1999 Accomplishments of the SETAC Whole Effluent Toxicity Experts Advisory Panels.

Background

• Following the 1995 SETAC Pellston workshop on Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET), the USEPA conducted several meetings to invite interested parties to voice opinions on issues surrounding WET
• The USEPA wanted to ensure that the technical bases for the use of WET testing, toxicity identification evaluations (TIEs), and toxicity reduction evaluations (TREs) were founded on sound scientific principles.
• To insure that sound scientific principles are applied to the challenging issues in the WET program, the SETAC Foundation for Environmental Education was awarded a cooperative agreement from the USEPA to provide expert advice related to the technical aspects of WET testing.

Steering Committee Charter

• Provide expert scientific advice related to technical aspects of WET including testing, characterizing, and identifying sources of toxicity in complex effluents.
• Use of a balanced steering committee - academia, government, and private sector members to develop consensus opinion and advice.
• Solicit and select key technical issues
• Does not handle issues related to EPA’s policies

Accomplishments

• 2- day Basic WET Training Course: Taught in 15 cities across US and have trained ~500.
• TRE/TIE Course:Taught at ‘98 and ‘99 SETAC Annual Meetings and trained about 100.
• Data Interpretation Course: Taught at ‘98 and ‘99 SETAC Annual Meetings and trained about 80
• Annual Review issue of ET&C on WET (first issue in 2000)
• Steering committee paper Major Ion Toxicity in Effluents: A review with permitting reccomendations. William L. Goodfellow, Larry W. Ausley, Dennis T. Burton, Debra L.Denton, Philip B. Dorn, Donald R. Grothe, Margarete A. Heber, Teresa J. Norberg-King, John H. Rodgers,Jr, pages 175–182. ET&C
• Website developed for WET
• WET Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)- Consensus panel discussion of questions submitted to the EAP. All are posted on www.setac.org
• Application of TREs/TIEs to Whole Effluent Toxicity: Principles and Guidance (Available on web)
• Compilations of ET&C WET articles

Training Provided

• A WET Tale: Toxicity of Complex Effluents: A 2-D Course that covers: Implementation of the whole effluent program based on statutory, regulatory, and policy publications. Topics include: standards, regulation, policy guidance, and technical aspects of test methods, quality assurance, statistical evaluation techniques, NPDES permit development, compliance and enforcement, TIE/TRE procedures along with case histories.
• TRE/TIE Training Course Covers: Concepts of TRE/TIEs to provide a basic understanding of the tools used in the TRE strategy. Includes permitting issues, TRE strategy, TIE procedures, toxicity treatment evaluations and refractory toxicity assessments, suggestions for successful TIES, and case examples.
• Taming the Wild, Wild WET: Analysis and Interpretation of Toxicity Tests: Basic overview of WET statistical analysis, common difficulties in analysis, effective experimental design and analysis, and common questions related to WET data interpretation. Guidance on ways to prevent, minimize, analyze and/or interpret problem toxicity test data.

Works in Progress

• SETAC TIP (Technical Issue Paper) on ion imbalance (Submitted)
• WET related literature on CD-ROM (Pending)
• Workshop in development:Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) Forum: What Works, What Doesn't, and New Developments for Effluents, Ambient Waters and Other Aqueous Media (Tentatively Scheduled for fall 2000)

WET EAP Steering Committee

Philip Dorn (Co-Chair) Equilon
Teresa Norberg-King (Co-Chair) USEPA, ORD
Larry Ausley NC Division of Water Quality
Dennis Burton University of Maryland
Debra Denton USEPA, Region 9
William Goodfellow EA Engineering, Science, & Technology
Joseph Gully LA County Sanitation District
John Rodgers Clemson University
Tom Waller University of North Texas
Florence Fulk, ex officio USEPA, ORD
Jim Pletl, ex officio Hampton Roads Sanitation District

WET Training Panel

Jim Pletl (Chair) Hampton Roads Sanitation District
Ray Arnold Exxon Biomedical Sciences, Inc.
G. Allen Burton Wright State University
Debra Denton (SC Rep) US EPA, Region 9
Richard Diehl Burlington Research, Inc.
Matt Matthews NC Division of Water Quality
Phillip Jennings USEPA, Region 6
Stephen Klaine Clemson University
John Velte Duke Power Company
Scott Hall The Advent Group

Performance Evaluation & WET Data Interpretation Panel

Florence Fulk (Chair) USEPA, ORD
John Cooney New England Bioassay
Patrick Downey FTN and Associates
Daniel Fisher University of Maryland
Kari Fleming WI Dept. Of Natural Resources
Joseph Gully (SC Rep) LA County Sanitation District
James Heltshe University of Rhode Island
Jim Pletl Hampton Roads Sanitation District
Carrie Rowland Wright State University
Victor de Vlaming CA State Water Res. Control Board

TRE/TIE Panel

Ray Arnold Exxon Biomedial Sciences, Inc.
Larry Ausley NC Division of Water Quality
Debra Denton US EPA, Region 9
William Goodfellow EA Engineering, Science, & Technology
Margarete Heber USEPA, OW
Russ Hockett ENSR
Stephen Klaine Clemson University
Don Mount AScI Corporation
Teresa Norberg-King USEPA, ORD
Peter Ruffier City of Eugene
Tom Waller University of North Texas

Toxicity Identification Evaluation Workshop Ad hoc Panel

Larry Ausley NC Division of Water Quality
Phil Dorn Equilon
William Goodfellow EA Engineering, Science, & Technology
Jeff Miller Aqua-Science
Teresa Norberg-King USEPA, ORD
Tom Waller University of North Texas

The WET group would like to acknowledge the support from the SETAC Foundation and
in particular note the Staff that routinely support our activities:

Barbara Albrecht (Ensafe Environmental Consultants)
Greg Schiefer
Linda Longsworth
Rod Parrish

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