinar #3 – Intent and expectations for 2024 grant cycle October 19, 2023, 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Stormwater University Webinar: Exploring Stormwater BMP Co-Benefits to Reduce Stressors of Stream Health. Free. October 11, 2023.
Building Trust and Inclusivity through Community Engagement Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023, 11 AM-12 PM
Cost: $40 During this webinar, Tevin Medley from the Athena Group will discuss common barriers to community engagement and promising engagement practices being used based on his experiences in government consulting.
The International Social Marketing Association for an online professional certificate in Developing a Strategic Social Marketing Plan Course. October 2-December 23, 2023 taught by Nancy Lee. Scholarships are available.
Oregon-Washington Water Year Meeting: 2023 Recap & 2024 Outlook will be held as two virtual morning meetings on Wednesday, November 1, and Thursday, November 2.
There is no cost to attend but you are required to register. The goal of this meeting is to share and gather information regarding the climate impacts of the 2023 water year. We encourage participation from a wide range of sectors including utilities, agriculture, and forestry.
The Annual SPARKS Conference 2023: The Pacific Northwest Social Marketing Association is excited to announce its in-person two-day event, December 4-5, 2023 at the Museum of Flight in Seattle. Day 1 features over a dozen social marketing experts speaking on behavior change initiatives. Day 2 includes in-depth in-person training. Learn more about this event.
Social Marketing Introductory Workshop: Fostering Sustainable Behavior
December 6, 7, & 8, 2023.
Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr will be delivering an introductory community-based social marketing training virtually in December. This workshop will be of particular interest to agencies working to promote waste reduction, energy and water efficiency, conservation, sustainable food consumption, the control of invasive species, modal transportation changes, and other sustainable actions. This training will also be of interest to organizations promoting health and safety (e.g., hand washing, active lifestyles, immunization, cancer prevention and screening, blood donations, earthquake and fire safety, workplace safety, etc.). Community-based social marketing is a unique approach to fostering both environment and health-related behavioral changes and is now being utilized globally. See attached flyer Introductory CBSM Workshop.
Online Courses:
EDGE Civil Design and Education Courses are available through the EDGE Civil Design website.
The first in our series of the Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington (SWMMWW) courses. Here’s the course you’ve been looking for to help you learn and navigate the complexities of Stormwater regulation for Development projects in Western Washington.
Stormwater University ON-Demand courses & webinars fee-based
This FREE webinar will provide attendees with an understanding of forest hydrology, watershed processes, and management strategies that can be applied to stormwater management planning.
$79.00 Phil Farina, as he provides an overview of the environmental and health concerns regarding PFAS disposal. This is followed by an in-depth investigation of the USEPA’s goals for the disposal and destruction of PFAS waste, as well as presents options for the various PFAS-containing waste streams.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES:
Please share with anyone who may be interested in the list below!
- The City of Federal Way is hiring for the Public Education and Outreach Supervisor
- Pierce County Planning and Public Works Dept is hiring a unit supervisor in the Surface Water Management division
- City of Lake Stevens Job Posting – Surface Water Field Technician
- Kitsap County is hiring a Stormwater Education and Outreach Coordinator **The closing date is 10/9.
- King County’s Solid Waste Division is hiring a new permit lead. This position works closely with Stormwater Services on the Municipal NPDES permit compliance
- King County’s Solid Waste Division is also hiring 4 new staff for environmental monitoring and sampling activities at their solid waste transfer and disposal facilities
- City of Marysville job posting for Storm/Sewer Supervisor This position is responsible for planning, organizing, and supervising operations and maintenance activities in the Surface Water and Storm/Sewer Division, including supervising the division’s employees, coordinating assigned activities with other public works divisions, and providing highly responsible and technically complex staff assistance to the Storm and Wastewater Utility Manager. If you have questions, please contact Matthew Eyer.
- The City of Tacoma is hiring an Environmental Services Civil Engineer, PE
- The Water Quality program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill Two Stormwater Engineer (Environmental Engineer 2) (in-training). This position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station. Job Description PDF
- The Water Quality program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill Two Environmental Specialist 4 positions. These positions are located in our Northwest Region Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station. Municipal Stormwater Grant Project Specialist.
- The Water Quality program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Senior Water Quality Permit Specialist (Environmental Specialist 5) position. This position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.
- Snohomish County has a job opening for a SWM Capital Projects Engineer.
- The City of Port Angeles has an open position for a Stormwater Engineer.
- Lewis County is hiring for the Senior Engineer Surface Water & Utilities position.
Laurie Larson-Pugh
Municipal Program & MuniCon 2023 Manager
