2008 Progress Report on the 2007-2011 Region 10 Strategy
This is our first Biennial Progress Report on our 2007-2011 Region 10 Strategy (PDF) (20pp, 656K). We have made significant progress and accomplished numerous goals within the scope of Region 10’s endeavors. Read selected highlights of our work to meet each of our six strategic endeavors:
Support the Core
Emergency Response Team Training Exercise.
Within our Support the Core endeavor we make and implement resource and programmatic decisions that ensure the integrity of our core programs. Currently identified core program focus areas are:
- Stormwater permitting and compliance
- Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO), Permitting, Compliance and State Oversight
- Homeland Security
- Mining Operations Financial Assurance
- Wetlands Compliance (Clean Water Act 404)
- Agricultural Burning in Idaho
- Particulate Matter (PM 2.5) Reduction
Highlights of accomplishments include:
Homeland Security
- We promulgated a standard operating guide for our Water Security Response Team that establishes roles, responsibilities, training and equipment needs.
- Team members began a two-year training schedule to improve preparedness.
- Building upon our established Regional Lab Response Plan for Drinking Water, we held a three-day functional exercise with the Manchester lab to validate the plans’ provisions.
- Our regional Incident Management Team is maintained at a minimum of three per Key Leadership Position (KLP), with an average of 4.6 personnel in each of the KLP’s.
- The Response Support Corp (RSC) is comprised of 126 employees, or roughly 20% of the entire regional workforce. This represents a 125% increase over the baseline of 56 employees in 2007.
- Working with Regions 8 and 9, we completed the EPA Western Regions Staffing Plan for a Catastrophic Earthquake, one of five national planning efforts to increase preparedness and address Department of Homeland Security national planning scenarios.
- We established and filled a Homeland Security Preparedness Coordinator position to lead and coordinate regional Homeland Security activities.
Wetlands Compliance (Clean Water Act 404)
- We filled vacancies in our wetlands compliance program and implemented a Wetlands Compliance and Enforcement Strategy to develop a sustainable program with clear and consistent processes for enforcement.
- We exceeded our inspection goals by doubling the number of inspections conducted across the Region. A majority of these inspections were proactive and not responsive to a tip, complaint, or referral.
- A new Enforcement Field Level Agreement was signed between EPA Region 10 and US Army Corps of Engineers’ Portland, Walla Walla, Seattle, and Alaska District offices to ensure consistency. This agreement was developed to supplement the provisions of the National Memorandum of Agreement between the two agencies. The purpose is to strengthen the CWA 404 enforcement program in these states by providing standardized policies and procedures to enhance interagency coordination, determine lead enforcement agency, and promote effective and efficient utilization of limited enforcement resources.
- A new Enforcement Standard Operating Guidance was developed and implemented to document the process and procedures for taking CWA Section 404 enforcement actions. The Guidance covers roles and responsibilities, scoping, case development, and record keeping and is a tool to aid wetland inspectors and case developers in pursuing an enforcement action.
Agricultural Burning in Idaho
In August 2008, EPA Region 10 published a rule that modifies Idaho’s State Implementation Plan and allows for a resumption of agricultural field burning in Idaho. This approval marks an important milestone in Idaho’s collaborative efforts to include stakeholders throughout the development of a new burn program for the state. Our approval allows agricultural burning, but only with advance permission from Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ), who must consider existing air quality and other factors in any burn decision.
Fine Particulate Matter Reduction
In 2007 and 2008 we designated seven new nonattainment areas in the Region as failing to comply with the 2006 fine particulate matter (PM2.5) standards. Many of these PM2.5 nonattainment areas in our region are rural, isolated, sparsely populated communities. After the designation process, states, local agencies, and tribes work with the affected communities to help them attain the standards. In many of the affected communities woodstoves and other wood burning sources contribute to fine particulate pollution. Reducing emissions from such sources will be a key to helping them attain the standards. To this end, the Region has already led the pack by promoting woodstove changeout programs and outreach campaigns in all of these communities. Our goal is to ensure that all areas meet the PM2.5 standard by the statutory deadline resulting in improved health for the citizens of these communities.
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Clean Energy and Climate Change
Within our Clean Energy and Climate Change endeavor, we work to develop and implement a regional approach to address climate change; participate in the West Coast Collaborative, a public private partnership to reduce diesel emission; and apply EPA authorities related to oil and gas to maximize environmentally safe exploration, development, and production in Alaska.
