Environmental Watch: SPU sets meetings on new drainage plan

SEATTLE -- Seattle Public Utilities will discuss its proposed Comprehensive Drainage Plan at two community meetings this month.

SPU is examing how it manages flood protection, habitat preservation and enhancement, water quality, public assets and other stormwater issues.

The agency will discuss the plan at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at Camp Long Environmental Education Center at 5200 35th Ave. S.W. in West Seattle; and at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at Seattle City Light North Service Center at 1300 N. 97th St. For information contact Darla Inglis at (206) 733-9196 or e-mail drainage.plan@seattle.gov.

Seattle wetlands conference Oct. 30-31

SEATTLE -- Regulation of wetlands by local, state and federal agencies will highlight a Oct. 30-31 conference at Renaissance Seattle Hotel.

"Wetlands in Washington -- Regulation and Development" will discuss isolated wetlands, tribal perspectives, agricultural lands, shoreline regulations, "best available science," ESA consultations, 404/401 permits, interagency cooperation, ethical issues and wetland mitigation banking.

The co-chairs will be Buck & Gordon partner Brent Carson and Dearborn & Moss partner Alison Moss. Tuition is $695, but group, government, student and new employee rates are available.

For registration, course or faculty details call Law Seminars International at (206) 621-1938 or (800) 854-8009, e-mail registrar@lawseminars.com or visit www.lawseminars.com.

Stormwater Management opens Calif. office

PORTLAND -- Stormwater Management Inc. opened a Sacramento, Calif., regional office to support municipalities, engineers and developers, from the Bay area to Lake Tahoe and north to the Oregon border.

The Portland-based company hired Neil Erickson as regional manager. The Sacramento office will help cities with populations over 50,000 launch stormwater management plans, as required by Phase Two of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems.

For information, visit www.stormwaterinc.com or call (800) 548-4667. Reach Neil Erickson in Sacramento at (916) 635-0760.

Comments due on Sumas pipeline proposal

BELLEVUE -- The state Department of Ecology is accepting comments until Oct. 25 on a draft supplemental environmental impact statement for a proposal by Williams Gas Pipeline Co. and B.C. Hydro to build an 85-mile natural-gas pipeline from Vancouver, B.C., to Sumas in Whatcom County.

The GSX pipeline, or "Georgia Strait Crossing," would be routed through Whatcom and San Juan counties and would connect the Terasen (formerly "Centra") and Westcoast Energy pipelines. The U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave conditional approval to the proposal last summer. State, local and Canadian agencies are reviewing the proposal.

To download the draft SEIS, visit www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/gsx/. Submit comments to Sheila Hosner, Dept. of Ecology, 3190 160th Ave. S.E., Bellevue, WA 98008-5452 or shos461@ecy.wa.gov.

Public workshops and hearings are Oct. 14 on San Juan Island and Oct. 15 in Bellingham. Details are available at the public meetings calendar at www.ecy.wa.gov.

BetterBricks green building awards Oct. 24

PORTLAND -- Architects, engineers, developers and green-building specialists will be recognized at the first-ever BetterBricks Awards luncheon Oct. 24.

Awards will be given for architecture, engineering, professional services, development and advocacy. Ray Anderson, founder and chairman of Interface, Inc., will be guest speaker. The luncheon is $30. The event will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Oregon Zoo's Cascade Crest Banquet Center at 4001 S.W. Canyon Rd.

BetterBricks, a program of the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, provides information and services to commercial builders in Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. For information call (888) 216-5357 or visit www.betterbricks.com.

BPA reports record fall Chinook return

PORTLAND -- Record-setting numbers of salmon are returning this season, including more than 581,000 fall Chinook, according to the Bonneville Power Administration.

Fish counters recorded three consecutive days in mid-September when more than 40,000 fall Chinook passed the Bonneville Dam viewing window, the highest daily counts in 65 years of record-keeping, according to BPA.

Officials with the Federal Caucus -- a group of nine federal agencies that manage salmon recovery in the Columbia Basin -- said salmon returns improved due to not only to favorable ocean conditions but to salmon recovery programs.

Federal Caucus officials cited technical improvements to hydroelectric dams, better management of hatcheries and restoration of streamside habitat. For more information visit www.salmonrecovery.gov.

Nike hosts renewable power workshop

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Business, government and nonprofit representatives will discuss the commercial and environmental ramifications of renewable power at a workshop at Nike's Beaverton, Ore., campus Oct. 16.

Speakers at the 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. workshop in Nike's Tiger Woods Center will include representatives of Stoel Rives, Batdorf, Clark County, Bronson Coffee Roasters and Nike, which buys a percentage of green power from local sources. Topics will include types of renewable power, how to overcome internal barriers, and how green power fits into Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

The $55 fee includes lunch. For information, call Diane Zipper of the Renewable Northwest Project at (503) 223-4544 or Barry Fuchs of the Northwest Public Power Association at (360) 254-0109. To register visit www.nwppa.org/GoGreen.shtml.

Booster shots may help save oak trees

BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- The secret to preventing sudden oak death in coastal trees may be a gigantic booster shot.

University of California scientists have found that trees dosed with a chemical product normally used as a fertilizer can fight and resist the deadly microbe that has killed over 100,000 oak trees throughout California and Oregon since 1995.

The new application, approved by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, stimulates parts of the tree that produce disease-fighting chemicals.

At least 60 percent of the oak trees susceptible to sudden oak death are on private coastal property, so homeowners may benefit most from the treatment, said Matteo Garbelottoin, a University of California forest pathologist who discovered the effects of phosphite on infected trees in 2001.

Arborists and foresters who use the phosphite product, which is expected to cost about $30 per application, will have to be trained and certified before they can use the chemical on private trees.

Environmental Watch: CDM picks manager for Superfund work

SEATTLE -- CDM transferred associate Pamela Philip to Seattle from New York to manage CDM's Superfund work as a subconsultant under a major Environmental Protection Agency contract.

CDM is primary subconsultant to Parametrix, which this summer landed a 10-year $103 million contract for architecture, engineering, technical and management services on Superfund sites in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.

Philip was a senior CDM project manager in New York and has more than 15 years' experience in environmental investigations. She will help CDM streamline Superfund cleanups in the Pacific Northwest and plan for early action to reduce risks to human health and the environment.

Corps eyes change for Oregon permits

PORTLAND -- The Army Corps of Engineers is accepting comments on a proposal to issue a Statewide Programmatic General Permit to defer certain permit applications affecting Oregon's federally regulated waters to Oregon's Division of State Lands for initial review and evaluation.

Under the proposal, those seeking some permits regulated by the Corps and DSL could apply just to DSL. The activities would include stream bank protection projects; road construction, repairs and improvements; site preparations for building construction; stream and wetland restoration; minor fills or removals; utility lines; piling installation and removal; and repairs to water control structures or to improve fish passage.

To see the Corps' public notice, visit https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/g/notices/200100283-1.pdf.

Submit comments on the permit by Oct. 27 to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: CENWP-OP-GP (Judy Linton), P.O. Box 2946, Portland, OR 97208-2946. For more information call (503) 808-4382.

State DNR picks four aquatic reserves

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Natural Resources recommended four Puget Sound sites totaling nearly 16,000 acres as the first reserves in Washington's new aquatic reserves program.

The sites are on state-owned aquatic lands next to Maury Island, Fidalgo Bay, Cypress Island and Cherry Point. At the request of Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland, DNR will review the sites under the State Environmental Policy Act.

DNR will develop supplemental environmental impact statements for each site. The department will hold scoping meetings through April 2004.

Sutherland recognized Commencement Bay's Olympic View and Middle Waterway as important restored habitat but did not recommend the sites become state aquatic reserves.

Corps putting public notices online Nov. 1

SEATTLE -- Public notices for proposed projects requiring Army Corps of Engineers permits will be available online and via e-mail starting Nov. 1.

The Corps' Seattle district regulates work in navigable waters and associated wetlands throughout the state. The district's regulatory branch will replace paper copies of public notices with electronic versions, but those with no e-mail or Internet access will still receive paper copies through traditional mail.

To receive public notices by e-mail, send your e-mail address to regulatory.nws@usace.army.mil. To get notices by regular mail, send your name, address and phone number to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, Regulatory Branch, ATTN: Kristine Sanders, P.O. Box 3755, Seattle, WA 98124-3755.

Land deal adds 20 acres to Nisqually refuge

DUPONT -- A Quadrant Corp., Cascade Land Conservancy and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service land deal will add 20 acres of habitat to the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.

In lieu of developing homes on 20 acres of a portion of Northwest Landing, a planned community in Dupont, Quadrant will sell the land to the Fish and Wildlife Service for $2 million.

Congressman Norm Dicks secured $2 million in federal funding. The Cascade Land Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust, will buy the property from Quadrant and hold it until Fish and Wildlife can release funds.

Located south of Tacoma on the Nisqually River Delta, the 3,000-acre refuge is home to salt- and freshwater marshes, grasslands and mixed forest, which provide resting and nesting areas for fish, migratory waterfowl, songbirds, raptors and wading birds.

State gets $1M wind power grant

BELLINGHAM -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will give Washington $1 million to help low-income households buy wind power.

The three-year grant comes from the department's Residential Energy Assistance Challenge project, whose goals are to develop 12 megawatts of wind power for low-income households and cut 20 percent of energy costs for 12,000 families eligible for federal assistance.

The grant will be administered by the state Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development through the Bellingham-based A World Institute for a Sustainable Humanity program.

Washington, B.C. groups host salmon benefit

SEATTLE -- Northwest Chinook Recovery of Washington and the Pacific Salmon Foundation of British Columbia are hosting a charity dinner and auction Oct. 2 in the Westin Seattle hotel.

Proceeds from the 6 p.m. event will benefit community-based, volunteer-driven salmon restoration projects on both sides of the border. Both organizations work with government agencies, tribal groups, nonprofits and the private sector to conserve and restore Pacific salmon and salmon habitats.

The MCs will be Curt Smitch, a NCR board member and former senior policy advisor to Gov. Gary Locke, and Rich Chapple, a member of the Pacific Salmon Commission. Tickets are $100. For more information or to buy tickets, call (360) 588-1917 in the U.S. or (604) 664-7664 in Canada.

Waste gasification system goes global

RICHLAND -- Praxair, Inc., and Integrated Environmental Technologies, a spin-off of the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will work together to market waste gasification systems for on-site treatment of waste from chemical, refinery and electronics plants.

Research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Massachusetts Institute of Technology led to the formation of Richland-based IET, which makes waste gasification systems and sells them to industries concerned with environmental hazards and the remediation and reuse of industrial waste streams.

IET's technology won a R&D 100 award in 1998 and a Federal Laboratory Consortium award in 2000. Praxair, one of the largest industrial gases companies in the world, will manage the IET technology and market and distribute it in North and South America, Europe and Asia.

For more information about IET's waste gasification technology, visit www.inentec.com.

Environmental Watch: Ecology adds 29 cleanup sites

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology added 29 properties to the list of contaminated sites that Ecology targets for cleanup.

Ecology named sites in Benton, Clark, Island, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Okanogan, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston and Whatcom counties.

The King County properties include 26930 262nd Ave. in Ravensdale, 12631 and 12633 N.E. Woodinville Dr. in Woodinville, and 9420 Rainier Ave. S. in Seattle.

The Pierce County properties include Shear Transport in Buckley and Woodworth Lakeview Gravel Pit in Tacoma. The Snohomish County properties include Cascade Cleaners in Snohomish, Bond Street/Kromer Avenue in Everett and the Upper Ridge Reservoir site.

Ecology also removed 12 sites from its list that have been cleaned up and no longer pose threats. Those sites are in Adams, Franklin, King, Kitsap, Klickitat, Pierce, Snohomish, Spokane and Thurston counties. Visit Ecology's hazardous sites list at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/mtca_gen/hazsites.html.

Farallon adds staff

ISSAQUAH -- Farallon Consulting added staff chemist Jeff Keller to its Issaquah office and geologist Brian D. Gouran to its Bellingham office.

Keller studied chemistry at Washington State University and has four years' experience with oil and hazardous waste spill responses, site investigations and assessments and analytical sampling and testing. He will do environmental monitoring and sampling, due diligence projects, environmental data interpretation, site characterization studies and will offer technical support on remediation systems.

Gouran studied Geology at Western Washington University and has more than four years' experience in surface and groundwater monitoring, site characterization, monitoring well installation, soil and groundwater sampling and contaminated site cleanup. He will provide project and technical support to Bellingham office manager Paul Grabau.

Marten Law Group grows

SEATTLE -- Marten Law Group added partners Allan Bakalian, Maggie Hall and Steve Jones and environmental lawyers Debbie Espinosa and Jeff Kray.

Espinosa worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior, where she represented federal agencies such as the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management on land management issues.

Kray left the Ecology Division of the Washington State Attorney General's Office. He has practiced before the state Pollution Control Hearings Board and before state and federal trial and appellate courts.

Marten Law Group attorneys are working on endangered species, air and water quality, waste cleanup and other environmental cases in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

O'Brien & Co. makes staff moves

SEATTLE -- Green-building consulting, education and research firm O'Brien & Co., Inc. added project associate Katherine Morgan to its Seattle headquarters.

Morgan studied environmental science at Barnard College and community and regional planning at the University of British Columbia and has more than 16 years' experience in planning, research, education, program development, policy, communications and public participation.

Project associate Rebekah Henderson earned a Sustainable Building Advisor certificate from Seattle Central Community College and LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Senior project associate Jane Simmons earned Construction Documents Technologist certification from the Construction Specifications Institute.

BPA names enviro VP

Lamb

PORTLAND -- Bonneville Power Administration administrator Steve Wright appointed Therese Lamb as the agency's vice president for Environment, Fish & Wildlife.

Before Lamb started acting in the BPA position nine months ago, she was the administrator's special assistant for fish and wildlife strategy and manager of BPA's Power Operations Planning. She was BPA's lead negotiator for the hydro system portions of the National Marine Fisheries Service's 2000 biological opinion and was an economist in the agency's Office of Energy Resources' policy analysis, resource evaluation and product development groups.

Anchor adds staff

SEATTLE -- Anchor Environmental added geotechnical and coastal engineer Rebecca Desrosiers to its Seattle office. She will oversee engineering and construction services on geotechnical, sediment remediation, waterway and coastal projects in the environmental science and engineering firm's waterfront engineering group.

Library adds sustainability guide

SEATTLE -- Those who want to see the The Resource Guide for Sustainable Development in an Urban Environment can now find it in the Seattle Public Library's Seattle collection.

Performed under contract with the Urban Environmental Institute and funded by Vulcan Inc., the guide discusses how developers can use sustainable practices to create value. Mithun President Bert Gregory led the study's consultant team, who used the city's South Lake Union neighborhood as a case study.

The study used U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design criteria to help evaluate sustainable strategies. It addresses site issues, energy use, water resources and materials. To download a copy of the study, visit www.mithun.com.

Ferrier to speak at NEBC event

PORTLAND -- Grant Ferrier, president of Environmental Business International and editor of the Environmental Business Journal, will speak at the a Northwest Environmental Business Council Cascade Chapter event Oct. 2.

Ferrier co-wrote an assessment of America's environmental industry published by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and is chairman and founder of the California Environmental Business Council. He will speak over breakfast in the 5th Avenue Suites Hotel at 506 S.W. Washington from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. .

Registration is $40 for NEBC members and $45 for non-members. For information, call (888) 609-6322 or visit http://www.nebc.org.

Worldwide water-quality tests start

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology is asking Washingtonians to join a month-long effort to test the health of lakes, streams and marine waters.

People around the world will test local waters to prepare for World Water Monitoring Day Oct. 18. Participants will test water for dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature and turbidity and will enter test results into an international database.

More than 75,000 people at 5,150 locations took part in the first National Water Monitoring Way last year. Washington ranked in the top five states, with 2,375 participants at 420 locations. To register or learn more, visit www.worldwatermonitoringday.org.

Environmental Watch: Workshop looks at new DDES permit rules

BELLEVUE -- A King County Department of Development and Environmental Services and Master Builders Association workshop next month will focus on recent changes to the DDES permit process and fee system.

County officials at the Oct. 6 workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Master Builders Conference Room at 335 116th Ave. S.E. in Bellevue will also discuss the financial guarantee (bonding) process, low-impact development trends and the 2004 Comprehensive Plan.

Registration is $35 at the door, or send checks payable to King County DDES to Cathy Ortiz, King County DDES, 900 Oakesdale Ave. S.W., Renton, WA 98055-1219. For details call Cathy Ortiz at (206) 296-6704 or Paula Adams at (206) 296-6682. Register online at www.metrokc.gov/ddes.

Oct. 16 seminar on LEED strategies

SEATTLE -- Green building consultant Paladino and Co. will lead talks on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design strategies at an all-day seminar Oct. 16 in the Mountaineers Building at 300 Third Ave. W. in lower Queen Anne.

Representatives of Paladino, which wrote "The LEED Reference Guide," will discuss how LEED measures can cut operation, maintenance, utility and materials costs and improve occupant health and productivity.

Mahlum Architects, Keen Engineering, Portico Group, Lighting Design Lab, 2020 Engineering and Seattle Office of Sustainability and Environment will also take part in technical discussions, exercises and case studies.

The seminar is part of the University of Washington College of Architecture and Urban Planning's Continuing Professional Education Program. The cost is $300. For details, visit www.caup.washington.edu, call Lyn Firkins at (206) 685-8222 or email jasper@u.washington.edu.

Wood experts give eco-friendly advice

SEATTLE -- Three local wood experts will discuss environmentally friendly wood options Sept. 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the basement of the Brick Building behind the Phinney Neighborhood Association at 6532 Phinney Ave. N.

Jim Newson of Urban Hardwoods will talk about his mini-mill, which provides Pacific madrone, sweet gum and other wood from construction sites, storm-damaged trees and urban thinning operations. Patti Southard of Environmental Home Center will discuss Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood, and a representative of Second Use Building Materials will discuss salvaged wood options.

The meeting is free for Northwest Eco Building Guild members and $5 for non-members. For details, call Thor Peterson at (206) 615-0731.

Meetings on Southend creek basin plans

BURIEN -- Two upcoming public meetings will discuss habitat, water-quality and stormwater issues facing the Miller, Walker and Salmon creek basins.

The Port of Seattle, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, Washington State Department of Transportation and cities of Burien, Normandy Park and SeaTac are working on plans for the creek basins.

Representatives will discuss the Salmon Creek basin plan Sept. 25 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the gym of Shorewood Elementary School at 2725 S.W. 116th St. The Miller and Walker creek basins will be the focus of an Oct. 2 meeting from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Criminal Justice Training Center at 19010 First Ave. S.

For information, call King County Project Manager Bruce Bennett at (206) 296-1952 or the Burien Public Works Department at (206) 248-5521.

Corps seeks new ways to manage sediment

PORTLAND -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this month is launching a demonstration project on regional sediment management at the mouth of the Columbia River littoral zone.

The project runs from Point Grenville in Washington to Tillamook Head, Ore., and to River Mile 7 of the Columbia River. It is part of a national initiative to coordinate dredging activities in coastal zones, retain sand in littoral systems and cut project costs.

Gregg Walker and Pat Corcoran of Oregon State University will conduct workshops. For information, call Doris J. McKillip at (503) 808-4348 or e-mail Doris.J.Mckillip@usace.army.mil. To read an Institute for Water Resources regional sediment management report, visit www.iwr.usace.army.mil/iwr/pdf/02ps2sed_man.pdf.

$500,000 stormwater study for Thea Foss

TACOMA -- The city of Tacoma will use a $500,000 Washington State Department of Transportation grant to study stormwater treatment methods.

The grant will help the city access sources of contaminants, and develop treatment and source control strategies for stormwater discharging into the Thea Foss Waterway.

For information call John O'Loughlin, Public works/Environmental Services, at (253) 502-2108 or email joloughl@cityoftacoma.org.

County tests toxic waste pickup for business

SEATTLE -- A new county pilot program will cover the cost of having hazardous waste picked up and transported to disposal facilities for small businesses in Redmond, Kenmore and Federal Way.

