Environmental Watch

Seattle gets brownfield grant

WASHINGTON -- The Economic Development Administration will give the city of Seattle a grant of $100,000 for its Community and Brownfield Redevelopment Project.

The grant is part of a nationwide effort to reclaim properties idled by contamination. The monies are used for cleanup, construction and marketing of designated areas.

Commencement BayKeeper launched

TACOMA -- Citizens for a Healthy Bay, a Tacoma citizens' group dedicated to maintaining the environmental quality of Commencement Bay, has teamed with Puget Soundkeeper Alliance to create the Baykeeper program.

Now Commencement BayKeeper Karen Dinicola will provide an on-the-water presence to educate waterfront users about pollution prevention, to identify sources of pollution, and to help protect the $300 million investment (so far) in cleanup of the bay.

Dinicola has a master's degree in environmental and water resources engineering from the University of Texas, and has worked six years as a hydrogeologist for the U.S. Geological Survey.

Under a cooperative agreement with other keeper programs on Puget Sound, Dinicola will police not only Commencement Bay, but all of the South Sound between the Nisqually River watershed and Vashon Island.

It's National Pollution Prevention Week

SEATTLE -- The Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center, in Seattle, is calling attention to the fact that this week is National Pollution Prevention Week -- and offering help to anyone wanting information about pollution prevention.

Known as "P2," pollution prevention is the concept of reducing pollution of the source, rather than cleaning it up later.

For more information about pollution prevention, contact the PPRC at (206) 223-1151 or see their Web site.

Tanker company gets safety award

OLYMPIA -- SeaRiver Maritime, an affiliate of Exxon Corp., yesterday received an Ecopro award from the state Department of Ecology. The award, part of the Exceptional Compliance Program, recognizes SeaRiver's record of meeting or exceeding all 31 of Ecology's tanker safety standards.

According to Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons, SeaRiver tankers in Washington waters are "operating at the highest level of maritime safety in the world today."

SeaRiver operates tankers, towboats and barges on the West Coast on behalf of Exxon. The company has offices in Bellevue and Benicia, Calif. Its local agent is Transmarine Navigation Corp., in Seattle.

Pacific Habitat Services promotion

WILSONVILLE, Ore. -- Patricia Farrell, a wetlands biologist and landscape architect with Pacific Habitat Services, has been promoted to associate.

Farrell is helping the cities of Albany, Waldport and Sweet Home in meeting their state planning requirements. She also is working on several vegetation inventories and restoration plans for the Port of Portland; is assisting with permitting for NW Natural natural-gas pipelines; and is working with the city of Molalla in planning a pedestrian path and interpretive stations along Bear Creek.

Study up on stormwater

VANCOUVER -- Clark County Community Development has issued a draft of its proposed revisions to erosion and stormwater control regulations. The draft can be seen on the county's Web site, http://www.co.clark.wa.us, or visit the Community Development Department at 1408 Franklin St. To request that a copy be mailed to you, call (360) 397-2375, ext. 4559. The department also is holding a series of public open houses this week to discuss the draft. Call the number above for more information.

Spokane's aquifer is OK -- for now

SPOKANE (AP) -- Tests of drinking water from the Spokane-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer found no unsafe levels of pollutants, state and local officials say.

But keeping the aquifer pure will require vigilance, including efforts by individuals to ensure chemicals and household products are disposed of properly, officials said Wednesday at a news conference.

"There's nothing more important than clean, safe drinking water. Don't take it for granted; it takes lots of work," said Greg Grunenfelder, director of the state Department of Health's drinking water division.

The aquifer, which straddles the Washington-Idaho border, is the sole source of drinking water in the Spokane-Coeur d'Alene metropolitan area.

Recently conducted tests detected some trace levels of pollutants. They include pesticides from agriculture and gardens, nitrates from fertilizers and septic tanks, and copper and lead leaching from old plumbing systems.

However, nitrate levels in the aquifer have declined recently, apparently because of the addition of new sewer lines to portions of the suburban Spokane Valley, said Ty Wick, president of the Spokane Aquifer Joint Board, a new organization of local water districts and industrial water users.

Chum find pals in volunteers

ELDON, Wash (AP) -- Volunteers are wading in with state and federal biologists to help restore endangered summer chum to the Hamma Hamma River, which empties into Hood Canal here.

Numbers of Hood Canal summer chum, a distinct stock that returns to the river before the more abundant fall chum, have been on the decline for years. But their listing under the Endangered Species Act in March has prompted biologists to step up their efforts to restore the fish.

The Hamma Hamma project, now in its third year, is a joint effort by two nonprofit organizations: Long Live the Kings and the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group.

Volunteers like Maureen Walker play an essential part.

Waist-deep in the river last week, she helped a team of biologists corral an assortment of fish together, then lugged a net bulging with trout, Chinook salmon, pink salmon and summer chum to the riverbank.

"The nets are heavy, but the work is fun," said Walker, who recently moved to Bremerton from California.

"I'm environmentally concerned, and I thought this was something I could do to help," she said, carefully avoiding the shallows where some salmon already had laid their eggs.

Once they beached the nets, participants separated the chum -- some of them three feet in length -- and placed them in plastic tubes to be spawned by hand.

Eggs from each female are split into two batches, each fertilized by a different male, whose milt also is divided. Batches also are placed into separate incubators as a further safety measure.

"We're doing as much as possible to spread out the genetics," said Rick Endicott, manager for Long Live the Kings.

Biologists later would place the fertilized eggs into small incubators alongside Johns Creek, a tributary of the Hamma Hamma. After hatching, the chum will begin their three-to-five-year odyssey out into the Pacific Ocean before they return.

Summer chum are being captured on a six-week schedule that coincides with natural returns to the river. As more fish are taken each week through September, more volunteers will be needed, said Adam Couto, research coordinator for the Kings group.

Environmental Watch

Hearing tonight on Maury Island mine

VASHON ISLAND -- King County will hold a public hearing tonight on Lone Star Northwest's proposal to stripmine gravel from Maury Island, which adjoins the south part of Vashon. The controversial proposal is expected to attract a large number of people, so the hearing is to be held in the Chautauqua Elementary School meeting rooms, which can hold 1,000. The school is located at 9309 S.W. Cemetery Rd.

Opponents of the project have criticized its size and scope, and they have also faulted the draft environmental impact statement prepared by Jones & Stokes.

Senate to vote on forest survey funds

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate was to vote today on a proposal to cut $33.6 million from the Forest Service timber and roads budget to help complete surveys of rare plants and animals in the Pacific Northwest.

The proposal by Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., also requires the Forest Service to finish a plan for carrying out the surveys by mid-February -- nearly four months sooner than the agency planned.

The Forest Service's failure to adequately conduct surveys for 77 rare species prompted U.S. District Judge William Dwyer of Seattle to put 217 million board feet of timber sales on hold last month -- an amount equal to one-fourth of the total annual harvest allowed under the Northwest Forest Plan.

Wyden said Forest Service officials told his staff they need about $10 million to get the surveys on track and to help develop methods for finding some of the obscure organisms.

In addition, he said placing a stringent timetable on completing the surveys will help the environment and timber workers.

But Northwest Republicans oppose the plan, saying that cuts to the Forest Service's logging fund would further damage a timber industry that has already been curtailed by environmental protections on federal land.

Bryan and Wyden are trying to amend their proposal to a $14.1 billion interior appropriations bill pending on the Senate floor.

They would cut the Forest Service fund for preparing timber sales by $32 million and reduce funding for new road construction by $1.6 million.

The Senate last week amended the Interior bill with a proposal by Craig and Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash., that allows the agencies to meet the survey requirements next year with existing data rather than through new research.

Environmentalists want House conferees or the Clinton administration to reject the Craig-Gorton amendment, saying it would encourage the Forest Service to skip the surveys in an effort to boost logging.

Hart Crowser expands Portland office

SEATTLE -- Hart Crowser, an environmental consulting and remediation design firm based here, is expanding its Portland sediment services group with the transfer there of Todd M. Thornburg. Thornburg is a senior associate with the firm, with a decade of experience in environmental consulting. He will concentrate on issues of contaminated sediments and dredging in the Willamette and Columbia rivers.

Agra sees growth in California

SAN DIEGO -- Agra Earth & Environmental plans to expand its business throughout Southern California. Toward that end the firm has hired William Clevenger as program manager for business development in AGRA's San Diego office.

Clevenger has consulted on commercial and residential developments, public works projects, industrial facilities, utilities, earth embankments, retention systems, natural resource developments and transportation projects. He is a licensed geologist.

'Impaired waters' list gets EPA approval

SEATTLE -- The Washington state Department of Ecology has obtained qualified approval from the federal Environmental Protection Agency for its 1998 list of polluted water bodies in the state. Required under Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act, the list must be prepared every two years. However, in this case the EPA believes 130 other waterways need to be added to Washington's list. Most of them are affected by contaminated sediments.

For listed waters the state must establish a total maximum daily load, or TMDL, of pollutants. This entails an analysis of how much of a given pollutant can be discharged to a water body, and still have it remain clean enough for beneficial uses.

Names of the 130 waterways on the list can be obtained by calling Bella Patheal at (206) 553-1256 or by visiting the EPA's Web site, http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/offices/water/ow.htm.

The public is invited to comment on the list. Comments should be sent by Oct. 15 to EPA Region 10, Office of Water, Water Quality Unit, 1200 Sixth Ave., Seattle, WA 98101. ATTN: Bella Patheal. She will also accept faxed comments at (206) 553-8293.

Groups oppose logging pact

SEATTLE -- A gaggle of conservation groups today will release a report on the environmental damage they say could result from the "global free-logging agreement" supported by the World Trade Organization. The groups have scheduled a news conference today to release the report and to call on the Clinton Administration to withdraw its support for the agreement.

The report, entitled "Our Forests at Risk: The World Trade Organization's Threat to Forest Protection," was written by Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund and Northwest Ecosystem Alliance, with assistance from American Lands Alliance, Asia-Pacific Environmental Exchange, International Forum on Globalization, Pacific Crest Biodiversity Project, and Pacifica Environment and Resource Center.

Tillamook methane project needs developer

TILLAMOOK, Ore. -- The Port of Tillamook Bay is seeking an owner/developer/operator for its Methane Energy and Agriculture Development (MEAD) project. The goal is to convert animal manure and food processing waste into organic soil amendments, biogas for energy and treated liquid nutrient for farm irrigation. The project is open to private investment to design, finance, build, operate and maintain the facility.

Responses to the RFP are due Nov. 1. For more information, contact Janet Farstad, Project Administrator, Port of Tillamook Bay, 4000 Blimp Blvd., Tillamook, OR 97141. Telephone (503) 842-2413, ext. 113.

Solid information on concrete

SKOKIE, Ill. -- The Environmental Council of Concrete Organizations, an industry group, has produced a CD-ROM packed with more than 1,200 abstracts of technical reports, articles and other resources pertaining to concrete and the environment. Called the ECCO Reverence Library, the CD-ROM is based on a FileMaker Pro database. The disk is available from ECCO, 5420 Old Orchard Rd., Skokie, IL 60077. Access is available online at http://www.ecco.org.

Newaukum Creek gets help

FEDERAL WAY -- A salmon habitat restoration project gets underway today in Newaukum Creek, near Enumclaw. Mid-Sound Fisheries Enhancement will be installing 13 engineered logs made by ELWd Systems, of Federal Way.

Known as engineered large woody debris, the structures will improve in-stream habitat for salmon. Mid Sound Fisheries will supervise installation, which will be performed by a King County Jobs for the Environment crew.

The location is just north of state Route 164 on 236th.

Environmental Watch

Parametrix expands biology staff

KIRKLAND -- Parametrix has added Ann Garrett and Eric Greene to its Kirkland office and Lynda Wannamaker Odette to its Portland office.

Garrett is a fish biologist with Endangered Species Act and Pacific salmon experience. She holds a master's degree in environmental studies from Evergreen State College, and is currently working on a fishery management plan for a recreation area and a biological assessment for a bridge replacement project.

Greene is a wildlife biologist with over nine years of experience. He holds a master's degree in wildlife science from Oregon State University and is currently working on four biological assessments related to the ESA listing of salmon.

Wannamaker Odette is a senior environmental planner with over 17 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. Her expertise lies in land use planning, growth management, public involvement, feasibility analysis, master planning, preparing Washington state and federal environmental documents, project siting, and strategic planning and issue resolution.

Workshop uncovers Lake critters

SEATTLE -- King County's Department of Natural Resources is holding a Sept. 18 workshop covering the world of aquatic creatures in local lakes. The free event will feature hands-on information stations so that visitors can learn about the critters they may see in their lakes, including amphibians, fish, zooplankton, phytoplankton and invertebrates.

The workshop is part of the Lake Stewardship Program offered by the department's Water and Land Resources Division. Under the program, county staff work with lakeside residents at 45 different lakes to promote watershed stewardship. The Sept. 18 workshop is one of four held each year. For more information, contact Debra Bouchard at (206) 296-1989.

Conference delves into salmon issue

SEATTLE -- "Salmon at the Crossroads," a conference exploring the ramifications of the recent salmon listings under the Endangered Species Act, is being held Sept. 16-17 at Cavanaugh's Inn on Fifth Avenue in Seattle.

The first day of the conference will include an overview of salmon listings and several presentations on the ESA, water quality, land use and agriculture issues. There also will be panel discussions and a question-and-answer session. The second day will feature more panel discussions, plus several environmental case studies.

Tuition is $595. Special rates are offered for government workers ($515) and students ($397.50). The program has been approved by the state Bar Association for 11.25 hours of general CLE credits. For more information, contact Law Seminars International at (206) 463-4400.

An eco-friendly idea for fundraisers

SEATTLE -- The Puget Sound Car Wash Association has teamed up with local cities and counties to offer an environmentally-safe alternative to charitable car washes.

Instead of washing cars in parking lots -- which moves contaminates off the cars and into local waterways -- the association is offering nonprofits and schools car wash tickets for commercial car washes. Organizations can get the tickets from the association for $3 and resell them for $6. The tickets are redeemable at over 50 Puget Sound tunnel car wash locations.

So far, over 100 charities have used the program. For more information, contact the association at (800) 509-9274.

Everett neighborhood becoming arsenic free

EVERETT -- Clean topsoil and new landscaping were installed last week at homes in northeast Everett where the state Department of Ecology has removed arsenic-contaminated soil.

"We have cleaned the yards that have the highest levels of arsenic," said Ecology's Tim Nord, who oversees the project. "People who live in those homes no longer have to change their daily routines to protect themselves."

So far, Ecology's contractors have removed over 3,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil -- enough to cover a football 22 inches deep. The contractors also have installed 22,600 square feet of sod -- enough to cover half a football field.

The neighborhood was built on the site of a lead and arsenic smelter that was demolished between 1912 and 1915. Most of the yards that sit directly on the old smelter site have now been cleaned or fenced off, but hundreds of homes and yards built on soil contaminated by arsenic released from the smelter's smokestacks still need to be tested and cleaned. Ecology plans to continue cleaning yards in the coming years as funding permits.

Ecology is cleaning the yards because Asarco, the named potentially liable party, refused a state order to clean the most contaminated properties remaining on the site. A hearing on Asarco's liability is scheduled for December in Thurston County Superior court.

Claims limited in second downwinders' suit

YAKIMA (AP) -- A federal judge has decided again to limit claims from Hanford downwinders to those who have certain types of cancer and those who can show they were put at great risk of those cancers from exposure to radioactive emissions.

The ruling from U.S. District Judge Alan McDonald could mean that fewer than 100 of the thousands of downwinders who filed legal claims may be able to pursue their cases, one lawyer said last week.