Highlights of accomplishments include:
West Coast Collaborative
The West Coast Collaborative 
(WCC), which includes both Region 10 and Region 9, has three focus areas:
- Achieving and maintaining attainment of Federal air quality standards;
- Protecting and improving human health in communities most impacted by diesel emissions; and
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The WCC provides on-going technical assistance and organizational support to over 1,000 partners in six working sectors: construction; rail; trucking; marine vessels and ports; agriculture and biofuels; and public fleets and school buses. In 2008, the Collaborative awarded approximately $700,000 in grant funding to four projects in Region 10 that will help replace, retrofit or repower school buses. These projects are estimated to achieve approximately 0.82 tons of particulate matter reductions and 1.09 tons of nitrogen oxide reductions, annually, in addition to significant hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide reductions. The WCC also awarded $800,000 from the Diesel Emissions Reduction National Program to Region 10 states for the development of state-level programs. In 2009 the WCC will award additional grants in Region 10 totaling $1.85 million from the 2008 Diesel Emissions Reduction grant competition and report on emissions reductions from all projects awarded in 2008.
Alaska Oil & Gas Program
The Region 10 Alaska Oil and Gas Sector facilitates an integrated, holistic approach to all EPA permitting and policy actions for oil, gas and energy projects in Alaska.
Highlights of accomplishments include:
- Plan for program actions and permitting for oil and gas activities on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
- Develop the Draft Implementation Plan for the Alaska Natural Gas Pipeline Project
- Review of all major energy, oil and gas Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) under Section 309 of the Clean Air Act for projects proposed by other agencies
- Coordinate and participate in both interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline activities
- Develop the North Slope Communications Protocol
Significant progress has been made in addressing air and water permitting needs for offshore oil and gas exploration and development activities in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, the Northern Aleutian Basin and Cook Inlet. Other major activities include being a cooperating Agency on the Denali Pipeline Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), partnering with State and Federal agencies to develop guidelines for Health Impact Assessments, and EIS support for the Cook Inlet to Fairbanks Natural Gas Pipeline. EPA also works closely with other Federal and State agencies and ensures coordination and, where requested, consultation with Tribal governments on Agency actions.
Climate Change
On April 2, we launched the Region 10 Climate Change Strategy, establishing four broad objectives:
- Reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) in the Pacific Northwest and identify and quantify sources and sinks of GHG emissions.
- Promote measures to help the Region and our partners adapt to climate change and to protect the resiliency of our ecosystems.
- Exchange information on climate change and its expected impacts in the region, and actions to reduce their GHG emissions.
- Integrate current climate change science, mitigation priorities, and adaptation goals into core EPA programs and funding mechanisms. EPA Region 10 will also reduce the GHG emissions from its daily operations and work-related travel.
The Region 10 Climate Change Strategy identifies specific activities being undertaken by nearly every office in the region using their existing resources to help achieve these objectives. However, we expect to revise it significantly within a year due to rapidly changing circumstances on all fronts, and especially environmental, and political factors. Early accomplishments under the Region 10 Climate Change Strategy include successful conferences hosted by Region 10 related to climate change and water infrastructure, and on the role of recycling, waste minimization, and air pollution reduction strategies in addressing climate change. We also completed the GHG emissions inventory for Alaska and loaned an EPA employee to the Alaska Governor’s subcabinet on Climate Change to identify opportunities for GHG reduction.
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Enhancing Tribal Environments
Within our Enhancing Tribal Environments endeavor, we work with Tribal Governments to protect and restore the natural resources on which tribal communities rely for their physical, cultural and economic well-being. Priorities include:
- Assistance for capacity building and an improved approach to Indian General Assistance Program grants;
- Communication and consultation processes that more effectively inform Tribes of decisions and activities;
- Working with the Regional Tribal Operations Committee so that they provide tribal perspectives in the development of regional directives;
- Developing standard operating procedures for Region 10 to ensure compliance with the Historic Preservation Act, Section 106;
- Air quality implementation of the Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR);
- Solid waste management including cleaning, closing and upgrading nine open dumps in Indian Country and other tribal lands; and
- Water quality to protect subsistence resources.
Highlights of accomplishments include:
Under the Region 10 Indian General Assistance Program we awarded nearly $25 million in grants to 221 Region 10 tribes during 2008. The region also hired seven new Tribal Coordinators, including a Tribal Consultation Specialist and an Alaska Resource Extraction Coordinator.
Our Tribal Specialists Team reconvened in February to improve internal coordination and external tribal communications. In August, the Tribal Specialists Team initiated quarterly meetings with the Tribal Coordinators to further these efforts.
We supported the Regional Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC) in amending its charter and creating Communications Guidance. These documents were adopted at the October 2008 meeting of RTOC.
