Environmental Watch: Palmisano joins Hart Crowser

PORTLAND -- John Palmisano, a widely recognized and accomplished fisheries expert, has joined Hart Crowser's Portland office.

Palmisano has 25 years of experience, a doctorate in fisheries ecology and has published extensively on marine mammals and salmon.

He has also taught at the University of Washington's College of Fisheries and Western Washington University's College of Biology and worked for the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Palmisano, along with Hart Crowser's Jon Houghton, and many others at the firm, worked together 10 years ago assessing the impact of the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Hart Crowser's Connie Taylor, manager of the Portland office, said that in particular the firm's port and natural resources clients will benefit from Palmisano's expertise.

Livable Communities Fair set for Tacoma

TACOMA -- Pierce County will hold its first Livable Communities Fair in February 2002.

The fair, an initiative of County Executive John Ladenburg, seeks to address quality of life issues in the county through education. County officials project that 200,000 more people will be living in Pierce County by 2017.

"It's an opportunity for individuals, companies, developers, nonprofit organizations and government agencies to bring together ideas for making our community the kind of place we want it to be for our families today and in the years to come," said Ladenburg.

Likely topics include parks, salmon recovery, recycling and resource conservation, transportation issues and other environmental services.

Thermal imaging begins on the Yakima

YAKIMA -- The state Department of Ecology is taking its efforts to improve water quality into the sky.

Beginning today, Ecology-sponsored helicopters will fly the path of the Yakima River with thermal imaging equipment on board to measure water temperatures.

According to Ecology, increasing water temperatures a major problem in Washington state's waterways. Cold water is necessary to the success of fish spawning and overall fish health.

"From these pictures, we should get a better picture of the health of the Yakima River and many streams and tributaries," said Ecology Water Quality Specialist Chris Coffin. "We will identify hotspots as well as naturally cool areas, and look to make improvements where we can."

The data will be made available to state and local agencies as well as watershed planners and community members working on water quality improvements.

Those wishing to review the data when complete can contact Coffin at (509) 454-7860.

AIA presenting 'Green Water'

SEATTLE -- The Seattle chapter of the American Institute of Architects will hold "Green Water: Incorporating Environmental Aspects in Storm Water Management" next month.

The seminar will focus on how architects, clients and consultants interact to achieve environmentally sensitive architecture.

Three case studies will be presented: Pierce County government's Environmental Services office building, the Evergreen State College's Seminar II building and the Tracon-FAA building in King County.

Architects and planners from the respective case studies will be on hand to participate in a moderated discussion.

"Green Water" will be held Thursday, Oct. 11, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the AIA Seattle office, 1911 First Ave. The fee is $20 for members, $10 for students and $40 for others. The seminar can be applied to continuing education requirements.

NEBC to hold Oktoberfest Oct. 11

SEATTLE -- The Northwest Environmental Business Council's annual Washington Oktoberfest will be held Oct. 11, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Northwest Brewhouse and Grill in Redmond.

The event costs $20 for NEBC members. Sponsors include Severn Trent Services, Frontier Geosciences, Inc. and Med-Tox Northwest.

The Northwest Brewhouse and Grill is located at 7950 164th Ave. N.W. in Redmond. Admission includes semi-hosted beer and hors d'oeuvres. For more information call the NEBC at (888) 609-NEBC or visit the Web site at www.nebc.org.

Wanted: bug counters

SEATTLE -- Seattle Public Utilities needs volunteers to help monitor the insects that live in Seattle's urban creeks.

Creek-dwelling insects are good indicators of the biological health of creeks, and monitoring them is part of SPU's stewardship of the city's creeks, which also serve as drainage systems in many parts of Seattle.

Two-part training workshops are as follows: Pipers Creek, Sept. 12 and 19 (Wednesdays) 6-9 p.m., at the Carkeek Park Environmental Education Center, 950 N.W. Carkeek Park Rd.; Sampling date: Saturday, Sept. 22.

Thornton and Ravenna Creeks, Sept. 20 and 25 (Thursday and Tuesday) 6-9 p.m., Meadowbrook Community Center, 10517 35th Ave. N.E.; Sampling date: Saturday, Sept. 29.

There will also be a follow-up workshop when the analyzed results come back from the lab, showing how to interpret the results of the sampling.

To participate, call or e-mail Bob Spencer at (206) 684-4163 or bob.spencer@ci.seattle.wa.us.

$200M papermill energy project proposed

DULUTH, Minn. -- In a move that's becoming more common at paper mills throughout the country, Minnesota Power and Blandin Paper Co. have proposed a state-of-the-art energy facility adjacent to Blandin Paper in Grand Rapids, Minn.

The project is expected to cost more than $200 million.

The new plant will meet all steam requirements of Blandin Paper. In addition, the facility will provide approximately 225 megawatts of electric generation capacity to help meet the area's power needs.

The combined heat and power plant will use state-of-the-art technologies in efficiency and environmental controls.

It will be capable of utilizing up to 40 percent renewable bio-fuel, mostly wood waste. The operation plans to partner with local producers and government agencies to maximize the use of bio-fuels. Low-sulfur coal and natural gas will also be used to fuel the plant.

Idaho area critical for sturgeon

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated 11.2 miles of the Kootenai River in northern Idaho as critical habitat for the endangered Kootenai River white sturgeon.

Critical habitat refers to specific geographic areas that are essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and which may require special treatment. Activities requiring federal funding or permits would trigger a Fish and Wildlife Service consultation.

The designation is not expected to affect recreational fisheries on the river. It also is not expected to affect activities of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, including the tribe's sturgeon aquaculture program.

Flow recommendations for Libby Dam, upstream from the critical habitat, are expected to remain the same. Nearly a year ago limits on rapid spill fluctuations from the dam were put in place.

The Kootenai River white sturgeon was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in 1994.

The primary threat to the Kootenai River white sturgeon is believed to be altered river flow, which strands and scours its eggs and larvae.

Environmental Watch: RL&L merges with Golder Associates

Wolf

RL&L specializes in aquatic science and environmental biology and has offices in Edmonton, Alberta and Prince George and Castlegar, B.C.

"The strength of RL&L's aquatics expertise and capability enhances our position in providing aquatic services and ecological sciences throughout the region," said Keith Wolf, leader of Golder's Pacific Northwest Ecological Sciences Group, based in Redmond.

The group deals substantially with the Endangered Species Act, salmon recovery, habitat assessment and fisheries biology.

It's expected that many of RL&L's Columbia River projects will now be based out of Golder's Tri-Cities office.

Employee-owned Golder Associates, founded in 1960, has more than 2,400 employees in 84 offices worldwide.

Snohomish salmon plan out for comment

EVERETT -- The Snohomish River Basin Salmon Recovery Forum has released its near term action agenda of chinook salmon conservation measures.

The plan covers the basins of the Snohomish, Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers, 1,800 square miles in all.

The action agenda contains proposals for restoration and preservation, identifying 12 areas suitable for habitat acquisition because they support large numbers of chinook.

Public workshops on the plan will be held Tuesday, September 11 at 7 p.m. at the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave. in Everett, and Thursday, September 20 at 7 p.m. at the Tolt Middle School at 3740 Tolt Ave. in Carnation. Call (800) 562-4367 for more information.

HazMat Academy to meet

SEATTLE -- The Pacific Northwest chapiter of the Academy of Hazardous Materials Management will hold its fall dinner meeting tonight, September 4, at the Rock Salt Steak House, 1232 Westlake Ave. North in Seattle.

The speaker will be Debra Oliver of the King County Interagency Regulatory Advisory Committee. IRAC, as its known, works across agencies countywide to make sure that regulations are coordinated and make sense.

Call Diana Cull at (425) 489-4872 to see if space is available. The function, including dinner, will cost $30.

PGE to repeat light bulb offer

PORTLAND -- Portland General Electric (PGE) is once again offering coupons on compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). August residential bills will include three $6-off coupons good toward purchase of CFLs: one for an outdoor bulb or fixture, one for a cool-burning torchiere lamp, and one for any type of CFL bulb.

During July’s coupon offering in conjunction with Home Depot, coupons to purchase 250,000 compact fluorescent were redeemed in just three days.

PGE estimates that those bulbs could save 19 million-kilowatt hours annually.

CFLs typically use a quarter of the electricity of conventional bulbs and can last ten times as long, according to manufacturer’s estimates.