McDonald said he would consider only claims for people with thyroid cancer and associated conditions, leukemia, stomach cancer and colon cancer, and for people who can show that their risk of developing those cancers is more than double because of exposure to specific doses of radiation.

The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by 1,300 people, called the Berg group for lead plaintiff Wanda Berg of Republic.

Last year, McDonald dismissed most of the claims from plaintiffs in a larger, parallel lawsuit, which is now on appeal.

The Berg group plaintiffs have 60 days to appeal or file affidavits showing their residence and dietary history during the 1940s and 1950s doubled their risk of contracting the specific cancers being considered.

Environmental Watch

BPA wants input on pruning

PORTLAND -- The Bonneville Power Administration wants to pique the public's interest in the federal agency's plan to nip its vegetation problems in the bud. BPA is seeking public comment on proposed changes to its program for vegetation management under and around its power lines.

BPA is proposing to expand its vegetation management toolbox to include a combination of methods -- manual, mechanical, herbicidal and biological -- and to promote low-growing plants.

"Our goal is to minimize the amount of maintenance over the long term," said Fred Johnson, vice president, Field Services. "The Draft Environmental Impact Statement analyzes these methods."

Landowners next to BPA facilities or others who would like to comment on BPA's Draft EIS can obtain a copy on the Internet or by calling the document request line at 1-800-622-4520.

New Carissa salvage schedule slips

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) -- Rough seas and rougher-than-expected repair work have put efforts to salvage the beached stern of the New Carissa a month behind schedule.

If the work extends into October, high winds and surf from the fall storm season could stop work for weeks, further punishing the already battered wreck.

"We really expected to be out of here by the first of September. Now, we hope to make it by the first of October," said Mick Leitz, president of Devine Diving & Salvage, a Portland company that plans to scuttle the wreck at sea.

If the timetable should fall another month behind, however, the future of the wreck could be uncertain.

"I don't think the engine room could survive another winter," Leitz said. "Time is of the essence, no question about it."

Leitz has a 42-person crew laboring 12-hour days, seven days a week. As early as next week, they will try to cut the wreck in an operation that will split two fuel tanks. Although Coast Guard officials say the tanks don't appear to hold much oil, there is still a risk of at least a minor spill.

The job of refloating the 200-foot stern is more difficult. The stern section lists sharply, has been severely damaged by heavy surf and encompasses an engine room filled with heavy equipment.

When they first bid the job, contractors had no way of estimating the full extent of the damage to the stern. As sand was moved away, they found a 90-foot crack in the bulkhead.

Once the ship is cut and fully patched, it could be refloated through a 98-foot-wide channel that would be scoured out by the Salvage Chief, a 202-foot Astoria-based vessel. Then it would be hauled out to sea to be sunk.

Olympic Pipe Line spill in Renton

RENTON (AP) -- More than 3,300 gallons of car gasoline and higher octane aviation gas were spilled in an industrial area here by Olympic Pipe Line Co. -- the same company blamed for the June 10 explosion in Bellingham that killed three youths.

The spill, reported Sunday, occurred at the Lind Avenue transfer station just north of SW 27th Street operated by the company.

Olympic told the federal Office of Pipeline Safety that the spill totaled 3,368 gallons, with 1,800 recovered. That means about 1,568 gallons evaporated or soaked into the ground.

The spill originally was estimated at about 200 gallons.

Olympic spokeswoman Maggie Brown said the swift clean-up was typical of the company.

"When there is a spill, Olympic has a good track record of recovering, particularly when it was spilled within their own facility," she said.

Olympic Pipe Line Co. has had more than 40 leaks in its 34-year history, spilling more than 820,000 gallons of fuel -- 277,000 of it in the Bellingham explosion, according to data presented by the state Ecology Department.

Greenhouse growth generates opposition

VANCOUVER, B.C. (AP) -- Americans have a growing appetite for British Columbia's hothouse vegetables, with sales in some regions outstripping locally grown produce.

Fueled by that demand, suburban Delta's greenhouse industry has grown a dramatic 58 percent this year.

But not everyone is happy.

Some residents and environmentalists don't like the look of greenhouses or are concerned that valuable migratory bird habitat is being lost forever.

An additional 200 acres of land has gone under greenhouse glass to help feed the demand.

Last year, $175 million worth of B.C. hothouse produce was sold in the United States.

Such demand has companies investing in enormous high-tech greenhouse structures.

Next year, five more large greenhouses will be completed and a total of 325 acres of Delta farmland will have been converted to greenhouse production.

B.C. Hothouse Foods Inc. -- the marketing and shipping company owned by the province's 55 major growers -- is almost doubling the size of its Surrey packing plant to keep up. The company will spend $10 million to add an extra 10,000 square yards.

"There's an H.E. Butt supermarket in Albuquerque which is only three hours away from Village Farms -- one of our major hothouse competitors down there -- and we've basically displaced Village Farms in that store," said Andy Smith, B.C. Hothouse Foods new president and CEO.

"On their very best days they can produce the quality of product we can deliver every day, and they don't have many good days."

Home Depot phasing out old growth

ATLANTA (AP) -- Home Depot, the nation's largest home-improvement retailer, will stop selling wood from environmentally endangered areas, a move that one environmental group said was "great victory for the forests."

The chain that claims it sells more lumber than any other single company in the world, announced last week that the phase-out of sales of so-called "old-growth" wood will take effect in 2002. In addition to cutting out sales of lumber from threatened forests, Home Depot said the action also would cover the whole range of wood products, from brooms to doors.

Some of the endangered areas that could be covered by the ban include redwood and cedar forests in the Pacific Northwest and rain forests in South America and Southeast Asia that produce lauan, according to the Certified Forest Products Council.

Home Depot also plans to train sales people about environmentally friendly alternatives to hardwood products.

Beach closure is a bummer, man

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- The Southern California beach known as "Surf City, USA" -- named after the rock n' roll surfing anthem -- is closed to board-toting surfers and swimmers because bacteria is riding the waves.

For nearly eight weeks, health officials have closed section after section of the beach, more than half its 8-mile length, trying to find the source of a sewage leak that has dumped thousands of gallons of bacteria into the ocean.

It has come in the heart of the beach party season, when the sand is normally towel-to-towel with well-oiled people. Beachfront merchants who cater to sun worshipers are losing money and have laid off workers.

The mystery has set off an expensive and exhaustive investigation that has brought together politicians, scientists, environmentalists, residents and even a psychic.

"We've received more calls than I can count from people in the community wanting to know what they can do to help or asking if we have checked certain things," said Michelle Tuchman, spokeswoman for the Orange County Sanitation District. "This psychic even offered to help, saying she knew where the leak was. But she wanted money. Needless to say, we didn't hire her."

The problem surfaced in late June when sanitation officials found unhealthy levels of bacteria, including extremely high levels of enterococcous -- known to cause gastrointestinal and respiratory infections.

On July 1, health officials closed the first section of beach to inspect restrooms, which at the time were thought to be leaking sewage into the ocean.

Typically, beach pollution problems are identified and fixed in days, if not hours. But the restrooms here turned up clean.

Then the level of bacteria intensified and spread. Since Aug. 6, officials have closed six more sections of the coast. It now threatens Bolsa Chica State Beach to the north.

Seldom has it taken so long to identify a problem, much less fix it.

"It's really kind of eerie," admits Larry Honeybourne of Orange County's Health Care Agency, which ordered the beach closures. "It's believed to be some sort of raw or untreated sewage, but we haven't even confirmed that yet."

Nearly $500,000 has been spent draining and inspecting sewage lines, using ground-penetrating sonar equipment and hiring boats equipped with sonar -- all to no avail.

Friday, investigators were injecting chemical dyes into sewage lines and using infrared devices designed to detect irregularities in the flow of ocean water.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, himself a surfer, has requested help from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

As the investigation continues, Mayor Peter Green believes the pollution problem has damaged the image of Huntington Beach, immortalized as "Surf City, USA" in the 1950s Jan and Dean rock classic. The title was reinforced in the 1960s in several Beach Boys hits. The town's also in Orange County, the heart of the lucrative surf industry where professional surfing was launched in the early 1980s.