In March 2008, Region 10 received authority to revise the Federal Air Rules for Reservations (FARR). We achieved the following:
- Registered over 100 sources.
- Instituted burn bans in partnership with Tribes.
- Developed a database to store information collected through the FARR.
- Distributed 30,000 FARR newsletters to reservation residents.
- Delegated authority to implement the FARR to the Quinault Tribe in October 2007 and to the Coeur d'Alene Tribe in August 2008.
- Tribal-government issued burn permits on the Nez Perce and Umatilla reservations.
We have exceeded our Solid Waste Management 2011 target to close nine open dumps in Indian country. As of 2008, 13 dumps in Region 10 have been cleaned up, closed or upgraded. Additionally, 22 Tribes are now covered by an EPA-approved integrated waste management plan.
In 2004, Oregon adopted human health criteria for toxics based upon a fish consumption rate of 17.5 grams per day. However, several entities, including the Umatilla Tribe, challenged this rate alleging that it did not protect subsistence resources for Tribal members. In the fall of 2006, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) partnered with the Umatilla Tribe and Region 10 to review the fish consumption rate used in deriving Oregon’s human health criteria. As a result of this work, the Oregon Environmental Quality Commission directed ODEQ in October 2008 to initiate rulemaking to revise Oregon's human health criteria based upon an increased fish consumption rate of 175 grams per day. The new fish consumption rate of 175 grams per day provides a better measure of fish consumption in Oregon. More information about the Oregon Fish Consumption Rate Project can be found on ODEQ’s website at: http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/standards/toxics.htm.
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Protecting and Restoring Watersheds
We continue to place a strong emphasis on our important watershed protection and restoration work. These projects involve a wide cross-section of Region 10 offices and public and private efforts. Specific watershed projects include:
- Puget Sound - working with our state, federal and tribal partners to restore Puget Sound to a healthy state by 2020;
- Columbia River - building an integrated program, with state, nonprofits, and Tribal partners, to reduce the concentration of toxins in fish, sediment and water;
- Coeur d’Alene - further reduce elevated blood lead levels in children and improve water quality;
- Mercury, A Watershed Contaminant - developing a strategy by April 2008 to implement the EPA ‘Mercury Roadmap’ within Region 10.
Highlights of accomplishments include:
Puget Sound
EPA's Ocean Survey Vessel Bold during a 2008 visit to Portland.
On December 1, 2008, the Puget Sound Partnership completed its first Action Agenda, a blueprint to guide all partners in cleaning up, restoring and protecting Puget Sound by 2020. During 2008, EPA provided over $15 million to fund important Puget Sound work including the development of the Action Agenda, technical studies to develop toxics and nutrient reduction strategies, and local stormwater and watershed health programs. Of notable achievement: over 3,500 acres of intertidal wetlands have been restored or protected and 1,466 acres of commercial shellfish beds have been upgraded in Puget Sound since 2007.
Additionally, from July 31 to August 6, 2008, EPA’s Ocean Survey Vessel Bold collected surface sediment samples from 70 primary sampling locations throughout Puget Sound including the San Juan Islands and the Straits of Juan de Fuca. This data is critical to develop new guidance for the evaluation of dredged material for the presence of persistent contaminants such as Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) congeners and dioxins/furans.
Columbia River
Spokane, Boise, Portneuf River
Within Region 10 we have worked with the Water, Superfund, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act authorities to address excess phosphorus loading to groundwater from a large plant that is contributing the largest loading to the Portneuf River. For the Spokane River we have revised our approach and have developed a workplan with Washington State Department of Ecology (WDEQ), Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and the Spokane Tribe to revise the Washington Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) and the Idaho National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits by summer 2009.
Klamath Basin Restoration Progress
Significant progress in watershed restoration has been made in the Klamath basin over 2008. In October 2007, over 7,000 acres of wetlands were reconnected with the Williamson River Delta, adding to the thousands of acres of wetlands restoration that has taken place in the basin since the Upper Klamath Lake TMDL was issued in 2002. A Targeted Watershed Grant was issued to a nonprofit consortium in 2008 for the restoration of an additional 3,000 acres of wetlands in the basin. In August 2008, the Chiloquin Dam was removed, opening scores of miles of the Sprague River to endangered sucker fish habitat. Progress continues on the Klamath River TMDLs being jointly developed by Oregon and California. The TMDLs are expected to be completed in 2009.
Coeur d’Alene
Mercury
During 2008, Region 10 developed a Mercury Strategy Framework, which was published in December 2008. The overall goal of the Mercury Strategy Framework is to reduce human exposure to mercury. The key objectives developed to achieve this goal are:
- Characterize mercury levels in fish, water, and sediment in Region 10;
- Characterize local mercury sources that impact Region 10;
- Investigate key mercury fate and transport mechanisms;
- Take actions to control Regional sources of mercury; and
- Conduct public education and outreach.