Small businesses now either self-haul or pay for pick-up and transfer of hazardous waste to disposal sites in Georgetown or Kent. The King County Local Hazardous and Waste Management Program's 'Get Rid of It" program will pay disposal costs, which vary by waste quantity and type.

Some businesses may qualify for extra disposal cost assistance through the county's Voucher Incentive Program. The program will run during September and October in Kenmore and Redmond, and during October and November in Federal Way. It may be expanded through the county.

Bellevue, TPL to buy open space

BELLEVUE --The city of Bellevue and the Trust for Public Land and will preserve the McTavish Highlands in Bellevue's Woodridge neighborhood as open space.

The city and TPL, a national nonprofit land-conservation agency, used a $1.45 million purchase option, a $750,000 state grant, and $200,000 in King County Conservation Futures funds to buy the 25 acres. The land, which was slated for development, includes riparian corridors in the Richards and Kelsey creek basins.

TPL has protected more than 47,000 acres in Washington. For information, visit www.tpl.org or call (206) 587-2447.

EPA recommends tougher soot standards

WASHINGTON (AP) -- New federal standards that limit the amount of soot in the air do not adequately protect the elderly and people with respiratory problems and should be tightened, according to a government report.

The new findings are in a draft paper by Environmental Protection Agency staff and are being circulated for review by outside scientists. The findings could become the basis for additional reduce the amount of soot emitted by diesel-burning trucks, cars, factories and power plants.

Business groups have argued that soot-control standards issued by the Clinton administration in 1997 are based on uncertain science and have cost industry tens of billions of dollars. Industry opponents challenged the 1997 rules to the Supreme Court, which eventually upheld them.

The paper says that since 1997, scientific studies "have confirmed and strengthened" the link between exposure to microscopic soot and premature deaths, cardiovascular problems and respiratory illnesses.

Environmental Watch: Portland brownfields conference Oct. 27-29

PORTLAND -- Thousands of business, government and industry representatives are expected to attend the eighth annual national brownfields conference in Portland next month.

Set for Oct. 27-29 at the Oregon Convention Center, "Brownfields 2003: Growing a Greener America" will offer educational sessions, exhibits, round-table discussions, workshops and recent news on brownfield cleanup and redevelopment.

Topics will include redevelopment, revitalization, assessment and cleanup of contaminated properties. Sponsors and co-sponsors include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, International City/County Management Association, and government, business and not-for-profit groups.

Past conferences drew up to 4,000 architects, bankers, developers, consultants, insurers, investors, planners, students, government officials, activists and others. For details, visit www.brownfields2003.org.

Cantwell, Murray to speak at Columbia event

SEATTLE -- U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray will discuss challenges facing the Columbia River at "The Mighty Columbia" conference at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center next month.

Conference sponsor The Seminar Group says space is filling up for the Oct. 23-24 conference. Keynote speakers Cantwell, Murray and other speakers assembled by the law firm Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe will discuss federal legislation affecting the river and other water, fish, transmission and energy issues.

The conference is geared towards attorneys, government officials, energy specialists, environmentalists, water managers/users, engineers, consultants, developers, landowners, tribal officials and policy makers. For details, call (800) 574-4852 or visit www.theseminargroup.net/htmls/seminars/03rivwa/index.htm.

Built Green coming to Pierce County

TACOMA -- The Master Builders Association of Pierce County is launching a Tacoma/Pierce County Built Green program.

Built Green promotes safe, healthy, energy-efficient homes that protect natural resources and have minimal impact on the environment.

The county program, which starts Sept. 24, will have remodeling and construction components. It will give remodelers a checklist of more than 200 action items and will give construction projects a chance to earn one-, two- or three-star Built Green ratings.

MBA is part of the Building Industry Association of Washington, which represents developers, builders, remodelers, suppliers, financial institutions, subcontractors, sales and marketing professionals, and others who take part in building homes.

BBL to support Superfund cleanup

SEATTLE -- Contractor ACC/Hurlen hired environmental consulting firm Blasland, Bouck & Lee to monitor water quality during dredging and cap replacement at the Pacific Sound Resources Superfund site on the south shore of Elliott Bay.

