Environmental Watch

Parametrix is busy at Gas Works Park

SEATTLE -- Environmental field investigations will begin soon at Gas Works Park on Lake Union, where a plant converted coal and oil to manufactured gas during the first half of the 20th century.

The environmental firm Parametrix Inc. is the prime consultant overseeing the field investigations, feasibility study and cleanup action plan for Gas Works Park.

Subconsultants include: Hong West of Lynnwood, which will do most of the field work; EnviroIssues of Seattle, which will provide public-involvement assistance; and Key Environmental of Pittsburgh, which will help evaluate remediation alternatives for the site.

"Key Environmental was brought on board because of their manufactured gas plant expertise," said Mike Warfel, project manager with Parametrix.

Field activities will be conducted from late August through October. Those activities will include: repair and sampling of groundwater monitoring wells; inspection of the generating tower; sampling of surface soils; and investigation of tar seeps. An ecological survey also will be conducted.

State and city officials say it will be safe to visit the park during the field investigations, although small areas of the park will be marked as off-limits for several days or weeks.

Parametrix was first retained in early 1996 for the Gas Works Park project by the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation and Puget Sound Energy. Parametrix completed a preliminary analysis of remediation alternatives in July 1996, Warfel said.

The state Department of Ecology is overseeing all environmental work done at the park.

The city of Seattle, Ecology and Puget Sound Energy reached a milestone in the cleanup of Gas Works Park on Aug. 1 when they signed a legal agreement called an agreed order. The agreed order outlines the scope of work and cleanup schedule for the park and describes the working relationship between the city, Ecology and Puget Sound Energy.

After the field activities are completed this October, Parametrix will develop a focused feasibility study and cleanup action plan by November 1998. Actual cleanup work is scheduled to begin in 2000.

For more information on the project, contact: David Takami at the city of Seattle, (206) 233-7929, e-mail: David.Takami@ci.seattle.wa.us; or Charles San Juan at Ecology, (360) 407-7197, e-mail: csan461@ecy.wa.gov

Information also can be found on Ecology's Web site: http://www.wa.gov/ecology/tcp/sites/gaswkpk.htm

Port Quendall contamination studies are done

RENTON -- Studies of contamination levels are complete at the Renton site where billionaire Paul Allen wants to build a massive corporate campus for his companies and other high-tech and biotech firms.

The 68-acre Port Quendall site on the southeast shore of Lake Washington is divided into four distinct parcels, two of which are severely contaminated with decades' worth of creosote, coal tar, pentachlorophenol (PCP) and wood waste.

Those two parcels -- the J.H. Baxter & Co. property and the Quendall Terminals property -- comprise about 40 acres of the total site.

The Baxter property was the site of a wood-treating operation from 1955 to 1982. During those years, wood-treating chemicals such as creosote and PCP seeped into the site's soils and groundwater.

The Quendall Terminals property was used by Reilly Tar and Chemical Co. for the operation of a coal-tar refinery from 1916 to 1969. Reilly Tar barged coal tar to its site from the area now known as Gas Works Park, where manufactured gas was produced for several decades. Reilly Tar used the coal tar, a by-product of manufactured gas, to make wood preservatives, including the creosote that treated wood at the Baxter site.

The studies of the nature and extent of contamination at the sites were commissioned by the sellers of both properties. The results of studies are contained in two separate draft remedial investigation reports.

The completion of the studies has triggered a public comment period, which ends Sept. 26. Because both properties are under consideration for the same Port Quendall development, their comment periods are being combined.

The draft remedial investigation reports are now available for review at two locations: the Renton Public Library, 100 Mill South, Renton; and the Department of Ecology's Northwest Regional Office, 3190 160th Ave. S.E., Bellevue.

Send comments on the Quendall Terminals site to: Brian Sato, Department of Ecology, 3190 160th Ave. S.E., Bellevue, WA 98008, (206) 649-7265. Send comments on the J.H. Baxter site to: Gail Colburn, Department of Ecology, 3190 160th Ave. S.E., Bellevue, WA 98008, (206) 649-7058.

If more than 10 people request a public meeting during the comment period, Ecology will conduct a meeting and will accept spoken comments on the draft remedial investigation reports.

HAMMER dedication planned in Richland

RICHLAND -- If you attend the HAMMER dedication in Richland Sept. 24-26, you'll see demonstrations of some true-to-life training props, including a six-story fire training tower, a search-and-rescue building, a simulated burial waste area and a flammable liquids burn pad.

HAMMER stands for "hazardous materials management and emergency response." The theme of the new HAMMER Training and Education Facility is "Training As Real As It Gets."

Thanks to a $29.9 million construction project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, HAMMER is about to move into its new home on an 120-acre site adjacent to the Hanford nuclear reservation. The new HAMMER center will serve as a national training facility for emergency response teams all over the country.

HAMMER began in 1986 as a community-based initiative to improve training for hazardous-materials workers in the Tri-Cities area. Since then, more than 20,000 people have received HAMMER training, although HAMMER has not had a permanent home for most of that time. Since 1994, HAMMER has been leasing 10,000 square feet of space from the Port of Benton.

HAMMER prepares local workers for unthinkable, worst-case scenarios -- a necessary precaution because shipments of radioactive materials are trucked in and out of the Hanford site almost every day.

In addition to prop demonstrations, the three-day dedication will include exhibits on environmental cleanup, waste management and worker health and safety training. Attendees also may participate in hands-on, interactive training and tours of the new facility.

Invited guests include: Vice President Al Gore, Energy Secretary Federico Pena, Assistant Secretary Al Alm, Sens. Patty Murray and Slade Gorton, Reps. Norm Dicks and Doc Hastings and Gov. Gary Locke.

The new training center is located at 2890 Horn Rapids Road in Richland. For registration information, contact: HAMMER/Tulane Project -- Dedication Events, 3250 Port of Benton, Richland, WA 99352, phone: (509) 372-7769, fax: (509) 372-7701.

Program on environmental insurance, claims

SEATTLE -- "Enviro '97: Second Generation Issues in Environmental Claims Handling and Coverage Litigation" is the theme of a Sept. 19 program at the Hilton in downtown Seattle.

The annual program is being sponsored by the Northwest Environmental Claims Association (NECA). The program will include speakers and panelists from the Pacific Northwest and across the country.

The event will focus on "second generation" issues raised by the latest round of environmental claims. Panel topics will include: allocation, successor liability, after-acquired property, federal jurisdiction and absolute pollution exclusion issues.

Brochures and registration materials are available from Angela Anderson at Ogden Murphy Wallace, P.L.L.C., at (206) 442-1301. For more information about the program, call Ann Boyle at Gordon & Polscer at (206) 223-4226.

Environmental Watch

County, Makah Tribe join in Intertanko case

SEATTLE -- San Juan County and the Makah Indian Tribe are siding with Washington state in the Intertanko lawsuit, which challenges the constitutionality of the state's stringent oil spill prevention standards.

The county and the tribe are joining the fight for different, though related, reasons: the county is concerned about safety and regulatory issues related to marine transportation in the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Haro Strait, while the Makah Indian Tribe is worried that an increased risk of oil spills could damage its historic fishing grounds.

Both the county and the tribe filed briefs yesterday in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, as did the three environmental groups intervening in the state's behalf: the Washington Environmental Council, the Natural Resources Defense Council and Ocean Advocates.

The court must decide whether or not to grant "amicus curiae," or "friend of the court," status to the county and the tribe. Such status would allow the county and the tribe to participate in the lawsuit until it is resolved.

Back in December, the Norway-based International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko) appealed a November 1996 federal district court decision that Washington's standards are valid.

Intertanko still maintains that the state's standards are in violation of the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution because they are more strict than federal and international standards. Intertanko first sued the state over this issue in July 1995.

Intertanko represents 300 independent shipping companies that transport 60 percent of America's crude oil.

Intervening on Intertanko's behalf is the U.S. Justice Department at the request of the U.S. Coast Guard. Another group, the San Francisco-based International Chamber of Shipping, is vying for "amicus" status on Intertanko's behalf.

Jeffrey Needle, a Seattle attorney who represents the three environmental groups, said Intertanko may file a reply brief within the next two weeks. After that, it will be up to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to determine when oral arguments will be heard, most likely in Seattle, Needle said.

"It's very unlikely that we'll hear anything from them until next year," Needle said.

URS to buy Woodward-Clyde for $100M

SAN FRANCISCO -- URS Corp. of San Francisco plans to acquire Woodward-Clyde Group Inc. for $100 million in stock and cash, creating one of the largest engineering firms in the country, the companies announced last week.

The deal calls for Denver-based Woodward-Clyde's shareholders to receive $65 million in URS common stock plus $35 million in cash, the companies said in a statement.

The companies said the proposed merger will create the fifth-largest U.S. engineering firm, with revenues of about $800 million and more than 6,000 employees.

The acquisition, scheduled to close in November, is not expected to have a material impact on URS fiscal 1998 earnings, they said.

The transaction is subject to approval by stockholders of both companies as well as regulatory and other approvals.

URS specializes in environmental, infrastructure and construction projects and operates 35 offices nationwide. Woodward-Clyde serves clients in the chemical, oil, pharmaceutical, mining and forest products industries, among others, and has 84 offices worldwide. Both companies have offices in Seattle.

Jones & Stokes hires new staff

BELLEVUE -- Jones & Stokes Associates Inc., a multi-disciplinary environmental consulting firm, has announced the addition of two new staff members in its Bellevue office.

Ardith Lanstra-Nothdurft has joined Jones & Stokes' landscape architecture and natural resources team. Lanstra-Nothdurft has a master's degree in landscape architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a degree in planning from the University of Washington. She also has experience in photography, marketing and design, with an emphasis on restoration and recreation design.

Shawn Yotter is joining the Bellevue office after seven years with Jones & Stokes office in Sacramento, Calif., where he worked on air and noise analyses. He is part of the company's environmental planning and water quality team. Yotter has a biology degree from California State University. He has experience with fish and hydrologic modeling.

Jones & Stokes is headquartered in Sacramento. In addition to its Bellevue and Sacramento offices, Jones & Stokes also has offices in Phoenix and Irvine, Calif.

PEMA luncheon to focus on job trends

SEATTLE -- The upcoming luncheon of the Professional Environmental Marketing Association (PEMA) will focus on the theme, "Job Transitioning in the Northwest: A Guide for Junior- and Senior-Level Personnel."

A panel of speakers will address current environmental industry trends, the status of the Northwest job market, the skills and abilities needed in the Northwest environmental marketplace, and tips on how to stay marketable.

Speakers will include: Dick Gates, formerly with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Shannon & Wilson, now an independent entrepreneur; Dan McCarthy of Foster Wheeler Environmental; Tom Eaton of the state Department of Ecology; Mike McDowell of Pentec Environmental; and Sue Thoman of Philip Environmental Services.

The luncheon is set for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3 at Latitude 47 on West Lake Union in Seattle. Cost is $20 for PEMA members and $30 for non-members. To register, call (206) 455-3680.

New report on environment, construction

GEORGETOWN, Md. -- The Building Futures Council, an independent, non-profit corporation based in Georgetown, Md., has released a new report called "Environmental Issues Facing the Building and Construction Industry."

The report provides background and suggestions for people involved in environmental impact analysis, urban planning, waste disposal and cleanup, construction litigation, and ports and harbors.

The report examines subjects such as Superfund reauthorization, risk-sharing, appropriate cleanup standards, brownfields, environmental justice, environmental infrastructure privatization, navigation improvements, environmental protection during the construction process, waste minimization and recycling.

The report is available for $12.95 a copy. To order a copy, contact: Building Futures Council, P.O. Box 146, Georgetown, MD 21930, phone: (410) 648-5362, fax: (410) 648-5911.

Correction

A story that ran on last Tuesday's environmental page contained an error. The story focused on technical consultations being offered by the state Department of Ecology.

Instead of the statement, "Ecology is planning to spend approximately eight hours on the more detailed technical consultations," the story should have read:

"A refundable $500 deposit will be required to secure your place in line. The deposit will cover approximately eight hours of Ecology's time. You will be billed at an hourly rate typically ranging from $60 to $80 per hour -- depending upon the type of expertise required for your site. Unused portions of your deposit will be refunded to you. If review costs exceed the amount of your deposit, you will be billed at the established hourly rate."

The corrected story is here.

Environmental Watch

Eco Home Fair '97

PORT TOWNSEND -- Eco Home Fair '97 is a home show for Northwest residents looking for the newest ways to build, remodel, decorate and landscape their homes using earth-friendly products and techniques.

The event is scheduled for Sept. 13-14 at Fort Worden State Park in Port Townsend.

More than 40 exhibitors will display building products that conserve resources and reuse materials. Non-toxic paints and kitchen cabinets will be showcased, as will energy-efficient strawbale construction techniques.

Hour-long seminars will be offered for people who want to learn more about water-wise landscaping, environmentally-responsible homebuilding techniques and ways to improve indoor air quality. The home show also will feature a children's activity area.

The event is being sponsored by Washington State University Conferences & Institutes with support from the WSU Learning Center, the Washington State Department of Energy, the Eco Homebuilders Guild and a number of environmental organizations.

Tickets will be available at the door for $7. Admission is free for children under 10. For more information on exhibiting or attending the event, call WSU at (253) 445-4575.

'Healthy' yellow pages for Puget Sound

SEATTLE -- People looking for natural pet food, chemically-free hair salons, vegetarian restaurants or acupuncture practitioners have a place to turn for guidance -- the Natural Choice Directory of Puget Sound.

The telephone directory features businesses that sell eco-friendly paint and building products, socially-responsible investments and natural health remedies. This year's Natural Choice Directory includes holistic health glossaries for people not familiar with terms such as "hydrotherapy" or "ayurvedic."

For more information, call (206) 722-4288.

Congressional staff takes Hanford tour

RICHLAND (AP) -- A group of congressional aides has toured the Hanford nuclear reservation to learn about plans to convert some of the deadliest radioactive waste into glass.

Much of the briefing last week focused on how the $4 billion project will be funded.

The U.S. Department of Energy wants to hire two corporate teams to build plants to convert at least 6 percent of Hanford's 55 million gallons of highly radioactive liquid wastes into glass by 2007.

The new wrinkle over conventional government contracts is that neither team would be paid a cent until the wastes are glassified, beginning in 2002.

But Mike Jarvis, aide to U.S. Rep. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., complained DOE's estimates of how much it needs for the project appear to change constantly.

A major problem is a similar privatization effort at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory's Pit 9.

Lockheed Martin Advanced Environmental Systems was hired to clean a waste-filled acre at the Idaho site under a $179 million privatization contract. But the price nearly doubled to $337 million, spooking Congress on the privatization concept.

That left Hanford official Bill Taylor, head of the Department of Energy's tank waste privatization effort, with some tough questions from 16 congressional aides who toured the nuclear site Thursday and Friday.

Taylor outlined what DOE believes are the differences between the Hanford and Pit 9 projects. These include:

• Pit 9 was set up so Lockheed received payments as the project was built and tested. The Hanford contract won't pay anything until glass logs are produced.

• DOE financed Pit 9. The Hanford projects would be privately funded, to be eventually reimbursed by DOE. Taylor said that means Wall Street investors would bring extra pressure to keep costs down.

• Hanford's wastes are supposedly better analyzed and understood than Pit 9's wastes.

"We have learned some very serious lessons (at Pit 9), and so has DOE," said Bill Dixon, director of regulatory affairs for Lockheed's Hanford team.

The challenge at Hanford will be on the business side, Dixon added. "The business and financing aspects of this are what's going to make or break it," he said.

Hanford for more than four decades made plutonium for nuclear weapons and now contains the nation's highest volume of radioactive defense wastes.

Giardia gone from Oregon lake resort

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- Recent tests show that the water at Howard Prairie Lake Resort is safe to drink again after an outbreak of the parasite giardia.

Resort operator Jim Johnston said it's great to get back to normal, though the outbreak didn't cut the number of campers and visitors to the lake in the southern Cascades.

In mid-July, a dozen visitors tested positive for the parasite. Since then the tally has risen to 30.

Traces of ground squirrel fur were found, leading investigators to conclude a ground squirrel carrying the parasite had climbed a ladder to the top of the resort's water tower and fallen in.

However, county environmental health manager Gary Stevens said ground squirrels don't normally carry the type of giardia that affects humans. More work is being done to pin down the source.

Is Midwest air pollution heading east?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Eight Northeast states asked the Clinton administration Thursday to crack down on pollution from Midwest power plants, arguing that wind-borne emissions make it impossible for Northeastern cities to assure healthy air.

The Environmental Protection Agency already has said it will direct states in the Midwest to reduce the amount of nitrogen oxide coming from power plant smokestacks in an effort to deal with the problems of pollution traveling long distances.

"We're really on the same track," Mary Nichols, assistant EPA administrator for air quality, said in an interview, referring to the petitions filed by the Northeast states.

But governors from the eight states said they want to keep the heat on the EPA to assure that it acts to force cuts in emissions from smokestacks of coal-burning power plants in Ohio and other Midwest states. The downwind states asking the EPA to take action are Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania.

"We're getting a significant amount of pollution from the Midwest because they're not complying with the Clean Air Act," said Massachusetts Gov. Paul Cellucci.

The issue of pollution traveling across state lines has been a source of contention between the two regions for years. Recently, a group of 37 states, after two years of study, concluded that drifting pollution that often travels hundreds of miles from state to state is a significant problem.

But states such as Ohio -- as well as Midwestern utilities -- have accused Northeast officials of overstating the effect of pollution from their region.

"We could shut down every power plant in Ohio and Northeastern states would still violate federal air quality standards," said Ohio Gov. George Voinovich. He maintained that computer modeling suggests that Ohio contributes less than 5 percent of the Northeast's smog problem.

The American Electric Power Corp., one of the major Midwest utilities, called the complaints a smoke screen that attempts to ignore the "millions of cars and trucks that clog their roads."

Nichols said the EPA plans to issue regulations in September directing states to curb their nitrogen oxide emissions by as much as 85 percent, with much of the reduction expected to come from power plants.

Environmental Watch

Upper Columbia steelhead are 'endangered'

Steelhead in the Upper Columbia River system are at risk of becoming extinct in the foreseeable future, federal officials said yesterday. To help the fish make a comeback, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is listing Upper Columbia steelhead as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

The listing affects inland rivers from the Canadian border south through Chelan, Wenatchee and down into Pasco. The Wenatchee, Okanogan and Columbia rivers are located in the affected area.

NMFS also has listed the Snake River Basin's steelhead population as threatened, which means they are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. The Snake River Basin includes drainages in Washington, Oregon and Idaho and encompasses the Grande Ronde and Salmon rivers.

The agency said the historic abundance of steelhead in the Upper Columbia has fallen from more than 5,000 returning adult fish to fewer than 1,400, while the abundance in the Snake River Basin has declined from more than 50,000 returning fish to fewer than 9,400.

NMFS has granted a six-month extension so scientists can have more time to decide how to list the Lower Columbia River's steelhead. Six-month extensions also have been granted for the Oregon Coast, the Klamath Mountains Province and the Northern California Coast.

The agency also has listed Southern California steelhead as endangered and two other California steelhead populations as threatened.

In the Upper Columbia River, it will be illegal for anyone to kill or harm a steelhead or damage steelhead habitat -- a development that could affect people who engage in timber harvesting, agricultural practices or sport or commercial fishing. Fishing that targets endangered steelhead, whether hatchery or wild, will no longer be allowed.

Ron Sims shifts his car to re-refined oil

SEATTLE -- Guess what kind of oil King County Executive Ron Sims uses in his car?

Sims let the world know yesterday that re-refined oil is now coursing through the engine of his personal automobile. He made the announcement as he proclaimed this week to be "Shift Gears -- Choose Re-refined Motor Oil Week."

Sims had his oil changed yesterday at Alki Auto Repair in West Seattle, where he told people about a King County promotion that encourages Puget Sound-area residents to give re-refined motor oil a try.

Now through Sept. 7, the King County Commission for Marketing Recyclable Materials is offering motorists the opportunity to try re-refined oil at any of 120 auto service shops and quick lubes in King County, as well as Everett and Tacoma. Consumers pay for the labor, filter and oil disposal and get the re-refined oil for free.

The oil is being provided by two manufacturers: 76 Lubricants Co. of Costa Mesa, Calif., and Safety-Kleen Corp. of Elgin, Ill. The three local oil distributors are Dennis Petroleum Co. Inc. of Everett, Don Small & Sons Oil Distribution Co. Inc. of Auburn and Lilyblad Petroleum Inc. of Tacoma.

The free trial offer is part of the Marketing Commission's "Shift Gears" Re-refined Oil Program, which is trying to encourage the purchase of re-refined oil in order to conserve oil resources.

The re-refining process removes additives, dirt and contaminants, leaving a pure base lubricating stock. New additives are then blended with the pure base stock to create a motor oil that meets car manufacturer warranties and American Petroleum Institute specifications.

According to the King County Commission for Marketing Recyclables, used oil can be re-refined because the base lubricating stock doesn't wear out or break down with use -- it just gets dirty.

To receive a free list of participating locations, call this number to hear a recorded message: (206) 296-0233. For more information on the "Shift Gears" program, call Jim Lindler at the Marketing Commission at (206) 296-4439.

An evening of sustainability

SEATTLE -- Ray Anderson and David Gottfried will give lectures on sustainability Wednesday night at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center at Pier 66 on Seattle's waterfront.

Anderson is chairman and CEO of Interface Inc. and co-chair of the President's Council for Sustainability. Gottfried is president of Gottfried Technology Inc. and founder of the U.S. Green Building Council.

The event is being sponsored by Bentley Mills, Interface Flooring Systems, Prince Street, Patcraft, CF Sales and Re:Source Landrys. A reception, lecture and discussion are scheduled for 5:30 to 8 p.m. Food and cocktails will be served from 8 to 10 p.m.

To make reservations, call (800) 423-4709, Ext. 3407.

Recycling construction waste

SEATTLE -- The Washington State Construction, Demolition and Landclearing (CDL) Council will meet from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday at King County Solid Waste, 400 Yesler Way, Second Floor, Room 250, Seattle.

The meeting is designed to bring members of the building industry together with government recycling coordinators, recycling haulers, processors and material end-users. The goal is to increase recycling of construction waste around the state.

The CDL Council is part of the Washington State Recycling Association. The Council meets every two months to discuss a specific topic, material or issue.

Speakers at this week's meeting will include: Lynne King of Sellen Construction Co.; Marilyn Skerbeck of Waste Management; John Yeasting of ReSourcing Associates; Elizabeth Daniel of Business & Industry Recycling Venture; and Theresa Koppang of King County Solid Waste.

To make reservations or receive more information, call Paige Sorensen of the Department of Ecology at (360) 407-6352, or send e-mail to: psor461@ecy.wa.gov.

Northwest Waste Information Expo '97

SEATTLE -- The Puget Sound Waste Information Network (WIN) is sponsoring Northwest Waste Information Expo '97 Sept. 17-18 at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall.

The event will feature a trade show of environmental products and services and educational seminars on a wide range of subjects, including basic hazardous waste management, updates on environmental regulations and considerations in choosing a vendor. Seminars also will focus on specific waste streams and the latest recycling and waste-reduction technologies. Training seminars will be available on environmental careers.

The information offered at the Expo is designed for a broad range of industrial and commercial businesses, including construction, marinas, photoprocessing, metal fabrication, dentistry, property management, printing and automotive services. Trade show exhibitors will display information on environmental products and services, as well as government-assistance programs.

This year's Expo also will feature networking roundtables so businesspeople can exchange their experiences in dealing with waste and environmental-compliance issues.

The Waste Information Expo will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 17 and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 18. Cost is $25 in advance and $35 at the door. To pre-register or receive more information, call the WIN Expo office at (206) 767-3271. You may request complimentary tickets to the WIN Environmental Achievement Awards Ceremony, which is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Sept. 17.

Environmental Watch

Shapiro & Associates may do stadium EIS

SEATTLE -- Paul Allen's Football Northwest has chosen Shapiro & Associates Inc. to do the environmental impact statement for the new Seahawks stadium.

Now everyone at Shapiro & Associates is hoping and praying the Public Stadium Authority (PSA) won't yank the job out from under them.

The seven members of the PSA, a board appointed last month to supervise the stadium operation, might decide to oversee the environmental review themselves. If so, they could choose to hire a different environmental consultant.

"The Public Stadium Authority needs to decide which way they're going to go with building the stadium," said Allen's spokeswoman Susan Pierson. "If Football Northwest gets to manage the project, then Shapiro & Associates will do the EIS. ... They're our first choice."

Pierson said Football Northwest chose Shapiro & Associates because of the company's "extensive experience." That experience includes the recent completion of the EIS for the Mariners stadium.

Shapiro's team of subconsultants includes:

• Community involvement -- Pacific Rim Resources;
• Transportation -- The Transpo Group, Entranco, Heffron Transportation and Transportation Solutions Inc.;
  
• Geotechnical -- Hart Crowser;
  
• Landscape architect -- Nakano-Dennis;
  
• Architects and planners -- Arai/Jackson;
  
• Public service and utilities -- KPFF Consulting Engineers;
  
• Economics -- Huckell/Weinman Associates Inc.;
  
• Permitting -- Rachel Ben-Shmuel.

Other firms chosen by Football Northwest to work on the stadium include: Turner Construction, general contractor/construction manager; Ellerbe Becket, lead architect in association with Loschky Marquardt & Nesholm; and Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire Inc., structural engineer.

Football Northwest introduced the consultant team to the Pioneer Square and International District communities at a reception last night.

Pierson said Football Northwest is hoping to complete the entire EIS process in six to eight months.

"We're on a pretty tight schedule if we're going to open by 2002," she said.

Tricipe V Trade Show & Conference

PASCO -- The fifth annual Tricipe Trade Show & Conference is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday at the Trade, Recreation and Agricultural Center (TRAC) in Pasco, in the backyard of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation.

The event will showcase some of the latest products and services in environmentally-related fields, including nuclear and hazardous waste management and cleanup, pollution monitoring, control and remediation, recycling, and workplace health and safety.

Speakers at the conference will describe various technologies needed at Hanford to deal with mixed waste, tanks and spent fuels. Norm Olson of Fluor Daniel will speak on the subject, "How to Do Technology Business with Project Hanford Management Company Contractors."

Over the past four years, the Tricipe Trade Show has attracted leading firms from around the world in the fields of environmental engineering, waste management, workplace safety, pollution monitoring, control and remediation.

To receive more information on Tricipe, call (541) 385-8964 or visit their web site.

'Climate Wise' partnership kicks off

SEATTLE -- The city of Seattle and Seattle City Light are trying to entice industrial facilities within city limits to participate in "Climate Wise," a program that kicks off today and is designed to reduce the city's greenhouse gas emissions.

So far, The Boeing Co., Holnam Cement and Preservative Paint Co. have signed up for the Climate Wise program. In exchange, those companies will get free energy and waste assessments, as well as the opportunity to share money-saving ideas with other businesses around the country.

The city and Seattle City Light received a $43,000 grant from the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives to administer the program. Climate Wise is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

The city itself is participating by upgrading HVAC systems and switching to more energy-efficient lighting in more than 15 city buildings, said Seattle City Light spokeswoman Sharon Bennett.

"We're also planning to replace 8,000 red lights in traffic signals with more efficient technologies," Bennett said. She said the city is expecting to save 3 million kilowatt hours a year by replacing the red lights.

"The technology to change out green and yellow lights has not been perfected yet," she added.

The contracts to do the electrical work in city buildings are being handled by two energy service companies: Abacus and Noresco. Those companies will subcontract out a certain percentage of the work, Bennett said. Some work already has been completed in the Arctic Building downtown and in the Seattle Center's Mercer Arena.

Industrial plant managers who want more information on the Climate Wise program should call (206) 684-3954.

Jones & Stokes announces new leadership

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Sacramento, Calif.-based Jones & Stokes Associates has announced several changes in its top leadership.

Curtis Spencer, president of Jones & Stokes since 1989, has been named chairman of the board. Spencer plans to retire from the firm in January 1998.

Albert I. Herson is the company's new president. A 17-year employee of Jones & Stokes, Herson has been a senior vice president since 1989 and had been managing principal for the past year. His background is in environmental law and planning.

"My goals are to grow the firm to make Jones & Stokes Associates the environmental consultants of first choice throughout the Western U.S., and to seek opportunities for new services, technologies and branch offices our clients need," Herson said in a release.

Other changes include:

• Senior Vice President Jordan Lang has been named managing principal. Lang will be in charge of the firm's consulting practice and day-to-day operations.

• Mike Rushton, also a senior vice president, will expand his roles in marketing and strategic client programs.

Jones & Stokes is an environmental planning and natural resource sciences firm with 250 employees. Its local offices are in Bellevue.

PEMA luncheon on ISO 14000

SEATTLE -- John Kinsella, vice president of SCS Engineers, will speak on ISO 14000 at this week's Professional Environmental Marketing Association luncheon.

Kinsella has more than 16 years experience in environmental management. During the past two years, he has worked extensively in ISO 14000 implementation, providing training and consultation to more than 45 companies.

ISO 14000 is a series of standards and guidelines to help businesses manage their environmental activities. The core of ISO 14000 is ISO 14001, the environmental management system standard.

The luncheon is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Latitude 47 restaurant on West Lake Union in Seattle. Cost is $20 for PEMA members and $30 for non-members. To register, call (206) 455-3680.

Environmental Watch

Babbitt promotes forest revival plan

UKIAH, Ore. -- Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt took a dusty bus tour of remote Blue Mountain sites as he touted a federal land plan to revive the more than 72 million acres east of the Cascades.

The Eastern Oregon sites he visited Thursday are considered testing ground for some of the methods recommended in the plan.

Now in draft form, the plan is aimed at reviving the forests of the Columbia River Basin and calls for cooperation from resource industries and environmentalists. It's the result of a four-year effort involving more than 300 scientists and $30 million in tax dollars. If successful, it would provide a forest management blueprint for regional officials of the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.

Standing in the ashes of forest-fire-scorched pines, Babbitt said Thursday that a "remarkable scientific consensus" exists on how to revive the forests.

"The real issue now is not a scientific issue," Babbitt said. "It's a social issue. It's a political issue that must be faced.

"This may be the most important thing we've done (for these forests) in the past half century and sets the stage for the 21st century."

The plan calls for an activist approach that would include:

• Trying to ease fire damage by machine or chain-saw thinning, and intentionally burning crowded, diseased forests;

• Improving salmon streams by adding logs to create rearing pools; and

• Using herbicides to beat back the rapid spread of noxious weeds.

The plan has faced criticism from some resource industry groups, who fear it is a wasteful effort by big government that will lock up forests from logging.

It also has faced sharp attacks from conservation groups, who agree with the science but say the policy doesn't do enough to restrict grazing, logging and other resource activities that the government's studies suggest are damaging the lands.

Babbitt on Thursday took a swipe at critics on both sides.

He said there was no going back to past management that pumped up timber production by logging the big trees. But he also rejected those environmental groups who say nature works best if you "just walk away and leave it alone. That doesn't really work."

Babbitt's tour was organized by a coalition of Columbia Basin counties -- a key conservative constituency of mostly rural-area commissioners who largely have supported the planning effort.

That support will continue to be crucial when the Clinton administration tries to convince a skeptical Republican Congress to fund the plan.

Clinton, Gore briefed on global warming

PORTLAND -- An Oregon State University marine ecologist briefed President Clinton last Thursday on the steps that need to be taken quickly to reduce the potentially catastrophic effects of global warming.

Jane Lubchenco took Clinton and Vice President Al Gore on what she called a "virtual field trip" to ecosystems throughout the United States to emphasize what a warmer climate would mean in the next few decades.

She said all of Vermont's colorful sugar maple trees would be gone, one-third of Florida's Everglades would be lost, and all of Glacier National Park's glaciers would vanish by 2030 if warming occurs as projected by computer models.

Lubchenco and six other prominent scientists met at the White House with Clinton and Gore as they prepare for a national conference on global warming in October in Washington, D.C., and a December climate summit conference in Kyoto, Japan, at which participating nations will agree on steps to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

Forest Service accused of diverting funds

PORTLAND -- An Oregon environmental group has filed two lawsuits and plans a third accusing the U.S. Forest Service of illegally diverting millions of dollars from tree planting and wildlife habitat restoration.

The group, called Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics, says the money was instead spent on administrative overhead, such as rent, phone bills and managers' salaries.

The Eugene, Ore.-based organization claims the Forest Service diverts about $73 million a year from funds collected under the Knutson-Vandenberg Act, which allows the government to charge a premium on timber to pay for restoring and repairing logged-over land.

"That premium is over and above the price of the timber," said Bob Dale, spokesman for the environmental group. The nonprofit organization claims about 10,000 members, roughly 10 percent of whom are active, retired or former Forest Service employees.

The Forest Service now spends an average of about 36 cents of every dollar on overhead, Dale said, with one national forest in Georgia spending 72 cents of each dollar on overhead.

The result, he said, is that many reforestation and restoration projects go unfunded.

Alan Polk, a Forest Service spokesman in Washington, D.C., said he could not comment until officials had reviewed the lawsuits.

While the group said abuses are widespread, its lawsuits specifically target Minnesota's Superior National Forest, Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest and California's Stanislaus National Forest.

The lawsuits against the forests in Tennessee and California had been filed by Thursday, but the complaint against the Minnesota forest likely would be delayed until Monday, said Adam Berger, a lawyer for Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund in Seattle.

The group, which formally changes its name from the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund on Aug. 1, represents the Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics.

Children exposed to lead through dust, soil

CATALDO, Idaho -- Dust, yard soil and old paint are apparently the ways children outside the Bunker Hill Superfund site are contaminated by lead in the Coeur d'Alene River Basin, a new study suggests.

The basin health study was conducted by the state Department of Health and Welfare under a grant from the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.

Information from blood and urine tests taken last summer was released earlier this year. Results of the survey of yard soil and dust were released last week.

Now analysts will look at all the results and see whether there's a direct relationship between contaminated household environments and high lead or cadmium levels in residents.

Panhandle Health District officials hope residents whose children have not been part of the survey will have their childrens' blood tested this week.

Lead poisoning in children can cause brain damage and other health problems.

"We had a real good solid environmental sampling, but some people said, 'Show me the problem before I put my kids through this,"' said Jerry Cobb of the health district.

Only 47 of 231 children counted by researchers had their blood tested last summer. Of those, seven children, or 15 percent, had elevated blood levels.

Information in Environment Watch comes from DJC staff and wire services.

Environmental Watch

Composting plant to be fined for odors

MAPLE VALLEY -- Cedar Grove Composting Inc. is about to be hit with heavy fines because of odor problems at its Maple Valley composting plant.

Neal J. Shulman, manager of inspections for the Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency (PSAPCA), said the penalties to be meted out next Monday "will be substantial in nature." He declined to reveal the amount of the fines.

Officials with Cedar Grove Composting say the penalties could result in a crisis in residential yard-waste recycling in King and Snohomish counties, where Cedar Grove recycles yard wastes for more than 400,000 homes.

Cedar Grove began operating in Maple Valley in 1989. In the past two years, the company has invested $4 million in new technologies to control odors.

However, the composting plant became plagued with odor problems while recycling grass clippings in May and June. PSAPCA received numerous complaints from residents during that time, Shulman said.

Shulman acknowledged that Cedar Grove officials have worked cooperatively with PSAPCA and have invested a great deal of money in technology improvements.

"Unfortunately, they have not been successful," he said.

PSAPCA wrote a letter to the Seattle-King County Department of Public Health last week, informing the health department about the odor violations. The health department also may issue penalties to Cedar Grove.

Health department officials could not be reached for comment Monday afternoon.

Cedar Grove President Steve Banchero said he believes the odor problems at his composting plant can be solved without drastic action by regulators.

"It would be tragic if we were not given the opportunity to solve this problem in the short-term because local regulators feel hard-pressed to take punitive action," Banchero said. "The possibility exists that we could be forced to shut down."

Ecology fines Crystal Ocean Seafood $180,000

BURLINGTON -- The state Department of Ecology slapped Crystal Ocean Seafood Inc. with a $180,000 fine last week for allegedly dumping fish-processing wastewater directly onto the ground in Skagit County.

This isn't the first time Crystal Ocean Seafood has had run-ins with Ecology over wastewater-permit violations. Ecology fined the seafood-processing plant $12,000 in October 1996 and $9,000 in May 1995 for similar problems.

The company also has paid $25,750 in fines for 23 penalties from the Northwest Air Pollution Control Authority for odor violations from March 1995 to September 1996.

This time, Ecology says the company dumped more than 200 truckloads of high-strength wastewater from surimi production onto fields outside Burlington.

The wastewater was supposed to be pre-treated and trucked to the city of Bellingham's wastewater treatment plant.

Ken White, a water quality enforcement specialist with Ecology, said Ecology has no qualms about issuing the hefty $180,000 fine to Crystal Ocean Seafoods.

"This is the largest penalty I've ever heard of," White said. "But they knew the rules. They knew what they were expected to do. And they still dumped (wastewater) on farmers' land."

Crystal Ocean Seafood officials could not be reached for comment Monday. Ecology says the company has relocated its operations from Burlington to Astoria, Ore.

$127 million for fish and wildlife projects

PORTLAND -- The Bonneville Power Administration will spend $127 million on a variety of fish and wildlife projects in the Columbia River Basin during the 1998 fiscal year.

The recovery projects have been proposed by the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority, an association of the region's state, federal and tribal fish and wildlife managers. The projects are to be critiqued today by a panel of 11 independent scientists.

The scientists' review triggers a public-comment period that will run through August. In September, the Northwest Power Planning Council will make its recommendations to Bonneville on which projects to fund in the coming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1. Bonneville then will select project contractors and negotiate contracts and budgets to perform the work.

Bonneville, the federal agency that sells electricity generated by federal dams in the Columbia River Basin, is required by law to protect, mitigate and enhance fish and wildlife affected by the dams.

To review the recommended projects, visit the following Web site: http://www.nwppc.org/fwselect.htm

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.

Information in Environment Watch comes from DJC staff and wire services.

Environmental Watch

Recycling group sets agenda

At their retreat last week, the board of directors for the Washington State Recycling Association established plans for the upcoming year. The plans include:

n a series of workshops and regional meetings focusing on topics such as C&D recycling, flow control, proposed solid waste permit rule changes, and pending legislative activity.

• an expansion of services for providing information to rural members.

• improvements in the annual spring conference.

• a survey to members to determine additional services and policy directions that they would like the association to provide.

New officers were also elected. They are president, Rick Hlavka, a consultant with Green Solutions; vice president, Don Frey, Puget Sound Truck Lines; treasurer, Don Kneass, NAPCOR; secretary, Susan Robinson, Browning-Ferris Industries; and assistant secretary, Tim Hanley, Boeing.

Free-bike program gets rolling in Spokane

SPOKANE (AP) -- Weary from walking around downtown in the Lilac City? Help yourself to a lilac-colored bicycle.

Spokane recently began a new borrow-a-bike program. Organizers rode 50 donated bikes from Mission Park and distributed them throughout downtown.

Residents and visitors can use the bikes in the downtown area, then leave them on a sidewalk or in some other public place for the next riders.

"If you're downtown, you see a purple bike and you need to go somewhere, use it," said Gerald Schuldt of the Lilac Community Bicycle Group, which organized the program.

Use of the bikes is free. Organizers assume that people won't steal the donated two-wheelers.

The program is modeled after one in Portland, where some 800 bikes are available for getting about town.

Columbia Gorge Commission budget slashed

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- The House approved a reduced budget last week for the Columbia River Gorge Commission that diverts a large part of its funds to counties.

The commission basically is the planning agency for the Columbia River National Scenic Area created by Congress in 1986.

The Oregon budget measure, sent to the Senate on a 32-16 vote, is in line with Washington state lawmakers' action on the budget for the two-state agency.

The Oregon budget bill would reduce the commission's total $550,000 budget by 21 percent.

But the cut in operating funds proportionately is much bigger because the three Oregon counties in the scenic areas each would receive $80,000 from the commission to take over enforcement of planning ordinances.

The commission would just handle appeals from county decisions.

The agency might get an additional $75,000. That amount is set aside for release if Washington Gov. Gary Locke gives the commission $75,000 from his emergency fund as he has pledged.

Critics of the budget bill said it's lacking.

"The Gorge is one of the true treasures and needs adequate protection," said Rep. Chris Beck, D-Portland. "This doesn't get us there."

Browning-Ferris begins selling operations

HOUSTON (Dow Jones News) -- Browning-Ferris Industries Inc. said Monday it completed the initial phase of its planned divestitures by selling several businesses with combined annual revenue of more than $450 million.

Terms weren't disclosed, but the waste services company said all the sales were in cash.

Browning-Ferris, of Houston, said the divested units included all of its Italian operations, a non-core business in the Netherlands, a joint venture in the United Kingdom and operating units in selected North American markets.

Annual revenue for the divested European operations were about $190 million, including about $130 million from industrial and municipal waste processing and disposal operations in Italy. The operations were sold to an unidentified group of investors.

The company said the initial phase of its North American divestiture program, which represents $260 million in revenue, resulted in the sale of 64 operating locations.

Future divestitures, with revenue of more than $230 million from North American and overseas operations, are expected to be completed in the next six to nine months, Browning-Ferris said.

Environmental Watch

Extension offered to Idaho mining companies

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho -- Silver Valley mining companies will get more time to produce voluminous records demanded by the federal government in a huge environmental lawsuit, according to U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho.

Thursday had been the deadline for dozens of mining operations to submit records of their activities dating back to 1880.

Craig said Thursday that companies can receive a temporary reprieve. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said such extensions have always been available on a case-by-case basis.

The EPA sent letters to 70 mining companies June 5 asking for all records of their work in the Silver Valley since the 1880s.

The Department of Justice wants to use the information to determine which firms to add to a $600 million federal court lawsuit filed last year against four large mining companies.

The money is to be used to clean up the Coeur d'Alene River basin.

Large mining companies received the demand for information, but so did many mom-and-pop-scale operations that said producing the documents would be a hardship. Bill Brooks, a Justice Department spokesman, said at least two companies have been granted an extension.

Electric utilities and the environment

SEATTLE -- Lynn Best, environmental and safety director for Seattle City Light, will speak on "Electric Utilities and the Environment: Future Challenges and Opportunities" at the next Professional Environmental Marketing Association luncheon.

Because electric utilities are grappling with increased competition, they have strong incentives to cut costs. At the same time, Best says hydro-dependent utilities such as Seattle City Light are relicensing most of their dams, usually with high expectations from agencies, tribes and environmental groups that environmental problems will be addressed.

At next week's luncheon, Best will describe Seattle City Light's dam-relicensing and mitigation activities and discuss future work opportunities for environmental consultants.

The luncheon is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 9 at the Latitude 47 restaurant, 1232 Westlake, Seattle. The cost is $20 for PEMA members and $30 for non-members. To make reservations, call (206) 455-3680.

Havelock is certified environmental trainer

KENT -- Jon A. Havelock has been named a certified environmental trainer by the National Environmental Training Association. His area of specialization is management and transportation of hazardous materials and waste.

Havelock also is a certified hazardous materials manager. To receive both certifications, Havelock had to undergo rigorous testing and demonstrate extensive experience in the field.

Havelock is vice president of the Professional Environmental Marketing Association. He heads up Havelock Environmental Inc., a Kent environmental consulting and training firm. He also is the environmental program manager for Med-Tox Northwest in Kent.

Hearings on surface water quality

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology will have two public hearings on proposed modifications to Washington's surface water quality standards.

The hearings are scheduled as follows: 7 to 9 p.m. July 8, Department of Ecology headquarters, 300 Desmond Drive, Lacey; 7 to 9 p.m. July 10, Spokane County Health Building, 1101 College Ave., Room 140, Spokane.

Ecology reviews surface water quality standards at least once every three years. The proposed modifications would affect the following areas: nutrient criteria for lakes plagued with algae blooms; levels of dissolved metals and toxic substances such as copper, ammonia and cyanide; turbidity caused by construction work; dissolved gas at fish-passage areas of dams; the official definition of "wetlands"; and other language clarifications.

To receive more information on the proposed changes, call Eric Schlorff at Ecology at (360) 407-6478. Written comments on the modifications must be submitted by July 18 to: Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504.

Columbia Slough fish are dangerous to eat

PORTLAND -- Portland environmental officials have posted warnings in six languages that fish from the Columbia Slough are dangerous to eat.

Studies show slough fish are contaminated with PCBs and other chemicals that can cause cancer. The signs in English, Spanish, Russian, Vietnamese, Laotian and Cambodian are posted in 17 locations.

The slough is a slow-moving waterway that parallels the Columbia River for about 18 miles. Years of industrial discharges, sewer overflow and stormwater runoff have polluted the water and sediment.

Portland Environmental Services Director Dean Marriott said many minority and immigrant communities rely on the fish as a food source.

Johnson returns to SJO Consulting

PORTLAND -- After spending 10 years in the landfill business, Bryan M. Johnson has returned to Portland-based SJO Consulting Engineers Inc. as a senior environmental and wastewater engineer.

Johnson is one of the original founders of the 26-year-old consulting engineering firm. He has more than 30 years experience in civil, sanitary, environmental, hydraulic and water-resources engineering. In his new position, Johnson will pursue business development for SJO.

He left consulting engineering in 1987 to help start Finley Buttes Landfill Co. and Columbia Resource Co. in Oregon and Vancouver, Wash. While with those companies, Johnson was involved in permitting, design and construction of transfer stations and a landfill in Oregon.

A multi-disciplined consulting engineering firm, SJO has one office in Portland with about 25 employees.

Experimental hatchery on Yakima River

CLE ELUM -- After years of study and debate, an experimental hatchery designed to improve wild salmon runs on the Yakima River is open.

When it reaches full operation next year, the 15-acre hatchery will produce 800,000 baby salmon that will be planted in three locations.

The plan is for these fish to home in on those locations, rather than the hatchery, when they return to lay the eggs that will be the next generation.

The Yakama Indian Nation operates the hatchery, along with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. The Northwest Power Planning Council is funding the $20 million experimental hatchery as part of a $70 million project to restore Yakima River salmon runs.

The Yakima project is an alternative to the meat factories that hatcheries have been traditionally, council spokesman John Harrison said.

It will be a decade before the experiment can be fairly evaluated.

Information in Environment Watch comes from DJC staff and wire services.

Environmental Watch

AGRA joins water infrastructure alliance

ONTARIO -- AGRA Inc., an engineering and construction firm based in Ontario, Canada, has joined forces with two international firms in an alliance that will finance, develop and operate water and wastewater infrastructure and utility services.

To be known as Allied Water, the alliance includes AGRA and AmericanAnglian. AmericanAnglian is a joint venture between American Water Works Co. Inc., a U.S. water utility, and Anglian Water PLC, a major British water and sewerage company.

Allied Water will be based in Voorhees, N.J. It will draw on the resources of its parent companies to pursue projects in Atlantic Canada, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia.

Allied Water plans to provide water- and wastewater-treatment infrastructure and utility management for cities across Canada. It will work with municipalities and engineering and construction firms to design, build and operate new and upgraded treatment systems.

In 1996, Allied Water's three parent companies reported the following revenues (figures are in U.S. dollars): AGRA, $639.9 million; American Water Works Co., $895 million; and Anglian Water, $1.34 billion.

Waste Management sells French operations

LONDON - Waste Management International PLC said Monday it sold its remaining operations in France to Societe Industrielle de Transports Automobiles, or Sita SA, for 270 million francs, or $193.5 million.

Waste Management said it will receive cash and notes to be paid over five years. It will retain a 50 percent stake in Auxiwaste Services, which operates a materials recovery plant in central France.

The French operations provide waste management services to customers primarily in the Paris region, the company said.

Waste Management, based in London, is an affiliated company of WMX Technologies Inc., the largest garbage hauling company in the United States.

Parametrix is ESOP company of the year

SUMNER -- Parametrix was recently named Northwest ESOP Company of the Year by the Northwest Chapter of The ESOP Association, a national association of companies with employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).

Parametrix also received an Annual Award for Communications Excellence from The ESOP Association.

Founded in 1969, Parametrix employs more than 200 people in six offices in Washington, Oregon and Texas. The environmental engineering firm's ESOP was formed in 1992 and currently owns 32 percent of the firm.

Parametrix formed a nine-member ESOP Committee in 1993 to educate employee owners about the benefits of the ESOP and address employees' concerns.

Since becoming an ESOP, Parametrix's stock value increased by 30 percent, and the ESOP paid off its first loan ahead of schedule.

Topazio joins Geraghty & Miller

REDMOND -- Ronald E. Topazio has joined the Redmond office of Geraghty & Miller Inc. as regional manager for the Pacific Northwest. He will oversee the operations of the firm's Redmond and Portland offices.

Topazio has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in environmental engineering. He is a registered professional engineer in Washington, Oregon, California and Connecticut. Throughout his 30-year career, he has worked with industrial clients and local, state and federal agencies around the United States.

Geraghty & Miller's parent firm is Netherlands-based Heidemij NV, whose 6,000 employees work in 200 offices in 100 different countries. Heidemij's revenues reached $645.4 million in 1996.

Environmental conference on the Internet

Environment97, the first environmental conference to take place entirely on the Internet, is scheduled for Nov. 3-14.

The international conference will open a dialogue between engineers, scientists and the general public on environmental issues. And, because attendees won't contribute to smog problems by traveling anywhere, this is one environmental conference that will not damage the environment.

The conference will feature:

• 150 technical and general papers, with discussion groups for each keynote paper;

• downloadable images of bad environmental practices;

• a life-cycle assessment comparing the environmental impacts of an Internet conference with the impacts of a real conference;

• and a chat bar for colleagues from all over the world.

Conference delegates will be able to hear audio interviews of 10 environmental experts and industrialists, who will share their views on future developments in environmental protection. The interviews will be broadcast daily during the conference. Text versions of the interviews also will be available.

Matson has environmental affairs director

SAN FRANCISCO -- Paul A. Londynsky has been named to the newly-created position of director of environmental affairs for Matson Navigation Co., a shipping line which operates in Hawaii and Guam and along the Pacific Coast of the United States.

A Port of Seattle tenant for more than 90 years, Matson operates from Terminal 25 on the east side of Elliott Bay's east waterway.

Londynsky will be based in Matson's San Francisco office. He will have corporate-wide responsibility for organizing, planning, developing and directing Matson's environmental affairs programs. He also will conduct internal audits of company operations to ensure that Matson complies with environmental laws and regulations.

Matson currently has a "zero solid waste discharge" policy that was designed with the help of the Center for Marine Conservation.

Londynsky is an attorney and a graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. He is a merchant marine veteran of the Gulf War and has the rank of commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

Matson Navigation Co. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin Inc. of Honolulu.

Police cars converted to natural gas

SEATTLE -- The King County Department of Transportation has received a $200,000 grant from the state of Washington to convert 50 county police cars from gasoline operation to compressed natural gas/gasoline operation.

The conversion project is expected to save the county almost $44,000 a year in fuel costs. That's because compressed natural gas is cheaper than gasoline -- about 57 cents for the energy equivalent of one gallon of gas.

The converted police cars will operate on both compressed natural gas and gasoline. The cars can operate on the more efficient compressed natural gas during normal driving conditions, but can be switched to gasoline operation when higher performance is needed.

Conversion to dual fuels reduces gasoline consumption by 40 percent per vehicle per year, the county says. The police cars to be converted will be used in the Renton-Maple Valley area.