This month's mailing has the added bonus of fire safety. Torchiere lamps often start fires when they accidentally tip over. Replacing the hot-burning bulb with a CFL dramatically reduces fire risk.

6,135 acres designated seasonal wetlands

WENATCHEE --The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated 6,135 acres of seasonal wetlands on state, Federal and private lands in central Washington as critical habitat for the endangered Wenatchee Mountains checker-mallow.

The checker-mallow, a five-foot flowering perennial, is a federally endangered plant native to the Wenatchee Mountains of Chelan County in central Washington.

Critical habitat refers to specific geographic areas that are essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and which may require special management considerations. No preserve is set up, but federal funding or permits for projects would trigger federal natural resource oversight.

There are approximately 3,600 individual checker-mallow plants in existence. Most are found on about 95 acres of seasonal wetlands (wetlands that dry up in late summer and fall) on the Washington Department of Natural Resources' Camas Meadows Natural Area Preserve in Chelan County.

The agency expects the designation of critical habitat to have negligible impacts on timber harvesting and other economic activities. Changes in water flow patterns and competition from invasive species are the biggest threats to the checker-mallow.

Stanford study urges wind power

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Two scientists from Stanford's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering have concluded that the United States should make a large investment, perhaps even a dedicated federal program, in wind farming to help meet the nation's electricity needs and address global warming.

The professors, Mark Jacobson and Gilbert Masters, writing in the August 24 issue of the journal Science, conclude that wind power is an abundant, clean and affordable alternative to coal and other fossil fuels.

Last year, wind-driven turbines produced less than 0.1 percent of America's electricity supply -- compared to 52 percent generated from coal, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. One reason that wind energy has lagged so far behind is the perception is that wind farms are more expensive to build and operate than coal-fired power plants.

Jacobsen and Masters argue that computing the total costs of coal energy, including the environmental and health effects of coal plant emissions, makes wind power actually cheaper than generating electricity from coal.

The article also notes that last year Germany produced nearly three times more wind-generated electricity than the U.S., and Denmark -- a country roughly half the size of Maine -- produced almost as much turbine power as the United States. Denmark and Sweden also have developed wind parks offshore, where winds are faster than over land.

Environmentalists seek more money for Valdez spill

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) -- Exxon Mobil has deposited its last $70 million payment into an Alaska Department of Revenue account, the last payment of its $900 million damage settlement with the state and federal governments from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

But several environmental organizations on have called on the government to reopen the settlement agreement to seek another $100 million from the oil giant for what they say are unanticipated, lingering damages from the spill. Under the terms of the settlement the state and federal government can ask for $100 million more for damages not known a decade ago.

The National Wildlife Federation and the Wilderness Society are among the groups that signed a letter to President Bush and Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles, asking them to seek the additional payment.

The Exxon Valdez hit a charted reef in Prince William Sound in March 1989 and spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound. The spill fouled more than 1,000 miles of shoreline and killed tens of thousands of birds and marine mammals.

Exxon released a statement saying that any discussion of the reopener clause was premature. The company also said the environment in Prince William Sound is "healthy, robust and thriving."

But the environmental groups say much of the wildlife affected by the spill has not yet recovered. They point to research done for the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, the group which oversees restoration of Prince William Sound.

Environmental Watch: Olympia roundup set for NEBC

SEATTLE -- The Northwest Environmental Business Council's Professional Marketing Committee will present its "Washington Legislative Update" next week, summarizing issues from the 2001 legislative session of interest to environmental firms.

The program will be presented by Dr. Jerry Smedes and Linda Dennis of Smedes & Associates. Discussion will include a review of last year and a preview of the 2002 session, as well as an assessment of the implications of the current legislative deadlock for the environmental business.

The event will be held Wednesday, Sept. 5, at the Harbor Side location of McCormick & Schmick's, 1200 Westlake Ave. North in Seattle beginning at 11:30 a.m. The program is $25 including lunch for NEBC members, $40 otherwise. For more information contact NEBC at (888) 609-NEBC or go to www.nebc.org.

`Talking circle' for Salmon Homecoming

SEATTLE -- The 2001 Salmon Homecoming Forum, entitled "Spawning Solutions Through Communication," will be held Wednesday, Sept. 12, at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center.

The program includes seminars on values in decision-making, strategies for sustainable development and a Native American-style talking circle of leaders representing a cross-section of Washington state tribes, government and business. Talking circle participants are scheduled to include lawyer Will Stelle of Preston Gates & Ellis, Terry Williams of the Tulalip Tribes, state Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald and Bill Wilkerson of the Washington Forest Protection Association.

Richard West, director of the National Museum of the American Indian, will provide the luncheon address. Hattie Kauffman of CBS News and a member of the Nez Perce Tribe will speak in the morning.

Registration for the forum is $50, plus $25 for dinner at the Seattle Aquarium. Call (206) 386-4353 to register. The Salmon Homecoming is presented by the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, the Seattle Aquarium and the Tribal Communities of the Northwest.

Toilet Roundups flush with success

SEATTLE -- Puget Sound-area residents will stop flushing almost 40 million gallons of water per year down the drain, according to organizers of this summer's Toilet Roundup. The program was sponsored by the 2001 Water Conservation Partnership, a group of 26 regional water providers.

More than 3,000 water customers turned in more than 4,600 old toilets for recycling during two Toilet Roundup events on July 14 and Aug. 18. They presented receipts showing they had purchased new low-flow models to replace higher-flow models and received $40 rebate checks for each toilet replaced.

More than $182,000 in rebate checks was issued. The recycling of the toilets kept more than 400,000 pounds of waste out of landfills, organizers estimate.

During a recent roundup in Bellevue, customers turned in 3,459 toilets. That was 346 percent more than the original program goal for the day. On July 14 in Seattle, customers turned in more than one thousand old toilets for recycling.

"Many of the participating utilities sent staff to assist with this rebate event. The turnout was so huge that people had to wait a long time to turn in their toilets," said Debbie Rannfeldt, public information coordinator for the Woodinville Water District. "It is gratifying to see how the whole region pulls together in efforts to reduce water consumption."

EPA to buy green power for labs

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it will power three of its research facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio, with 100 percent renewable energy through an agreement with Community Energy, Inc., a renewable energy marketing company. By early 2002, EPA will be receiving 9 percent of its electricity from green sources, at facilities located in Richmond, Calif., Golden, Colo., Chelmsford, Mass., Manchester, Wash., and Cincinnati, Ohio.

The EPA Cincinnati facilities have committed to purchasing a total of 15,560,000 kilowatt hours of premium renewable energy annually for three years, with a three-year option to renew. Community Energy, Inc. will supply 778,000 kilowatt hours of New Wind Energy TM each year from the Exelon Power Team at Mill Run, Penn., which will make up 5 percent of EPA Cincinnati's estimated usage.

By purchasing wind and biomass energy, EPA can claim large reductions in emissions associated with the purchase of conventional energy. The emission benefits associated with this purchase are approximately 16,000 tons of carbon dioxide, 112,000 pounds of nitrous oxides and 246,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide each year.

MBTE threatens California's water

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The gasoline additive MTBE has leaked into 48 wells in public water systems serving hundreds of thousands of people throughout the state, state records show.

The San Francisco Chronicle analyzed data from the Water Resources Control Board and the Department of Health Services and found that leaks of the additive from nearly 1,200 underground tank sites threaten the drinking water supply of millions of Californians.

The data do not include tens of thousands of private wells in California and hundreds of thousands nationwide. Such water supplies are not regulated by public agencies and generally are not tested for MTBE unless holding tanks buried nearby cause concern.

"The regulators should use the data that's being collected to identify the sites that pose the greatest threat, those closest to drinking water wells," said Anne Happel, a member of the Environmental Protection Agency's blue ribbon panel on MTBE.

MTBE, or methyl tertiary butyl ether, is added to gasoline to make it burn cleaner, but it has been linked to cancer. Oil companies have until the end of 2002 to phase out its use.

State records show the 1,189 underground tank sites leaking MTBE are within 1,000 feet of public supply wells or on vulnerable drinking water aquifers. An additional 1,729 leaking tank sites father away from drinking water wells also could be a threat.

