Accomplishments of the WET EAP in 2000

 

The SETAC WET SC was formed as a result of recommendations to USEPA from the 1996 WET Pellston Workshop.  The USEPA granted $300,000 to the SETAC “Foundation” in 1996 and increased the grant to $550,000 to “provide technical expert support on scientific guidance involving testing, characterization and identifying sources of toxicity in complex effluents”. After a meeting of WET SC members with EPA Head Office management and discussions on accomplishments and forward path, the grant was renewed with a partial payment of $180,000 in 2000. The charter of the WET SC is to: 1) provide expert advice related to the technical aspects of WET testing and develop training courses; 2) provide balance by academia/government/private sectors; 3) Select and solicit key technical issues; 4) form and charge expert panels; 5) handle no issues in litigation or policy.

 

The WET SC membership is: Larry Ausley (North Carolina Division of Water Quality); Dennis Burton (University of Maryland); Debra Denton (US EPA, Region 9); Philip Dorn (Chair) (Equilon, LLC); William Goodfellow (EA Engineering, Science, & Technology);  Joseph Gully (LA County Sanitation District);  Teresa Norberg-King (Chair) (US EPA/ORD);  John Rodgers (Clemson University);  William Waller (University of North Texas).

 

The two panels presently empowered by the WET SC are: 1) WET Training Panel comprised of the following individuals:  Raymon Arnold (American Copper Association); Debra L. Denton (Co-Chair) (US EPA, Region 9);Scott Hall (The Advent Group, Inc); Steven Klaine (Clemson University);  Matt Matthews (North Carolina Division of Water Quality); Jim Pletl (Chair)(Hampton Roads Sanitation District), and John Velte (Duke Power Company) and 2) WET Expert Advisory Panel on Performance Evaluation & Interpretation of WET Data which is made up of the following individuals: John Cooney (New England Bioassay);  Patrick Downey (FTN and Associates);  Daniel Fisher (University of Maryland);  Kari Fleming (Wisconsin Dept. Of Natural Resources);  Florence Fulk (Chair) (US EPA);  Joseph Gully (Co-Chair) (LA County Sanitation District); Jim Pletl (Hampton Roads Sanitation District);  Carrie Rowland (Wright State University); Victor de Vlaming (California State Water Resources Control Board).

 

The main thrusts for the year have been in education/training and development and discussion of technical issues.  The products have been in the form of short courses, ET&C Review Issue, white papers, Q&A formulated as Frequently Asked Questions, SETAC News articles, letters.

 

Training for the year consisted of the 2-day SETAC short course developed for WET that was hosted by Regional Chapters, SETAC Annual Meeting. Courses were conducted in 4 cities around the US with attendance by more than 120 people. “The Wild, Wild WET: Responses to Common Questions Regarding Data Analysis and Interpretation of Toxicity Tests” and “Toxicity Identification/Toxicity Evaluation” have been successfully developed as core offerings.  A new “hands-on” WET course was successfully offered in summer 2000 and is being further developed for wider applications.

 

On the publication front, the WET panels have produced materials addressing frequently asked questions and special topics. “Application of TIEs/TREs to Whole Effluent Toxicity: Principles and Guidance” is available on the SETAC WEB site. “The Role of Inorganic Ionic Imbalance in Aquatic Toxicity Testing” authored by the WETC SC was published in the Special ET&C  Review Issue on WET(Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 175-182). The WET EAP on Performance Evaluation & Interpretation of WET Data has produced three documents, which are in a Question and Answer format.  Each document addresses specific areas encountered in Whole Effluent Toxicity: 1) Frequently Asked Questions Concerning WET Test Variability; 2) Anomalous Patterns of Survival in Short-Term Chronic WET Tests Using Fathead Minnows; 3) FAQ’s on Statistical versus Biological Significance in Toxicity Tests. 

 

Regional EPA and state staff not presently SETAC members have been receiving reprints of ET&C articles dealing with WET after a request for our technical information to assist in NPDES related reviews. Other outreach has included a poster session at the 1999 and 2000 SETAC Annual Meetings.

 

The development of a CD ROM is in progress which will contain current EPA WET testing manuals, supplemental memos, policy memoranda, OECD & Canadian documents (if available) manuals for permit writers, ET&C literature on WET, the US EPA TIE/TRE Manuals (Phase I, ll, and lll), extensive TIE/TRE literature review, and WET EAP FAQs.  A SETAC TIP for WET is being developed as a series addressing WET in general, ion imbalance as an issue and TIE/TRE.  A TRE Workshop is in development after approval in principle by the SETAC Technical Committee. Funding is anticipated from multisectors and this will specifically address use of toxicity testing and TIE//TRE in the TMDL process. A platform presentation and poster at Nashville will bring focus to the use of WET/toxicity testing in watershed assessments.