By March 2009, the Region will develop work plans to implement the Strategy.
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Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships
As a part of our Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships endeavor we work to promote sustainable practices and foster strategic partnerships that allow us to meet our environmental, social and economic needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Our five year priorities are:
- Government partnerships to develop a beef cattle Memorandum of Understanding, an updated Source Control Agreement for the Duwamish Waterway, and continuous improvement to the Performance Partnership Agreement (PPA) process in each state.
- Resource Conservation Challenge (RCC) to implement sustainable partnerships with the private sector and/or universities to increase the amount of materials recycled.
- Smart growth activities to identify the scope, opportunities and partners for creating a regional Smart Growth network for Puget Sound.
- Sustainability Education to inform EPA employees and our partners, focusing on efforts which give us the best return for the investment.
Highlights of accomplishments include:
We met and exceeded most of the measures with particularly significant success with the Federal Green Challenge, and working with the Puget Sound Partnership
The Federal Green Challenge Program was launched with 20 agencies and more than 1000 facilities participating. In 2009, the participating federal facilities will reduce the federal government’s carbon footprint in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest by approximately 9 million pounds. In the process, taxpayers will save $1.8 million. Region 10 is committed to making in-house reductions through decreasing energy consumption by 5%, tracking and reducing transportation usage, decreasing waste, and increasing recycling.
We are working with the Puget Sound Partnership to incorporate Smart Growth/Low Impact Development and Stormwater infrastructure into its Action Agenda. Further, under the West Coast Estuary Initiative, we funded millions of dollars worth of projects in Puget Sound that are integrating land use planning with watershed protection and stormwater management. A map was completed identifying contaminants (Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane (DDT), Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), Polybrominated diphenyl (PBDEs) and Mercury) for the lower and mid-Columbia River Basin.
In addition, Washington and Oregon have started working on meeting the goal of having partnerships with the private sector and universities to increase materials recycled by 2011. In addition, we have enrolled 5 new partners in the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) program, which puts us on track to meet the pollution reduction target of 40,000 pounds of priority chemicals by 2011.
Throughout 2008, EPA worked with Idaho State Department of Agriculture management/staff to update the existing Memorandum of Understanding framework for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations in Idaho. We continue to press forward to find a workable arrangement for conducting EPA National Priority work in Idaho that meets both ISDA and the industry interests.
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A Stronger EPA
Within our Stronger EPA endeavor, we work to ensure a diverse, talented and highly skilled work force in Region 10. Specific areas of focus include:
- 360° Feedback for All Managers,
- Employee Performance, Hiring and Promotion,
- Succession Planning, Targeted Recruitment,
- Employee Development Opportunities,
- Improve Internal Communication, and
- Environmental Justice.
Region 10 developed and implemented an ambitious initiative to strengthen its workforce and prepare for the future. While there is still room for improvement, we aimed high and met many of the targets we set for ourselves.
Highlights of accomplishments include:
- We used a 360 degree feedback tool to assess the strengths of all supervisors and identified areas for improvement. This exercise helped us plan areas of leadership development. We will use this information to explore whether this tool would be helpful for all regional employees.
- With an emphasis on the workforce of the future, we prepared a plan for succession reflecting anticipated retirements. We initiated a more robust effort to enhance regional diversity which includes investing additional FTE and collaborating with other EPA regions, and academic and professional organizations in targeted recruitment events.
- We also focused on our present workforce. In an effort to improve employee performance, hiring and promotion, we focused on monthly training for supervisors. In an all-staff memo released in April 2008, we articulated the importance of properly addressing poor performance and conduct and included examples. We also provided training to staff about how to take charge of their own career development.
- We provided seven sessions of the Fundamentals of Environmental Justice Training to EPA employees in 2008. In addition, we strengthened our internal infrastructure by establishing the Environmental Justice Executive Team which provides high level support and policy guidance to the Regional Environmental Justice Program. Notably, we held an Environmental Justice stakeholder session with the Regional Administrator, allowing EPA employees to hear and learn first hand the issues and concerns of environmental justice communities.
- Finally, we kept staff informed about important regional developments through the Regional Administrator’s monthly "In a Nutshell" messages and quarterly all-staff meetings. Regular updates to the Regional Scorecard – which charts progress in achieving the goals of the Region 10 Strategy – and Executive Team meeting summaries are posted on the regional intranet site.
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