John, I'm interested in the meeting you had with EPA, Ecology, and DOH. I'm located in North Bend, near the Washington State Fire Training Academy (FTA). After 40-years of fire training exercises, I'm sure it will not surprise you that the FTA also has substantial PFAS contamination or that testing for PFAS testing has only been conducted on the FTA property, not on nearby, downgradient water systems. I've contacted Ecology, EPA, and DOH in an effort to get my well sampled with little success. Can you share who at EPA, Ecology, and DOH you have worked with? Thanks.
Hi Bill, it's a pilot program at the moment, barely getting started. I would reach out to Ecology Northwest Regional Office Toxics Cleanup manager Kim Wooten, kim.wooten@ecy.wa.gov, 425-324-1658. She's aware of the program.
Thanks for that info. My day-job is in environmental consulting (mostly investigation and cleanup of hazardous waste sites) and I was aware of Ecology's page for the FTA cleanup. A document that's not included on Ecology's page about the FTA cleanup is a letter that I sent to Dr. Wooten in July of this year requesting that Ecology: prioritize the cleanup of the FTA by putting it under Ecology's "Formal" cleanup program; amend the FTA's NPDES and Recycled Water permits to address PFAS to prevent the on-going releases of PFAS to surface water and the subsurface; and require the FTA to collect water samples from nearby drinking water systems. Four months later, still no response from Dr. Wooten at Ecology to my letter and the FTA has flat-out said they will not collect water samples from the drinking water systems.
It looks like Ecology has not designated FTA as a Potentially Liable Party. MTCA is supposed to be able to fund cleanup at sites without a PLP but has never been funded adequately to do that. Kim Wooten has done some testing around the firehouse in Hannah Heights on San Juan Island but had to find money down the back of a couch cushion somewhere to do it as there was no regular funding available.
Toxic Free Future is putting together a letter to request legislative funding for exactly this kind of cleanup. Can I put you in touch?
Yes, please do. I'd like to be involved, even if the FTA may not be eligible for this kind of funding.
I don't think the FTA cleanup is likely eligible for program you're discussing because the Washington State Patrol (WSP) has been named by Ecology as a PLP for the PFAS cleanup at the FTA, and they may not be the only PLP. In the late 1990s/early 2000s, the Port of Seattle, King County, Snohomish County, and Boeing jointly paid $7mil to build a portion of the FTA where they used PFAS foam during fire training exercises. For arcane reasons related to their funding agreement, the Port, King County, Boeing, and Snohomish County each likely also meet the definition of a PLP. Between those five organizations, they should not have to scrounge for funding.
This is really powerful stuff, John. I know you have so much on your plate, but are you sending, say, press releases to all the Washington State media and our elected officials to let them know about all this? It's so concerning that grant money is available, but as we all know, our small rural counties can't keep up with all the needs. Thank you for educating me through your articulate advocacy.
Thanks, Kirie, you know this world too. I have some current, former, and candidate county commissioners who follow me, and I’ll have an opportunity to do more in person over the next couple of weeks.
I have a contact at Seattle Times, but I fear it’s not outrageous enough to make it as news. I would have gone that route perhaps if I hadn’t been able to break through. Bad news is easier to sell!
John, I'm interested in the meeting you had with EPA, Ecology, and DOH. I'm located in North Bend, near the Washington State Fire Training Academy (FTA). After 40-years of fire training exercises, I'm sure it will not surprise you that the FTA also has substantial PFAS contamination or that testing for PFAS testing has only been conducted on the FTA property, not on nearby, downgradient water systems. I've contacted Ecology, EPA, and DOH in an effort to get my well sampled with little success. Can you share who at EPA, Ecology, and DOH you have worked with? Thanks.
Hi Bill, it's a pilot program at the moment, barely getting started. I would reach out to Ecology Northwest Regional Office Toxics Cleanup manager Kim Wooten, kim.wooten@ecy.wa.gov, 425-324-1658. She's aware of the program.
You probably know that you can track status of the cleanup here: https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/cleanupsearch/site/16863
Thanks for that info. My day-job is in environmental consulting (mostly investigation and cleanup of hazardous waste sites) and I was aware of Ecology's page for the FTA cleanup. A document that's not included on Ecology's page about the FTA cleanup is a letter that I sent to Dr. Wooten in July of this year requesting that Ecology: prioritize the cleanup of the FTA by putting it under Ecology's "Formal" cleanup program; amend the FTA's NPDES and Recycled Water permits to address PFAS to prevent the on-going releases of PFAS to surface water and the subsurface; and require the FTA to collect water samples from nearby drinking water systems. Four months later, still no response from Dr. Wooten at Ecology to my letter and the FTA has flat-out said they will not collect water samples from the drinking water systems.
It looks like Ecology has not designated FTA as a Potentially Liable Party. MTCA is supposed to be able to fund cleanup at sites without a PLP but has never been funded adequately to do that. Kim Wooten has done some testing around the firehouse in Hannah Heights on San Juan Island but had to find money down the back of a couch cushion somewhere to do it as there was no regular funding available.
Toxic Free Future is putting together a letter to request legislative funding for exactly this kind of cleanup. Can I put you in touch?
Yes, please do. I'd like to be involved, even if the FTA may not be eligible for this kind of funding.
I don't think the FTA cleanup is likely eligible for program you're discussing because the Washington State Patrol (WSP) has been named by Ecology as a PLP for the PFAS cleanup at the FTA, and they may not be the only PLP. In the late 1990s/early 2000s, the Port of Seattle, King County, Snohomish County, and Boeing jointly paid $7mil to build a portion of the FTA where they used PFAS foam during fire training exercises. For arcane reasons related to their funding agreement, the Port, King County, Boeing, and Snohomish County each likely also meet the definition of a PLP. Between those five organizations, they should not have to scrounge for funding.
Please DM me with an email address.
This is really powerful stuff, John. I know you have so much on your plate, but are you sending, say, press releases to all the Washington State media and our elected officials to let them know about all this? It's so concerning that grant money is available, but as we all know, our small rural counties can't keep up with all the needs. Thank you for educating me through your articulate advocacy.
Thanks, Kirie, you know this world too. I have some current, former, and candidate county commissioners who follow me, and I’ll have an opportunity to do more in person over the next couple of weeks.
I have a contact at Seattle Times, but I fear it’s not outrageous enough to make it as news. I would have gone that route perhaps if I hadn’t been able to break through. Bad news is easier to sell!
Nice work with the agencies!!! 👍👍👍⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you, Nancy. Like herding cats, as they say.