Spokane River Stakeholders,
We appreciate all the feedback that we have received from many of you in the past month, especially the very specific comments provided to our agency during and immediately after the March 25 meeting in Spokane, and during the April 16 meeting of attorneys in Seattle. We are actively considering all of your comments. Please look for an upcoming written response to the letter that many of you sent to us on April 10th.
Core Model Conference Call. EPA plans to hold a conference call on the core model in mid May, and we expect that this conference call will be of interest primarily for the modelers. In response to comments we have received, we are tasking PSU to construct updated 1991 and 2000 models for an additional calibration check on the 2001 core model.
In order to limit the impact of this work on the project schedule, the 1991/2000 model updates will be limited to the essential tasks for this calibration check. Simplifications will include fixed stoichiometry, selection of a limited number of stations for calibration checks, and a focus only on oxygen-related variables. Also, note that this check only applies to the Washington side of the border (there are no 1991 and 2000 models for the Idaho portion of the river).
Prior to this conference call, PSU will complete the draft core model calibration report (which will document both the 2001 calibration and the 1991/2000 calibration checks). We will post all model files prior to the meeting, and will coordinate with Sarah Hubbard Gray on scheduling, agenda, and use of meeting technology for presentation of modeling info by PSU.
Stakeholder Meeting. The additional modeling work will take some time.
Our next stakeholder meeting, originally scheduled for late May, is now scheduled for June 25th (at the Fire Training Center in Spokane). If all goes as planned, we will have scenario results to share at this meeting.
Please mark your calendars, and we will continue to keep you updated through your meetings with State staff, e-mails and conference calls.,
Please call me or Ben Cope if you have questions or concerns, Laurie
