Matt Graves, Port of Vancouver USA Environmental Manger, was invited to participate in a Science to Policy Summit held Nov. 19 at the Vancouver Hilton.

The summit, organized by the non-profit Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, focused on toxics reduction – successes and challenges – and was attended by nursery owners, builders, fishery experts, designers, forestry experts and government representatives.

The summit’s morning panel focused on changing practices in small farm agriculture, nurseries and forestry. Lunch featured a keynote address from The Honorable Dennis McLerran, Region 10 Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The afternoon panel focused on best practices in stormwater management, and Matt Graves was featured along with speakers from Toyota Logistics Services, Gerding Edlen Development, City of Portland Watershed Services and Humber Design Group. Matt shared the port’s stormwater management tools, including the Grattix – an innovative filtering system that removes metals from downspouts – and floating wetlands that remove metals from the port’s water retention pond.

The Port of Vancouver has numerous industry-leading programs designed to preserve and protect our region’s water quality, and is proud to share its innovative practices with others.