"We're probably going to have to take out full-page ads in the newspapers when this is all over to tell everybody to come back," Green said.

It's become a financial nightmare for small businesses that depend on the lucrative four-month beach season for profits. Nearly all say they are losing money and many have laid off workers or cut back hours.

On Thursday, Jack Clapp used the cash register at Dwight's Concessions, one of the oldest beachfront stores in the city, as an arm rest as he surveyed the near-empty beach cordoned off with yellow police caution tape.

Earlier in the week, he laid off 10 employees.

"I told them I wouldn't be needing them. I can't employ them if I can't pay them," he said. "It was a bad winter, a nonexistent spring and now this. It's going to be meager this year."

A moment later, a tourist inquired about the empty beach.

"We didn't know the beach was closed. We'll just go to another one," said 16-year-old Harley Hall of Bullshead City, Ariz.

Clapp shook his head.

"They are all going to other beaches," he said.

Out on the sand, four men toting boogie boards walked a mile along the sand looking for open surf.

"I just moved down here and was telling my friends they had to come visit and check it out. It's disappointing," said Mike Canihan, 20. "The lifeguard said Newport Beach is open. I guess I'll take them there."

Environmental Watch

$65 million for salmon projects

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology has offered to fund and assist 93 water quality and salmon habitat improvement projects around the state, for a total of about $65 million in grants and loans.

The projects will get under way next year. They will take place in 29 counties.

For more information, contact Mary Getchell at Ecology, (360) 407-6157.

Energy alliance adds consumer seat

PORTLAND -- The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, a non-profit group of electric utilities, state governments, public interest groups and industry, has added two consumer seats to its board and named Norm Beckart to one of them.

Beckart, director of purchasing for Boise Cascade Corp., brings the perspective of industrial power consumers to the board. Other board members come from utilities and the Bonneville Power Administration, plus governors' offices and utility commissions. The Northwest Energy Efficiency Council and the Northwest Energy Coalition also have representatives on the board.

Don't miss Washington Water Weeks

OLYMPIA -- From Aug. 28 to Oct. 3, communities around the state will present activities as part of Washington Water Weeks 1999. The events range from beach cleanups to hatchery tours to photography competitions, but each emphasizes the importance of water, watersheds and habitat.

For more information about these events, see the activity guide online.

'Spawning Great Ideas for Construction'

SEATTLE -- Anybody involved in the construction industry who wants to learn how to achieve salmon-friendly building techniques is invited to attend a seminar Oct. 1 called "Spawning Great Ideas for Construction."

To be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Embassy Suites Hotel in Bellevue, the seminar will cover sustainable building techniques, siting and design of projects to protect streams and groundwater, wood use, and energy efficiency. Samuel Anderson, executive officer of the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, will chair the event.

For registration information, contact the Washington State Recycling Association at (206) 244-0311. Or see the association's Web site. Registration closes on Sept. 24.

Salmon homecoming and forum set

SEATTLE -- Now is the time to register for the salmon homecoming reception and awards dinner, to be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 9.

Cultural performances and a native art auction will follow a traditional salmon dinner at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center, on Seattle's Pier 66.

Speakers at the event will include Billy Frank, Jr., of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission; Cindi Shiota, of the Seattle Aquarium; Larry Phillips, King County Council member; Brian Sullivan, of Arco; and Cassie Phillips, of the Washington Forest Protection Association.

The price is $50 per person.

On the following day, Sept. 10, a seminar at Bell Harbor will examine cultural and economic connections to salmon. The price for the seminar is $75. Speakers scheduled to appear are Billy Frank; Jeff Koenings, director of the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife; Mark Harcourt, former premier of British Columbia; Will Stelle, regional administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service; and Tim Wapato, of the Intertribal Bison Cooperative and former director of the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission.

The events are sponsored by the Quileute Tribe, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and the Sustainable Fisheries Foundation.

For more information, or to register, call (206) 386-4353.

City Light greens its utility poles

SEATTLE -- A new technology that seals the ends of wooden utility poles was unveiled last week by Seattle City Light. It's essentially a huge heat-shrink wrap that attaches to the end of the pole before it is placed in the ground.

The wrap keeps the pole from contacting the surrounding soil, said City Light spokeswoman Sharon Bennett. Such a technique protects the soil from any contaminants in the wood, and may be suitable for environmentally sensitive areas.

Employees of City Light's steel and machine shop built a special machine to apply the wrap to poles. For more information, contact Bennett at (206) 684-3008.

King County targets tansy ragwort

SEATTLE (AP) -- King County wants property owners to weed out noxious weeds themselves or pay the bill for weed inspectors to do it, but the county is among the culprits.

Tansy ragwort, which can kill cattle and horses that eat it, proliferates on the rights of way of countless county roads. Its 5-foot-high clusters of yellow flowers can be seen in some county parks, too.

That upset William Kombol after he received a letter from the county this month warning that his company, Palmer Coking Coal Co., must eradicate ragwort spotted by a noxious-weed inspector on Palmer property in Black Diamond.

Failure to do so would result in a formal notice of violation. And if Palmer still fails to act, the inspector warned, "we will control the tansy ragwort and bill you for the work, plus administrative costs."

That typically runs about $250.

Kombol, Palmer's manager, quickly had the tansy ragwort destroyed. But then he noticed the same weed sprouting alongside nearby county roads.

A big clump, for example, grows prominently just a half-mile from the once weed-infested Palmer property. Just north of Palmer Coking Coal's nearby headquarters is another bunch.

Tansy ragwort is a major concern in farm areas because it not only is fatal to livestock but can accumulate in an infected cow's milk and cause symptoms in young animals. Local authorities say they have no knowledge that it can be passed on to humans through infected cow's milk.

A single plant can produce 150,000 seeds, each of which resembles a dandelion seed with a parachute attached.

Each year, the county sends several hundred notices to landowners whose properties contain noxious weeds, but most people are reached in person or by phone.

The first notices go out about March or April when early blooming pests, such as gorse and knapweed, start showing up. Tansy ragwort is a late-summer weed.

Jane Wentworth, coordinator of the county's noxious-weed control program, said public agencies get warning letters just as private property owners do when tansy ragwort and other pests show up on public land.

Al Dams, a spokesman for the county Parks and Recreation Department, said maintenance crews either mow or mechanically pull tansy ragwort found in parks.

"Certainly if we get a letter (from noxious-weed inspectors), like anybody else, we take care of it," he said.

If a property owner ignores warnings to eradicate noxious weeds, county workers will remove the weeds or hire a contractor to do it, Tucker said.

Environmental Watch

UW to study air pollution

SEATTLE -- The University of Washington has received an $8.2 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to establish a center for the study of air pollution.

The funding is for a five-year period. Already the Northwest Center for Particulate Air Pollution has been established, with faculty from the UW's departments of atmospheric sciences, biostatistics, environmental health, civil and environmental engineering and epidemiology. Other participants come from Washington State University's departments of civil and environmental engineering, and from the Institute for Circumpolar Health Studies at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

Of particular research interest are fine pollutant particles less than 2.5 microns in size. They are statistically linked to frequency of illness, although no one is sure why.

Other studies will look for links between air pollutants and morbidity; links between indoor and outdoor air quality; and links between daily air quality and daily health problems.

The center has a Web site at http://depts.washington.edu/pmcenter.

Protections urged for hiking trails

SEATTLE -- Despite their popularity, hiking trails in Washington are vulnerable to harm or even destruction from logging. Today trails advocates, including the Washington Forest Law Center, the Mountaineers and the Alpine Lakes Protection Society, are to release a report detailing the problem while calling for new preservation measures.

According to the groups, lapses in the Forest Practice Board rules place thousands of miles of trails at risk. They say it is legal for logging operations on state and private land to damage or destroy hiking trails and recreational corridors leading to public destination areas such as national parks and wilderness areas.

