Program Updates and News

(10/4/09) Customer survey reminder - if you recently received a questionnaire from KCIW, please take the time to fill it out and return it. We would very much like to include your opinions in the review of our services and our future planning. If you have already returned your questionnaire, please accept our thanks for your time and input. If you have any questions or need a new copy of the questionnaire, please contact KCIW (see Contacts, lower left.)

(9/15/09) Green River Flooding - Are You Ready? An Emergency Preparedness Symposium for businesses is being hosted Weds., Sept. 23 by Auburn, Kent, Renton and Southwest King County Chambers of Commerce. Meeting will take place 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., at the ShoWare Center, 625 W James St.,  Kent, WA. Presentations from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Puget Sound Energy, FEMA and WA State Business Continuity Planning will be followed by breakout sessions with local city representatives.

(9//14/09) Green River Flooding - Are You Ready? For more information go to King County Internet pages: http://www.kingcounty.gov/safety/FloodPlan.aspx.

(8/24/09) KCIW will hold a free industrial user workshop on Weds. Oct. 7 for wastewater dischargers with active permits and authorizations. The agenda includes a main session, working together to maintain compliance, as well program and county Wastewater Treatment Division updates and a flood planning update. The Washington State Department of Ecology’s Technical Resources for Engineering Efficiency (TREE) Program will provide a briefing. Workshop includes an optional tour of the King County South Treatment Plant in Renton. KCIW has mailed workshop information to those with active permits and discharge authorizations. For further information contact KCIW, below left.

(7/10/09) Collection of sewer charges for certain discharges: In 2008 -09 KCIW has been working with local sewer agencies to ensure more consistent collection of sewer charges for contaminated industrial stormwater, groundwater remediation projects, and all forms of construction dewatering discharges going to the county sewer system. With a dramatic increase in the number of KCIW-issued authorizations for these types of discharges over the past 10 to 15 years, the county's goal is solely to recover its costs for treating this wastewater. Learn more about KCIW's Other Fees.

(5/26/09) Training opportunity: The 2009 Western Washington Regional Short School & Trade Show will be held Weds.& Thurs., June 24- 25 at Edmonds Community College, Lynnwood WA. The program provides supplemental occupational education and training for all interested water and wastewater system operators, engineers and managers. Presented topics are of special interest to those employed in both the municipal and industrial arenas including: Water & Wastewater Maintenance; Wastewater O&M, Process Control, & Collections; Water Treatment & Distribution; Water O&M and System Management; Solids, Residuals, Odor & Disinfection; Corrosion Control; and Emergency Response & Safety. For those interested in registering on-line, please go to http://www.pncwa.org (external link) and click on Conferences. A packet with the registration form for mail-in registration, class schedule, and the latest information can be downloaded from the website www.myawwa.com (external link).

(5/20/09) IWAC: The program's Industrial Waste Advisory Committee met May 6.

(4/28/09) Read KCIW's spring 2009 newsletter, and recent issues, for program updates, regulatory information and assistance.

(4/16/09) KCIW's Rewards and Recognition program: Winners for 2008 were announced, including EnvirOvation award winner Protective Coatings. KCIW's awards Internet pages list all winners.

(2/3/09) Industrial Waste Program offices to be closed during furlough days: King County scheduled 10 furlough days for 2009. The furlough is a cost-savings measure, with most King County staff off and most County buildings closed. The 10 required unpaid furlough days off in 2009 will help reduce King County's operating costs for the year. All department employees, with limited exception, are included in the furlough plan. Furlough dates are:

• Friday, Jan. 2, 2009
• Friday, Feb. 13, 2009
• Friday, April 10, 2009
• Friday, May 22, 2009
• Friday, June 19, 2009
• Monday, July 6, 2009
• Friday, Sept. 4, 2009
• Monday, Oct. 12, 2009
• Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009
• Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009

(11/20/08) New Internet address: King County has updated its Internet site (www.kingcounty.gov), and these KCIW pages have a new look, and a new address (or URL). Those using the old address in 2009 may well get an error message, so bookmark or take note of this new URL (click on "Industrial Waste" in the above menu bar) and please let co-workers know about the new address as well! See the menu at left to explore these new, even more service-oriented Internet pages for downloadable forms, technical assistance and additional program updates. Comments are welcome! (See contact information, left.)

(7/8/08) Dental Waste Program catches the attention of the U.S. Congress: Compliance Investigator Patricia Magnuson was invited to provide testimony on KCIW's Dental Waste Program and its outcome to date at a U.S. Congress Domestic Policy subcommittee hearing, Assessing State and Local Regulations to Reduce Dental and Mercury Emissions. Link to the King County news release.

(10/03/07) County email addresses change: County e-mail addresses are changing from the long-standing "firstname.lastname@metrokc.gov" to "firstname.lastname@kingcounty.gov". The former e-mail addresses will still work to deliver e-mails throughout 2008, however, it is a good idea to change email addresses for your King County contacts in address books and listings now. See the Industrial Waste Program's staff contacts for specific e-mail addresses.