More than 2,500 public drinking water systems that serve 30.5 million -- or 90 percent of the state's population -- have been sampled for the carcinogen. Of the 8,311 groundwater sources sampled, 48 contained MTBE.

Environmental Watch: Ridolfi Engineers adds four

SEATTLE -- Environmental consulting and civil engineering firm Ridolfi Engineers Inc. has added four new employees.

Andy Nicholls joins the company as a hydrogeologist with two years experience. Previously, he had worked in Michigan. For Ridolfi he's working on a water resources project in Port Angeles and a Department of Defense site in southeast Alaska.

Hazel Galang, formerly an intern with Ridolfi, has been hired as technical information manager and ArcView/AutoCAD specialist. She has a degree in forest engineering from the University of Washington.

Named as field coordinator of Ridolfi's southeast Alaska operations is Jeff Simbahon. He has over 12 years of experience in site cleanup, remediation and developing and improving hazardous waster containment facilities.

In Idaho, Dan Morris has joined the firm's Coeur d'Alene office as field coordinator. He is primarily responsible for the Rails-to-Trails project, converting Union Pacific right-of-way in northern Idaho to recreational use.

Additionally, longtime Ridolfi staffer Kathryn Foster has earned her P.E. certification in civil engineering. She has been with the firm since 1991, acting as computer specialist.

Ridolfi Engineers provides natural resource restoration and evaluation, environmental protection, waste management and scientific consulting services. Headquartered in Seattle, the firm has other offices in Port Angeles, Coeur d'Alene and southeast Alaska.

Solar project begins on Bainbridge

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND -- Installation of what the Puget Sound Environmental Learning Center is calling the largest array of photovoltaic panels in the state began yesterday on the center's 255-acre south Bainbridge Island campus.

The panels will provide up to 21.7 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, enough to power 50 percent of the center's Learning Studios.

The Environmental Learning Center has already installed solar hot water panels on top of the facility's three sleeping lodges and dining hall.

Mike Nelson of Washington State University provided project consultation. Mithun Architects performed overall design coordination.

Schott Applied Power Corp. of Lacey designed the photovoltaic design, and Cross Engineers did the electrical engineering work. Rafn Co. of Bellevue is the lead contractor on the installation.

Hanford eyed for clean coal demo

RICHLAND -- Composite Power Corp. of Richland has received U.S. Department of Energy approval to begin studying the possibility of using two retired facilities at the Hanford Site for a clean coal technology demonstration project.

Initially, Composite Power will work with the Department of Energy's Richland office to assess two mothballed steam plants in Hanford's East Area are suitable for the project. The two plants have been shut down for five years.

Composite Power's project would demonstrate coal-fired electricity fuel generation using an advanced process to reduce flue gas emissions. Current emissions standards frequently prevent coal-fired plants from running at full capacity.

The assessment is expected to take about 30 days.

Low-cost lighting program going private

WASHINGTON -- Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced yesterday that a department program to manufacture low-cost light bulbs is being turned over to the private sector.

The program was incubated at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

At the lab specifications for what are termed lower-cost subcompact fluorescent lamps were developed. Four companies -- Lights of America, Sunpark, JKRL and Surya -- were selected to participate.

Three million of the bulbs, using 25 percent less energy and lasting 10 times longer than regular light bulbs, have already been sold, saving an estimated $22 million annually in electricity costs.

The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance -- a consortium of electric utilities, state governments and industry representatives -- will now take over the program and launch a private venture to continue producing the bulbs.

The first step in that direction is the launch of a Web site (www.betterbulbsdirect.com) for sales and promotion.

Plum Creek clearcut along historic trail

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) -- Seattle-based Plum Creek Timber Co. refused to sell a section of land along the Lewis and Clark Trail to the U.S. Forest Service, instead selling the government a 15-foot easement allowing public access and then clearcutting the property.

Critics say the logging of the lodgepole pine forest sheltering a portion of the trail near Lolo Pass stripped the land of its historic setting. It occurred at a time when the national spotlight is beginning to shine in anticipation of the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark's journey.

The trail gave the explorers passage through the Bitterroot Mountains in 1805 and 1806.

For centuries, Salish Indians traveled west over the trail to dig camas roots at Lolo Pass and fish for salmon and steelhead on the Clearwater and Snake rivers. And from the plateaus of central Idaho, the Nez Perce Tribe used the trail to travel east onto the plains to hunt buffalo.

"My company and our predecessors have managed this area for many decades as part of our working forest," said Jerry Sorensen, a land-use manager for Plum Creek. "And for as long a time, we have recognized the special importance of this area and have protected the integrity and the character of the Lolo Trail."

Plum Creek never hid that the timber would be harvested, he said.

The Forest Service paid $4,600 for trail easements on two sections of Plum Creek land, one of which was the recently clearcut Lee Creek section.

Landlords fined $300,000 for toxic mess

HERMISTON, Ore. (AP) -- Bill and Bonnie Kik say they are being hit with a $300,000 bill to clean up half of a ton of hazardous chemical waste left behind after the death of a man who operated a metals recycling business.

The man who died, Earl Myers, ran his business out of a building he rented from the Kiks.

Myers used chemicals to extract gold, mercury and other precious metals from discarded computer parts.

After Myers died, his sister continued to pay the rent, while she found someone to clean the property, Kik said. But the man hired to do the cleanup didn't have any idea of how to get rid of the various chemicals and chemical waste he found, so he called the state Department of Environmental Quality.

At the DEQ's request, the Hermiston Fire Department's hazardous materials team investigated.

They discovered more than 800 pounds of potassium cyanide, eight 55-gallon drums of hydrochloric acid mixture, 16 five-gallon buckets of acid sludge, 21 gallons of hydrochloric acid, 31 gallons of sulfuric acid and 200 small bottles of various chemicals.

The Environmental Protection Agency put a 24-hour security guard at the site and called in experts to make a plan to remove the chemicals.

The Kiks don't believe they should be held financially responsible for the mess Myers left behind.

But Bill Dunbar, EPA spokesman, said that's they way the laws are written.

"The landlords are always responsible," Dunbar said. "And the Superfund law gives the EPA the authority for emergency removal."

Environmental Watch: BPA funds 7 fish projects

PORTLAND -- The Northwest Power Planning Council has approved seven projects to help offset the environmental and wildlife impacts of this year's emergency hydropower operations. The seven projects are valued at $7.4 million and would be funded by the Bonneville Power Administration.

The projects are: $4.9 million to buy prime spawning habitat along Desolation Creek, a tributary of the John Day River in Oregon, $1.6 million to screen irrigation pump intakes in the Yakima River in Washington's Kittitas County, $75,200 to monitor and evaluate a salmon production project in the South Fork Clearwater, Selway and Salmon river basins of Idaho, $300,410 to improve upstream fish passage in the Birch Creek -- a Umatilla River tributary -- watershed of Oregon, and $528,000 to install stream flow gauges in the Entiat, Okanogan and Wenatchee rivers of Washington.

Because of this year's power crunch and drought, the BPA has reduced water spills at many of its electricity generating dams. These projects are meant to help the fish, especially endangered chinook salmon, effected by the reduced spill.

Environmental hotline catches offenders

SEATTLE -- Created last year to respond to alleged off-hours violations, King County’s hotline for environmental emergencies (1-888-437-4771) recently received an achievement award from the National Association of Counties.

Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the hotline has responded to 20 complaints, resulting in three stop-work orders. One recent call involved a report of a contractor dumping paint into Juanita Creek in Kirkland. The contractor was cited by the local fire department, the county’s Department of Development and Environmental Services says.

USDA to start using biodiesel

BELTSVILLE, Md. -- Promoting the use of farm-grown energy sources, Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman said that some of her department's fleet of vehicles will switch to biodiesel and ethanol fuels.

Veneman said that as supplies become available and if the costs are reasonable, USDA would try to start using a vegetable oil-based biodiesel fuel in about 800 vehicles, including some boats. Some of the vehicles are based in U.S. national forests.

Another 700 vehicles and all gasoline fueling facilities maintained by the agency will use blended fuels with at least 10 percent domestically produced ethanol if possible, she said.

"Agriculture can help us solve our energy problems through the production of domestic liquid fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel," Veneman said.

Sharon Holcombe, who is overseeing the fuel-use transition for the Agriculture Department's more than 36,000 vehicles, said the agency expects to double its annual use of 80,000 gallons of biodiesel next year and be using 360,000 gallons a year by 2005.

Peanut oil was the first type of fuel used by Rudolf Diesel to power his first engine in 1895. Fuel distributors say the modern soybean oil-based biodiesel, generally used as a mix of 20 percent biodiesel with 80 percent petroleum diesel, typically costs up to 25 cents more per gallon than traditional diesel fuel.

Prices have come down partly because of a federal subsidy for soybean biodiesel producers. The federal government estimates sales of the fuel in the United States reached 6.7 million gallons in 2000 and could reach 20 million gallons this year.

With public demand growing, the first public pumping stations for biodiesel fuel opened in May in San Francisco and Sparks, Nev.

At the Agriculture Department's research center in Maryland, 150 diesel-powered vehicles -- including tractors, snowplows and a visitors' bus -- are running smoothly on a biodiesel blend without any modification, officials said. Because the blend also increases lubrication for moving parts, it has added to the life of the vehicles' engines, the officials said.

$373,000 fine for sewage leak

PORTLAND (AP) -- The owner of a mobile home park near Seaside said he plans to appeal a $373,000 fine for letting sewage leak into a river the city sometimes uses for drinking water.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality announced last week it issued the fine last month against Dr. Caleb Siaw of Boring for failing to fully replace an outdated sewage system at the Forest Lake Resort mobile home park.

The park has about 40 mobile home slots and sits near the banks of the Necanicum River upstream from a spot where the city of Seaside occasionally draws water.

The DEQ has documented at least two cases of sewage discharge into the river.

Siaw was fined $10,600 in 1999 after pleading guilty in Clatsop County Circuit Court to water pollution violations. He agreed to install a new treatment system.

DEQ officials say the new system isn't enough to handle all the park's waste.

The penalty is the largest issued by the department since a $480,000 fine in 1994, and the third largest ever.

Protection urged for Arizona clam

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Stark salt flats cover millions of acres of the Colorado River delta in Mexico where jaguars and bears once prowled jungle-like forests and lagoons.

Now two environmental groups want to protect a unique clam found there and, indirectly, obtain increased water that could help the delta recover as well. Doing so might be at the cost of water now used by cities and farms.

Scientists reported last week that the 6-inch clam -- the Mulinia coloradoensis -- is being pushed toward extinction in the delta south of Yuma, Ariz. They said it is found nowhere else in the world and therefore warrants protection.

Its numbers have plummeted 95 percent since Hoover Dam was built in the 1930s, said University of Arizona researcher Karl Flessa, who wrote the study with a Mexican colleague.

The environmental groups that commissioned the study say they will ask U.S. officials to list the clam under the Endangered Species Act. If approved, the clam would join five other endangered species in the delta -- two fish, two birds and a porpoise-like mammal.

Sending more water to the delta could mean less water for the Southwestern crops and cities dependent on the dams and aqueducts that divert nearly all of the Colorado's flow before it reaches the Gulf of California.

Federal officials have fought previous efforts to use the Endangered Species Act to protect Mexico's environment.

However, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is "on record as wanting to address these ecosystem issues in the Mexican delta," spokesman Bob Walsh said.

A host of agencies already have begun devising a plan to restore habitat and help threatened species on the lower Colorado while meeting the water needs of humans.

However, biologists say the clam plays a crucial role in the Gulf of California's ecology, serving as an "umbrella" species that indicates the overall system's health.

"Species like clams and other mollusks in the ocean often form the primary basis of marine and adjacent food chains," said David Hogan of the Center for Biological Diversity, which commissioned the study with Defenders of Wildlife.

Hogan said that loss of such a basic food material often results in significant reduction of such other species as shore birds, ospreys and predators.

A 1944 treaty guarantees Mexico about 10 percent of the river's historic flow, but nearly all of that is diverted for agriculture. Recent wet years have allowed more fresh water to reach the delta, but in dry years the river which carved out the Grand Canyon is exhausted before reaching the gulf.

The clams live in the brackish estuary between it and the river.

Flessa said the lack of nutrients and fresh water from the Colorado is responsible for the near disappearance.

Environmental Watch: Bremerton avoids water restrictions

BREMERTON (AP) -- City water customers have cut their usage by 10 percent compared with last summer, thereby likely avoiding mandatory watering restrictions.

Kathleen Cahall, the city's water resources manager, said usage dropped from 10 million gallons last July to 9 million gallons this year. Rainfall totals were about the same during both periods.

Mandatory restrictions, such as assigned days for watering, had been under consideration because the city's Casad Reservoir is 20 percent lower than officials would like. But Cahall said it now appears such restrictions won't be necessary -- barring unforeseen circumstances, such as a breakdown in equipment.

Some people have allowed their yards to go brown, Cahall said. Others have taken steps to reduce indoor water use, such as taking shorter showers.

Large water customers, such as parks, schools, cemeteries and golf courses have learned to be more efficient in keeping their grass green, she said.

People also seem to be spreading out their water use, which helps reduce peak demands that cause water pumps to run more often.

In a normal year, about 65 percent of Bremerton's water comes from the reservoir; the rest comes from wells. This year, those numbers are reversed.

Since last October, rainfall at the reservoir has been about 32 percent below normal.

Overlake Transit Center underway

REDMOND -- A major Eastside employment center is getting a new a transit facility.

This morning, Sound Transit and partners King County, the city of Redmond, the Federal Transit Administration and Microsoft will hold an official groundbreaking ceremony for the new $8.5 million Overlake Transit Center.

The nine acre facility will provide 230 park and ride stalls and bus transfer facilities for riders of Sound Transit King County Metro and Community Transit buses. Shuttles from nearby employers, like Microsoft, will also use the transit center.

Bicycle commuters will have three different options for securing their bicycles as well as lockers and a changing room.

An estimated 20,000 jobs are within a short distance of the transit center site. Wilder Construction won the $5 million contract for the heavy civil portion of the job.

Hastings joins EHS-International

BELLEVUE -- David Hastings, a Certified Industrial Hygienist, has joined EHS-International, Inc. as manager of industrial hygiene and safety services.

Hastings has over 20 years of experience in the field, 15 of those in the Pacific Northwest. Most recently he was industrial hygiene manager for NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif. He also served as senior compliance officer for the Washington state Department of Labor and Industries for eight years.

EHS-International is an engineering and industrial hygiene firm specializing in the hazardous materials identification, management and abatement and occupational health and safety.

Built-e adds sales staff

SEATTLE -- Patty Southard has joined Built-e, Inc. as an outside salesperson.

Southard comes to Built-e from Duluth Timber Co. where she was a manager and salesperson. She will be Built-e's first staff member dedicated to outside sales.

Built-e provides sustainable building materials as well as project consulting and referral services from its e-commerce web site, , and the Seattle retail operation at the Environmental home Center.

Bremerton avoids water restrictions

BREMERTON (AP) -- City water customers have cut their usage by 10 percent compared with last summer, thereby likely avoiding mandatory watering restrictions.

Kathleen Cahall, the city's water resources manager, said usage dropped from 10 million gallons last July to 9 million gallons this year. Rainfall totals were about the same during both periods.

Mandatory restrictions, such as assigned days for watering, had been under consideration because the city's Casad Reservoir is 20 percent lower than officials would like. But Cahall said it now appears such restrictions won't be necessary -- barring unforeseen circumstances, such as a breakdown in equipment.

Some people have allowed their yards to go brown, Cahall said. Others have taken steps to reduce indoor water use, such as taking shorter showers.

Large water customers, such as parks, schools, cemeteries and golf courses have learned to be more efficient in keeping their grass green, she said.

People also seem to be spreading out their water use, which helps reduce peak demands that cause water pumps to run more often.

In a normal year, about 65 percent of Bremerton's water comes from the reservoir; the rest comes from wells. This year, those numbers are reversed.

Since last October, rainfall at the reservoir has been about 32 percent below normal.

Portland water supply protected

WASHINGTON (AP) -- All that stands between the Little Sandy watershed and nearly 3,000 additional acres is President Bush's signature.

The Senate on Friday passed a bipartisan bill that would add 2,980 acres of federal land to the watershed as a southern buffer for Portland's Bull Run water supply system.

The bill, which has the support of most of Oregon's congressional delegation, now heads to the White House where Bush is expected to sign it into law.