Upcoming cleanup at the former wood-treatment site, which is now owned by the Port of Seattle, includes removing about 700 treated wood pilings, dredging 100 cubic yards of contaminated sediments and placing a clean sediment cap over about 58 acres. Geologist Shannon Dunn will lead BBL's field team.

Oct. 2 course targets wetlands, streams

EVERETT -- The Adopt-A-Stream Foundation instructors invites Realtors, developers, property owners and others to attend an Oct. 2 course on stream and wetland ecology.

From 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m. in the Northwest Stream Center at 600 128th St. S.E. in Everett's McCollum Park, instructors will discuss watershed terminology, wetland functions and how to tell the difference between different types of wetlands. Officials from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and Snohomish County Planning and Development Services will discuss the Endangered Species Act.

The $75 fee includes the textbook. For information and to register, call Sue Minger at (425) 316-8592.

Community forum on Duwamish cleanup

SEATTLE -- The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition is holding a community forum on the Duwamish River Superfund site Sept. 30 in South Park.

A 5 p.m. open house will precede the 6-8 p.m. forum at the South Park Community Center at 8319 Eighth Ave. S., where coalition members will discuss Duwamish River cleanup projects and health advisories. The forum also will have a photo and arts exhibit, child care and light refreshments.

For more information on the community forum or on Duwamish River cleanup sites, call (206) 954-0218 or visit www.duwamishcleanup.org.

Chesaw gold mine proposal to be reviewed

YAKIMA (AP) -- State and federal agencies will study whether a proposed underground gold mine near Chesaw in Okanogan County will hurt the environment.

Crown Resources asked the state Department of Ecology and U.S. Forest Service for permission to extract 1.2 million ounces of gold from beneath Buckhorn Mountain over 10 years. The company wants to process 1,500 tons of ore per day at an off-site mill.

The operation would cover 135 acres, 25 of them on public lands. The environmental review will identify required actions to compensate for environmental harm and will identify permits needed for the project.

Invasive plants threaten Hells Canyon

IMNAHA, Ore. (AP) -- Dramatic changes are underway at the remote Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, the deepest gorge in North America.

Unusually intense summertime wildfires in recent years are killing stands of timber on the grassy, upland benches. And the canyon is experiencing a massive invasion of noxious weeds.

"Unless we get our act together and get some serious funding in the next five years, we could lose a big portion of Hells Canyon," warned Phil Shephard of The Nature Conservancy.

The issue could unite many diverse groups with interests in the canyon, he said. Even aerial spraying, which can kill nontarget plant species and often runs into opposition from environmentalists, has a chance of getting a go-ahead, he said.

Portland Metro eyes new habitat rules

PORTLAND -- One year after identifying 80,000 acres for wildlife protection, the Portland area's regional government will publicize ideas for a preservation plan for sensitive waterways and animal habitats, The Oregonian reports.

Leaders at Metro, which makes land-use, conservation and transportation decisions, have been working for years on a plan to expand city and county habitat protections. They're considering public land purchases, education programs and incentives such as tax breaks and streamlined permitting in exchange for habitat restoration and development restrictions.

Metro officials say the environmental plan "will reflect connections between rivers, streams and forests," according to The Oregonian. The agency will discuss possible measures at two public hearings next month and will release specific proposals next spring or summer.

Environmental Watch: NW energy collaborative names director

SEATTLE -- State Rep. Jeff Morris (D-Anacortes) was named director of the Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative.

NWETC brings together businesses, government agencies, nonprofits and educational institutions that want to make the Northwest a world leader in energy research and technology. It was organized last year by the Washington Technology Center, a statewide science and technology organization.

Morris is chair of the state House of Representatives' Technology, Telecommunications and Energy Committee. He previously worked for Apco Associates, a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs firm, and for U.S. Congressman Al Swift, who was on the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.

Green River habitat may get $1.7M rehab

AUBURN -- King County and Tacoma Water are working together to try to restore habitat along 30 acres of riverfront property at the Auburn Narrows Natural Area in south King County.

The agencies proposed wetland mitigation, salmon habitat enhancement and recreation improvements for part of the Green River, which the county and Trust for Public Land consider crucial to wildlife preservation and salmon habitat recovery.

