Washington's Fish Consumption Rate and Water Quality Standards: Fostering Allies to Keep Our Seafood Clean
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Central Washington University ScholarWorks@CWU All Master's Theses Master's Theses Spring 2015 Washington's Fish Consumption Rate and Water Quality Standards: Fostering Allies to Keep Our Seafood Clean Tiffany J. Waters Central Washington University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd Part of the Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons Recommended Citation Waters, Tiffany J., "Washington's Fish Consumption Rate and Water Quality Standards: Fostering Allies to Keep Our Seafood Clean" (2015). All Master's Theses. 228. https://digitalcommons.cwu.edu/etd/228 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Master's Theses at ScholarWorks@CWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@CWU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WASHINGTON’S FISH CONSUMPTION RATE AND WATER QUALITY STANDARDS: FOSTERING ALLIES TO KEEP OUR SEAFOOD CLEAN __________________________________ A Thesis Presented to The Graduate Faculty Central Washington University __________________________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science Resource Management __________________________________ by Tiffany Jean Waters June 2015 CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY Graduate Studies We hereby approve the thesis of Tiffany Jean Waters Candidate for the degree of Master of Science APPROVED FOR THE GRADUATE FACULTY ________________ ______________________________________ Dr. Lene Pedersen, Committee Chair ________________ ______________________________________ Dr. Elvin Delgado ________________ ______________________________________ Dr. Rudolph C. Ryser ________________ ______________________________________ Dean of Graduate Studies ii ABSTRACT WASHINGTON’S FISH CONSUMPTION RATE AND WATER QUALITY STANDARDS: FOSTERING ALLIES TO KEEP OUR SEAFOOD CLEAN by Tiffany Jean Waters June 2015 Washington State’s current fish consumption rate and water quality standards update has been a highly contentious public policy debate between Washington State tribes, the State of Washington’s Department of Ecology, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, and many prominent Washington State industries. Environmental groups and Washington tribes have partnered in the Keep Our Seafood Clean Coalition to educate the public on the need for increasing water quality standards to protect tribal and public health. My research includes analyzing Washington's tribal/State agency co- management relationships, the water quality standards history and current criteria, and the narratives of the public debate; and conducting interviews to assess the knowledge base and opinions of the fish and shellfish industry members toward the fish consumption rate and water quality standards update and the potential of this industry to advocate for higher water quality standards. The fish and shellfish industry members hold widely diverse opinions of the fish consumption rate and water quality standards update with certain subcategories and age groups more likely than others to believe there is a need for higher water quality standards. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My everlasting thanks, appreciation, and love goes to my amazing family – my parents, sister, brother, grandma, aunts, uncles, and Kate – who are my foundation. Both your unspoken (during the difficult years when I didn’t want to talk about my thesis) and vocal (during the productive years when I couldn’t stop talking about my thesis) support was essential to my success. My success is your success. Incredible thanks to the staff at the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, who freely shared their information and passion for this issue. Particular thanks and appreciation goes to Dietrich Schmitt, who provided unconditional support and an essential flexibility in my work schedule so that I could take leave and dash off on a moment's notice to conduct an interview. Big ups to Emmett O'Connell, who was the inspiration for this topic, was my intellectual road dog throughout, and even tolerated me invading work / his quiet time an hour early every morning to write. Thank you to my committee! Your knowledge, constructive edits, support, and enthusiasm for my work and writing was instrumental. Any student would be and is lucky to be able to draw from such expertise. Last, but not least, Sarah “Silverclaw” Oosahwee-Voss, I couldn't have done this without you. You paved the way and pushed me on with your enthusiasm, humor, and friendship. I’m so excited and grateful that we finished this together. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................1 Problem and Purpose .................................................................................1 Background to the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and Keep Our Seafood Clean Coalition ....................................................................4 Research Methods .....................................................................................8 Theoretical Framework and Literature Context ......................................20 Situating Myself ......................................................................................24 Chapter Outline .......................................................................................26 Conclusion ...............................................................................................27 II LITERATURE REVIEW ...............................................................................29 Introduction .............................................................................................29 Water as an Inherently Political Resource ..............................................29 Indigenous and State Resource Co-Management....................................32 Conclusion ...............................................................................................39 III STUDY AREA AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT ........................................41 Introduction .............................................................................................41 Study Area ...............................................................................................41 Conclusion ...............................................................................................53 Historical Context ...................................................................................55 Conclusion ...............................................................................................82 IV WATER QUALITY STANDARDS HISTORY AND CURRENT CRITERIA ......................................................................................................86 Introduction .............................................................................................86 Clean Water Act ......................................................................................86 EPA Water Quality Standards .................................................................90 Washington's Water Quality Standards .................................................116 Other State and Tribal Water Quality Standards ...................................123 Conclusion .............................................................................................129 V NARRATIVES OF WASHINGTON’S WATER QUALITY DEBATE .....133 Introduction ...........................................................................................133 Current Water Quality Standards Debate ..............................................133 Contextual Coding of Association of Washington Businesses .............145 v TABLE OF CONTENTS (cont.) Chapter Page Conclusion .............................................................................................159 VI FISH AND SHELLFISH INDUSTRY MEMBER KNOWLEDGE AND OPINIONS TOWARDS WASHINGTON’S WATER QUALITY STANDARDS UPDATE ..............................................................................161 Introduction ...........................................................................................161 Subcategories and Demographics .........................................................161 Why in Industry .....................................................................................164 Major Issues, Priorities, and Customer Concerns .................................164 Knowledge of and Opinions toward Fish Consumption Rate and Water Quality Standards Update ...........................................................179 Conclusion .............................................................................................203 VII CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................207 Introduction ...........................................................................................207 Fish and Shellfish Industry Members’ Knowledge of Issue .................207 Fish and Shellfish Industry Members’ Commonalities with Other Groups ..................................................................................................208 Ecology Draft Rule and Current Status .................................................209 Recommendations .................................................................................212 Future Research .....................................................................................218 REFERENCES ............................................................................................219