The groups are calling for "trail friendly" protection measures, and are launching a petition to gather support for changes to logging rules.

Waste management conference coming

SPOKANE -- This year's conference of the Pacific Northwest International Section of the Air and Waste Management Association will be held in Pasco from Nov. 3 to 5.

The conference attracts professionals from waste management, environmental consulting and academic fields. It offers seminars on air, water and waste issues, plus exhibitions of data acquisition and processing technology.

Registration deadline is Oct. 15. For a registration packet, or more information, call Beth Fifield at (877) 447-7764 or see the PNWIS Web site at pnwis.org.

ABC takes up site assessment

BELLEVUE -- At its South End breakfast meeting on Sept. 9, the Associated Builders & Contractors of Western Washington will present a program on environmental site assessment. Speakers will be Ali Nazari, of TCB Industrial Corp.; Sarah Koerber, biologist; and Alex Truchot, environmental health and safety consultant.

They will explain who is responsible for having an assessment done; how to use federal and state lists of sites with environmental problems; use of site records; and elements of a site inspection.

The meeting will be held from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at La Quinta Inn, 1425 E. 27th St., Tacoma. The cost is $16 before Sept. 3 and $21 thereafter. To register, call the ABC at (425) 646-8000.

Couple crusades to preserve wetland

LYNNWOOD (AP) -- Seventh-grade geology teacher Michael Kendrick wants to see a 21-acre wooded wetland owned by the Edmonds School District preserved so students can see wetlands for themselves.

"You can talk about wetlands until you're blue in the face," Kendrick said. "Until you touch it, smell it, you don't know what it is."

But the school district declared the land -- which it has owned since the late 1960s -- surplus this spring, saying it was no longer needed for school purposes. In June, the wetland was put up for sale.

The school district has received two offers for it. Denis and Francis Murphy want to preserve the wetland, so they've offered the school district $20,000 for it.

JMR Pacific is offering more than $1.1 million for the property, said Bret Carlstad, director of property management for the Edmonds School District.

The Murphys fear the wetland, which may be the largest in south Snohomish County, will be plowed under and turned into apartments and parking lots.

That could threaten the coho and chinook salmon and cutthroat trout that live and spawn in Lund's Creek, said Snohomish County park ranger Doug Dailer.

The marshy, wooded wetland, upstream from Lund's Gulch, is believed to be the headwaters for Lund's Creek, which flows through Meadowdale County Park.

"The headwaters play a vital role in the health of the salmon," Dailer said.

Wetlands act like a sponge during the rainy season, soaking up excess water. Roots, shrubs and soil hold the water, releasing it slowly into the creek. The more gradual discharge prevents a creek from being inundated by rushing water, which can tear away the banks and destroy fish.

The school district may not have a choice about which offer it accepts.

Under state law, the school district cannot sell the land for less than 90 percent of its fair market value.

The Murphys' $20,000 offer can't be recommended because it is so far below the state requirements, Carlstad said.

"The district has to prove they're accountable to the public. They have to sell the property in a lawful manner," Francis Murphy said. "They've expressed sympathy for us. They think we have a very good cause."

Edmonds School District board members will get their first look at the two offers at Tuesday's regular school board meeting. But the board won't make any decision regarding the two offers at that meeting, Carlstad said.

The board of directors, however, could accept an offer as soon as the Sept. 7 meeting, he said.

Reviving Gulf of Mexico's 'dead zone'

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Government scientists looking for ways to repair the damage that farm runoff has done to the Gulf of Mexico are considering recommendations to curtail fertilizer use and idle cropland.

An area of the gulf as big as New Jersey becomes depleted of oxygen, or "hypoxic," every year because of the heavy flow of nitrogen and other nutrients down the Mississippi River. Fertilizers used on Midwest farms are blamed for much of the problem.

The White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy completed a study this spring and is to issue a proposed set of recommendations this fall, with a final report due next spring for Congress and state governments to consider.

To the alarm of farm groups, the study concluded that the most cost-effective way to protect the gulf was to reduce fertilizer use by 20 percent and to restore 5 million acres of wetlands that could trap the nutrients before they reach the Mississippi and its tributaries.

---

Jon Savelle is the Journal's environment editor. He can be reached at (206) 622-8272 or via email at jon@djc.com.

Environmental Watch

Recycle building materials

EVERETT -- Snohomish County's Reusable Building Materials Exchange has a Web site designed to help people swap usable construction materials.

Developed by the non-profit Climate Solutions, in Olympia, the site connects businesses or individuals with surplus materials with those who are looking for less-expensive or hard-to find items. The site is at www.rbme.com/wa/snohomish.

Centex Homes promotes Nature Conservancy

BELLEVUE -- In a program that started on April 1 of this year, Centex Homes, of Arlington, Va., will give every buyer of its homes a one-year membership in The Nature Conservancy.

Centex builds housing nationwide. In the Northwest, their projects can be found in the neighborhoods of WestWood, in Des Moines; Highland Crossing, in Kent; Baker Street Cottages, in Snoqualmie; Silver Firs, in South Everett; and Ardmore Village, in Redmond.

Each membership is valued at $35. The Centex commitment is worth about $500,000 to The Nature Conservancy, which aims to protect wildlands through direct purchases. The promotion will end on March 31, 2000.

Erickson to manage Hanford tank waste

Leif Erickson, A longtime engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of River Protection, has been named assistant manager for tank waste processing and disposal at Hanford. He will have responsibility for 54 million gallons of high-level waste in 177 underground tanks.

Erickson has been a design engineer, construction field engineer and project manager. He has extensive experience managing Hanford tank waste characterization, retrieval, treatment and immobilization programs, and serves as the technical member of the Source Evaluation Board. The board is geared toward privatization of the treatment and immobilization of Hanford tank waste.

Staff changes at the Power Planning Council

PORTLAND -- The Northwest Power Planning Council has named John Shurts acting general counsel. He had been the council's fish and wildlife attorney. Shurts replaces John Volkman, who has taken a position as senior policy analyst for the National Marine Fisheries Service in the Portland office.

John Ogan has taken Shurts's old job as fish and wildlife attorney. He previously worked for the Yakima law firm of Cockrill, Weaver & Ogan.

Also at the power council, D. Robert Lohn has been named director of the Fish and Wildlife Division. He returns to the council after having directed fish and wildlife at the Bonneville Power Administration.

Changes sought for pollock fishery

SEATTLE -- In an effort to save endangered Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea, Greenpeace and other environmental organizations on Monday filed a motion for preliminary injunction in Federal District Court that would force a reduction in the upcoming Alaska pollock fishery.

Pollock is an important source of food for the sea lions. The groups' brief requests the exclusion of pollock trawling from all areas designated as critical sea lion habitat, and that the 1999 fall fishing season be adjusted so that the combined fall and winter catch will be less than 50 percent of the year's quota.

Corps to remove levees for salmon

MOUNT VERNON (AP) -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will blast out several sections of earthen levees on the Skagit River's Deepwater Slough this week, trying to restore salmon habitat damaged by levee construction.

The blasting -- part of the Deepwater Slough Ecosystem Restoration Project being undertaken by the corps and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife -- will occur during daytime hours. The explosions will be relatively small and are expected to have little effect on the surrounding community.

Public access to the area from Friday to Monday will be restricted by the corps and the Army's 14th Combat Engineers Battalion from Fort Lewis.

The plan is to restore fish and wildlife habitat hurt by past construction. The blasting will remove earthen dikes that have isolated the slough from river and tidal influence.

The blasting will open up 200 acres of wetlands to tides and other natural forces, said corps biologist Pat Cagney. The project also involves reinforcing some levees, he said, and the state will continue planting barley on 300 acres to attract waterfowl.

The project is taking place in the state's 1,400-acre Skagit Wildlife Area, which includes parts of Fir and Milltown islands. Deepwater Slough -- also called Freshwater and Steamboat sloughs -- is just south of Conway.

