Earth and Ocean Month

A good news roundup

April has been difficult. The news cycle has been full of bad news, while friends and family have suffered losses. Good news has been hard to find, but it's there, hiding in plain sight, from the national to the hyperlocal. I'll point some out for you.

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Federal agencies were busy this month. In You Can't Get Fooled Again a couple of weeks ago, we discussed congressional lookback, and pointed out that the EPA was pushing the PFAS in drinking water limit rule now to protect it from reversal by an incoming administration. The EPA followed that up with another PFAS rule, which we covered in Discretion is the better part of designation, then a rule to curb power plant emissions, and grants for the clean energy transition. EPA was not the only agency getting busy before the lookback deadline. The FCC reinstated net neutrality, the FTC banned noncompetes, the Department of Transportation tackled airline refunds and junk fees, and many more.

Zooming in to the State level, the new EPA rules are focusing the attention of the Washington Departments of Health and Ecology on the PFAS issue, and I'm glad to be in communication with both. In a follow up to a letter a group of us wrote to the Department of Ecology, we've been promised a meeting with the director.

Low tide putting the useless in Useless Bay 📷 John Lovie

I love when I get to do things that help my community, many of which involve drinking water. I say "get to do", because it really is a privilege to be able to apply my skills and my writing to help the community and in a small way contributing to make the world a better place.

My neighborhood drinking water system is studying the possibility of consolidation with a neighboring system and relocation of our facilities. I'm no longer on the board of the water system, but it's an example of that Hotel California cliche -- you can check out, but you can never leave -- and so I'm on the consolidation study team. Consolidation is a large and complex topic and deserves a dedicated post. You can look forward to that in the summer. Part of the preparation involves finding prospective lenders and advice on governance structures. I've been in conversation this month with the Washington State Departments of Commerce, Health, and Ecology as well as the Rural Community Assistance Corporation, US Department of Agriculture. and Evergreen Rural Water of Washington. I'm beyond grateful to all of these government agencies for their time and assistance.

I got to do more things last month. I spoke with Everett Herald for a story on PFAS which should be out tomorrow. I'll put a link in notes. I had the pleasure of talking with a neighboring water system about our experiences with water treatment. Following similar talks earlier this year to South Whidbey Tilth and the Organic Farm School, I got to talk about Whidbey's Water Future In a Changing Climate as part of Whidbey Earth & Ocean Month's Science and Sip series. I got to guest edit the web site of Whidbey Island Water Systems Association, another organization that I checked out of, but can't leave!

We have a lot going in our county this year. We have an election for the county commissioner representing our district and we're preparing for a 2025 Comprehensive Plan update. That's the planning document that will define what growth will look like in the coming decades, and is also a likely topic for a full post. I got to work with three groups on input to that plan - Whidbey Island Water Systems Association and Whidbey Environmental Action Network on water and environmental issues, and a coalition of cyclists on improving cycling infrastructure.

The last weekend of the month saw the first farmer's markets of the year. There's not much in the way of produce yet, but plenty of starts. I'll be planting the garden this week. We're growing potatoes, onions, strawberries, kale, chard, peppers, and tomatoes.

This post, and others I've written about community, have really got me thinking about community and activism and how to get involved in a way that makes a difference. While it's clear that I live in a special place that makes it easier to get involved, I do believe that some of what we have here is teachable and transferable. I'm planning a follow up post on that. The best way to make sure you don't miss it is to subscribe to Mostly Water.

Thanks, as always, for reading or listening.