Last month, The Seattle Times reported that, in a paper published in Science magazine, researchers have identified an antioxdiant chemical used in tire rubber that causes deaths of coho salmon, particularly in the Puget Sound region:

More specifically, a single chemical, 6PPD-quinone, derived from a preservative that helps tires last longer.

Through painstaking analysis and building on years of prior research, the team, including researchers from the Center for Urban Waters in Tacoma, the University of Washington and Washington State University, isolated the killer from a witch’s brew of some 2,000 chemicals in roadway runoff.
The chemical is a globally

Many businesses use Excel to track, collate, and process data, and it’s easy to understand why. Excel is ubiquitous and is easy to use. Excel’s strengths, however, can also become serious risks. Last October, Public Health England lost 16,000 COVID-19 test results because of limits on the number of rows Excel can handle:

A million-row limit on Microsoft’s Excel spreadsheet software may have led to Public Health England misplacing nearly 16,000 Covid test results, it is understood.

The data error, which led to 15,841 positive tests being left off the official daily figures, means than 50,000 potentially infectious people may

If your business has coverage under the Alaska Construction General Permit for Discharges from Large and Small Construction Activities, you have an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed final permit that the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) will issue to succeed the current permit. The last day to submit feedback to DEC is December 9, 2020, so don’t delay.

If you need assistance in complying with the new permit, Freer Consulting can help. Contact us at 206-285-9044 or info@freerconsulting.com.…

Change is inevitable in business—personnel change, requirements change, resources change—the list of potential triggers is endless; furthermore, each change is unique to the specific business, industry, and circumstance, with varying impacts and degrees of complexity. It is natural to feel overwhelmed by change and to have trouble wrapping your head around which factors to consider and who to involve. Fortunately, with the proper tools, methodology, and a little planning, any company can unlock the benefits of change management.

At Freer Consulting, we provide a customizable change management solution, including a documented process and a Management of Change (MOC) form. Combined, …

The Washington Department of Ecology has reissued the Construction Stormwater General Permit to take effect on January 1, 2021. The permit authorizes stormwater and approved non-stormwater discharges associated with construction activity. Permit coverage is required for the following:

• Ongoing construction sites that are covered under the existing permit
• Construction sites that disturb one acre or more of land and discharge stormwater off site or into surface waters of the state
• Construction sites of any size that the Department of Ecology determines will be a significant contributor of pollutants or will cause a violation of any water quality standard

If you …