Part of B.C. park accidentally logged

PORT ALBERNI, British Columbia (AP) -- British Columbia Parks may receive compensation and establish a forestry protocol with TimberWest after the company logged a section of Strathcona Park on Vancouver Island.

TimberWest and British Columbia Parks are currently discussing the matter after the park conducted a survey and found the forestry company had encroached on about an acre of park land near Mt. Adrian, northwest of Courtenay.

Steve Lorimer, land-use forester for TimberWest, said the encroachment is adjacent to its private lands.

"We need to look at perhaps dedicating some of our own land," he said.

The company and the park may establish a protocol to govern harvesting operations near park boundaries, said Lorimer.

Lorimer said TimberWest established what it thought was the park's boundary by using Global Positioning Satellite technology, original survey information, legal monuments, property corners, and marked boundary trees.

It is difficult to say how the encroachment happened, Lorimer said.

"We sincerely regret that we have encroached over the park boundary," he said. "It is a very unfortunate mistake."

Now the company wants to atone.

"We will fully co-operate with B.C. Parks and will remediate the area to their satisfaction and provide appropriate compensation," he said.

Fences to separate dogs and fish

BELLEVUE (AP) -- Been wondering what you can do to help save Northwest salmon? Keep your dog outta their migration routes.

Chain-link fences are being installed in the Sammamish River at Marymoor Park's popular off-leash area to protect threatened chinook salmon from swimming canines.

"This is just one little impact, not a big deal on its own. It's one part of the puzzle of cumulative effects leading to the decline" of the run, said Brent Lackey, King County's Sammamish River Basin steward.

Since the federal government listed Puget Sound chinook as a threatened species in March, salmon-recovery plans have seemed vast or remote. But not this time.

At Marymoor, off-leash dogs will be confined to the eastern 25 feet of the 75-foot-wide stream during the fall migration, from about Aug. 15 to November. The idea is that the fences will allow salmon to swim unmolested on the far side of the stream.

Only 2,000 to 5,000 chinook, most of them hatchery-raised, make it to Lake Sammamish each fall. A few thousand sockeye and coho salmon also use the route.

---

Jon Savelle is the Journal's environment editor. He can be reached at (206) 622-8272 or via email at jon@djc.com.

Environmental Watch

Sea lion EIS to take two years

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)-- The federal government will take two years to rewrite the environmental impact statement that protects the endangered Steller sea lion, but it will explain its rationale for the current commercial pollock fisheries regulations by Oct. 15, according to papers filed in federal court in Seattle Friday.

Pollock are a main food source for the sea lions, and are also the basis of the biggest commercial fishery in Alaska.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Zilly will consider the National Marine Fisheries Service's legal position, and one filed last week by environmentalists asking for a new environmental statement by the fall of 2000.

In early July, Zilly tossed out the pollock fishing regulations that the fisheries service had issued for the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. He ruled that the regulations do not protect the sea lion adequately and that the agency failed to explain its rationale for the regulations.

Two weeks later, he ruled that an Aug. 1 pollock opening in the Bering Sea could proceed as scheduled under new emergency regulations issued by the fisheries service.

The environmentalists who challenged the federal agency contend the emergency regulations don't go far enough to protect the sea lion. Before next Friday, they plan to ask the court for tighter restriction on the fishery that opens this weekend.

Everett seeks fix for methane pollution

EVERETT (AP) -- The city is looking for a solution to its problem with high levels of methane gas at an old garbage dump near the Snohomish River.

"It's enough to exceed the state limits on the perimeter of the site of the landfill," said Tom Thetford, maintenance superintendent for the Everett Public Works & Engineering Department.

A draft cleanup plan for the whole site, scheduled for release this fall, should include suggestions on how to solve the gas problem, he said. The city council last week asked a consultant to include a gas management program in the draft plan.

Landfills release methane gas -- which is colorless, odorless and flammable -- when garbage decomposes. It can be harmful to humans if they breathe too much of it.

The Everett landfill began operations in 1917 and closed in 1975 when it was full, Thetford said. Somebody was allowed to stack old automobile tires on the old landfill until a major tire fire broke out in 1983 and 1984.

Since then, the city has spent about $6.5 million to bring the site up to state environmental standards.

City officials already monitor the gas with gauges located at the nearby solid waste transfer station. Everett plans to install an additional gauge at the city's animal shelter building, also located in the area.

EU decrees auto recycling

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- European Union countries have approved a law that forces automobile manufacturers to take back old vehicles for free and recycle the parts.

The law on "end-of-life" vehicles was endorsed July 22 by a majority of the 15 EU countries after months of delay linked to German opposition to the law.

The law was formally approved Thursday evening in a written procedure without debate, an EU official said Friday.

The law will apply from 2006 to all cars sold in the EU, according to the spokesman. Starting in 2001, it will apply to new cars.

Manufacturers will have to recycle 80 percent of the weight of the materials in cars.

The European auto industry has argued that the law will force it to take hefty expenses for the recycling of vehicles. The industry has reportedly said the law will cost it more than $10 billion.

Global warming conference set for 2000

SEATTLE -- Following the success of its Business Solutions for Global Warming conference this year, the International Training and Development Institute plans another one for Jan. 26 and 27, 2000. The theme of the conference is innovation, particularly in energy-efficient technologies.

Organizers of the event say that auto and truck fleet managers are an important audience, because they can make decisions that affect vehicle emissions -- which in turn affect the global concentrations of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide.

For more information, contact ITDI in Seattle at (206) 217-9644.

Evans joins NVL Labs

SEATTLE -- Carol Evans has joined NVL Laboratories as lab manager. She previously worked at New Jersey-based EMSL, managing the firm's Seattle lab.

NVL provides environmental testing services for building renovation and demolition projects. The firm is located in Seattle and has a staff of 18.

City starts Thornton Creek restoration

SEATTLE -- Work begins this week on restoration of Thornton Creek in north Seattle. Seattle Public Utilities has hired Northwest Landscapers to start removal of blackberries and invasive plants at four sites, to be followed by reforestation to control erosion and improve fish habitat.

Designed by Thomas Wright and The Watershed Co., the restoration will include placement of log weirs and rootwads along the salmon-bearing stream.

SPU spokesman Vickie Kobayashi said the creek work will encompass 17 projects over two years, and has a budget of about $1 million. Just five of those projects are to be undertaken this year, and they will be finished by Nov. 30. All in-creek work will be completed by Oct. 15 so as not to impede fish passage.

For more information, contact Kobayashi at (206) 684-8552.

Professional courses offered at UW

SEATTLE -- The University of Washington's Engineering Professional Programs, in the College of Engineering, is offering nine courses this fall quarter. They are:

• Sept. 8 and 9: Use of Constructed Wetlands for Improving Stormwater Quality
  
• Sept. 14, 16 & 21: Basics of Project Management
  
• Sept. 15 & 16: Stormwater Treatment: Chemical, Biological and Engineering Principles
  
• Oct. 13 & 14: Fundamentals of Urban Surface Water Management
  
• Oct. 20 & 21: Design and Retrofit of Culverts for Fish Passage in the Northwest
  
• Dec. 3 & 4: Seismic Site Response Analysis
  
• Dec. 8: Effective Project Negotiation Skills
  
• Dec. 9 & 10: Creating Winning Technical Presentations.

For more information, contact Engineering Professional Programs at (206) 543-5539.

King County has water funds available

SEATTLE -- King County's Waterworks Grant Program has two $50,000 grants available for community stewardship projects. One will be awarded to salmon habitat improvement projects, and the other will fund improvements to water quality.

Applicants for the grants may be schools, nonprofit groups, local governments, tribes and special districts. Individuals and businesses are not eligible. Applications are due by Aug. 31, 1999. For more information, contact Ken Pritchard at (206) 296-8265.

Environmental Watch

Adolfson adds staff

SEATTLE -- Adolfson Associates, a natural-resources consulting group with offices in Seattle, Cle Elum and Portland, has promoted Jean Ochsner from director of the Portland office to program development coordinator. She will concentrate on technical issues and project management.

The firm has hired a new Oregon Division director, Gerritt Rosenthal, who will oversee operations and focus on expanding Adolfson's water quality, hydrology and natural resources client base in Oregon and Washington.

Adolfson also has hired Alison Rhea as a senior hydrologist and wetland scientist; Jessica Wilcox, staff biologist, and Patrick Hendrix, project biologist.

Port of Benton may get Hanford land

RICHLAND -- The state of Washington and the Port of Benton are studying ways to develop land and facilities transferred to the port from the Hanford Reservation.

"Our joint effort will evaluate industrial and economic development opportunities and identify transportation and local infrastructure requirements needed to support that potential development," said Leonard Pittman, regional administrator for the state Department of Transportation which is taking part in the joint study.

The Port of Benton proposed having 768 acres of excess Department of Energy facilities transferred to local public ownership. The transfer includes the first 16 miles of 124 miles of the federal rail system crossing the reservation. The remaining 108 miles of federal rail is being considered for future transfer, along with potential industrial lands on the southeast corner of the reservation.

The study will characterize the land and assets, identify potential uses and develop a plan to guide future efforts.

A team of seven firms is performing the study. The project is being managed by John Terpstra, vice president and national director of ports for HDR Engineering.

Urban forestry conference here

SEATTLE -- American Forests will hold its 1999 National Urban Forest Conference in Seattle from Aug. 31 through Sept. 3. To be presented at the Westin Hotel, the conference will explore ways of "building cities of green."

The opening session of the conference will look at how to achieve sustainable communities, retain tree cover and limit sprawl. Other sessions will examine tools for change, planning and design, public policy, urban forest management, citizen action and urban and rural connections.

The conference includes seven workshops, 11 tours, an opening reception at the Pacific Science Center and the Global ReLeaf Banquet.

For more information, call American Forests at (202) 955-4500 or visit their Web site.

Plan your planting project pronto

SEATTLE -- Seattle residents who want to conduct a fall tree-planting program should submit an application to the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Fall Tree Fund by Aug. 6.

The fund provides free trees to neighborhood groups for fall planting projects. Those groups can apply for between 10 and 40 trees from the fund, which has provided over 4,300 trees since 1996. The trees have been planted on residential streets and in parks.

For more information or to request an application, call Michael Benson in the Department of Neighborhoods, (206) 684-0215.

People for Puget Sound staff changes

SEATTLE -- Doug Scott is the new communications director at People for Puget Sound. Formerly of the Sierra Club and Friends of the San Juans, he replaces Mike Sato in the communications post.

Sato is now North Sound director for People for Puget Sound, working from the group's new Mount Vernon office.

Astoria gets grant for sewage work

ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) -- This city could be in line to receive federal money to reduce the amount of sewer and stormwater that overflows into the Columbia River.

U.S. Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., said last week that Oregon has been awarded a $15 million grant to improve water and sewer facilities in rural communities with low to moderate incomes.

Wu said he hopes to funnel some of that money to Astoria to fix the city's sewer overflow problem.

Each year when it rains heavily, about 380 million gallons of untreated sewage-laced stormwater flows into the Columbia River and Youngs Bay.

The Astoria City Council agreed to fix the problem -- a $22 million project over the next two decades -- but last month declined a 3.5 percent surcharge on sewer bills to help pay for the work.

Wu said he hoped the money would help the city remedy the problem without dramatic hikes in local sewage bills.

Red tide at night, also in morning

OLYMPIA (AP) -- Potentially deadly levels of the "red tide" toxin are being found in shellfish in numerous areas in Washington, the state Health Department said Friday.

Recreational shellfish harvesters should check to see whether an area where they wish to dig is open, the department said in a news release. Information on closures is available by calling a department hotline at 1-800-562-5632, or on the department's Web site.

The toxin -- paralytic shellfish poison -- is a natural toxin that is not destroyed by cooking. People who eat contaminated shellfish may experience tingling of the mouth and tongue, dizzines, numbness, paralysis and even death. There is no known antidote.

Currently, numerous contaminated sites are being found from the Canadian border south to Steilacoom and in Willapa Bay, the department said. In addition, a seasonal closure is in effect on all Pacific Ocean beaches and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Commercially harvested shellfish are monitored for the toxin and are not released to market when elevated levels are detected or suspected, the department said.

Environmental Watch

Bellingham Bay DEIS unveiled

BELLINGHAM -- After three years of work, the Bellingham Bay Demonstration Pilot Project now goes before the public. A draft environmental impact statement lists five cleanup alternatives for the bay, which suffers from contaminated sediments.

The alternatives are:

• Removal to achieve authorized channel depths, with confined aquatic disposal of sediments;
  
• Same as above, but with upland disposal;
  
• Full removal of sediments from navigation areas, with aquatic disposal;
  
• Full removal from navigation areas and partial removal from the G-P SDB and Starr Rock areas, with upland disposal; and
  
• Full removal from public lands, with upland disposal.

The pilot project is a joint effort of the state Department of Ecology and the Port of Bellingham. Funding has come from those two entities plus the city of Bellingham and Georgia Pacific.

The public will be able to view and comment on the draft EIS for 60 days. A public hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26 at Bellingham Cruise

Terminal, 355 Harris Ave. in Bellingham. The event will feature an open house starting at 5 p.m. and a hearing at 7 p.m.

Copies of the DEIS can be found at:

• Bellingham Public Library, Downtown Branch;
  
• Port of Bellingham offices, 1801 Roeder Ave., Bellingham;
  
• Department of Ecology Bellingham Field Office, 1204 Railroad Ave., Suite 200, Bellingham; and
  
• Department of Ecology Northwest Regional Office, 3190 160th Ave. S.E., Bellevue.

For more information contact Christine Corrigan at (425) 649-7254.

Oregon dodges Superfund bullet -- for now

SALEM (AP) -- The state will get more time to devise a cleanup plan for a six-mile contaminated stretch of the Willamette River, but if it can't reach a decision, Gov. John Kitzhaber says he will back federal officials in making the waters a Superfund site.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to formally agree in the coming weeks to a plan that gives the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality more time to pen a cleanup proposal.

In the past few weeks, Kitzhaber, Oregon's congressional delegation, the Port of Portland, the city and a group of riverfront landowners have tried to fend off a federal Superfund listing for the stretch of river from Swan Island to Sauvie Island.

On Friday, they were able to get federal and tribal officials -- who had originally opposed state oversight -- to sign off on a plan for the state to take another stab at cleaning up the harbor.

Agreement in the contentious, highly political Superfund debate emerged during a daylong meeting called by Kitzhaber in the Capitol.

The landowners, however, left without signaling their position on the plan. They have been pushing for federal officials to immediately hand over authority to the state.

"I'm not sure everyone has shaken it out yet," said Claudia Powell, and attorney representing two of the companies, shipyard operator Cascade General and chemical maker Elf Atochem.

Other business interests include Northwest Natural, train car manufacturer Gunderson and oil terminal operators Tosco Northwest, GATX and Time Oil.

State environmental officials now have six to eight months to broker an agreement with riverfront landowners that protects tribal fishing rights and provides an avenue for federal agencies to recover damages, should the cleanup not meet their standards.

But if the state can't reach such an agreement, Kitzhaber also noted that he would support federal plans to step in, give the river Superfund status and take over the cleanup.

Asarco information meetings start today

TACOMA -- Asarco, Inc. will hold three meetings to update the public on three separate cleanup projects. The first two are today, July 20, at 2:30 and 6 p.m. in the Asarco Information Center, 5219 N. Shirley St., Room 101, Tacoma. The last meeting is tomorrow, July 21, at 7 p.m. in the same location.

At the meetings, Asarco officials will present information on cleanup work, project schedules and affects on area residents.

For more information call (253) 756-5436.