Tacoma Water said it will contribute $1.1 million to restore and enlarge wetlands at the site, and King County will contribute $570,000 for side channel habitat improvements. Tacoma Water will contribute $230,000 to buy new land.

King County Executive Ron Sims recently sent the King County Council legislation that would authorize a partnership with Tacoma Water. Tacoma's Public Utility Board will consider the proposed restoration project on Sept. 10. The Tacoma City Council will consider the project Sept. 23.

Marine scientists to converge on Seattle

SEATTLE -- Fifteen hundred scientists from 28 countries will convene at a marine research conference at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center this month.

Researchers, managers, teachers, consultants and others will take part in the 17th annual Estuarine Research Federation International Conference Sept. 15-18.

Scientists from Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, United States and other countries will discuss research and management of estuaries and coastal areas. The scientists will devote special attention to the convergence of ocean forces, land influences and human activities that can change and harm estuaries.

City Council forum on sustainability Sept. 9

SEATTLE -- Business, community and environmental leaders will discuss recent state and local sustainability efforts at a forum in the Seattle City Council chambers at 600 Fourth Ave. on Sept. 9.

Discussion topics at the noon to 1:30 p.m. forum, hosted by Seattle City Council member Heidi Wills, will include "A New Path Forward: Action Plan for a Sustainable Washington"; "Measuring What Matters: Toward a Sustainability Index for the Pacific NW"; "Sustainability and the City: Seattle's Experience"; and "Sustainability and the Corporation: Microsoft's Experience."

Moderators will include Alan Durning, executive director of Northwest Environment Watch; Mark Murray, director of corporate affairs for Microsoft; Rich Feldman, a member of Gov. Gary Locke's Sustainable Washington Advisory Panel; Cynthia Figge, a member of the Sustainable Seattle board of directors; and Steve Nicholas, director of Seattle's Office of Sustainability and Environment.

The city and Locke's panel recently released reports on local and regional environmental initiatives. Northwest Environment Watch is developing a "sustainability scorecard" for the Pacific Northwest.

NEBC holding Portland mixer Sept. 16

PORTLAND -- The terrace of a LEED-certified historic building in Portland's revitalizing Pearl District will be the site of the Northwest Environmental Business Council's Second Annual Cascade Chapter Summer Mixer Sept. 16.

Ecotrust's Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center -- a restored 1895 warehouse now used as a base for eco- and socially conscious groups -- won Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-gold status from the U.S. Green Building Council.

NEBC invites members and guests to chat over drinks and hors d' oeuvres from 5 to 7 p.m. on the outdoor terrace at 721 N.W. Ninth Ave. The cost is $30 for members and guests, and $45 for non-members. For information call NEBC at (888) 609-6322 or visit www.nebc.org.

Salmon forum Sept. 11 at Bell Harbor

SEATTLE -- Conference workshops, keynote speakers and Native American groups will discuss salmon recovery at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center at Pier 66 on the downtown waterfront Sept. 11.

The 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. forum will focus on changes in salmon populations and habitat conditions, and on opportunities to work with tribes to achieve salmon recovery. A reception will follow at the Seattle Aquarium from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

The forum will precede the 11th Annual Salmon Homecoming Celebration Sept. 18-21 at piers 62 and 63 and at Waterfront Park. The events are organized by the Salmon Homecoming Alliance, an affiliation of the Treaty Indian Tribes with the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, King County and the city of Seattle.

For information, call the Salmon Homecoming Alliance at (206) 381-9063 or visit www.salmonhomecoming.org.

People for Puget Sound hosts four events

SEATTLE -- People for Puget Sound will host four events this month to give participants a chance enjoy sun and fresh air while learning about and helping the environment.

The Seattle-based environmental advocacy organization invites novice and expert birders to join a bird-watching session at the Duwamish River restoration site from 8 to 10 a.m. Sept. 7. At 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 7, the organization invites adults and children to hunt for sea creatures at Alki Constellation Park.

A Bellingham adventure trek Sept. 13 will combine kayaking, biking and running on a route simulating the journey of salmon. From noon to 3 p.m. