ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH

Local Source Control - Urban Waters Initiative

Local Source Control Program

The Spokane River flows 112 miles from Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho to Lake Roosevelt in Washington. It flows past a half-million people – through cities, farms, and industrial areas. Hazardous substances, including PCBs, PBDEs (flame retardants), dioxins, furans, and metals, have been found at harmful levels in the fish tissue, water, and sediment in the river. In 2007, the Washington State Legislature funded the Urban Waters Initiative to protect vulnerable water bodies including the Spokane River. In 2008, the Department of Ecology issued grants to 14 cities and counties to implement the Local Source Control Program to provide pollution prevention technical assistance to small businesses.

The goal of the program is to identify and control contaminants entering wastewater, groundwater and stormwater at the source. The Spokane Regional Health District currently has one local source control specialist assigned to the project who works with Ecology’s Urban Waters specialists to sample stormwater and sewer systems to determine the source and levels of contaminants affecting the river watershed.

Technical assistance visits are offered without charge to small quantity generators of hazardous waste including businesses, schools, and government entities to prevent pollution. Waste handling practices are evaluated for regulatory compliance and to offer new and best management practices for improvement.

The following practices are evaluated by specialists during business visits:

• Generation and pretreatment of wastewater
• Management of wash water
• Waste disposal and recycling
• Spill prevention
• Outdoor maintenance practices
• Outdoor storage practices for products and waste
• Fueling operations

Regulations:

• Municipal Stormwater Management Manual for Eastern Washington (Ecology) 
• Dangerous Waste Regulations WAC 173-303 
• Water Quality Standards for Ground Waters of the State WAC 173-200 
• Model Toxics Control Act – Statute and Regulation WAC 173-340 
• Solid Waste Handling Standards WAC 173-350 

Brochure Resources:

• Environment Education Guide – Washington’s Urban Waters Initiative: A Focus on the Spokane River (Ecology publication #09-01-013)
• Protecting Our Water: how small businesses can help clean up the Spokane River (pdf)
• Protecting Our Water: how you can help protect our aquifer and the Spokane River (pdf)
• Shop Guide for Dangerous Waste Management (Ecology pub. No. 09-04-015) 

Website Links:

• Ecology information page on Spokane River Basin (includes river map) 
• Ecology information page on Urban Waters Initiative - Spokane River 
• Ecology information page on Source Control 
• Ecology’s Hazardous Waste publications list 
• Ecology’s Shop Guide for Dangerous Waste Management 
• Spokane River Forum 
• EnviroStars
  
• Spokane Regional Solid Waste System
  

Spokane River Contacts:

• Spokane Regional Health District
  Sandy Phillips, Local Source Control Specialist
  (509) 324-1572
  sphillips@spokanecounty.org

• Department of Ecology
  Arianne Fernandez, Urban Water Inspector, Hazardous Waste Program
  (509) 329-3498
  afer461@ecy.wa.gov

• Department of Ecology
  Ted Hamlin, Urban Water Inspector, Water Quality Program
  (509) 329-3573
  tham461@ecy.wa.gov

• Department of Ecology
  Dave George, Hydrologist, Toxic Cleanup Program
  Phone: (509) 329-3520
  E-mail: cgeo461@ecy.wa.gov

• Spokane Regional Solid Waste System
  Hazardous Waste Coordinator: (509) 625-7898
  Recycling hotline: (509) 625-6800