TagWater Quality(475)

A April 2000 memo from engineering firm Parametrix, Inc. evaluates roofing options to prevent zinc leaching from galvanized steel roofs on two Port of Seattle warehouses at Sea-Tac Airport. The study compared paint systems (ranging from $21,000–$240,000 for both buildings) against synthetic coverings such as spray-on elastomers and single-ply membranes ($60,000–$330,000), finding that painting is cheaper but requires more frequent maintenance while synthetic coverings last longer but cost more upfront. The memo recommends that any chosen material be evaluated to ensure it does not release metals or other pollutants into stormwater runoff.

Report prepared by Kevin V. Brix and David K. DeForest of Parametrix, Inc. for the International Lead Zinc Research Organization, International Copper Association, and Nickel Producers Environmental Research Association (NiPERA), April 2000. Reviews bioconcentration factors (BCFs) for metals including cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, silver, and zinc in aquatic organisms (fish, bivalves, invertebrates, algae, diatoms). Covers

Email chain dated March 28, 2000 among Kevin Fitzpatrick (Ecology NWRO Industrial Permit Unit), Tom Luster, Pat Svoboda, Erik Stockdale, and Greg Wingard regarding groundwater and surface water issues related to the proposed Sea-Tac Airport Third Runway. Fitzpatrick disputes Greg Wingard’s claim that Ecology’s NWRO admitted the third lagoon expansion of the Industrial Waste System

Figure 7.2-10 showing groundwater contour elevations on the Auburn Wetland Mitigation Site as of March 8, 2000. Map displays piezometer locations (P-1 through P-23), groundwater contour lines with elevations ranging from approximately 45.5 to 48.5 feet, existing wetland areas, and existing ground surface contours near the Green River. Handwritten annotations reference spring groundwater levels, 0.15-foot

A February 2000 draft memo from environmental consultants Parametrix summarizes testing and monitoring data concluding that stormwater runoff from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (STIA) does not harm aquatic life in nearby Miller and Des Moines Creeks. Three lines of evidence are presented: whole effluent toxicity tests showing most outfalls are non-toxic, water effect ratio studies demonstrating that creek water significantly reduces copper toxicity, and metals monitoring confirming that copper concentrations in the creeks fell below water quality standards. The one outfall found to be toxic (SDN1) was traced to zinc leaching from galvanized rooftops, with the Port of Seattle pursuing corrective measures.

A February 2000 draft memorandum from Parametrix, Inc. outlines a scope and budget for range-finding Water-Effect Ratio (WER) studies using receiving water from Miller and Des Moines Creeks, intended to help determine whether copper discharge standards at a Port facility could be adjusted through site-specific water quality criteria. The studies involve acute toxicity tests comparing copper-spiked site water to copper-spiked laboratory water, with estimated costs ranging from $2,110 for one site to $2,650 for two sites. Results from earlier 1999 range-finding tests suggested WERs high enough to potentially justify more definitive studies, but new tests without mixing zone assumptions were recommended to better assess achievable permit limits.

A February 2000 draft memorandum from Parametrix, Inc. outlines a scope and budget for range-finding Water-Effect Ratio (WER) studies using receiving water from Miller and Des Moines Creeks, conducted in connection with stormwater discharge permitting near the Port. The studies involve acute toxicity tests with copper-spiked water to determine whether site-specific water quality standards could be higher than generic state standards, potentially eliminating the need for a mixing zone. Estimated costs range from $2,110 for one creek site to $2,650 for two sites.

A February 2000 internal draft memorandum from environmental consultants to Port of Seattle staff summarizes efforts to develop a site-specific water quality criterion for copper in Miller, Walker, and Des Moines Creeks, in connection with stormwater runoff anticipated from a proposed third runway at Sea-Tac Airport. The memo evaluates two technical approaches—the Water-Effect Ratio (WER) and the site-specific metals translator—for potentially raising copper discharge permit limits, and outlines initial toxicity screening and range-finding study results. It also describes ongoing negotiations with the Washington State Department of Ecology regarding unresolved issues such as mixing zones, AKART requirements, and critical sampling conditions.

A February 2000 draft memorandum from environmental consultants to Keith Smith summarizes efforts to develop a site-specific water quality criterion for copper in Miller, Walker, and Des Moines Creeks near Seattle-Tacoma Airport, in anticipation of stormwater runoff from a proposed third runway. The memo outlines two technical approaches—the Water-Effect Ratio (WER) and the site-specific metals translator—for potentially raising copper discharge permit limits, and describes toxicity screening and range-finding studies conducted in 1999. The phased study approach was designed to avoid unnecessary costs if the WER method proved infeasible or if the Washington Department of Ecology would not permit its use in adjusting permit limits.

Letter dated February 1, 2000 from John Strunk, Associated Earth Sciences, Inc. (AESI Project No. BV97016D) to Roger Nye, Washington Department of Ecology Northwest Regional Office, submitting first and second quarter ground water level measurements from the C1 (Qva) aquifer monitoring well network at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Reports on six pressure transducers installed in the