Description: Every time it rains, water washing off roads and highways carries pollutants into nearby streams, rivers, and estuaries. One of the most concerning pollutants is 6PPD-quinone (6PPDQ), a chemical byproduct of a common tire rubber additive that is among the most toxic substances known to aquatic life. This webinar introduces 6PPDQ to planners and technical staff who may be encountering it for the first time and shows what communities can do about it. Speakers from The Nature Conservancy, Washington State DOT, Herrera Inc, and Stewardship Partners will share lessons learned from using green stormwater infrastructure as a solution and discuss how municipalities, transportation agencies, and nonprofits can work together to deploy solutions, engage their communities, and access funding.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of this webinar, participants will:

• Understand what 6PPDQ is, where it comes from, and why it poses an urgent water quality and ecological concern for communities across the U.S.
• Learn about green stormwater infrastructure as a practical, proven approach to intercepting contaminants before they reach waterways.
• Understand how the Box-of-Rain model works, what it has achieved in field testing, and how it could be adapted beyond its Pacific Northwest origins.
• Understand what multi-sector partnerships look like in practice and how transportation agencies, municipalities, nonprofits, and community volunteers can work together to scale GSI solutions.
• Leave with actionable next steps for exploring GSI solutions in their own community context.

Presenters: 

• Kate Sievers, Nature Based Solutions Program Manager, The Nature Conservancy
• Tony Bush, Stormwater Branch Manager, Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT)
• Dylan Ahearn, Principal Scientist, Herrera Inc
• Soumi Gaddameedi, Grants & Development Manager, Stewardship Partners
• Katie Harris, Greenprint Partners (moderator)

Certificate: This webinar has NOT been submitted for approval of continuing education credit. We can provide a certificate of attendance to eligible attendees, but cannot guarantee it will meet your PDH or CEU requirements.

Who Should Attend: 

• Managers, owners, and operators of community water systems and wastewater treatment systems
• Decision-makers for water and wastewater utilities, including mayors, finance officers, utility managers, public works directors, city councilors, board members, tribal council members, and clerks
• Consultants and technical assistance providers serving water and wastewater systems
• Stormwater professionals, engineers, environmental planners, watershed managers, and others interested in emerging contaminants and green stormwater infrastructure solutions.

Partner: