Environmental Watch: State proposes minimum flows for Skagit

BELLEVUE -- The state Department of Ecology has proposed a rule to establish minimum stream flows for the entire Skagit River basin, except the Samish River sub-basin.

"The Skagit River system is an important basin with seemingly abundant water and fish," said Rod Sakrison, watershed planner for Ecology. "But the recent listing of Puget Sound chinook salmon as threatened, coupled with population growth in the area, compel us to make sure there is enough water in the basin."

As proposed the rule would establish the available amount of water from ground and surface resources. It would also be used in awarding or denying all pending and future water right applications.

On Oct. 12, Ecology will conduct a workshop to answer questions about the proposal. The event will begin at 7 p.m. at the Skagit Valley Community College, Ford Hall, Room 101, 2405 E. College Way in Mount Vernon.

ESA technical session set for Thursday

BELLEVUE -- The Puget Sound Chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association will hold a technical session entitled "The Endangered Species Act: Pragmatic Approaches" at 3 p.m. on Thursday at the Department of Ecology's Bellevue office, 3190 160th Ave. S.E.

Kathi Futornick, who has worked on blue ribbon committees on ESA issues in both Washington and Oregon, will lead the discussion.

The fee is $10 and includes pizza and beverages. An optional group hike on a nearby trail will follow the session. For more information, call (425) 649-7000.

Seattle hosts green building conference

SEATTLE -- The National Association of Home Builders Research Center will hold the Third Annual National Green Building Conference at the Westin Seattle in March 2001.

Focusing on environmentally sensitive design, development and building, the conference will also include seminars on how to market and finance green construction.

For registration and exhibitor information for the March 18-20 conference, call (888) 602-HOME.

Ecology stickers were 'levity overkill'

RICHLAND (AP) -- A sticker that shows a cow eating what appears to be radioactive grass is drawing heat from Benton County commissioners.

State Ecology Department officials distributed the stickers at a meeting about two weeks ago. In a parody of the national "Got Milk" advertisements, they show a cow with a pale green mustache across its white snout and the words, "Got vit?"

"Vit" refers to vitrification, the process of converting radioactive waste into glass. The state agency enforces the federal government's obligations to build vitrification plants.

In letters to Gov. Gary Locke and three state legislators, commissioners called the stickers "reckless" and the mustache "apparently a radioactive 'moo-stache' ".

"What we find very disturbing and very offensive is that this sticker also ties the agricultural products of our region to the radioactive wastes at Hanford," the letter said.

The letter requested an apology from State Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons and an immediate recall of the stickers.

The stickers first appeared at a Hanford Advisory Board meeting about two weeks ago. "We think the stickers are cute, but they contain inappropriate information that's detrimental to the agricultural industry," said Max Benitz Jr., county commission chairman.

"It was a well-meaning attempt ... that came off as levity overkill," Commissioner Claude Oliver said. "I'll be the first to agree we have a lot more pressing priorities than this," Oliver added.

Sheryl Hutchison, a spokeswoman for the state agency, said the stickers were a mistake and are now being retrieved.

FarmLink workshops for farmers new and old

SEATTLE -- If green acres is the place to be, then these workshops might be right for thee.

Washington FarmLink, a state-wide program that helps farmers, will hold workshops on Nov. 3 and Jan. 5 entitled "Passing on the Farming Tradition."

Topics to be covered include getting into farming, holistic business planning, leasing and marketing. Participants will also learn about planning farming activities, estate planning and new marketing options.

FarmLink serves as a nonprofit information clearinghouse for farmers present and future. Farmers looking to expand or begin operations are paired with landowners looking to transition out of a property. The goal is to keep arable land in production.

The Nov. 3 meeting will be held at the WSU Cooperative Extension, 600 128th S.E. in Everett. The January 5 session will be held at the Sea-Tac Marriott, 3201 South 176th.

The cost is $15 including lunch. For more information, call (877) 728-9453 or go to http://wafarmlink.org. FarmLink is sponsored by the King County Agriculture Commission and the Snohomish County Agricultural Advisory Board.

WSU to perform INEEL toxics research

PULLMAN -- Washington State University has received funding for four projects as part of a joint effort between the Department of Energy's Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) and the Inland Northwest Research Alliance.

The research will work to better understand the geology and toxic contamination of the INEEL site, 50 miles west of Idaho Falls, with the goal of developing new environmental cleanup methodologies. Project funding is budgeted at $3 million over the next three years.

Among the WSU projects are an examination of the sorption of cesium in natural sediments and the development of analytical models to determine the chemistry of plutonium and other actinide association with INEEL subsurface materials.

The other universities in the Inland Northwest Research Alliance -- Boise State, University of Idaho, Montana State, University of Montana and Utah State -- will also be performing similar projects.

Climate Wise Forum set for Oct. 23

SEATTLE -- Seattle City Light and Seattle Center are co-sponsoring the third annual Climate Wise Forum at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 23 at the Seattle Center's Rainier Room.

Climate Wise is a program that helps companies save energy and reduce carbon emissions, while increasing productivity and profitability.

The keynote speaker, Richard Gammon, a University of Washington professor of chemistry and oceanography and an associate professor of climatology, will discuss long-term climate forecasts for the Northwest region and their impact on agriculture, fisheries and forests.

Two case studies will also be presented by Climate Wise participants Associated Grocers and Seattle Center. Seattle City Councilmember Heidi Wills will also recognize program participants in a brief ceremony.

For more information on the free forum, call Muir Public Relations at (206) 547-1008.

Salmon restoration assistance announced

NORTH BEND -- People for Salmon has announced the availability of a wide variety of assistance to volunteer groups working to restore salmon habitat.

That assistance includes project training, volunteer recruitment, equipment access, project planning and media relations.

People for Salmon executive director Chantal Stevens said that the group hopes to work with community-based organizations during project planning and implementation as well as helping to solve unexpected problems as they arise.

People for Salmon is a partnership of A World Institute for Sustainable Humanity, the Associated General Contractors Education Foundation, the Consulting Engineers Council of Washington, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, the MidSound Fisheries Enhancement Group, the Pierce County Conservation District, the Seattle MetroCenter YMCA and the Tulalip Tribes.

For information on program assistance or volunteer opportunities, call (425) 831-2426 or visit http://peopleforsalmon.org.

Environmental Watch: Hart Crowser promotes hydrogeologist

SEATTLE -- Greg Kupillas has been promoted to associate hydrogeologist in Hart Crowser's Portland office. Kupillas has been with the firm for nearly 10 years.

Currently, he is working on two projects for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality: groundwater contamination in the city of Lebanon and the cleanup of a former lumber mill in the city of Independence.

Kupillas' work will result in human health risk assessments that will serve as blueprints for remediation efforts.

Hart Crowser, based in Seattle, has 250 employees in 10 offices around the country. In addition to Seattle and Portland, these include Fairbanks and Juneau, Alaska; Fortuna and Long Beach, Calif.; Denver; Chicago; Jersey City, N.J.; and Boston.

New head for WSU sustainability program

PULLMAN -- Christopher Feise has been named director of the Washington State University Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources. He had been serving as acting director since July 1999.

As director of the center, Feise will working to "further the understanding and application of sustainability in agriculture, natural resources and communities through education and applied research," he said.

The center was created by the state Legislature in 1991 at the request of WSU.

With Feise's appointment, the center's headquarters will move from Pullman to the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center. Feise is also the WSU King County Cooperative Extension agricultural development educator, water quality coordinator and the extension's liaison to EPA Region 10.

New fish ladder on the Puyallup

TACOMA (AP) -- Salmon haven't spawned in the upper reaches of the Puyallup River in nearly a century. But that should change this fall, when a new $1 million fish ladder gives them a way to bypass 96-year-old Electron Dam in the foothills of Mount Rainier.

The project is a joint effort by the Puyallup Tribe and Puget Sound Energy, which runs the hydropower project. The tribe oversees salmon restoration and the utility pays for it. The effort is also supported by IP Pacific Timberlands, which owns surrounding forests.

The work started three years ago, when the tribe dug three small, stream-fed rearing ponds upriver. Each spring, the tribe plants about 300,000 chinook and coho smolts in the ponds, trucking most of them from the state's Voights Creek Hatchery near Orting. The little fish spend several months acclimating in the rearing ponds and then hatchery workers release them into the river.

The goal is to restore a run that returns to the Puyallup's upper reaches when it's time to spawn.

To keep power turbines from chopping up the fish, workers installed a trap at the end of the 10-mile-long wooden flume that carries water to the power generator. Workers periodically remove trapped fish, truck them beyond the generator and release them back into the river.

The fish ladder, the ponds and the trap-and-haul operation cost about $2 million, Puget Sound Energy's Janet Gaines said. The utility also pays the tribe $175,000 annually to nurture the new fish runs.

