Environmental Watch

CTED prepares a $2.6 million weatherization plan

The Washington state office of Community, Trade and Economic Development is holding a public hearing Wednesday, Feb. 9 on its draft plan for use of more than $2.6 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for low-income weatherization.

The hearing is scheduled from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Ramada Inn Governor House, the State Room, 621 Capitol Way S. in Olympia.

CTED has contracted with more than 26 community agencies to provide weatherization services in every county statewide. Households with income at or below 125 percent of federal poverty guidelines are eligible. Weatherization services include insulation, furnace tune-ups, testing for health and safety hazards, duct sealing and other measures to reduce energy consumption. The D.O.E. funds will be spent over a 12-month period beginning April 1.

Copies of the draft may be obtained by calling (360) 586-4876.

Those planning to testify are encouraged to submit written copies of their remarks to Mike Croman, CTED Housing Division, 906 Columbia St. S.W., P.O. Box 48300 in Olympia.

City streamlines curbside recycling

The Seattle Public Utilities today will unveil its revised program for curbside recycling with the first deliveries of wheeled recycling carts for residents north of the Ship Canal.

Residents in that area have been using separate containers for newsprint, mixed paper, plastic and cans, but now they will join the rest of the city in using just one receptacle. Glass will continue to be separated.

Deliveries of the new carts will continue through the next two months, with collection starting on April 3.

Speaking of collection, the new plan combines pickup of recycling, garbage and yard waste on the same day of the week. Garbage will be collected weekly; recycling and yard waste will be picked up on alternating weeks.

Besides the new bins and collection schedule, SPU is adding new materials for recycling. They are milk cartons, plastic food tubs and plastic bags.

Further information can be found on the web, Or call SPU at (206) 684-3000.

Groups say land-use laws block fish recovery

Two conservation organizations, Pacific Rivers Council and Trout Unlimited, have commissioned a study that concludes current land-use laws hinder local watershed councils from protecting and restoring fish habitat. The groups recommend strengthening state logging regulations to protect riparian areas.

“In many cases, logging, water diversions for irrigation, urbanization or chronic overgrazing of riparian areas upstream severely limited the (restoration) projects’ effectiveness,” said David Bayles, conservation director for Pacific Rivers Council. “All of these factors are out of control of the watershed councils, and that is their greatest limitation,” he said.

The conservation groups commissioned aquatic biologist Charles Huntington and watershed planner Sari Sommarstrom to evaluate the work of 14 watershed councils in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and northern California.

The report recommends increased funding and technical support for local watershed councils. But, according to the study, voluntary actions by local council will be of limited effectiveness without “increased regulations on logging and grazing in key watersheds.”

The report’s other recommendations include: the development of state water allocation policies that would prevent de-watering of streams; and using financial incentives to entice landowners to take part in restoration projects.

The report can be found on the Web site.

Should you generate your own power?

The Northeast-Midwest Institute will present a workshop on combined heat and power generation which is open to those who want to generate their own power. It will be held March 7 and 8 at the DoubleTree Hotel at Sea-Tac.

Topics of the first day include cogeneration technologies and applications, market evaluation for the Northwest, financing and reliability. The second day will include three breakout sessions on different topics: large industries, high reliability applications and commercial/institutional uses. The presentations are participatory and audience involvement is encouraged.

Speakers will include Judith Johansen of the Bonneville Power Administration and representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Administration.

Booths will have displays from the Department of Energy, the Washington State University Energy Program, equipment vendors and consultants working in the field. Anyone interested in having a display or who wants to register to attend the event should contact Char Gruessing at (360) 956-2049 or gruessingc@energy.wsu.edu. The cost is $95 and includes materials, a reception and lunch.

Sponsors include the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, and the Office of Industrial Technologies.

Kids design environmentally friendly garden

Local school children acted as design consultants on a demonstration garden at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. A group from First Place school and Orca Elementary picked their favorite plants, garden features and activities which were used in design of the garden by King County's Commission for Marketing Recyclable Material.

Some of the kid picks include a worm bin, rabbits and a make-believe birthday party. The garden also has a recycled glass mosaic pool made by an art class at West Seattle High School as well as products made by local artisans and companies using recycled materials.

For information about the garden, contact Lynn Warner at (206) 296-0232 or check the county's Web site.

Oregon DOT awards mapping project

The Oregon Department of Transportation has awarded a two-year, $300,000 qualifications-based agreement for mapping services to 3Di's Eugene, Ore. office. The company's mapping services division will offer large scale mapping, helicopter surveys and general topographic/planimetric mapping as part of the project.

The company uses a helicopter to provide accurate maps without the need to endanger surveyors' lives by collecting data in travel ways.

A Bell 47 helicopter is retrofitted with an aerial camera mounting system. It has been used for mapping projects for transportation agencies in 12 states, including Oregon where it has been used on Interstate 5 in Salem. Bergman Photography Services of Portland and W&H Pacific's Beaverton, Ore., office have subcontracted for the project.

The company is based in Easton, Md., and provides public and private sector clients with spatial data information.

Environmental Watch: Mapping firm expanding in Northwest

3Di, a Maryland-based mapping consulting firm, is expanding its presence in the Northwest by adding Joetta Zablotney as branch manager of its Bellevue office.

Zablotney is a photogrammetrist with 12 years' experience in environmental consulting, GIS application and development, and project management. She can be contacted at (425) 467-1121 or at jzablotney@3dillc.com.

3Di provides "spatial data solutions" from 17 offices in three countries. Clients are both public and private, in transportation, telecommunications, agriculture, engineering, facility management, utilities and government agencies. They include NASA, NOAA, USDA, National Geographic and numerous others. The company has a website at www.3dillc.com.

'Biosphere reserve' for Clayoquot Sound

SASKATOON, Saskatchewan (AP) -- Canada has two new sites designated as biosphere reserves by a United Nations agency, including a Vancouver Island area that has been the site of massive environmental protests.

UNESCO has added Clayoquot Sound on Vancouver Island and Redberry Lake in Saskatchewan to the list of six other Canadian biosphere sites.

It took a lot of work to get the two sites designated.

The British Columbia government credited high-profile protests by environmentalists as playing a significant role in convincing governments to apply to have Clayoquot Sound designated.

The pristine area on Vancouver Island was the site of large protests in the summer of 1993. More than 800 people were arrested as they attempted to stop loggers from harvesting old-growth timber in Clayoquot Sound.

There are more than 300 world biosphere reserves in more than 100 countries.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization describes biosphere reserves as areas that strike a balance between conservation and economic development.

The regions are nominated by national governments and must meet UNESCO's criteria before getting the official designation.

Aside from contributing to the conservation of ecosystems, the reserves try to foster sustainable development and support research and education on conservation issues.

UNESCO announced its decision Friday.

Old Hanford pipes are not reliable

RICHLAND (AP) -- Officials at the Hanford nuclear reservation wanted to determine whether a 25-year-old underground pipe could handle the transfer of highly radioactive waste between storage tanks.

When they put the 2-inch diameter, 220-foot-long pipe to the test last Thursday, using water laced with nuclear waste and boosting the pressure to 190 pounds per square inch, the result was a 60-gallon spill.

Twenty gallons were recovered, said officials with CH2M Hill Hanford Group Inc., which is in charge of 177 underground tanks holding 54 million gallons of radioactive waste at Hanford.

On Jan. 6, two workers were slightly contaminated in a spill of two to five gallons of highly radioactive liquid that leaked from a 28-year-old pipe into an electrical conduit and onto the ground through a junction box.

"There were different circumstances, but I think the message is the tank farms are old," said Fran DeLozier, president of the tank management company. "They are going to experience failures.

"It's really important to get on with the program to heat the waste in the vitrification plant that will be built and remove the waste from the tank farms."

Vitrification is a process Hanford officials plan to use to convert nuclear waste into glass-like logs for long-term storage.

The latest spill involved a pipe that managers wanted to use to remove waste from Tank U-109, one of the 149 aging single-shell tanks, into one of the 28 less leak-prone double-walled tanks.

State officials have set a deadline of April 1 for Hanford workers to start pumping out that tank. DeLozier said the deadline would be met, possibly with use of an above-ground pipe.

Environmental Watch

Sellen honored for erosion control

Sellen Construction has been named the 1999 Contractor of the Year by the International Erosion Control Association. The award recognizes excellence in using effective erosion and sediment control practices on construction projects.

Chris Heger, the Sellen superintendent who spearheaded the company's erosion- and sediment-control efforts, will receive the award Feb. 23 at the IECA conference in Palm Springs, Calif.

The association noted that Sellen faced numerous challenges in erosion control, including working on steep slopes, near sensitive areas, during rainy months and during winter storms.

Among Sellen's practices are the use of polymers to precipitate suspended particulates in runoff water; use of polyacrylamide for short-term erosion control; using flow-through tank treatment of stormwater runoff; and developing a zero-discharge truck tire bath for vehicles leaving construction sites.

Salmon-friendly gardening

No, that doesn't mean fertilizing your garden with fish carcasses. It means that Seattle Public Utilities has come up with ways for the Northwest's green thumb brigade to cultivate the gardens they love while also making homey habitat for salmon.

SPU plans to display the information at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show, Feb. 2-6 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle.

The display, designed by The Portico Group, is part of an SPU effort called "salmon friendly gardening and landscaping," which dovetails with the utility's other conservation programs: water-wise gardening and natural lawn care.

Portico's display will highlight what happens downstream of yards, and how salmon and their habitat are affected. Educational elements will include how to reduce stormwater runoff, how to use composting to improve soil quality, and how porous pavers can help retain water in the soil.

For more information about salmon-friendly gardening, contact Liz Fikejs, (206) 615-0516. Information about the flower and garden show can be found at (800) 229-6311.

Anchor awards four scholarships

Four graduate students have been selected for the 1999 Anchor Environmental Scholarship. Established by the Seattle-based science and engineering consulting firm to pursue careers in the field, the awards this year go to Estelle Balian, Michel Gielazyn, Harman Ajiwibowo and Amy Windrope.

Balian is working on a master's degree in riparian vegetation in the University of Washington's School of Fisheries. Gielazyn is a Ph.D. candidate in marine science at the University of South Carolina. Ajiwibowo, also a Ph.D. candidate, is researching the effects of coastal structures in the ocean engineering program at Oregon State University. And Windrope is working on a master's in marine resource management at OSU.

For more information contact John Verduin at (206) 287-9130, or visit Anchor on the Web.

3Di adds business director

Scott Russell has joined the Eugene, Ore. office of 3Di as director of business development in the western region. He will oversee the firm's geographic technology and professional services.

3Di has 17 offices in three countries. The firm provides spacial data products and services for transportation, telecommunications, agriculture, engineering, facility management and agency use. The company has a website at http://www.3dillc.com.

Annual conference on the ESA

Law Seminars International will present a two-day conference on the Endangered Species Act on Jan. 27 and 28 in Seattle.

Designed for lawyers, government and agency officials, real estate and industry leaders, consultants, engineers, landowners and environmentalists, the conference will tackle a wide range of issues.

Among them are water supply, litigation, tribal issues, recovery strategies and ethical issues.

Tuition for the seminar is $595 per person or $495 each for two or more from the same firm. The government rate is $515 per person. Students and new associates pay $397.50.

To register, call (206) 463-4400 or (800) 574-4852.

Check your indoor air

A Florida company has begun marketing a do-it-yourself testing kit for indoor air. Pure Air Control Services, of Clearwater, says its First Response Indoor Air Quality-Screen Test Kit can find allergens, fungi, fiberglass, pollen, dust and skin cell fragments floating in the air, plus similar contaminants in dust.

Users of the kits must send their samples to PACS Environmental Diagnostics Laboratory for analysis.

The price for the indoor air test kit is $375, and the dust allergen kit is $75. Further information is available on the Web.

Free indoor air assessment available

The American Lung Association says indoor air can be risky to your health. To combat the problem, volunteers with the American Lung Association's Master Home Environmentalist program are available to perform free assessments of household air.

Each volunteer has passed a 40-hour training program in recognizing pollutants, understanding their health affects and how to reduce exposure to toxics in the home.

To schedule an assessment, or to get more information, contact the association at (206) 441-5100.

Power council names new chair

Frank L. Cassidy, of Vancouver, has been elected chair of the Northwest Power Planning Council for 2000. Oregon's Eric Bloch was elected vice chair.

Cassidy said the time has come for action on fish and wildlife recovery in the Columbia River Basin, and he believes the council is the only agency that can balance the needs of fish and wildlife with those of electricity producers.

The NPPC is an agency of the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Its job is to protect and improve fish and wildlife stocks in the Columbia Basin while also assuring the production of electrical power.

Aerosol cans can be recycled

Katec Inc., of Virginia Beach, Va., has received certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its aerosol can recycling technology.

Katec President Michael Campbell said the patented process, called Aerosolv, involves puncturing the can, draining the residual contents for reuse, and then recycling the steel can. It is already in use.

Campbell said the average large user of the Aerosolv system recycles about 1,000 cans per month, saving about 250 pounds of scrap steel.

Nationwide, about 3.2 billion aerosol cans are sold each year; the worldwide total is 10.5 billion. Virtually all of them end up in landfills.

Further information is available at www.aerosolv.com.

Old-growth poacher gets jail time

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) -- A man who illegally cut old-growth cedar near Darrington has been sentenced to three months in jail, the maximum under state guidelines

The trees cut by Wes Lee Wicken, 40, of Arlington, on U.S. Forest Service land in September 1998 were as wide as seven feet at the base, Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Ken Cowsert was told Thursday. Wicken pleaded guilty earlier to one count of first-degree theft.

U.S. Forest Service officials estimated the value of the trees at upward of $17,000, the amount that Wicken was ordered to pay in restitution.

He was spotted by a forest service investigator while trying to cut up one of the trees, which had been felled across a logging road, court documents showed.

The oldest tree he cut began growing 627 years ago when English poet Geoffrey Chaucer was a young man and the birth of Christopher Columbus was nearly a century away, deputy prosecutor Bill Joice said.

"These are trees that basically belonged to everybody," Joice said. "There is a ban on harvesting them. They can't be replaced."

Environmental Watch

Intertox historian joins Bibliography

Dale Stirling, an historian with the public health and environmental consulting firm Intertox, has joined the advisory board of the Environmental Periodicals Bibliography. Published by the Environmental Studies Institute of the International Academy at Santa Barbara, Calif., the bibliography is one of the primary guides to environmental periodical literature. It can be found online, as the Environmental Knowledgebase. Stirling, with experience as an environmental historian, archivist and information specialist, will help guide the bibliography. He joins 12 other advisors representing academia, government laboratories, environmental publications and consultants.

Healthy House training for builders, designers

The American Lung Association and the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild next month will launch a seven-week training course for builders and designers on how to create healthier indoor environments. Classes will be held once a week, covering air quality, ventilation, filtration, moisture control, product choice and pollutant source control. The first class is Feb. 7. Tuition is $360. For more information, contact Chetana Acharya, (206) 441-5100.

PEMA membership appreciation

Mark your calendar for Jan. 20 at Charlie's on Shilshole. Starting at 5 p.m., the Professional Environmental Marketing Association will present its "member appreciation dinner" at that venue. The cost of the dinner is $45 and includes hors d'oeuvres, drinks, dessert, coffee, and one year's membership in PEMA. Scheduled speakers are John Okamoto, director of the state Department of Transportation, and Jim Hedrick, executive policy assistant to the governor. To register for the dinner, call Alan Jones at (425) 883-0405.

Ecology seeks standout recyclers

Do you know someone worthy of a Waste Prevention, Reduction and Recycling Award? The state Department of Ecology wants to hear about it. Applications are being accepted for the awards, six of which will be given to governments, businesses, groups and individuals that made a contribution to conservation during 1999. Ecology is looking for productive waste-reduction and recycling programs and innovative approaches and outreach efforts.

Award categories are: Best small-business program (under 100 employees), best large-business program (over 100), best federal facility, best small-government program (under 75,000 population), best large-government program (over 75,000), and special recognition for achievement.

Nominees can include agencies, stores or offices. Applications are due March 15 and may be submitted on paper, computer disk or via e-mail. Forms are available from Ecology's regional offices, on the web, or by calling 800-RECYCLE.

Winners will be announced on May 2.

Fertilizer is killing frogs, says study

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) -- Fertilizer levels the Environmental Protection Agency say are safe for human drinking water can kill some species of frogs and toads, according to a new study.

Oregon State University researchers found some tadpoles and young frogs raised in water with low levels of nitrates typical of fertilizer runoff ate less, developed physical abnormalities, suffered paralysis and eventually died.

In control tanks with normal water, none died.

"We're looking at levels of nitrates so low we didn't think we'd get any effect," said Andrew Blaustein, a zoology professor and expert on global amphibian declines.

In addition, the fertilizer runoff may be encouraging the growth of algae that feeds tiny parasitic flatworms called trematodes, blamed for causing deformities in frogs around the United States.

"So there are two effects. One is a direct effect, the fertilizer can kill them outright," Blaustein said of the frogs. "And two, it increases algal growth that leads to more parasites that cause deformities."

The study indicates that EPA water quality criteria does not guarantee the survival of some protected and endangered amphibians, he said.

"I think this is clearly a significant problem," Blaustein said. "The question I have to ask is, are you comfortable drinking water with levels of fertilizer that kills off frogs?"

Officials at the Environmental Protection Agency regional office in Seattle said they could not comment until they have reviewed the Oregon State study, published last month in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Nels Granholm, a biologist at South Dakota State University, said the Oregon frog deaths are cause for concern because they are a sensitive "indicator" species that can signal an environmental shift or pollution problem.

"There are problems with frogs all over the world," Granholm said.

The Oregon State researchers studied five species of amphibians, including the Oregon spotted frog, red-legged frog, western toad, Pacific treefrog and northwestern salamander.

In the past 40 years the Oregon spotted frog has largely disappeared from most of its known historical range, a lowland area now heavily farmed.

All five species of amphibians were affected by higher nitrite levels that were still well below those that the EPA considers safe for warm water fish.

Clinton wants to clean up Great Lakes

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Clinton will ask Congress for $50 million for a joint program with state and local governments to combat water pollution in the Great Lakes.

The initiative would make Great Lakes communities such as Detroit, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Gary, Ind., Duluth, Minn., and Buffalo, N.Y., eligible for matching grants to help restore waterways for drinking, fishing, swimming, boating and urban development.

Clinton's program would provide $50 million in matching grants to state and local governments to clean up contaminated sediments, control storm water, restore wetlands, acquire greenways and buffers and control polluted runoff. State or local governments would be required to provide at least 40 percent of the costs.

The initiative will be targeted at 42 areas of concern, defined in 1987 by a U.S.-Canadian commission, where the aquatic environment has been most severely affected. All the areas have significant pollution problems that restrict fishing, swimming, boating and use for drinking water.

The program was announced by Vice President Al Gore, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president.

Environmental Watch

3Di opens Bellevue office

BELLEVUE -- 3Di, a Maryland-based consulting firm specializing in geographic data services for environmental, forestry and urban planning clients, has opened a new office in Bellevue. It is the 16th office for the firm, which has others scattered from California to British Columbia.

The new office combines photogrammetry, remote sensing and Geographic Information System planning, implementation and analysis services. Applications include stormwater management and monitoring the environmental impacts of commercial development.

3Di's new office is at 12509 Bel-Red Road, Suite 200, Bellevue. The telephone is (425) 467-1121. For more information, contact Tracey Walter or surf to their web site.

New faces at EnviroIssues

SEATTLE -- During 1999, EnviroIssues, a consulting firm that concentrates on environmental policy and technical decisionmaking, added five new staff. The firm also plans to open a new office in Boise, Idaho this year.

The newcomers are Kathy Albert, an 18-year veteran of public involvement, communications and public affairs; Diane Adams, formerly with SAIC and the Nature Conservancy, with eight years' experience in policy analysis in watershed management, community planning and public lands management; Janice Imrich, specializing in environmental consulting and regulatory analysis related to solid waste, hazardous waste and Superfund; Marina Ruiz, an attorney specializing in international environmental law; and Tara Williams, an environmental educator to youth.

Further information can be had by sending e-mail.

Olympic Pipe Line appeals fine

RENTON -- The Olympic Pipe Line Co. has appealed a $120,000 fine and order issued earlier this month by the state Department of Ecology. The department's actions were taken in response to an Aug. 29 oil spill at Olympic's Renton pump station.

The spill occurred when a pump piston broke, sending 3,368 gallons of fuel onto the gound, Olympic said. Cleanup actions included recovery of much of the fuel and removal of 1,300 tons of contaminated soil for incineration.

Olympic's appeal, filed with the state Pollution Control Hearings Board in Olympia, asks Ecology to reconsider the facts upon which its fine and order were based.

Hazwaste workshops coming up

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology is conducting two full-day workshops this month to help businesses manage their dangerous waste. It will cover appropriate handling of the substances plus proper storage and disposal. The materials include include paints, solvents or other substances that pose a threat to human health or the environment.

Each workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. as follows:

• Jan. 11 in Tacoma. In the Sheraton Tacoma Hotel Ballroom, 1320 Broadway
• Jan. 13 in Vancouver. At the Red Lion Hotel at the Quay Centennial Center, 100 Columbia St.

The cost for attendees is $40, which includes a training manual, lunch and a certificate of participation. For more information or to register, call Tonya Wolfe at (360) 407-6718. Or see Ecology's website.

Pollution prevention for machine shops

SEATTLE -- Information about good pollution-prevention practices at metalworking machine shops is now available on the Web. The Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center has set up a "living document" where anyone can look up pollution prevention, regulations, experts, research and a bibliography.

For more information, contact Chris Wiley or Jim DePeso at the PPRC, (206) 223-1151.

Groundwater course offered

TAMPA, Fla. -- Princeton Groundwater, a Tampa training and consulting firm, is offering a five-day course in groundwater pollution and hydrology next summer.

To be presented July 24-28 in San Francisco, the course will include an overview, concepts of groundwater flow, monitoring, remediation, case histories, wellhead protection, testing, computer programs and field techniques. The cost is $1,295 per person.

Registration information is available at (813) 964-0800 or via e-mail. The website is www.princeton-groundwater.com.

Call for presentations and posters

SPOKANE -- October may be a long way off, but today is not too soon to start thinking about that month's binennial conference on agriculture and water quality in the Pacific Northwest.

The conference will be held in Eugene, Ore., on Oct. 24 and 25. The Agriculture & Water Quality Committee has issued a call for posters and presentations for the event. Of particular interest are presentations on applied solutions to problems; explanations of issues, perspectives and resolutions; showcasing of cooperative efforts at problem solving; and introductions of topics and alternatives for addressing issues related to them.

Purely scientific or technical presentations should be offered as posters.

The committee is looking for presentations in a range of areas, including: Nutrient management, pesticide management, dairy waste management, non-point source control, erosion control, groundwater, ecosystems and watersheds, irrigation and sustainable agriculture.

For more information, call (509) 252-4165.

ELF says it burned Boise Cascade office

MONMOUTH, Ore. (AP) -- A radical environmentalist group, the Earth Liberation Front, claimed responsibility last week for a Christmas Day fire that destroyed a Boise Cascade timberlands management center.

AN ELF communique sent to The Associated Press said the fire was started with four buckets of diesel fuel set alight by a kitchen timer delay.

It contended Boise Cascade has been active in deforestation practices in the Northwest. "Now Boise Cascade has teamed up with Maderas Condor, a Chilean company, to begin deforestation in Puerto Montt area of Chile."

There were no injuries in the fire that destroyed the 8,000-square-foot building. The 25 employes who worked there now are based at a mill office in nearby Independence, said Boise Cascade spokesman Doug Bartels. He said no damage estimate has been made.

Bartels said the destroyed building was used largely for the management of Boise Cascade timber holdings in northwestern Oregon.

The ELF, a part of the broader Liberation Collective, also has claimed responsibility for a $12 million fire at the Vail Resort in Colorado a year ago and one that burned U.S. Forests Industries to the ground in Medford, also a year ago.

"Let this be a lesson to all greedy multinational corporations who don't respect ecosystems. The elves are watching," the communique concluded.

Bartels said the Boise Cascade fire was being investigated as possible arson.

Environmental Watch

Salmon is on the agenda ...

SEATTLE -- The chief executives of King, Pierce and Snohomish counties will put their heads together on Jan. 12 to discuss salmon recovery issues. The panel discussion, with King County's Ron Sims, Bob Drewel of Snohomish County, and Pierce County's Doug Sutherland, will get underway at 5:30 p.m. in the Rock Salt restaurant in Seattle. The cost is $25, including dinner.

The American Society for Engineering Management is sponsoring the event. Call (206) 695-6823 for more information.

... and so is the ESA

SEATTLE -- A two-day conference next month will look at the federal Endangered Species Act and its affects on the Northwest. To be presented by Law Seminars International, the conference will include such speakers as Peter D. Coppelman, of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.; Sam Anderson, of the Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties; state Commissioner of Public Lands Jennifer Belcher; and Chuck Clarke, regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Among the issues to be covered are water rights, salmon recovery funding, forest practices, tribal treaty rights and how the ESA meshes with other environmental and land-use laws.

The conference is to be held at WestCoast Hotel (formerly called Cavanaugh's Inn on Fifth Avenue), Seattle. Tuition is $595 per person. The government discount price is $515 per person, and students and new associates may attend for $397.50. For information and registration, call (206) 463-4400 or (800) 574-4852.

NEBC closes Seattle office

The Northwest Environmental Business Council has closed its Seattle office and consolidated those functions in its Oregon headquarters. Alice DeVault, who personified the NEBC in Washington, has left the organization. For more information, contact Jerry Thayer, of Wilder Construction, at (425) 551-3100.

Columbia Analytical now has domain names

KELSO -- Columbia Analytical Services, an employee-owned network of environmental laboratories, has branched out into the role of domain name registrar. The firm recently was accredited as a registrar by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, and will do business as Dotster Inc.

Columbia Analytical leadership consider the new entity to be a logical extension of the firm's data management capabilities. The Dotster Inc. website will be launched in mid January.

Just call it Clayton Group

NOVI, Mich. -- Forget Clayton Environmental, Clayton Environmental Consultants, Clayton Laboratory Services and Clayton Management Consultants. Now they all fall under the moniker of Clayton Group Services, Inc.

"Our use of these multiple names has created confusion for some of you and for us," states a recent company notice. Further information is available at http://www.claytongrp.com.

ASHRAE to have a seat at UN convention

ATLANTA -- The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers has gotten a tentative OK to attend meetings of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Control.

The engineers' organization had sought participation in the convention in order to stay abreast of developments and to add its perspective to discussions. If given final approval, ASHRAE representatives will attend as "accredited observers." They would also be eligible to attend the convention's meeting on the Kyoto Protocol, set for June 5-16, 2000, in Bonn.

The convention is the centerpiece of international efforts to combat global warming. Adopted at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the convention has more than 170 member nations.

Committee to study climbing anchors

JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) -- Groups strongly opposing and favoring fixed rock climbing anchors in wilderness areas will come together to recommend policy on the issue to the U.S. Forest Service.

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman is expected to appoint a committee early next year that will include members of groups that have followed the fixed-anchor issue, said Liz Close, a Forest Service employee involved in the question.

On June 1, 1998, U.S. Forest Service chief Mike Dombeck ruled that fixed anchors violated the Wilderness Act and were not appropriate in any of the nation's Forest Service wilderness areas.

Two months later, the ban was suspended following intense opposition from recreation groups and the outdoor industry.

The anchors are safety devices drilled or bolted into steep rock faces to enhance climber safety. Opponents say they mar the wilderness experience.

The committee, which will include a Forest Service representative, will likely be appointed in January or February and probably meet three times before formulating a recommendation, Close said.

Among the groups that have applied to be represented on the committee are the Access Fund, American Alpine Club, American Mountain Guides Association, Idaho Conservation League, Wild Wilderness, Wilderness Society, Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America, National Outdoor Leadership School, and others.

The first meeting will likely take place in February or March, Ms. Close said.

The climbing-anchor issue marks the first time the Forest Service has undertaken negotiated rulemaking, in which an agency seeks to establish common ground on divisive issues.

No time restraints would govern the group.

Eagles threatened by dredging?

ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) -- Dredging the Columbia River to deepen shipping lanes between Astoria and Portland could harm threatened bald eagles that nest and forage along the river banks, according to a federal report that highlights a dispute over the bird.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service disagrees with the Army Corps of Engineers, which concluded that dumping potentially contaminated dredge spoils in the water is unlikely to affect bald eagles.

A Fish and Wildlife Service review of the channel-deepening plans listed concerns about lost habitat from dredge disposal sites and contaminated material that might creep up the food chain. The agency says the corps needs to keep a close eye on any contaminated material that might be dug up.

The wildlife agency also is disputing how the corps measures polluted sediments beneath the river and whether those standards are strong enough to protect threatened species that live off the marine habitat.

"We don't necessarily agree they are protective of the bald eagle," said Jeremy Buck, a Fish and Wildlife Service environmental specialist.

Last week, the National Marine Fisheries Service approved the dredging plan, but only with sweeping conditions aimed at restoring more than 5,000 acres of marine habitat.

The Fish and Wildlife Service report is the second part of a much-anticipated review by the two federal agencies charged with protecting animals and habitat under the federal Endangered Species Act. Both have the power to veto the dredging project if the work is deemed too harmful to threatened species.