Jul 16, 1997

KPFF

Marty Chase and Izzat Hasayen have recently been promoted to associate status in the Seattle office of KPFF Consulting Engineers. Chase joined KPFF in 1994 as a civil engineer with emphasis in site development, utilities, storm drainage and tunnel infrastructure. He is managing the University of Washington Southwest Campus Utility Tunnel and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Phase 2. Hasayen, a structural engineer, specializes in bridge design. Since joining KPFF in 1994, Hasayen has worked on the First Avenue South Bridge approaches, State Route 167 Flyover Bridge and an analysis and retrofit of State Route 520 Floating Bridge for WSDOT. Currently, he is working with King County on the seismic retrofit of three bridges and retrofit of 11 bridges for Snohomish County.

Reid Middleton

Robert O. Galteland has been promoted to senior engineer at Reid Middleton, Inc. Since joining the firm six years ago, he has developed the firm's services to federal clients. Recent projects include the munitions trans-shipment facility at Bangor, the ship model engineering and support facility in Bayview, Idaho, and infrastructure improvements at the Air National Guard's base in Klamath Falls, Ore. He is project manager for the University of Washington Southwest Campus demolition effort, which will accommodate the new Fisheries Building and major road realignments. Karen J. Miles has been promoted to senior engineer at Reid Middleton. During her 13 years with the firm she has specialized in airport transportation engineering. One of her recent projects, the runway and taxiway rehabilitation at Snohomish County Airport, was selected as the Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement for 1997 by the Seattle Section, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The ASCE announcement cited the innovative application of existing highway construction technologies and "sonic rubblization" to recycle existing surface material in the project.

CH2M Hill

A. DeWitt Jensen has joined the Bellevue staff of CH2M Hill as a senior project manager and transportation engineer. His experience includes transit planning in Seattle, high-occupancy vehicle lane design and design management for the first single-point urban interchange constructed in Washington, the State Route 500/Anderson Road Interchange in Vancouver. He worked on the Spokane Street viaduct widening and the West Seattle Bridge replacement projects.

AHBL

Elizabeth Rivers has joined the staff of AHBL of Tacoma as a project manager. She has over 13 years of experience as a site analyst and landscape architect. She will work with neighborhood groups, testify at public hearings, and handle media contact and coverage. She is currently working with the City of Milton to revise the Comprehensive Park Plan with Habitat for Humanity and on the Judkins Park Townhouse project. Doug Tapp has joined the firm as a senior design engineer. With four years of experience, he has emphasized storm drainage design, surface hydrology and land development. He is currently working on the Bonney Lake Youth Center, the SeaTac Transfer Facility at SeaTac, Columbia Bank projects throughout Western Washington, and the Fircrest City Hall. Jonathan Reynolds has joined AHBL as a design engineer. A recent graduate of the University of Washington, he has served as an intern and project engineer for a local municipality for the past two years. He is currently working on Fire District No. 1 in Orting and Riverside Elementary in Pierce County. Spencer Bier as joined the staff as a design engineer. He has worked on a large rail project in Vancouver as well as sewer and watermain projects, road projects and industrial expansion projects. He is now at work on Bridgeview at Sunset Pointe in Tacoma and St. Mary's Church in Lakewood. Jeff McInnis has been promoted to senior design engineer. He is now at work on Good Samaritan Hospital in Puyallup, Tumwater High School, and Lake Kathryn Village in Purdy.

Systems Interface

Systems Interface Inc., manufacturer of custom industrial control systems, announced the addition of Randy Seiersen as sales engineer. Seiersen will be responsible for the sale of control and variable speed systems to manufacturing companies in the Northwest.

Jul 15, 1997

GA Design

Graphic Associates, a full-service graphic design firm providing and marketing communications, has changed its name to GA Design. In addition to designing for print, the company will design CD's, web sites, and animated graphics.

Graham Steel

Graham Steel Corp. recently named Darrell L. Wells to the position of chief executive officer. Wells came to Graham Steel in 1970 as an engineer and has served in a variety of posts, including president and chief operating officer. He succeeds James C. Graham Sr., who will remain as chairman of the board. The Kirkland-based steel fabricator also announced Kevin Larsen has been promoted to corporate sales manager and Mark Davidson to sales manager of the Rebar Division.

Sand may be dumped near crab grounds

ASTORIA, Ore. -- Federal agencies are at odds over plans to dump Columbia River sand near valuable Pacific Ocean crab-fishing grounds this summer. Late last month, the federal Environmental Protection Agency gave permission for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the Columbia channel so larger ships may pass through. But the U.S. Small Business Administration said expanding the dump sites, where the dredged sand is placed, would bury Dungeness crab and harm the local fishing industry. The agency is negotiating with the EPA to challenge the proposed dumping. But corps spokesman Steve Stevens says concerns over the Dungeness crab have been addressed. "I felt we have really gone the extra mile to consider the one issue: impact on the crab fishery," he said. "It has not been taken lightly." Crab boats from Astoria to Westport are expected to bring in roughly $25 million this year, despite a relatively slow season. Corps officials say the two existing dump sites are getting too high, making waves that create a navigational hazard. To fix the problem, dredged sediment, or "spoils," will be spread across the expanded area in a thin layer. One of the sites is expected increase sixfold in size. Dumping on the first area will begin later this summer. A planned 12-fold expansion of the other area, located about three miles northwest of the mouth of the Columbia, will be delayed until next year. Bob Burkle, a marine biologist with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, said dumping the sediment in summer will suffocate vulnerable softshell crabs. "We have plenty of catch data," Burkle said. "We know from the literature what happens to crabs." Officials plan eventually to deepen the Columbia channel from 40 feet to 43 feet to encourage more international shipping. Dredging that deep will generate an additional 18 million cubic yards of sand, some of it bound for offshore sites.