Mar 25, 1997

Sheraton Seattle

Sally Williams, convention services manager for the Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers, has earned the designation of Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) from the Convention Liaison Council. The CMP program is designed to recognize high standards of proficiency in meeting planning, increase professionalism of meeting managers and raise industry standards.

Bon Marche

The Seattle Police Department has opened a new Neighborhood Office located within the Bon Marche at the corner of Third Avenue and Stewart Street. The office has been designed to provide police officers a place within their assigned beat to perform duties that would otherwise require them to leave the area and return to the West Precinct located at 610 3rd Avenue.

U.S. Army Corps

The Alaska District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is planning to open a seasonal field office April 1 on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. The new office is expected to meet growing public demand for information, provide timely response to permitting needs and investigate suspected violations. The office will be located in the Kenai River Center, 36130 Kenai Spur Highway, Soldotna. It will be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only. The office will close on Oct. 1. The phone number is (907) 260-4882.

EHS buys Environmental Health Sciences

BELLEVUE -- EHS-Alaska Inc. has purchased the assets of the 9-year-old Bellevue firm Environmental Health Sciences. The new company, EHS-International Inc., specializes in engineering for health and safety. EHS President Thomas B. Swearingen acquired the assets of the Bellevue company last July. EHS-International now has a staff of nine professional engineers, certified industrial hygienists and certified safety professionals. Swearingen has more than 35 years of professional engineering experience and holds a doctorate in mechanical engineering. He recently spoke on indoor air quality issues at the Governor's Health and Safety Conference in Anchorage. He formerly worked for Bovay Engineers Inc. in Richland. The new regional manager of EHS-International is Brian Hunt. Hunt started Med-Tox Associates Inc. in 1986 and then sold the company to its employees in 1991. Hunt has 15 years experience in environmental business operations and project management. In his new position, he will focus on business development for EHS-Companies, which consists of EHS-Alaska in Eagle River, Alaska and EHS-International in Bellevue.

Citizen suits in the environmental arena

SEATTLE -- "Citizen Suits in the Environmental Arena," a one-day conference for lawyers, citizen groups, government and agency officials, corporate executives, consultants and engineers, is planned for 8:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 11 at Seattle Center. The seminar will examine the many citizen lawsuits being brought under environmental statutes such as the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act. Recent citizen suit decisions will be discussed, and advice will be given on how to avoid citizen suits. The program co-chairs are Lori Terry of Preston Gates & Ellis and Kim Maree Johannessen of Johannessen & Associates. Other speakers include: Theresa Wagner, Seattle City Attorney's Office; David Mann, Bricklin & Gendler; Ronald Lavigne, Attorney General's Office in Olympia; Kristine Holm, Northwest Pulp & Paper Association in Bellevue; and Richard Smith, Smith & Lowney. Advance registration is recommended. Tuition is $325 per person, or $295 each for two or more people from the same firm or agency. Call Law Seminars International in Seattle at (206) 621-1938 or (800) 854-8009.

PRE hires Abrass as general manager

TUKWILA -- Tukwila-based Pacific Rim Environmental Inc. has hired David L. Abrass as general manager. Abrass is returning to PRE after spending three years serving as a contract Regional Environmental and Safety Specialist for the Federal Aviation Administration's Northwest Mountain Region. Abrass will provide management support in sales and marketing, administration and day-to-day operations. PRE specializes in environmental consulting for disposal of hazardous materials. PRE primarily does work in the Pacific Northwest, but the company is about to start working on a project in Aruba. In 1996, PRE did quality control testing and reporting to the Environmental Protection Agency for a demonstration project at Hanford. The project demonstrated Kent-based Asbestos Recycling Inc.'s asbestos conversion process. PRE has operated in Tukwila for more than six years. The company has 12 employees.

Study finds value in Clark County's waste

SOUTH PRAIRIE -- A study recently completed for the Clark County Department of Public Works concluded that the county's annual waste stream contains recyclable materials worth $5.8 million to $10.6 million. In spite of the county's comprehensive recycling programs, an additional 107,000 tons (or 54 percent) of the waste received at the county's two disposal sites could instead be recycled through existing programs, the study found. The analysis, prepared by the South Prairie environmental consulting firm Green Solutions, was done to illustrate the significance of the recyclables that enter into the county's waste disposal system. According to the Department of Ecology, Clark County recycled 104,500 tons, or 35 percent, of its total waste stream in 1995. The study revealed that the county could recycle as much as 50 percent of its waste stream if more recyclable materials could be recovered. A full copy of the "1995-1996 Waste Stream Analysis" report is available at cost from the Clark County Public Works Department at (360) 737-6118, Ext. 4352. Technical questions should be directed to Rick Hlavka of Green Solutions at (360) 897-9533 or George Sidles of the Clark County Solid Waste Program at (360) 737-6118, Ext. 4830.

Mar 24, 1997

The Retail Group

The Retail Group, a Seattle-based retail design and consulting firm, has been hired by Calla Bay to name and develop a new retail concept for its custom-made swim wear. In addition, The Retail Group had just finished creating a new label design and image for Columbia Winery in Woodinville.