It would prohibit logging, road construction and public access on the acreage, enhancing the 95,382-acre Bull Run system which supplies drinking water to 800,000 residents in the Portland metro area.

The Little Sandy serves as crucial habitat for endangered fish and trout runs, supporters said, particularly because Portland General Electric plans to decommission its fish-impeding dam on the river. The bill authorizes $10 million to be spent on watershed restoration in Clackamas County to benefit endangered fish runs. "The Little Sandy will be the centerpiece of a very aggressive effort to restore salmon," said Portland Commissioner Erik Sten, who oversees the city's response to the Endangered Species Act.

Advocates have been trying to secure protection for the Little Sandy since 1994.

EPA considers limiting special gasoline blends

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) -- The head of the Environmental Protection Agency said she is considering reducing the number of special gasoline blends used around the country to help promote cleaner air.

In an interview published Monday in USA Today, EPA administrator Christie Whitman said that limiting the number of so-called "boutique blends" to three or four formulas could increase fuel supplies and help prevent large spikes in the prices drivers see at the pump.

She said, however, that the approach, which is also under consideration in Congress, is not without problems.

"It is very much a states' rights issue," Whitman, the former governor of New Jersey, told the newspaper. "Boutique fuels are a result of states making independent decisions about (meeting) their clean-air requirements. ... That's not to say we wouldn't eventually" cut the number of fuels.

Currently a dozen or so gasoline blends are in use nationwide.

According to the oil industry, specialty blends designed for local needs lead to increases in gasoline prices as refiners switch to producing them each summer and fall.

Environmentalists, the newspaper reported, said they wouldn't object to fewer boutique fuels so long as the states are allowed to try new blends to make the air cleaner.

Free trips offered for clean air

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Need a car for a quick spin around town? Help yourself.

A new clean-air program is giving low- to moderate-income residents access to city-owned electric vehicles for free as part of a $300,000 state pilot program to cut pollution. Anaheim purchased 10 electric cars and placed them in areas targeted for redevelopment.

Following a drivers' license check, any resident living in a complex where the cars are garaged can borrow one and go for a drive.

The cars, called neighborhood electric vehicles, are not designed to replace full-sized automobiles but are useful for making quick neighborhood trips, said Tom Zabriskie, a division manager for a dealership that sells the vehicles.

"It's designed for 75 percent of those trips we take that are local," he said.

Now what about those geese

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- A bar owner in the tourist town of Te Anau has introduced a special: beer-for-birds.

Fed up with the damage magpies are doing to Fiordland's native birds, Neil McDowall has offered a free two liter jug of draft beer for each dead magpie presented to staff at Moose Care and Bar.

The magpies, which are not native to New Zealand, also have become aggressive toward children and adults in parts of the town.

Magpies are known for protecting their young by swooping down at humans who stray too close to nesting areas. Magpies also kill the fledglings of native birds and break unhatched eggs.

McDowall said the bounty has so far cost the bar about four 50-liter kegs of beer -- or a total of 52 gallons. The beer-for-birds offer will end when the local duck-shooting season finishes next month, he said.

Environmental Watch: Roth Hill adds to marketing team

BELLEVUE -- Samantha Mulligan and Cari Sulcer have joined Roth Hill Engineering Partners, Inc., bolstering the firm's business development, marketing and communications activities.

Mulligan will be a communications specialist, leading internal and external communications efforts and business development. Mulligan, formerly with Ash Associates of London, has 12 years of experience in advertising, public relations and copywriting.

Sulcer joins Roth Hill as a communications assistant, assisting in business development, communications, government affairs and proposal writing. She was previously an assistant account executive with online marketing company Avenue A.

Roth Hill, based in Bellevue, has 50 employees providing civil engineering, design, planning and construction management services to public and private sector clients.

North Cascades Institute named "great place"

SEDRO-WOOLEY -- The North Cascades Institute has received a $20,000 grant from Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) as part of the retailer's "Great Places" campaign.

The institute provides natural history education through field seminars, school programs, teacher workshops, internships and graduate education.

"We are honored that REI supports our work," said Saul Weisberg, executive director of the North Cascades Institute. "The Great Places grant is earmarked for our North Cascades Discovery Program that takes children and adults into wild places to find challenge and inspiration."

This summer's Discovery program will take participants on a canoe trip around Ross Lake.

The institute says that since 1986, more than 50,000 people have participated in its programs. In 2003, the institute will open the North Cascades Learning Center in partnership with Seattle City Light and North Cascades National Park.

Water quality grants offered

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology is seeking public comment as it prepares to distribute $107 million in grants and low-interest loans to help improve the health of lakes, streams, rivers, aquifers and marine waters statewide.

As proposed, 82 percent of last year's recipients would receive financial assistance this year as well.

"There is widespread demand for projects to keep pollution out of our streams and lakes," said Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons. "The money will do a lot of good."

The funding comes from the Centennial Clean Water Fund, Washington State Water Pollution Control Revolving Fund and the federal Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint-source Fund. The loans and grants are typically used by communities to upgrade wastewater treatment, reduce stormwater runoff and to improve habitat for salmon, steelhead and bull trout.

Ecology will hold meetings in Tacoma and Spokane to discuss the proposals. The Tacoma meeting is today, July 31, at 9 a.m. in the Pierce County Library Administrative Service Center, 3005 112th St. East, at 9 a.m.

The Spokane meeting will be held Wednesday, August 1, at 10 a.m. at the Spokane Public Library, 906 West Main Ave. More information is available at www.wa.gov/ecology/wq/links/funding/.

Man plans swim to the Columbia

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- Christopher Swain models himself after the earliest "Riverkeepers," who patrolled Britain's waterways in the 19th century by walking the river banks and watching out for pollutants.

The big difference is that Swain, as the official Riverkeeper for the Columbia River, won't be walking. He'll be swimming the entire 1,243 miles of the river, from the headwaters in British Columbia to the Pacific Ocean.

"What better way to keep an eye on the river than by swimming and tasting every mile of water?" says Swain, who will start his swim next June and spend nearly six months completing it. "This is Riverkeeping at its purest. It's my job in the end to see that as much awareness and benefit comes to the river as possible."

Swain was appointed to his "Riverkeeping" position, which involves assessing the state of the river and promoting efforts to improve it, last month by Columbia Riverkeeper, a not-for-profit organization that belongs to the national Waterkeeper Alliance founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

He'll be swimming through the Hanford Reach and north Portland, two of the river's most polluted stretches.

"I'll be swimming through everything from human waste to Tritium 131," Swain says. "I'm not a fish; I won't be in the river forever, but we are a little concerned about bio-accumulation."

Swain will have samples of his hair, blood and skin tested for contaminants before and after the swim.

"I'll be sure to dose up on vitamin C," he says.

Painting the town green

VICTORIA, British Columbia (AP) -- Lacking water for their lawns after one of the driest winters on record, some area residents are turning to paint.

Several companies offer to banish the brown, parched look by selling a water-soluble pigment that is often used on heavily traveled areas of golf courses. The product supplied by Evergrow Canada Inc. is also sometimes applied to areas along highways.

"Any golfer would recognize it," said Robert Righetti of Righetti Gardening.

"Now it just seems feasible to use it on the lawns because people aren't spending money on the water," Righetti said. "First we prep the lawn by cutting it shorter, and then just spray it.

"It's like Victoria goes green overnight."

The paint costs less than 50 cents a square yard, can be applied quickly, dries in minutes on a hot day, won't wash off if it rains and lasts up to six months, Righetti said.

"It's not a dye and it doesn't contain any hazardous chemicals or heavy metals or other ingredients harmful to turf," he said.

Toxic plant invades Oregon

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- One of the world's most toxic plants has been discovered in Oregon.

The state Department of Agriculture has confirmed three growths in Oregon of giant hogweed, a plant native of the mountains of southern Russia that contains noxious sap from its scaly and purple stalk.

A chemical in the plant causes human skin to become sensitive to the sun and can cause sunburns so intense they blister and leave purple-and-black scars.

Giant hogweed can grow 15-feet high and unfurls leaves five feet wide and flower clusters two feet long.

"It's just pretty nasty looking, and it's painful," said Karen Peterson, a noxious weed specialist with the King County Noxious Weed Control Program in Seattle.

Washington state officials have been battling the weed for at least 50 years. But the plant hadn't been found in Oregon until last week, when the state Department of Agriculture confirmed three growths in Portland: at Reed College and at two houses.

No one knows for sure how giant hogweed got to Oregon.

Its unique size and appearance made it a popular ornamental plant with gardeners, who carried it from its native habitat in the rugged Caucasus Mountains to England, Canada and, most likely, Washington and other U.S. states.

It is illegal to sell hogweed in both Oregon and Washington.

Russian hogweed resembles its smaller relative cow parsnip, which is native to Oregon, and is a wild cousin of carrots. Cow parsnip usually grows two to four feet tall. And cow parsnip has a fuzzy green stalk, while giant hogweed has a blistered, purple stalk with white bristles.

Environmental Watch: Pilot ESA permit system online

SEATTLE -- Northwest applicants for permits requiring Endangered Species Act consultation can now check the progress of their permits online. The system will allow the tracking of progress as permits move through the process between the Army Corps of Engineers and NOAA Fisheries (the National Marine Fisheries Service).

During a recent visit to the Northwest, Commerce Secretary Don Evans said he learned firsthand of frustrations with the permit consultation backlog.

"This new pilot program is an important step in a department-wide effort to leverage technology to improve customer service and make the permitting process more transparent and accessible," said Evans.

Currently, Endangered Species Act consultation can take well over a year, and the Army Corps has a backlog of over 1,000 permit applications.

Armed with their permit tracking number, applicants can log on to http://nmfs.noaa.gov/pcts/ and check the progress of their application.

Free trees available

SEATTLE -- The city of Seattle's Department of Neighborhoods is again soliciting applications from neighborhood and community groups for free trees.

In order to receive the trees a member of the applying group must attend a tree planting and maintenance class. The trees are delivered in October and early November.

Applications are due by Friday, August 17. Requests can be made for 10 to 40 trees.

Over the past five years the Department of Neighborhoods has delivered nearly 9,000 trees to over 300 neighborhood groups.

Applications are available by calling (206) 684-0464 or on the cityofseattle.net Web site.

Thornton Creek drainage meeting set

SEATTLE -- Seattle Public Utilities is beginning the process of studying potential drainage improvements to the Thornton Creek basin.

As part of the study, a meeting will be held to explain the options and gather comment for the formal environmental impact statement (EIS).

Options that will be analyzed in the EIS include on-site flow controls, regional detention ponds, two bypass pipeline proposals with detention components and the purchase of flood prone properties.

The meeting will be held Wednesday, July 25 at the Lake City Elks Club, 14540 Bothell Way Northeast from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information contact project manager Pamela Miller at (206) 684-5179 or by e-mail at pamela.miller@ci.seattle.wa.us.

Grants offered for environmental education

OLYMPIA -- The Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team is seeking proposals for environmental education and improvement grants.

The grants, issued through the agency's Public Involvement and Education Fund, seek to encourage daily activities that improve water quality and habitat in Puget Sound.

Up to $400,000 in grants will be awarded this year with priority going to the following types of projects: contaminated sediment remediation, nearshore habitat restoration, salmon and other fish protection and restoration, shellfish bed protection and prevention of stormwater runoff and septic system failure.

Approaches to these goals can include education, biological assessment and the promotion of smart growth strategies.

The application deadline is Monday, August 27. Additionally, a number of workshops to assist applicants will be held statewide. For more information on the grants and workshops call 1-800-54-SOUND or visit the team's Web site at www.wa.gov/puget_sound/. Any Washington state resident, business, organization, tribal or local government or school is eligible.

Workshop focuses on Columbia water quality

SPOKANE (AP) -- As Western governors prepare to meet in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, in two weeks, their staffs are working together to improve water quality on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

Officials from Idaho, Oregon, Washington and the Columbia Basin tribes attended a workshop in Spokane Monday to discuss reducing pollution and water temperature in the rivers.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is helping to develop standards that will meet the federal Clean Water Act and protect endangered salmon and steelhead runs.

"This process gets some really good science in place that lays out a long-term strategy of what can be done to help these rivers," said Mary Lou Soscia, EPA's Columbia River coordinator.

Pollution levels near hydroelectric dams often exceed water-quality standards, a Washington Department of Ecology report said.

Salmon are often exposed to this pollution while going through or over the dams, the report said.

Efforts to clean up water in Washington by determining the sources of pollution will be based on those already in place in Oregon, said Paul Pickett of the Washington Department of Ecology.

"We're coming in a little late on this," Pickett said. "Oregon's been charging ahead, so we're a little behind."

The Clean Water Act requires states to prepare a list of water bodies that do not meet federal quality standards.

All water bodies on the list must meet the standard within "a reasonable period" -- either through a comprehensive cleanup plan or by mandating pollution control mechanisms.

The Washington Department of Ecology has until 2013 to develop and begin plans to clean up 643 polluted bodies of water. Most of those are effected by more than one pollutant, according to a Department of Ecology report.

The Western Governors' Association will hold its annual meeting on Aug. 12-14 at the Coeur d'Alene Resort in northern Idaho.

More studies for Willamette fish safety

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- A federal health official said more studies are necessary to determine if fish caught in the Willamette River have dangerous levels of toxic chemicals in their flesh and are unsafe to eat.

John Crellin, an epidemiologist with the Atlanta-based Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, said Thursday he will recommend testing several species of fish from river in a report he plans to write to the Environmental Protection Agency.

With the additional data health officials could determine whether fish are accumulating contaminants at levels that threaten human health and wildlife, Crellin said.

"There's just not the kind of data we need to do a health assessment. We need more fish," he said.

Officials with the EPA and the Lower Willamette Group, a newly formed group of landowners who are potentially liable for the pollution, said they were not surprised by Crellin's conclusion. They said some form of fish testing was expected as part of the investigation into the breadth and sources of pollution in the river.

That testing probably won't start for a year or two.

Crellin said the only source of data he has found were from tests undertaken last year by The Oregonian newspaper, which found elevated levels of banned industrial chemicals in lower Willamette River fish. But that study did not contain enough samples, he said.

The newspaper tested carp, crappie and smallmouth bass from the lower 26 miles of the river. The tests found levels of PCBs at rates 10 times higher than state health screening levels, which could mean they are unsafe to eat.

After these tests, the Oregon Health Division has issued new guidelines on cleaning and cooking fish from the Willamette.

The EPA has said that as many as 69 private and public landowners along the river's course could be liable for cleaning up the pollution.

The EPA placed a dirty, six-mile stretch of the lower Willamette River on the nation's Superfund list of most polluted sites in 2000.

Environmental Watch: Green power conference July 30

PORTLAND -- Promising to be more relevant than ever, the Sixth National Green Power Marketing Conference opens July 30 in Portland.

Sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Edison Electric Institute, the conference will hold multiple sessions on providing renewable energy in competitive and regulated markets.

The gathering, entitled "Opportunity Amidst Uncertainty," will also explore strategies for increasing green power alternatives through consumer choice.

Scheduled speakers include Alan Richardson, president and CEO of PacifiCorp, and Dennis Kelley, CEO of Green Mountain Energy Co. Green Power Recognition Awards will also be presented to "recognize those who are significantly advancing the development of renewable electricity sources in the marketplace."

The conference will be held at the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel in Portland. To register or for more information call Megan Maguire at (303) 275-4321 or go to http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/conference/index.html.

Tolt plant wins design-build award

SEATTLE -- Seattle Public Utilities' Tolt Treatment Facility has been received a 2001 Project Achievement Award from the Design-build Institute of America.

The $76 million design-build-operate project was completed last year by a joint venture of Azurix North America and Camp Dresser & McKee. The city of Seattle continues to own the facility while the Azurix CDM team runs it. Seattle Public Utilities estimates that using design-build-operate saved the city upwards of $70 million.

"We are immensely proud of the Tolt facility and our relationship with SPU," said John Stokes, president and CEO of Azurix North America. "This is a showcase project that highlights how well public-private partnerships can work."

On the Cedar River as well, Seattle Public Utilities is planning a new water treatment plant using design-build-operate. Under a contract with CH2M Hill, $109 million will be spent to build the project and operate it for 25 years.

The city estimates this will save $50 million compared to traditional procurement methods.

Meetings set on Columbia cleanup

OLYMPIA -- Plans to improve the health of the Columbia and Snake rivers will be outlined at two informal workshops scheduled for the end of this month.

Sponsored by the Idaho and Oregon departments of environmental quality, Washington Department of Ecology, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in coordination with Columbia Basin tribes and Western Governors' Association, the workshops will cover the development of water cleanup plans for the Columbia and Snake rivers.

The water cleanup plans will focus on high temperatures and high levels of dissolved gas, both particularly harmful to salmon. Temperature and dissolved gas levels frequently exceed state and federal standards.

The first workshop will be held in Spokane on Monday, July 23, at Spokane Community College in the Bigfoot and Sasquatch rooms, 1801 N. Greene St. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 24, the workshop will convene at the Port of Portland Commission's offices at Second and Everett streets in Portland from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Contact Ecology at (360) 407-7006 for more information.

$10M more for BPA fish projects

PORTLAND -- The Bonneville Power Administration has announced $10 million in additional projects to help fish hurt by this year's power emergency. The projects will supplement nearly $19 million in "high priority projects" announced in May.

The 17 projects include streamflow and fish passage improvement throughout the Columbia basin. Because of emergency operation of the BPA's dams, little water is being spilled for fish passage. Rather, water is being run through turbines to produce the maximum amount of electricity possible.

For a complete list of the projects go to http://www.bpa.gov.

Fish recovery has gone swimmingly

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Arizona's state fish, the Apache trout, may become the first fish removed from the endangered species list with a happy ending, according to state wildlife officials.

"The only other things in the fish world that went off that list did so because they went extinct," Robert Bettaso, native fish program manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department told the Arizona Daily Star. "This would be the first fish in the world to be successfully brought back."

That achievement is important to sport fishers and tourism, as well as to conservationists.

Overharvested by waves of settlers and harassed by nonnative species introduced for sport fishing, the Apache trout went from inhabiting more than 600 miles of streams in the White Mountains historically to less than 30 miles in the 1960s. The fish was officially listed as an endangered species when the federal Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973.

But restoration was widely supported. The Apache trout was quickly upgraded to threatened status in 1975 and now has it on the verge of recovery, Riley said.

Anglers and environmentalists have joined the White Mountain Apache Tribe, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Game and Fish, and the U.S. Forest Service in the effort, which is on track to have the fish recovered by December 2003, Riley said.

Clean water rules may go on hold

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration wants to put on hold and re-examine a Clinton-era program spelling out federally required state cleanup plans for thousands of lakes and rivers around the nation, two administration officials said Monday.

The broad cleanup plans issued last year were intended to reduce stormwater and agriculture runoff polluting about 21,000 lakes, ponds, streams and rivers across the country.

A National Academy of Sciences panel said last month the Clinton administration had put the program into place without enough evidence to assure the right bodies of water were being targeted.

The Environmental Protection Agency planned to ask the U.S. Court of Appeals in a filing late Monday to delay deciding a legal challenge to the program and to put off its implementation for 18 months, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Environmentalists said Monday they were alarmed by the action. Under the program, states would have eight to 13 years to develop plans and start cleanup and water quality restoration programs.

The appeals court has before it a suit by the American Farm Bureau challenging the cleanup program, alleging that the EPA overreached its authority under the Clean Water Act in halting a California family from harvesting timber from their land.

Rescuers still work to free whale

PROVINCETOWN, Mass. (AP) -- After failing in their fifth effort to sedate a right whale entangled in rope, rescuers say they are still not ready to give up.

Scientists returned home after a third day of frustrations.

"Nothing has worked," said National Marine Fisheries Service spokeswoman Teri Frady. "What we have to do now is decide if there's anything else we can try."

Heavy nylon fishing rope entangled around the whale's jaw has caused a serious infection that veterinarians say is likely to eventually cause its death.

Rescuers said the whale's skin color had faded from black to almost completely white, indicating its condition had worsened. But Frady said there is hope because the whale is still swimming.

Rescuers tried twice over the weekend to sedate the 50-ton whale, found about 85 miles off the coast of Cape Cod, but it would not slow down enough so scientists could approach it.

Environmental Watch: Hart Crowser names CFO

SEATTLE -- Hart Crowser, Inc. has named Robert Jenson as the firm's new chief financial officer. He will be based at the firm's headquarters on Lake Union.

Jenson comes to Hart Crowser from the All Alaskan group of companies where he served in a similar capacity for six years. He also has 16 years experience as a certified public accountant with two international accounting firms.

In addition to Seattle, Hart Crowser has offices in Alaska, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts and a new international location in Kamakura, Japan.

Bellevue stormwater bonds paid off

BELLEVUE -- The surcharge on downtown Bellevue properties to pay for the Meydenbauer trunk line stormwater project will end this month.

According to the Bellevue Utilities Department, the surcharge of $165,000 annually was applied to 230 properties in downtown.

Repeated flooding led to the planning and construction of the $2 million project in 1984.

Recalls Lloyd Warren, director of the Utilities Department, "The existing facilities weren't adequate, and new development was being constrained. Some properties, such as Bellevue Plaza... were flooding annually. We also knew that Bellevue would continue to grow, and something had to be done."

The bonds had been scheduled to be paid off in three more years. However, the large amount of development, abetted by the stormwater project, allowed the bonds to be retired early.

The installation of the trunk line down 106th Street Northeast ranges in diameter from 48 to 60 inches. Its completion obviated the need for each individual development in downtown Bellevue to provide on-site stormwater detention.

Snohomish River island eyed for dump

EVERETT (AP) -- The state is thinking about turning an island at the mouth of the Snohomish River into a dump for contaminated muck dredged from the bottom of Puget Sound.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources is considering timber giant Weyerhaeuser Co.'s offer to donate nearly 170 acres on Smith Island to the state.

In a letter to state Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland, Weyerhaeuser suggested the island is well-suited for disposing of contaminated sediments left over from the cleanup of underwater pollution from lead, arsenic, mercury and other toxins.

Company officials said the island is easy to reach by barge and train and is zoned for industrial use. No decision has been reached. Department officials say they are reviewing the matter.

Rep. Aaron Reardon, D-Everett, wrote Sutherland earlier this month urging him to reject the idea.

"I don't want it here," Reardon said. "I don't want them to use Snohomish County as a dumping ground."

Parts of Smith Island have served as dumping grounds for Weyerhaeuser's pulp mill, which sat on the southern bank of the river across from the island before closing in 1992.

Liquid waste was sent to lagoons, and some solid waste wound up in a landfill there, said company spokesman Frank Mendizabal.

The state has been wrestling with how to dispose of up to 10 million cubic yards of contaminated sludge at the bottom of Puget Sound and nearby rivers, a legacy of decades of industrial activity.

Zoo workshops to look at parking

SEATTLE -- Woodland Park Zoo staff and consultants will be on hand for two public workshops on parking and its associated environmental impacts. The workshops are part of the zoo's update of its 1976 Long Range Plan.

At the workshops, alternatives developed through the draft environmental impact statement process will be presented.

The workshops will be held Saturday, July 28, from 9 a.m. to noon and Tuesday, July 11, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Both workshops will be held at the ARC building near the zoo's west gate at North 55th Street and Phinney Avenue North.

For more information contact project manager Jim Maxwell at (206) 684-4066.

Green River habitat plan signed

TACOMA -- It's official. The National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have formally signed Tacoma Water's Habitat Conservation Plan for the Green River and its municipal water supply activities.

Last week, federal officials indicated approval would be forthcoming. The plan allows the Second Supply Project, linking Tacoma with Seattle Public Utilities water supplies, to move forward in accordance with the Endangered Species Act.

As part of the plan, spill guidelines have been established to protect threatened chinook salmon in the Green River basin. Salmon will also be reintroduced to the Green River above Tacoma Water's Howard Hanson Dam. The Green River has been shut off to spawning fish since the dam's construction in 1911.

Coinciding with the reintroduction of salmon will be construction of a fish ladder over the headworks diversion dam and a trap and haul operation to get fish past the 235-foot-high Howard Hanson Dam itself.

Report: Superfund lacks funds

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Government costs for cleaning up toxic waste sites under the Superfund program are expected to far outstrip money available in a special fund, a report to Congress warned.

The report said that despite expectations by some lawmakers that Superfund cleanup costs would decline with work completed at many sites, costs are not expected to ramp down for another eight years.

The report, issued by Resources for the Future, a Washington-based environmental think tank, estimated the government will spend $14 billion to $16.4 billion on Superfund cleanup programs between 2000 and 2009, with annual costs of between $1.3 billion and $1.7 billion.

At the same time, the special fund for government cleanup programs has declined to about $650 million and likely will run out in 2002. This year, for the first time, more money was spent on Superfund from general tax revenues than from the fund which came from special taxes on the oil and chemical industries.

Congress rescinded the special Superfund tax after 1995, causing fund surpluses to be gradually depleted. The tax poured about $1.3 billion a year into the fund prior to 1996.

As of last month, there were 1,076 cleanup sites, excluding those owned by the federal government, on the Superfund priority cleanup list. At 739 sites the EPA has declared that construction and waste removal activities had been completed.

Zoning dispute now war of the noses

NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) -- A landowner whose plan for his land was rebuffed by zoning officials responded by truly raising a stink: He dumped dung on his property.

A neighbor called police over the weekend complaining about the stench that Michael Kent unleashed. Kent told police he is planting a vegetable garden and needs the manure to fertilize the soil.

Kent said he will deliver another load to the lot, and one of his employees will till it into the ground, Lt. Charles Brennan said.

The dispute began when the local zoning board of review on June 26 rejected Kent's lot application, saying it was illegally subdivided and is too small for a house.

It's the second time the board has denied Kent's application. After an identical decision two years ago, Kent retaliated by clearing his property and painting the tree stumps with fluorescent paint.

This time, Kent hired a contractor to remove vegetation covering the property, again exposing the neon stumps. On Sunday, a landscaping truck dumped the manure on a corner of the property abutting the home of Anthony DeLuca.

DeLuca called police about the droppings and is one of the parties in a $1 million nuisance suit against Kent.

Environmental Watch: Hart Crowser expands to Japan

ANCHORAGE -- Hart Crowser has promoted three people in the Anchorage office and announced the opening of a project office in Japan.

Tom Noyes will lead a Hart Crowser Japan office to serve the environmental and engineering consulting firm's Department of Defense clients.

In Anchorage, Cathy Steen has been promoted to operations manager. Bruce Ream and Nino Muniz have been named group managers of the 18-person office.

Jim Gill remains Hart Crowser's Alaska regional manager, overseeing Anchorage as well as offices in Juneau and Fairbanks.

Sea-Tac hires recycling consultant

SEATAC -- Seattle Tacoma International Airport has hired Corporate Recycling Services of Tacoma (CRS) to try to beef up the facility's solid waste reduction and recycling efforts.

CRS is a consulting firm that devises client-specific comprehensive waste reduction and recycling programs. The Sea-Tac project is the firm's largest to date. Other clients include Trident Seafoods of Fife, Nalley's Fine Foods of Tacoma and Weyerhaeuser Building Materials of Tacoma.

The Port of Seattle's goal for the airport is to divert as much of the waste stream as possible from landfills by increasing recycling. All administrative areas, retailers, tenants and public areas will be part of the new program.

Middle Waterway disposal site found

TACOMA -- A preliminary decision has been reached on a disposal site for contaminated sediments from the Middle Waterway of Commencement Bay.

If the EPA agrees, up to 100,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment will be removed from the Middle Waterway and disposed of in the Port of Tacoma's Slip One disposal facility, at the mouth of Blair Waterway.

The Port of Tacoma reached the agreement with the Middle Waterway Action Committee, a group of Middle Waterway businesses, and Occidental Chemical Corp.

The Slip One facility has the capacity to store 750,000 cubic yards of material. When it is filled, it will be capped with clean soil and developed as upland property by the Port of Tacoma.

Allied Floors joins LinkUp

SEATTLE -- Allied Floors of Seattle has joined King County's LinkUp program, which provides technical and marketing assistance to businesses utilizing recycled materials.

Allied has developed a process to make unique floor designs with recycled glass and a custom-colored cement base. Cheaper than terrazzo tiling, the process, called Spectocular Floor, is also ready to walk on within 24 hours.

"Creating a market for recycled glass, which is a priority for the county, is one of the main goals of the LinkUp program," says Erv Sandlin, LinkUp's program manager.

LinkUp works with seven other firms in the region, including TriVitro Corp. of Kent which supplies glass to Allied.

Report: water markets are hot

NATICK, Mass. -- Water supply and wastewater treatment in fast growing areas will be the hottest market for environmental firms over the next few years according to the latest Zweig Market Intelligence Report, "U.S. Environmental Markets 2001-2004."

According to the report, business will grow more slowly in older, more heavily regulated markets.

Other burgeoning markets listed by Zweig include brownfields redevelopment and environmental management systems.

Hazardous waste, solid waste and air pollution markets are said to face minimal growth prospects for the next three years, mainly owing to an expected dearth of new regulation.

Tacoma water work gets ESA OK

TACOMA -- Tacoma Water has received federal approval of its Habitat Conservation Plan for Green River municipal water supply operations.

The approval, granted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, covers 32 species of fish and wildlife known to use the Green River watershed including threatened chinook salmon.

With plan approval in hand, Tacoma Water can now move forward with the Second Supply Project that will link the water systems of Seattle Public Utilities and Tacoma Water.

Oregon solar power fair July 28

JOHN DAY, Ore. -- How solar power can be used in the Pacific Northwest will be the focus of the SolWest Renewable Energy Fair to be held here later this month.

The SolWest Fair offers 30 classes and workshops on power production techniques. Offerings include hydropower site evaluation, radiant floor heating, solar electric basics, inverters, solar hot water, fuel cells, bio energy, and solar cooking. Vendors will also display the latest in renewable energy technology and gadgets.

The two-day fair begins July 28 at the Grant County Fairgrounds in John Day. Admission is $5.

Extended workshops will also be offered on days both before and after the fair. Call (541) 575-3633 for more information, or e-mail info@solwest.org.

Kleinfelder opens materials testing lab

BELLEVUE -- Kleinfelder, Inc. has opened a materials testing laboratory in Bellevue.

The new full-service construction materials laboratory supports Kleinfelder’s Bellevue office, which opened in 1988. The new laboratory’s manager, Chuck Weaver, former owner of Wedge Engineering, brings more than 30 years of materials testing experience to the position.

Kleinfelder is a $140-million, employee-owned firm with 55 offices located throughout the western United States. Other Northwest offices and laboratories include Portland and Bend, Ore.; and Boise, Coeur d’Alene, and Blackfoot, Idaho.

Retention pond helps water woes

COVINGTON -- Taylor Development has converted its stormwater retention pond to a detention pond to help alleviate water shortages here.

The pond, capable of holding 1.3 million gallons, is used to irrigate landscaping and vegetative buffers, conserving drinking water.

Currently 10,000 gallons per week are being used for irrigation at Taylor's Ridge at Tamarack residential development, a 134-lot subdivision.

Covington just came off a three-year water moratorium at the beginning of this winter's drought.

Hold the anchovies, please!

BROOKINGS, Ore. (AP) -- Boats have been replaced by piles of dead, stinking fish this summer as this southern coastal town suffers through its first anchovy die-off in at least two decades.

Fish experts said such an event is rare. Brookings has only seen three mass deaths in more than 30 years, said Jim Welter, a fishing adviser for the Port of Brookings.

Last month, millions of the silvery 6-inch fish sank to the bottom of Brookings Harbor and rose to the surface as blackened corpses, where pelicans, cormorants, and seagulls feasted on them.

Stacks of rotting fish three feet deep prevented some boats from mooring in their usual docks. More massive die-offs are expected, Welter said.

Boats with inboard motors have had their engines clogged by the slippery remains and U.S. Coast Guard vessels in Brookings have switched to outboard motors to avoid problems, said Petty Officer 2nd Class Mark Dilenge.

Anchovy die-offs usually occur after seasons favorable to anchovy breeding. Anchovies, which thrive in cold, nutrient-rich water, seek out places like Brookings Harbor to feed and spawn.

When that happens, large congregations of fish mean "that there are too many fish for the oxygen in the water," Welter said. "It happens anywhere where so many fish get together and use up all the oxygen."

Welter said this year's dry weather could have compounded the problem because natural rain run-off helps aerate the water. The Port of Brookings plans to install an aerator where the first mass of anchovies died to help keep fish alive, he said.

Brookings draws about 750,000 tourists every summer, but residents aren't worried that the piles of fish will hurt business.