But the biggest cost is loss of power-generating capacity. During low-flow months, between June and November, the utility has agreed not to draw much water into its flume, Gaines said. That means it loses between $250,000 and $1 million a year, depending on water flow and power rates, Gaines said.

PEMA luncheon tomorrow

SEATTLE -- The Professional Environmental Marketing Association will hold its October luncheon tomorrow at the Rock Salt Steakhouse, 1232 Westlake Ave., at 11:30 a.m.

The speaker will be Steve Carley, section supervisor with the Washington State Department of Ecology's Water Quality Program's financial management section. Carley has over 20 years of experience in managing multimillion dollar state and federal water pollution programs. His talk is expected to focus on Washington's Centennial Clean Water and Water Pollution Control program funds.

To attend, contact James Lockhart at (206) 382-5555, Ext. 255. The cost is $20 for PEMA and Northwest Environmental Business Council members with advance reservation and $25 at the door.

Tribe fumes over EPA field burning letter

COEUR d'ALENE (AP) -- A Coeur d'Alene tribal official has accused the Environmental Protection Agency of "grandstanding" in a recent letter to Idaho agencies on agricultural field burning.

Tribal President Ernie Stensgar said the EPA neglected to notify the tribe of a public hearing in Spokane on field burning.

"The EPA is grandstanding," Stensgar said. "Work with us on a government-to-government basis. That's what they promised."

Stensgar said he was upset the letter raising the possibility of the federal agency's intervention in the field burning issue was sent to the media before state and tribal authorities received it.

An EPA official says he was surprised to hear the Indians' complaint.

"It's unfortunate," the EPA's Lynn McKee said. "That certainly was not the intent. We always feel it's definitely a courtesy, even if people know the letter is coming, to see it and look at it before they get a call from the media."

The EPA asked for information after a northern Idaho woman's death was attributed to complications from smoke from field burning.

The tribe gets a bad reputation for allowing stubble burning on reservation land despite stringent guidelines, Stensgar said.

"Every time the burning goes up, it's 'What are those Indians doing again? What's happening on the reservation?"' Stensgar said. "We take the heat."

EPA spokesman Bill Dunbar said the agency wasn't trying to imply that the tribe isn't doing its job.

"We were asking for information in light of a crisis," Dunbar said. "When someone dies, that's a crisis. We need to get to bottom of it, the state needs to get to the bottom of it, and the tribe does, too."

The EPA shouldn't demand answers for a problem it hasn't helped fix, Stensgar said.

The EPA said it did remind tribal officials of the Spokane hearing, sponsored by EPA headquarters, although no one was specifically invited, Dunbar said.

Agency: I-405 plans would hurt salmon

BELLEVUE (AP) -- The federal government says plans to expand Interstate 405 would hurt wild chinook salmon and must be changed.

The U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service told the state Department of Transportation last month to drop plans to widen the highway unless state officials can show the fish will be protected.

NMFS suggested the state encourage mass transit rather than widening the highway by as much as six lanes, as plans call for. But state officials believe they can design an expansion that won't hurt the fish.

I-405 is the state's second-busiest freeway. It stretches 33 miles from Tukwila to Lynnwood and carries 290,000 vehicles every day. NMFS must approve expansion plans before the state can apply for federal grants and construction permits.

The agency worries that widening the freeway would create too much pavement near the Lake Washington and Issaquah River watersheds.

The state is conducting an 18-month, $6.5 million study of the I-405 corridor. Transportation officials have asked to meet with NMFS. That could happen as soon as this week.

"We believe that it is too early in the process to conclude that none of the alternatives can be designed or implemented to satisfy (the Endangered Species Act)," Michael Cummings, state I-405 planning coordinator, wrote the agency. Cummings said his department is confident it can come up with a plan that will satisfy the government.

The federal government last year declared Puget Sound chinook salmon a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

Environmental Watch: 11 honored for preventing pollution

OLYMPIA -- Nine businesses and two government facilities won the 2000 Governor's Awards for Achievement in Pollution Prevention.

"This award recognizes that businesses and government can work together to address current and future ecological challenges," said Governor Gary Locke.

The awards are for "businesses and government agencies that have found ways to offer services and make products while generating less or no hazardous waste, and to conserve resources such as energy and water."

Honored at a Capitol ceremony were Aldercrest Auto Rebuild of Lynnwood, Boeing Aircraft and Missiles Group of Seattle, Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, GM Nameplate Inc. of Seattle, Habitat-Spokane Builders Surplus Store of Spokane, In Harmony of Redmond, the Klickitat Public Utility District in Roosevelt, RE Sources/The RE Store of Bellingham, SEH America Inc. of Vancouver, Sleeping Lady Resort of Leavenworth and the McGregor Co. of Colfax.

$135M OK'd for Columbia River habitat

PORTLAND -- The Northwest Power Planning Council has approved $135 million for projects to help fish and wildlife in the Columbia River basin. Projects for salmon and steelhead, both listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, account for $90.7 million of the total.

Funding comes from the Bonneville Power Administration through the Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program, which aims to mitigate the effects of hydropower in the Columbia system.

Projects underway that will receive money under the program include habitat improvements, hatchery operations and experiments in fisheries management. Also, $2 million has been set aside for new, innovative projects that help fish and wildlife. Project submissions will be accepted until Nov. 1. Call the NWPPC at (800) 452-5161 for more information.

Brownfields conference set for Oct. 19-20

SEATTLE -- A two-day conference on "Brownfields Redevelopment" will be held at Seattle's Crown Plaza Hotel Oct. 19 and 20. Brownfields are defined by the Environmental Protection Agency as "properties that are abandoned or underused because of environmental contamination from past industrial or commercial practices."

The conference--designed for attorneys, developers, engineers and others with interests in contaminated sites--includes seminars by attorneys expert in the laws regulating brownfields, government officials and bankers who have financed brownfields redevelopment.

The course has been approved for 12.25 hours of continuing legal credit, 12.5 hours of real estate credit and 12 hours of real estate appraisal credit. The fee for both days is $595 person, and student and government rates are available. For more information and registration call (206) 463-4400 or toll free (800) 574-4852.

Briggs Nursery joins international network

OLYMPIA -- Briggs Nursery has become part of the Boston-based International Garden Products (IGP) family of companies. The 88-year-old nursery is now one of a network of eight major growers and suppliers of ornamental plants and horticultural specialty products supplying garden centers, other retailers and commercial users in the U.S. and Europe.

Briggs' original nursery property, on 137 acres southeast of downtown Olympia, will remain in family hands. Plans are in the works to develop it as Briggs Village, consisting of 810 housing units in a modern urban village that is being designed by NBBJ.

The company is planning to consolidate all of its operations, except for sales distribution, at its 400-acre facility in the town of Porter in Grays Harbor County.

Livestock farms getting Ecology inspections

OLYMPIA -- Many farms with livestock in Lewis, Thurston and southeast Grays Harbor counties will be inspected by the Department of Ecology for water runoff problems over the next few weeks.

Agency studies in the upper Chehalis River basin have found levels of fecal coliform and dissolved oxygen that violate state water quality standards. In 1998, Ecology identified 42 farms with medium to high pollution potential.

But Ecology says that very few of these farms went to their local conservation district for assistance in managing their animal wastes, so now formal inspections are proceeding.

In addition to free technical assistance from conservation districts, grants and loans are also available to assist landowners in resolving runoff problems. Farmers can call Liz Rozmyn at (360) 407-6287 for more information.

PCC's farmland fund wins award

SEATTLE -- PCC Natural Markets has won a Food Marketing Institute Neighborhood Partnership Award. The annual awards go to food retailers and wholesalers for "outstanding public/private partnerships that revitalize and maintain their communities."

PCC's award was for its Farmland Fund, which secures and preserves threatened farmland, keeping it in organic production. The fund, established in 1999, has already helped keep a 100-acre farm near Sequim in production. PCC's goal is to raise more than $1 million for land purchases over the next three years.

In addition to the award, PCC also received $3,000 to increase the Farmland Fund's exposure in national trade media.

PCC began as a food-buying club in 1953. The cooperative now has eight locations in the Seattle area.

The Food Marketing Institute is a non-profit trade association serving food retailers and wholesalers nationwide.

Adopt-A-Stream to hold wetlands class

EVERETT -- The Adopt-A-Stream Foundation will be holding an eight-hour workshop Oct. 5 entitled "Stream and Wetland Ecology Basic Training." The class can be taken for teacher or real estate credit.

Among the topics to be covered are the definition of wetlands, the types of wetlands, the function of streams and what local, state and federal laws regulate activities that impact streams and wetlands. The Endangered Species Act will be a particular focus.

The class will be held at the Adopt-A-Stream Foundation 600-128th St. Southeast in Everett. The cost is $75 and includes two texts. Portions of the class will be held outdoors.

Plan to cut park pollution draws fire

SACRAMENTO (AP) -- Over the objections of the coal industry, the Western Regional Air Partnership approved recommendations Monday on sulfur dioxide pollution designed to cut haze over the Grand Canyon and other federal parks and wilderness areas.

The panel, made up of representatives from federal agencies, nine western states and several Indian tribes in the Southwest, worked for three years to create a plan to cut sulfur dioxide pollution, which accounts for one-third of the pollution in the region. The federal Environmental Protection Agency now has one year to study the recommendation.

The goal is to cut sulfur dioxide pollution from large industrial sources by 40 percent from 1990 levels by the year 2018, said Patrick Cummins, program manager.

But representatives of coal-generation power plants urged the partnership to reject the program.

The plan calls for "too much emission reduction, too quickly," and could lead to a spike in energy prices, said Wanda Burget of the Peabody Group, a Wyoming-based company that owns several coal-burning power plants.

The states -- Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming -- have the option of not taking part in the plan. In that case, the state would have to present its own plan to the EPA.

Cummins said the plan is unique because it's voluntary as long as emission levels stay below set levels.

If the voluntary program doesn't cut emissions by the recommended levels, each source will be given a cap on how much sulfur dioxide it can emit, Cummins said. Each company will have five years to come into compliance with the new standard.

Companies that cut their emissions by more than what is required would be able to sell their leftover emission allowance to companies that haven't reduced their sulfur dioxide pollution, Cummins said. The system would reward companies for compliance, while making pollution expensive for violators.

The EPA last year issued regulations requiring that visibility at 156 national parks be improved by 15 percent each decade, returning to pristine conditions over a 60-year period. The EPA's goal is to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by between 50 percent and 70 percent from 1990 levels by the year 2040.

The sulfur dioxide emissions are just one part of the EPA's plan to reduce pollution in the southwest. Other segments include the reducing the impact of automobiles, prescribed burns and wild fires and energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies.

Panel recommends air quality rules

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- Over the objections of the coal industry, the Western Regional Air Partnership approved recommendations Monday on sulfur dioxide pollution designed to cut haze over the Grand Canyon and other federal parks and wilderness areas.

The panel, made up of representatives from federal agencies, nine western states and several Indian tribes in the Southwest, worked for three years to create a plan to cut sulfur dioxide pollution, which accounts for one-third of the pollution in the region. The federal Environmental Protection Agency now has one year to study the recommendation.

The goal is to cut sulfur dioxide pollution from large industrial sources by 40 percent from 1990 levels by the year 2018, said Patrick Cummins, program manager.

But representatives of coal-generation power plants urged the partnership to reject the program.

The plan calls for "too much emission reduction, too quickly," and could lead to a spike in energy prices, said Wanda Burget of the Peabody Group, a Wyoming-based company that owns several coal-burning power plants.

The states -- Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming -- have the option of not taking part in the plan. In that case, the state would have to present its own plan to the EPA.

Cummins said the plan is unique because it's voluntary as long as emission levels stay below set levels.

If the voluntary program doesn't cut emissions by the recommended levels, each source will be given a cap on how much sulfur dioxide it can emit, Cummins said. Each company will have five years to come into compliance with the new standard.

Companies that cut their emissions by more than what is required would be able to sell their leftover emission allowance to companies that haven't reduced their sulfur dioxide pollution, Cummins said. The system would reward companies for compliance, while making pollution expensive for violators.

The EPA last year issued regulations requiring that visibility at 156 national parks be improved by 15 percent each decade, returning to pristine conditions over a 60-year period. The EPA's goal is to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions by between 50 percent and 70 percent from 1990 levels by the year 2040.

The sulfur dioxide emissions are just one part of the EPA's plan to reduce pollution in the southwest. Other segments include the reducing the impact of automobiles, prescribed burns and wild fires and energy efficiency and renewable energy strategy.

The Western Regional Air Partnership Web site is http://www.wrapair.org

Environmental Watch: Methow water restrictions in effect

YAKIMA -- As of yesterday, 60 Methow River water users must now call a "river flow information line" on any day they plan to divert water from the river. The state Department of Ecology sent out notices to holders of interruptible water rights along the river that, due to low flows, water use restrictions would go into effect.

The recorded message on the hotline advises users of the river's actual flow, the minimum flow, whether the river is open for diversion, and when the information will be updated.

When flows are above the minimum, water diversion will be allowed. The restrictions are to remain in place for the remainder of the irrigation season. The state established minimum flows for the Methow River basin in 1976.

Salmon bill passes House

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House on Monday approved a bill that would earmark up to $600 million over the next three years for salmon recovery in five western states.

The proposal would set aside 15 percent of the funds for tribes to recover endangered and threatened salmon and divide the rest equally among five states -- Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California and Idaho.

The bill by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., writes into law the West Coast salmon initiative that four western governors proposed in 1998 and for which President Clinton has sought money over the past two years.

States can use the money to improve salmon habitat, reduce runoff and increase salmon research, among other activities.

The bill, approved by unanimous consent, is only a first step. Northwest lawmakers need to persuade congressional appropriators that the salmon initiative is worth funding. So far, that hasn't been easy.

President Clinton requested $100 million for the West Coast initiative last year, but Congress approved just $58 million.

Clinton asked for $100 million again this year, but House and Senate spending bills -- which have yet to gain final approval -- again set aside just $58 million.

Northwest lawmakers say that writing the West Coast program into law will make it easier for them to persuade Congress to approve money for the effort.

The region typically gains tens of millions of dollars each year in salmon funds in the budgets of the Army Corps of Engineers and National Marine Fisheries Service, and for a salmon treaty between the United States and Canada.

The governors of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California first requested funds for their four states in 1998.

When Thompson's bill came before a House subcommittee in May, Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, asked that Idaho also be included. Thompson and other Northwest lawmakers agreed.

A Senate version of the bill has not been proposed, but Thompson is hopeful the Senate will take up the House bill before Congress adjourns next month, said his spokesman, Chris Chauncey.

NPPC holds fish plan hearing

SPOKANE -- The Northwest Power Planning Council will be hearing comments on its draft amendment to the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program today at Spokane's Ridpath Hotel, 515 W. Sprague Ave.

A discussion of Methow Valley water conservation efforts will be part this afternoon's fish committee meeting at 1 p.m.

Tomorrow at the same location, an NPPC meeting begins at 8 a.m. and includes a report on pricing in the Western power market and hatchery reform initiatives.

Ore. estuary bill introduced

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., has introduced legislation that would direct the Army Corps of Engineers to study and carry out habitat restorations in the estuaries of the Columbia and Tillamook rivers.

Co-sponsors of the $175 million proposal, titled the Save the Estuaries Act, include Reps. Peter DeFazio, Darlene Hooley and David Wu, all Oregon Democrats. Others who have expressed support for the bill include American Rivers, the Port of Portland and the Pacific Waterways Association.

If the bill passes, the habitat restoration programs devised by the Lower Columbia River Estuary Program and the Tillamook Bay Estuary Project would be completed over a 10-year period. Currently the bill has been referred to both the House Resources and the Transportation and Infrastructure committees for consideration.

Sustainability theory at Whidbey conference

CLINTON -- "Consulting Nature: Model, Measure and Mentor" will be the topic of a one-day seminar Sept. 27 at the Whidbey Institute in Clinton.

Focusing on sustainability, speakers will discuss using nature as a model in solving design problems. Participants include author Janine Benyus, sustainable building advocate, educator Kathleen O'Brien and environmental professional Sego Jackson.

Program cost, which includes lunch and dinner, is on a sliding scale from $85-$150 and a student rate is available. For more information call (360) 341-1884 or email whidinst@whidbey.com.

EPA will host community meeting.

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND -- The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a meeting on Sept. 21 at the Bainbridge Island City Hall to discuss activities at Wyckoff and in Eagle Harbor. The purpose of the meeting is to give details about upcoming construction and cleanup activities and how the public may be affected. People attending will have the chance to hear directly from project managers, ask questions and view displays.

The meeting will be held at City Hall, 280 Madison Ave. N., from 7 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, contact Andrea Lindsay, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator at (206) 553-1896 or lindsay.andrea@epa.gov.

UW transportation fair set

SEATTLE -- The University of Washington's U-Pass program, one of the more successful transportation demand management programs in the region, will be the focal point of the school's ninth annual transportation fair to be held Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Husky Union Building (HUB) lawn.

Among the participating organizations are Metro, Community Transit, Sound Transit and the university's parking services office. Merchants include Flexcar, the car-sharing service, and Council Travel.

The University of Washington's U-Pass program costs approximately $8 million annually, but it has greatly reduced car trips to the school, forestalling construction of additional parking facilities on the urban campus.

CH2M Hill makes green power buy

OLYMPIA -- CH2M Hill has announced a green energy purchase that will power up to 5 percent of the electricity needs for seven of its Pacific Northwest facilities. The giant project management and environmental services firm will purchase mostly wind power marketed by the Portland-based Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The balance of its green energy commitment will come from Portland Power and Light's "Blue Sky" green power program.

"Common sense tells you that tapping renewable forms of energy is not just the socially responsible thing to do, it's the right business decision for those who plan on sticking it out for the long haul," said Kathy Lombardo, CH2M Hill's Northwest regional manager.

The firm's renewable energy purchase also makes it the first large firm to meet the standards set by the Northwest Clean Energy Challenge, a regional campaign coordinated by Olympia-based Climate Solutions that encourages renewable energy use by business, utilities and government.

Founded in Oregon and now based in Colorado, CH2M Hill has over 7,000 employees in 38 nations worldwide.

King County holds home permit class

SEATTLE -- The King County Department of Development and Environmental Services will hold a three-hour class tomorrow on the basics of successfully applying for a residential (non-commercial) building permit.

Topics covered include zoning, environmental regulations, permit costs and the processing time required. The class can be taken for real estate continuing education credits.

The fee is $30 per person (with continuing education credits) or $45 per couple (with no credit). The class will be held at DDES' Renton office. Pre-registration is required. Call Karen Blyler at (206) 296-7020 or email karen.blyler@metrokc.gov.

Environmental Watch: Stelle leaves NMFS for Preston, Gates

SEATTLE -- Will Stelle, National Marine Fisheries Service regional administrator for the Northwest region, is stepping down to join law firm Preston, Gates & Ellis. Stelle, who spent six years at NMFS, will become a partner in the firm's environmental and land use department.

During Stelle's tenure at NMFS many species of salmon were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, generating continuing controversy. Implementation of that ruling is among the agency's prime responsibilities in the region.

Prior to NMFS Stelle worked in the President's Office on Environmental Policy and the U.S. Department of the Interior. He holds a master's in natural resource law from the University of Washington. Stelle officially joins Preston, Gates in October.

Ecology gets mixed ruling on water boards

OLYMPIA -- County-established water conservancy boards may still modify water rights but not to the extent that the state Department of Ecology has maintained.

Thurston County Superior Court Judge Daniel Berschauer ruled that county water boards can process applications that do not involve a transfer in ownership. The boards can also rule on proposals to use water new locations.

However the court ruled that the boards cannot hear applications to change the use of water (e.g. agriculture to domestic).

The lawsuit was brought by the Center for Environmental Law and the Washington Environmental Council in response to new 1999 Ecology rules governing the boards.

The agency has argued that the 1997 legislation that allows the creation of county water conservancy boards grants them the same types of authority as Ecology itself.

County water conservancy boards have been approved by Ecology in Adams, Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Grant, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Okanogan, Spokane, Thurston, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman and Yakima counties.

Master Builders holding salmon summit

BELLEVUE -- The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties will open a "salmon summit" this morning featuring a day-long program explaining the impact of salmon issues on development.

Among the topics will be an "elected officials perspective" with King County Executive Ron Sims; attorney Brent Carson of Buck & Gordon will discuss the NMFS 4(d) "taking" rule; and there will be a question and answer period on the Tri-County plan to address the requirements of the Endangered Species Act with regard to salmon.

The program, beginning at 8 a.m., will be held at the Best Western Inn Bellevue, Main St. and 112th Ave. Northeast, and costs $50.

Oregon recycling rate down

PORTLAND (AP) -- A growing population that produces more waste has pushed Oregon's recycling rate down, according to figures scheduled to be released Wednesday.

The drop -- from 37.3 percent to 36.8 percent -- was the first in the eight years that state Department of Environmental Quality has kept recycling records, The Oregonian reported.

Even in the Portland area, where curbside recycling is readily available and has a history of success, the recycling rate remained a flat 43 percent in 1999, the same as in 1998.

Oregon remains well above the national average -- and it isn't the only state that has seen stagnant or falling recycling rates.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which calculates the rate slightly differently from Oregon's DEQ, estimates the nation's average recycling rate to be at 28 percent in 1998. It is expected to report no change for 1999.

Oregon officials said statewide, the total amount of waste going to landfills and waste incinerators increased last year.

"This should serve as a wake-up call," said Chris Taylor, manager of the solid waste program for DEQ. "Unless we take action, recycling may continue to fall, eroding the gains of the past decade."

Figures released by the DEQ indicate Oregonians:

-- Created 7.3 pounds of trash per person a day in 1999. Of that, approximately 2.7 pounds were recycled or burned for energy.

-- Generated slightly less trash last year -- 7.2 pounds per person a day -- while recycling about the same 2.7 pounds. That means per capita waste sent to landfills as risen slightly.

A healthy economy encourages people to consume more and consequently create more trash, state officials said.

But for some, recycling may have become a stale habit.

"We went through a period in the early 1990s of aggressive development of curbside, yard-waste and green-waste programs. And now there may be somewhat of a lagging of public interest," said Wayne Rifer, a board member of Recycling Advocates, a citizens' group that lobbies for recycling and environmental sustainability.

A DEQ citizens' advisory panel has come up with a list of recommendations designed to boost Oregon's recycling rates, including mandatory food waste recovery programs in some counties and requiring that construction and demolition waste be separated for recycling.

Taylor, of the DEQ, said the new statewide numbers should draw attention to the need for Oregon to "redouble our efforts on recycling and waste prevention.

"Some of us in this field had an inkling this was coming," he said. "But I think people who put out their yellow bins every week will be surprised to see we've lost ground."

Climate change meeting set

SEATTLE -- The Puget Sound chapter of the Air and Waste Management Association is sponsoring a meeting on climate change and its potential impacts on Western Washington to be held on Sept. 14 at the state Department of Ecology's Bellevue office, 3190 160th Ave. Southeast.

Blair Henry, president of the Northwest Council on Climate Change, will lead the discussion. His organization has developed some proposals for reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the region, and is working on getting them adopted.

The meeting will run from 3 to 5 p.m. Informal discussions will continue afterward over pizza. A ten dollar contribution is suggested for people staying for the pizza. For more information, call the Air and Waste Management Association at (206) 544-0399.

$2M contest for wildlife protection

The Northwest Power Planning Council is looking for projects to protect and enhance fish and wildlife and has set aside $2 million within its Columbia River basin Fish and Wildlife Program to encourage them. The deadline for submissions is Nov. 1. For more information, contact John Harrison at 800-452-5161 or email him at jharrison@nwppc.org.

Arboretum celebration

SEATTLE -- The Washington Park Arboretum will host an open house on Thursday, Sept. 14 to wrap up a three-year restoration project. The focus of the event will be the restoration of the Arboretum's Pinetum; citizens can meet with the horticultural staff and view project plans and materials. The open house will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Arboretum's Graham Visitors Center, 2200 Arboretum Dr. E. For more information, call horticulturist Christina Pfeiffer at the University of Washington at (206) 543-8800.

Alaska salmon fishery gets seal of approval

ANCHORAGE -- The Marine Stewardship Council has recognized the Alaska salmon fishery as the first U.S. fishery to be certified as sustainable. The MSC seal of approval identifies seafood that has not been overfished or harvested in ways that harm the ecosystem.

MSC is a consortium of Unilever and the World Wildlife Fund. Unilever, which includes the Gorton's brand, is one of the largest purchasers of fish in the world.

Other certified fisheries to date include Thames River herring and Western Australian lobster. Alaska's commercial salmon catch has increased to 214 million fish in 1999 from about 25 million fish in the 1950s.

EPA will host community meeting.

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND -- The Environmental Protection Agency will hold a meeting on Sept. 21 at the Bainbridge Island City Hall to discuss activities at Wyckoff and in Eagle Harbor. The purpose of the meeting is to give details about upcoming construction and cleanup activities and how the public may be affected. People attending will have the chance to hear directly from project managers, ask questions and view displays.

The meeting will be held at the City Hall, 280 Madison Ave. N., from 7 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, contact Andrea Lindsay, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator at (206) 553-1896 or lindsay.andrea@epa.gov.

Environmental Watch: Gonzales elected to Tacoma chamber

TACOMA -- Peter Gonzales, P.E., vice president of architectural and environmental services firm David Evans and Associates, has been elected to a three-year term on the Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce.

Gonzales has been a civil engineer in the Tacoma area for over 18 years. He currently serves as office manager in Evans' Tacoma office.

David Evans and Associates employs over 900 people in 23 offices, including Washington locations in Bellevue, Bellingham, Everett, Spokane and Tacoma.

EPA extends Duwamish comment period

SEATTLE -- The Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Ecology have extended the comment period on an agreement to further study contamination and cleanup proposals for the Lower Duwamish River Waterway.

The proposed agreement between the agencies and the area's largest landowners -- Boeing, the Port of Seattle, King County and the city of Seattle -- would result in a two-phase study funded by those same property owners. The agreement is designed to avoid an EPA Superfund designation, the cleanup program for the nation's most severely polluted sites. Comments on the proposal will be accepted until Oct. 16.

An additional public meeting has been scheduled for Oct. 4 from 7-9 p.m. at the South Park Area Redevelopment Committee Building, 8201 10th Ave. S., Seattle. Comments may be addressed to Cindy Colgate, EPA Community Involvement Coordinator, 1200 Sixth Ave., ECO-081, Seattle, WA 98101.

Bellingham stream picked for demo project

WASHINGTON -- The National Marine Fisheries Service, Ocean Trust and the National Fisheries Institute, the trade association for the seafood industry, has launched a national wetlands restoration program with three demonstration projects, including one in Bellingham. These community-based habitat restorations will utilize NMFS expertise along with public and industry support to improve marine and wetland environments.

In Bellingham, Ocean Trust, a research foundation that works with the seafood industry, will work with the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Bornstein Seafoods, Inc. and Western Washington University to restore 1,000 feet of salmon habitat in Squalicum Creek. Non-native plant species will be removed and the streambed and its banks will be made more salmon-friendly at a cost of $54,000.

The other initial projects are the reseeding of a historic clamming area in Massachusetts' Merrimack Valley and the restoration of an estuary, including establishing a tree nursery, in Texas' Lower Rio Grande.

Seattle TOD conference set for Oct. 13

SEATTLE -- Sound Transit will host its third annual transit-oriented development conference focused on the city and Puget Sound region Friday, Oct. 13. Entitled "Partnering Real Estate Development with Transit," the conference is designed to "bring together the public and private sectors to look at how we can create more livable communities with transit," according to Ken Robertson of Sound Transit.

Speakers include Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), King County Executive Ron Sims and Seattle Deputy Mayor Tom Byers. Also there will be a discussion of TOD opportunities in the area and a look at current TOD planning that's going on.

The all-day conference will begin at 9 a.m. at the W Hotel 1124 Fourth Ave., Seattle, and costs $50. For registration information call Gina Gianelli at (206) 398-5250 or for conference information call Robertson at (206) 689-4920.

Mine restoration topic of PEMA program

SEATTLE -- Tomorrow, the Professional Environmental Marketing Association will host Mark Ohlstrom, chief of the information management office of the Seattle District of the Army Corps of Engineers, for a discussion of the Corps' Restoration of Abandoned Mine Sites program. It's estimated that there are as many as 300,000 abandoned mines in the western U.S.

The program will be held at the Rock Salt Steak House, 1232 Westlake Ave., Seattle, beginning at 11:30 a.m. with the presentation scheduled for 12:30 p.m. The lunch and program are $20 for members of PEMA and the Northwest Environmental Business Council with an advance reservation, and $25 for all at the door. For reservations call James Lockhart at (206) 382-5555 or e-mail james@csrtech.com.

Locke honors emissions repair assistance program

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Gary Locke awarded a Governor's Award for Service and Quality Improvement to the Emission Repair and Assistance Program of Clark County.

The program is a joint effort of the state Department of Ecology, the Southwest Clean Air Agency, Clark County and the Salvation Army of Clark County, which acts as project administrator.

Under the program, motorists whose vehicles fail state emissions tests receive information about the program and eligibility. Low-income motorists then receive vouchers from the Salvation Army for up to $450 in emissions repair, good at 43 participating Clark County service stations. Without the program, car owners would have to spend at least $150 out of their own pockets before they could request an emissions waiver.

Ecology's Curt Piesch calls the program a winner for both motorists and the community, "We all breathe cleaner air, since more vehicles get repaired."

Since its beginnings the program has helped more than 400 vehicle owners get their cars into emissions compliance, at an average cost of $300 per vehicle.

Bear Creek headwaters land may become park

SEATTLE -- The Cascade Land Conservancy has reached an agreement to purchase 664 acres of land surrounding the headwaters of Bear Creek in Snohomish County. Besides a 29-acre farm, the parcel includes a combination of mature forests, meadows and a sphagnum peat bog that is the source of the creek.

The land is being sold by the Lloyd family, descendants of the property's original homesteaders, for $3 million. Cascade Land Conservancy will then assign it's rights to Snohomish County which will pay $1.9 million for all of the land and some of the timber rights. The remaining $1.1 million worth of timber rights would have to be purchased by exercising an option prior to July 2003.

Snohomish County will begin the planning process to decide on the type of public access it will have. Initial plans, though, call for the farm portion to be renovated and opened as the James and Eliza Lloyd Family Park. The conservancy will continue to play a role on the property by monitoring the environmental covenants that will be recorded on the site.

Web site debuts on hazmat transportation

SEATTLE -- A Virginia-based hazardous materials transportation association has struck a deal with Seattle's AdvanceOnline to put its best shipping, handling and packaging practices online.

The Conference on the Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles now has online courses for its members and other transportation interests on the safe shipping of hazardous materials. Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance courses are available as well on the site, located at http://costha.advanceonline.com.

AdvanceOnline specializes in Web-based training for regulatory compliance in the environmental, transportation and occupational health and safety industries.

Changes at Everett Recycling and Transfer Station

EVERETT -- Snohomish County's Everett Recycling and Transfer Station is gearing up for renovations. And that means some temporary changes for users of the facility.

Beginning today through Oct. 29, yard waste and metal will not be recycled at the station. However, yard waste brought to the station may be put into the pit as garbage. Metals can be taken to Everett Iron and Metal, 2402 Pacific Ave. in Everett, Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Yard waste can still be recycled at one of several compost facilities in the county. Call (425) 388-3425 for locations.

Recycling for paper, glass, cardboard and cans will still be available during this period.

Environmental Watch: Hatchery meeting scheduled

SEATTLE - The Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation will reveal its preferred option for the reuse of the city-owned fish hatchery at Seward Park in a meeting to be held at the Seward Park Annex, 5898 Lake Washington Blvd. South, on Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.

The hatchery, built in 1935, consists of 20 rearing ponds as well as associated intake lines, pumps, an outfall stream and outbuildings. Last fall an open house and meeting discussed various alternatives for the facility including restoring it to working order, conversion to an educational facility, removal and return to its natural state and letting it remain unused as is.

The facility is located in the old growth portion of the park. Comments and requests for information should be made to Kevin Stoops at Parks and Recreation, (206) 684-7053, or by e-mail to kevin.stoops@ci.seattle.wa.us.

WSU to hold water quality forums

PULLMAN - Washington State University is planning to hold three free regional water quality roundtables with the goal of trying "to help divergent interests arrive at a common vision of the future and foster creative solutions to old conflicts."

Conducted by the university's Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources, the meetings are designed to be of interest to watershed councils, homeowner associations, Tribes, state and local governments, environmental groups, agriculture and forest interests and business.

The first meeting will be held Sept. 6-7 in Portland, followed by Post Falls, Idaho Sept. 13-14 and Boise Oct. 3-4. Because space is limited, mandatory pre-registration is required. Call (509) 335-2922 or use the center's Web site at http://csanr.wsu.edu" target="_blank">http://csanr.wsu.edu .

Non-profit site for enviro info launches

OAKLAND, Calif. - In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a new Web site is hoping "to harness the power of technology to bring environmental information, resources and tools to the mainstream business community."

GreenBiz.com, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, offers information on over 300 government programs that help companies improve their environmental and, hopefully, economic performance. Also offered are an environmental mentor database and a "business toolbox" with briefings and checklists on a variety of issues.

All of the resources are free, and no password or registration is required. The site is also updated daily with environmental news relevant to business.

In addition to the EPA, corporate sponsors include Bank of America, AT&T, Pitney Bowes and Adobe Systems.

Marketing key to green power acceptance

PORTLAND - Over two million residential utility customers in the Northwest are able to purchase "green power" according to a new study prepared by the Renewable Northwest Project.

The study looked at 14 renewable energy programs in the Pacific Northwest and four others in the West to see where the successes and pitfalls for green power lie.

The report concludes that, while most people support the environmental goals of renewable energy sources--power supplied by solar, wind, geothermal, low-impact hydropower and landfill gas--customers are reluctant to pay a utility premium for these goals. Hence, the study's authors claim, "Utilities must market and brand themselves, clearly and incessantly" as delivering a green product, in order to win over their customers.

Full copies of the report are available at www.rnp.org or by contacting Renewable Northwest Project 1130 Southwest Morrison, Suite 330, Portland, OR 97205.

USGS technology aids in firefighting

DENVER - With wildfires burning across the Western U.S., a cross-agency group of personnel from the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have teamed up to form GeoMAC.

GeoMAC, the Geo-spatial Multi-Agency Coordination group, integrates digital maps with up-to-date satellite images to aid in the logistics planning and resource allocation for firefighting.

Private partners for the effort, hosted by the USGS Rocky Mountain Mapping Center, include ESRI, IBM and Sun Microsystems.

To see positions and nighttime satellite photos of the over 1 million acres that are estimated to be currently burning go to http://wildfire.usgs.gov.

Things to do: Zoo doo

Labor Day is just around the corner and close behind are the rituals of autumn: football, falling leaves, back to school and, of course, the annual Zoo Doo lottery.

From Sept. 1 through 22 you can mail in one, and only one, request to be placed in the hopper for the annual sale of the Woodland Park Zoo's unique organic composting material.

Send a 3"x5" card with name, day and evening phone numbers, amount of Zoo Doo requested (garbage bag through pick-up truck load) and preferred pick-up time (weekday or weekend) to Zoo Doo, Woodland Park Zoo, 5500 Phinney Ave., North, Seattle, WA 98103.

Approximately 300 entries will get the chance to purchase Zoo Doo with pick-up beginning Oct. 7. For more information call (206) 625-POOP. Yes, really.

BIAW adds salmon regulation position

OLYMPIA - The Building Industry Association of Washington has hired Amy Hatch, a biologist with experience in environmental regulation as a salmon regulation coordinator for the construction and development trade group.

Hatch's role will be to provide research and background information to the association's local chapters about new local salmon regulations. Also, she will be developing a statewide database of the status of jurisdictions' salmon regulations.

Adolfson makes two hires

SEATTLE - Adolfson Associates, an environmental consulting firm, announced the hiring of Kathe Hawe J.D. and Dr. Ann Root to bolster their regulatory compliance practice.

Hawe, an attorney, also holds a Masters of Science in forest ecology from the University of Washington. She specializes in SEPA and NEPA permitting.

Root holds a doctorate in geography from Oregon State University and has extensive experience in water and tribal rights.

In addition to Seattle, Adolfson has offices in Cle Elum and Portland.

Toombs joins ERM

BELLEVUE - Denise Toombs has joined Environmental Resources Management (ERM) as a senior project manager overseeing the firm's environmental planning practice in the Western U.S.

Toombs has over 18 years of experience in the telecommunications, utility and petrochemical industries and holds a Master's degree from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College.

ERM is a global environmental, health and safety consulting firm with over 2,400 employees based in offices in 34 countries.

Environmental Watch: EnviroIssues opens new Boise office

EnviroIssues, a Seattle-based environmental consulting firm, has opened a new office in Boise, Idaho. Emily Charoglu, an EnviroIssues associate, will be working on new business opportunities there.

She specializes in waste facility siting, environmental impact assessment and is one of the firm's key players in support of the U.S. Department of Energy's environmental technology deployment programs.

Additionally, EnviroIssues has expanded its Seattle office with six new hires. They include associate Penny Mabie, a solid waste management specialist; Paul Hezel, an assistant environmental planner; associate Susan Wright, an environmental and land use attorney; Doron Hadar, also an assistant environmental planner; accountant Pam Buckley; and administrative assistant Debora Heagerty.

Firm associate Amy Grotefendt reports that the EnviroIssues staff now numbers 18. The environmental impact statement for the Trans-Lake Washington Study, which is analyzing the eventual replacement of the 520 bridge, is a major reason behind the staffing increase.

Toxics law changes open for comment

OLYMPIA - Culminating a five-year process, the state Department of Ecology has opened a comment period on proposed changes to the Model Toxics Control Act. The revised regulations are designed to take advantage of new scientific findings about the behavior of toxic materials and utilize more flexible site-specific assessments and remedies. Ecology has participated in 6,700 toxic remediations since the original clean up regulations were adopted in 1991.

Public hearings will be held on Sept. 6 in the Pinnacle Room of the Mountaineers Building at 300 Third Ave. West, Seattle and Sept. 7 at Ecology's eastern regional office, North 4601 Monroe St., Suite 100, Spokane.

Japanese science ship to visit

SEATTLE - The Mirai, a Japanese climate research vessel, will be open for public tours tomorrow, Aug. 23, during its port of call here before venturing to the Arctic Ocean for a research trip. The ship, one of the largest of its kind in the world, will be docked at the Bell Street Pier at Pier 66 and open for visitors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Cities can't take farmers' water rights

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Cities aren't automatically entitled to take the water running under farms, even in times of drought, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday, siding with alfalfa and dairy farmers in the overtaxed Mojave River Basin.

"The impacts for California are enormous," said Scott Slater, an attorney and board member of the American Groundwater Trust, a nonprofit group that advocates cooperation to preserve water resources. "This case suggests that farmers cannot automatically lose their rights."

The alfalfa and dairy farmers, citing California law that favors the land owner with the oldest water rights, said they should be entitled to freely use the water under their land as long as it's not sold or wasted. Municipal leaders insisted that thirsty, growing desert communities also have rights to the resource.

The Mojave River, which flows mostly underground, is the only natural source of water for Barstow and most high desert communities in San Bernardino County. But the water has been pumped out faster than rainfall can replenish it in recent years, causing the water table downstream to plunge.

The cities sued the upstream farmers in 1990. The litigation that was put on hold the next year when about 200 farmers agreed a deal that said each city and farmer should reduce water usage by a certain amount in accordance with water availability, and pay for exceeding their allowance.

The Mojave Water Agency was charged with implementing the agreement, and spending the excess usage fees to siphon off more water from the agency's California Aqueduct.

On Monday, the high court affirmed a 4th District Court of Appeals ruling that sided with the farmers who refused to endorse the deal, saying it was invalid because it did "not consider the affected owners' legal water rights in the basin."

TOD focus of Denver conference

DENVER - Rail-volution 2000, a conference that focuses on "building livable communities with transit," will be held October 4-8 in Denver. Seminar topics include transit-oriented development, forming regional partnerships and getting positive media spin on your project. Speakers will include Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Federal Transit Administration chief Nuria Fernandez and John Williams, chairman and CEO of Post Properties. For more information call 800-788-7077 or visit railvolution.com.

Ecology sponsors water pollution seminars

OLYMPIA - "Taking Action to Reduce Nonpoint Water Pollution in Washington" is the title of the state Department of Ecology's third statewide conference on the subject. To be held Sept. 26-28 at the Everett Howard Johnson Plaza-Hotel, the gathering includes, among a plethora of topics, field trips to salmon-friendly stream restorations, seminars on urban and rural pesticides and a film festival "featuring new, exciting videos about nonpoint pollution."

Registration is $60 through Aug. 31 and $75 thereafter and should be sent to Washington State Department of Ecology, Attn: Cashiering, P.O. Box 5128, Lacey, WA 98509.

County council to debate land swap

SEATTLE - The King County Council will hold a public hearing on Sept. 5 to discuss a land swap with the Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District that would trade a six-acre heavily wooded parcel to the county in exchange for a six-acre logged over one. The logged site would then be used as the site for two new 4-million-gallon water tanks to serve residents on the plateau. The wooded site is proposed to be incorporated into the new Section 36 park, located in the last undeveloped area of the plateau.

Park re-opening celebration set

SEATTLE - The Department of Parks and Recreation will hold a grand opening picnic for the refurbished Cedar Park at 3737 Northeast 135th Street on August 26 between 3 and 7 p.m. As part of an Seattle Public Utilities project near the park, Merlino Construction used the then ragtag facility as a staging area, re-landscaping it when the adjacent project was complete. This involved ripping up broken asphalt, planting grass and laying a path around the park. Additionally, park neighbors received Neighborhood Matching Funds grants to embark upon an ambitious planting program. The grand opening will include music, food and guest speakers.

Pesticide spill nets fine

YAKIMA - Farm chemical distributor G.S. Long Company has been fined $23,000 by the Department of Ecology for an Aug. 4 spill of Guthion on Interstate 82 near the Yakima Avenue overpass. Guthion is an agricultural pesticide that can be fatal if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed by the skin. In the incident, the truckdriver transporting the chemical stopped after the spill, adjusted his load and then left the scene without notifying 9-1-1 dispatch. Later reports were recorded of skin rashes and sore throats from passersby exposed to the pesticide. Under state law, hazardous spills are required to be reported in "a timely matter." Since the spill, Long has been using a truck with an enclosed bed and updating its emergency procedures. The company has 15 days to appeal the penalty.

Lakes-to-Locks trail sets sail

SEATTLE - The National Park Service, Seattle Parks and Recreation and the Washington Water Trails Association will jointly commemorate the opening of the Lakes-to-Locks Water Trail 10 a.m. Aug. 26 at South Lake Union Park. The water trail travels from Lake Sammamish to Lake Washington to Lake Union and to the Chittenden Locks where it connects with the Cascadia Water Trail, which runs from Olympia to British Columbia.

Along the Lakes-to-Locks trail, there are more than 100 access points, 51 in Seattle parks, for small non-motorized boats to put in and explore the region. Festivities will include an inaugural paddle, a scavenger hunt and a maritime history tour.

Environmental Watch: Fremont building plans car-sharing for tenants

SEATTLE -- Living car-free in Fremont should get a little easier because of a local developer's plan for its new mixed-use building at North 34th Street and Fremont Avenue North. As part of its amenities package for new residents, Fremont Housing Group plans to offer a Flexcar membership to every household in the complex that wants one. Parking for up to eight Flexcar vehicles will also be provided in the building.

Flexcar is the car-sharing system that began service in the Capitol Hill neighborhood last January. Expected to open in the spring of 2002, the new Fremont building is slated to have 128 rental units above a level of street retail. With Flexcar memberships currently at $250 per year, the program could theoretically cost the developer $32,000 annually. Tenants will be responsible for the fees for each trip. Additionally, the memberships will belong to the units and not the specific renters, remaining with the building as a rental benefit.

Activists challenge Gore on logging issues

PORTLAND (AP) -- Anti-logging activists challenged Vice President Al Gore's commitment to the environment at a downtown rally Monday that had the undertones of a political rally for Green Party candidate Ralph Nader.

The rally, attended by about 35 people including representatives of key environmental groups and aides to Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., and to Nader, was timed to coincide with the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles.

"We're in solidarity with what's going on in California," said Cascadia Forest Alliance member Felda Carr, referring to anti-logging protesters in Los Angeles. "We want to point out the holes in the Democratic environmental policy. Just because Gore's a Democrat doesn't mean he's got the environmental vote."

Amid loud cheers and waving banners Monday, a string of speakers exhorted Gore, if elected, to end old-growth logging on national land and curtail international free trade agreements that would increase the sale of products made from old-growth timber.

Old-growth timber is defined as trees at least 180 years old.

Nader is the only presidential candidate who has pledged to end logging in old-growth forests, said Greg Kafoury, Nader's representative in Portland.

"If the Gore camp doesn't win Oregon and Washington, the odds are they won't win the election," said Joe Keating of the Oregon Sierra Club.

"We will hold them accountable. We have alternatives out there," he said. "We, the people, hold the trump cards."

County TV show about septic systems to air

SEATTLE -- King County and Public Health-Seattle will air two live "call-in" TV shows aimed at residents with on-site sewage (septic) systems. Septic expert Dick Burleigh will discuss how to keep these systems running safely and effectively.

Questions can be e-mailed in advance to morgan.barry@metrokc.gov. The two shows will air at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Aug. 24 on CTV, King County's cable TV channel (AT&T channel 22, Millennium Digital channels 72 or 80).

Revised wetlands rules proposed by EPA

WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Protection Agency has announced its plans to revise the Clean Water Act to close a loophole created by litigation against the agency in 1998. At issue is the so-called Tulloch rule which sought to regulate the discharge of dredged materials in wetlands due to landclearing, ditching, in-stream mining and channelization even if the discharge was incidental.

The resulting lawsuit, brought by the National Mining Association and others, led to a ruling that such "incidental fallback" was beyond the purview of the EPA and section 404 of the Clean Water Act as administered by the Army Corps of Engineers. According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association and a Corps spokesman, the new rules will create the "presumption" that any work in a wetland creates more than "incidental" discharge. The proposals can be viewed at http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands. They are expected to be published in the Federal Register this week, beginning a 60-day public comment period.

New orders for AirPol

SPOKANE -- AirPol Inc., a subsidiary of MPM Technologies, announced last week new orders totalling $8.5 million for its industrial air pollution control services. The largest of the projects, a $6.4 million contract, is for two semi-dry scrubber systems to be installed on two municipal waste incinerators at Wasatch Energy System in Layton, Utah.

Also of note is a $1.2 million order for a complete gas cleaning system for a hazardous waste incinerator in Puerto Rico. The new orders bring AirPol's current backlog to over $10.5 million.

Power council proceeds with fish plan revisions

PORTLAND -- As part of the revision of the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program, the Northwest Power Planning Council is set to begin a series of hearings on the proposed changes later this month. The revised program will, in turn, be used for the development of local action plans in the 53 sub-basins of the Columbia River system.

Currently the council directs the expenditure of approximately $130 million annually, provided by the Bonneville Power Administration, to mitigate the effects of hydropower dams on fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species. With the 5-year postponement of Snake River dam-breaching discussions, the program revisions concentrate on short term results in four main impact areas: habitat, hatcheries, harvest and hydropower.

The proposals are available on the council's Web site, http://www.nwppc.org. The first hearing will take place Aug. 30 in Portland, time and location to be announced. Vancouver and Spokane hearings will be on Sept. 5 and 19, respectively, again with time and location to be announced. The Northwest Power Planning Council was created by federal law in 1980 to protect and enhance the fish and wildlife of the Columbia basin in the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Study rates Seattle parks highly

SEATTLE -- A new study by the Urban Land Institute and the Trust for Public Land says that the Seattle parks system is among the best out of the country's top 25 largest cities, but that, compared to cities of similar size and density, Seattle's park acreage per resident is below average.

The study, "Inside City Parks," used 15 indicators to grade cities on a scale of one to four stars, with four being the best. Seattle received a three. Only Boston, Cincinnati and Minneapolis received four stars. Also receiving three stars were Chicago, Denver, New York, Phoenix, Portland (Ore.), San Diego and San Francisco. Cleveland, Detroit and Miami received the lowest, one star ratings.

The Trust for Public Land said that the greatest threat to Seattle's parks is the city's rapid growth and increasing density. Roger Hoesterey, the Washington state director of the trust, used the study's result to advocate passage of this fall's $198 million parks levy, saying that it will "ensure Seattle has the first class park system the residents demand."

Energy expo scheduled

The Electric League of the Pacific Northwest has announced a one-day conference on improving commercial and institutional building energy use. The program, entitled "Powerful Business," will be held Sept. 14 at the Valley Medical Center in Renton.

Topics include reducing peak energy demand, making good HVAC equipment choices and sustainable building energy systems. For more information go to http://www.electricleague.net or call (425) 646-4727. The program is sponsored by Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light and Tacoma Power.

Environmental Watch: Culverts impede salmon run

JUNEAU -- A study conducted by Fish and Game, the Forest Service, the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found that a significant number of culverts in the Tongass National Forest are inadequate for fish passage. Scientists and federal agencies said that 179 of the 273 examined culverts were blocked or running too fast for young salmon.

The government has spent more than $2 million addressing the problem in the last couple of years, and has $1.5 million budgeted for culvert replacement next year.

Comments sought for water quality plan

OLYMPIA -- The Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team is seeking comments on its proposed two-year plan for improving Puget Sound's health. The plan addresses contaminated sediments, habitat protection and restoration, at-risk fish populations, shellfish bed protection and restoration, stormwater management and sewage system operations. Implementation of the plan is budgeted at $78 million, including $3.7 million for monitoring and technical assistance to cities and counties.

Comments will be accepted through Sept. 5. Following review by the Puget Sound Council, the plan will be submitted to the state legislature for consideration with a goal of July 2001 implementation. The plan is available online at http://www.wa.gov/puget_sound , or call (800) 54-SOUND.

Tree preservation meeting set

SEATTLE -- Potential amendments to the municipal code to strengthen tree preservation on vacant land and land slated for redevelopment will be discussed at a public meeting to be held by the Department of Design, Construction & Land Use on Tuesday, Aug. 15 in the Seattle Center Fidalgo Room.

Among the potential policies to be discussed are a minimum tree canopy requirement, the limitation of tree removal on vacant land and rules on tree replacement. Existing homes are not subject to the policies as proposed.

For more information contact Cliff Marks, DCLU, (206) 684-8372.

Mayors host water conservation event

BELLEVUE -- It's not exactly Bob Vila, but Seattle Mayor Paul Schell and Bellevue Mayor Chuck Mosher will get their fingernails dirty tomorrow at 10 a.m. as they participate in the retrofitting of a home with water-efficient appliances. As part of Seattle Public Utilities 1 Percent Water Conservation initiative, old-style toilets, showerheads and a washing machine will be replaced with more water-efficient models. The practice of conservation-minded lawn watering will also be showcased using the "tuna can test."

The demonstration house, located at 422 145th Ave. N.E. in Bellevue, is meant to emphasize how easy it is to conserve water, facilitating the 1 percent water conservation goal of saving 18 million gallons a day by the year 2010.

UW to hold fish passage class

SEATTLE -- The University of Washington Department of Engineering has announced the dates for its two-day class "Design and Retrofit of Culverts for Fish Passage in the Northwest" to be held in Spokane. Oct. 18-19 participants will examine the legal requirements for fish passage, applicable hydrology, restoration methodologies and other topics, while earning continuing education units. The course costs $445 before Oct. 4 and $475 thereafter. For more information, contact Engineering Programs at (206) 543-5539 or e-mail PEPL@engr.washington.edu.

Pesticide collection set

SEATTLE -- The King County Department of Natural Resources will be holding free and anonymous pesticide collections for county businesses on Aug. 23 and Sept. 18.

The collections are sponsored by the Washington State Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the county's Local Hazardous Waste Management Program with the aim of preventing the improper disposal of pesticides. Businesses who wish to participate must call Agriculture at (360) 902-2056 in advance to schedule a drop off time.

Last year's collection brought in 11 tons of hazardous materials from 75 county businesses and organizations.

Ecology to hold wetlands workshops

YAKIMA -- The Washington State Department of Ecology has announced four workshops designed to explain "wetlands mitigation banking."

The sessions will be held at Ecology's Yakima office on Aug. 23 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. and at its Spokane office on Aug. 24 at the same times.

Ecology is developing a set of rules designed to establish mitigation banks where projects can earn credits by creating, restoring and preserving wetlands. These credits then could be sold or used to compensate for land uses that damage existing wetlands.

Formal hearings and public comment on the proposed rules are expected to occur in October.

Big firms form green energy group

DENVER -- Some of America's largest companies announced yesterday that they will be collaborating to develop corporate markets for 1000 megawatts of new "green" energy capacity over the next decade.

The businesses--including DuPont, General Motors, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and Pitney Bowes -- will team up with the World Resources Institute and Business for Social Responsibility to form the Green Power Market Development Group. The group hopes that the size of its collaboration will help spur the development of mature markets for green energy.

DuPont, for one, has a corporate goal of obtaining 10 percent of its energy supply from renewable sources at competitive prices. A spokesman said that the chemicals giant is hopeful that the partnership will help them meet that goal.

The announcement came as part of the National Green Power Marketing Conference which is wrapping up its fifth annual meeting today.

Activists board barge

BARROW, Alaska (AP) -- A half-dozen environmental activists boarded a barge carrying oil drilling equipment early Monday in the Arctic Ocean to protest BP Amoco exploration plans, Greenpeace said.

Their action forced the 420-foot barge and its tow to return to port at Barrow, about 175 miles west of Alaska's vast North Slope oil fields, said BP spokesman Ronnie Chappell from Anchorage.

"We also contacted the North Slope Borough police and asked them to provide some assistance," Chappell said.

Two tugs were part of the tow. One of the tugs pulled up alongside the protesters while they were boarding the barge shortly after midnight, he said.

"The tug advised they were trespassing and that they were violating Coast Guard regulations," Chappell said. "Basically, it's a police matter now."

"We're still on it (the barge)," said Greenpeace spokesman Dan Ritzman from Anchorage. "We're waiting to see what the next step is."

Greenpeace is protesting BP's Northstar offshore drilling platform, which is under construction off the north coast of Alaska in the Arctic Ocean.

Northstar would be the first offshore drilling operation in the Arctic Ocean, and Greenpeace maintains that it would threaten the Arctic ecosystem.

Chappell said the Northstar project was the product of more than five years of engineering effort and environmental screening.

"It would not be going forward if it were not approved by the Environmental Protection Agency, the North Slope Borough and the state of Alaska," he said. "It will have minimal impact on the environment."

Greenpeace wants BP to cancel the Northstar project and use the proceeds to fund solar power initiatives. It managed to get 13 percent of BP's shareholders to vote to stop the project in April.

Environmental Watch: Green Building initiative tested

PORTLAND -- In its first steps toward the implementation of a 1999 initiative, the city examined three existing public buildings using criteria from the U.S. Green Building Council. The city's Office of Planning and Development Review building, the East Precinct Policing Facility and Fire Station No. 17 were selected as a cross-section of building types for the Northwest Energy Alliance-funded study. Helping the city in its structure review were the state's Energy Office and Bureau of General Services and professional architectural consultants XENERGY and SERA Architects.

The standards for the rating system, also recently adopted by Seattle, assign points to buildings for environmental performance over the building's lifecycle. Derived from these points are levels of certification, including gold, silver and bronze.

Portland undertook the study to better understand the cost and effort associated with these projects.

EnviroExpo added to the Seattle Home Show

SEATTLE -- Got a greenthumb? Then King County is looking for your help.

The county Commission For Marketing Recyclable Materials is seeking manufacturers, retailers and service providers with environmentally responsible services or products to participate as exhibitors or sponsors of the Northwest EnviroExpo. The event, which will feature environmental technology, products and services for the home and garden, will join the Seattle Home Show, Feb. 17-25, 2001. If interested, call Dan White at (206) 296-4430 or email at dan.white@metrokc.gov.

Basic wetlands training to be held in Everett

EVERETT -- Representatives from the Adopt-A-Stream Foundation will be holding a course about stream and wetland ecology on Aug. 24. The eight-hour course will cover the value of wetlands, how they are defined by regulatory agencies and how to distinguish between different types of wetlands. Also discussed will how close you can build to a stream without affecting salmon.

The instructors will also teach about the latest federal, state and local government stream and wetland protection regulations.

To attend this event, contact Program Assistant Sue Minger at (425) 316-8592. The cost is $75, which includes two texts, and the course can be taken for real estate license clock hours or teacher clock hours.

People for Salmon awarded funding

NORTH BEND -- The state has given a financial boost to salmon advocates in the Northwest.

The state's Salmon Recovery Funding Board has given $400,000 to People for Salmon, its third such donation since 1998. The money will go toward the training of volunteers, project managers and monitoring techniques. Additional funds will be used for technical assistance in areas such as fish biology, engineering and funding for other volunteer groups.

Groups threaten suit against EPA

EUGENE, Oregon -- A 60-day notice of intent to sue was delivered to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the failure to protect threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead from pesticides. The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides and the Washington Toxics Coalition state in their notice of intent that according to the Endangered Species Act, the EPA must consult with the National Marine Fisheries Service to evaluate existing threats to salmon and eliminate these hazards; take immediate protective actions, such as restrictions on pesticide use near water; and use all EPA programs to protect salmon.

A full copy of the notice of intent to sue is available at http://www.earthjustice.org/news/pr072699_60day.htm. To comment, contact the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides at (541) 344-5044, the Washington Toxics Coalition at (206) 632-1545 or Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund at (206) 343-7340.

Cash offered for development rights

EVERETT -- Seven-hundred residents who live along North Creek have been offered a tax break if they formally agree to not build on land next to the endangered waterway. North Creek Greenway Project, associated with the Adopt-A-Stream Foundation, has secured grants totaling more than $500,000 from the state and Snohomish County in an effort to persuade residents to keep land neighboring the 10-mile creek in its natural state or undeveloped.

One owner was paid nearly $21,000 for a conservation easement on 3.1 acres of land next to the creek, just south of McCollum Park. Donating an easement to the Greenway is another option for the landowners, one with some significant tax advantages.

The North Creek is a tributary of the Sammamish River, and was home to numerous salmon species until the creek was straightened and battered by flooding. A goal of the project is to restore the salmon run.

Coast Guard studying Grays Harbor

GRAYS HARBOR -- The Coast Guard is conducting a Waterway Analysis and Management System study of Grays Harbor. The study will focus on the area's aids to navigation system, waterborne commerce, marine causality information, port/harbor resources, emergency response plans, routine and emergency communication capabilities and future development projects. Comments will be accepted through Oct. 31. To participate in a user survey or provide input, contact Commander, Coast Guard District Thirteen, Office of Aids to Navigation, 915 Second Ave, Seattle, WA 98174, Attn: LTJG Katie Alexander. You can also call (206) 220-7274 or email to kalexander@pacnorwest.uscg.mil.

Soil erosion conference to be held in Portland

PORTLAND -- The Pacific Northwest Conference on Soil Erosion Control will take place Nov. 28-30 in the Jantzen Beach Doubletree Hotel. The technical program will include evaluations of slope technology, stream restoration, storm water management, wetlands, erosion & sediment control, mine reclamation, the annual chapter meeting and a "hydrodeo." For more information, call The Pacific Northwest Chapter IECA at (253) 630-5024.