Calling all recycled garden products

SEATTLE -- The King County Commission for Marketing Recyclable Materials will have a booth at the 2000 Northwest Flower & Garden Show, to be held Feb. 2 to 6, where it will display and demonstrate recycled garden products. Assistance is needed. The commission is looking for manufacturers and retailers of recycled garden products to help in the promotional effort, and those products may be displayed in the booth and demonstration garden.

Interested persons should contact Lynn Warner at (206) 296-0232 or lynn.warner@metrokc.gov. The deadline is Aug. 20, 1999.

Excellent erosion controllers sought

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. -- The International Erosion Control Association is looking for nominations for its annual environmental excellence awards. These will be issued for the outstanding project or program in resource conservation and environmental protection; for the person who has demonstrated significant contributions to the erosion and sediment control industry; for the best contractor; and for the best application of new technology.

All awards will be issued during IECA's annual conference, to be held Feb. 21 to 25, 2000, in Palm Springs. The submission deadline is Sept. 15, 1999. To request an entry form, call (800) 455-4322. Or use email, ecinfo@ieca.org, or the Web, http://www.ieca.org.

Another lynx lost in Colorado

DENVER (AP) -- A lynx released into Colorado's wilderness nearly six months ago was struck by a car and killed Monday, the second animal to die violently since 41 were released into the wilds of southwest Colorado.

The animal was killed near Vail, the site of a battle between environmentalists and the resort over expansion plans. Environmentalists say the expansion will destroy lynx habitat.

Colorado's lynx population was declared endangered after the last was found just outside the Vail ski area in 1973. Environmentalists have criticized the reintroduction campaign, saying there is evidence lynx still live near Vail.

Last October eco-terrorists started fires causing $12 million damage on Vail Mountain to protest the expansion.

The carcass of the latest victim was discovered on the eastbound lane of Interstate 70, about 2 miles west of the Vail Pass and about 130 miles from where it was released, Division of Wildlife spokesman Todd Malmsbury said.

Last month, a lynx was shot and killed by an unidentified gunman eight miles west of Antonito in a case still under investigation. The latest death is the seventh since the wildlife division began the program in January, importing lynx from Canada and Alaska. Five starved to death.

The cat found Monday was originally released Feb. 4 but was recaptured six weeks later after several of the elusive tuft-eared cats starved to death.

Environmental Watch

Try RE Store for salvaged materials

SEATTLE -- This Saturday, July 17, marks the opening of a new Ballard store selling used building materials. The materials are coming from area contractors and the Seattle School District, which is rebuilding five old schools. Items available from those projects include old-growth flooring and cabinetry, antique lighting and other materials.

The store is located at 1440 N.W. 52nd St. It is operated by RE Sources, a non-profit environmental education organization begun in 1984. RE Sources opened its Bellingham store in 1993. Director Carl Weimer said since that time the Bellingham store has diverted 5.5 million pounds of used building material from the waste stream, created 17 jobs and generated nearly $145,000 in sales taxes. The store is now the largest retail business in downtown Bellingham.

Net proceeds from the store pay for recycling-education programs in public schools.

For more information contact Weimer at (360) 733-8307; or Erica Charbonneau at (360) 734-4890. The Ballard RE Store number is (206) 297-9119.

Climate Wise forum planned

SEATTLE -- The Boeing Co. will host a forum Wednesday, July 14, on the Climate Wise program of voluntary reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The event will run from 7:30 a.m. to noon at the company's Longacres facility. Call Muir Public Relations at (206) 547-1008 for information and registration.

Climate Wise is a national program sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency and administered locally by Seattle City Light. Under the program, City Light forms alliances with customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, mainly CO2. This can range from encouraging employees to use public transportation to designing new facilities for optimal energy use.

Last week, Starbucks Coffee Co. and City Light announced such an alliance. Starbucks is the first coffee retailer in the nation to join the program. Paula Coutz, Starbucks energy and resources manager, said the effort incorporates water use, alternative commutes and transportation issues and industrial energy use.

Ecology mulls wastewater fee increase

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology manages about 4,200 state and federal wastewater and stormwater permits in Washington, and is required to pay for this service with income from permit fees.

Now Ecology is seeking public comment on a proposal to raise those fees as necessary to cover its expenses. At a series of public meetings this month, the department hopes to get comments and advice on fee increases, using an automatic fiscal-year fee change without a rule amendment process, streamlining the fee collection system, and creating new fee categories such as portable asphalt and concrete batch plants and rock crushing operations.

The meetings will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. as follows:

• July 14 in Bellingham, at the Bellingham Public Library, 210 Central, Lecture Room;
  
• July 15 in Longview, at the Cowlitz County PUD, 961 12th Ave.;
  
• July 19 in Yakima, at Ecology's Central Regional Office, 15 W. Yakima, Suite 200;
  
• July 20 in Kennewick, at Ecology's Nuclear Waste Office, 1315 W. Fourth Ave.;
  
• July 21 in Spokane, at Ecology's Eastern Regional Office, N. 4601 Monroe, Suite 100; and
  
• July 22 in Wenatchee, at City Hall, 129 S. Chelan, Commissioners' Conference Room.

Desalinization plant for Guemes Island

GUEMES (AP) -- Water, water everywhere, and now there's plenty to drink, thanks to the opening of the state's first publicly built desalination plant.

With the startup of the Skagit Public Utility District's $360,000 operation on Thursday, 32 households in the Potlatch Beach area of Guemes Island no longer must haul drinking water by ferry. Residents elsewhere on the island north of Anacortes rely on private wells.

The cost, $10,000 to $12,000 per homeowner over the next 20 years, was approved unanimously.

"Without water, these properties are worth absolutely nothing," said Bob Powell, the PUD's special projects coordinator.

The effort became necessary as population growth boosted water usage and salt water became drawn into the Potlatch Beach well. With chloride levels reaching three times the state maximum, health officials set a deadline of July 1998 for obtaining a new water supply. The deadline was extended after agreement was reached to build the plant.

Desalination is more common in Florida and California, and desert countries such as Saudi Arabia. Private homeowners' associations have funded several plants in the San Juans and on Eliza Island, outside of Bellingham.

Tribes, PGE near pact on dam operation

PORTLAND (AP) -- The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs and Portland General Electric are nearing agreement on a joint operating agreement for three dams on the Deschutes River.

Both have filed separate and competing federal relicensing applications to run the dams. The tribes and PGE have been co-licensees of the Pelton and Round Butte dams, as well as a small regulating dam, since 1982.

The tribes generate almost half of their general fund budget from the dams. They are hoping to increase their role in how the dams are operated, in a bid to boost that annual income. The tribes' relicense application would make them the sole operator of all three dams.

PGE has been working on its own application.

But even as the two sides have been walking down separate paths, they have been negotiating to continue the partnership. Both sides say those talks continue to progress well.

Auto Hound fetches a check

SEATTLE -- Auto Hound, an autobody shop at 711 Valley St. in Seattle, has received a refund check from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency for reducing hazardous waste and air pollution. It's part of a pilot effort, created by the EnviroStars program of King County, PSCAA and the autobody industry, which uses reduced fees and inspections as incentives for environmentally responsible business practices in the Puget Sound region.

For more information contact Susan McDonald, in the King County Hazardous Waste Management Program, at (206) 263-3059 or (206) 263-3050.

Export workshop for energy firms

SEATTLE -- This morning, July 13, Seattle's Westin Hotel is the venue for an export workshop aimed at the state's energy-efficiency and renewable-energy industries. To be presented by the U.S. Agency for International Development and the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, the event is designed to stimulate interest in the industry for exporting its products and services.

Washington state energy industries are world leaders in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Those two sectors generate nearly $1 billion annually, according to CTED.

The workshop is being held from 8 a.m. to noon in the Westin's Vashon Room, 1900 Sixth Ave. Admission is $20 at the door.

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Jon Savelle is the Journal's environment editor. He can be contacted at (206) 622-8272.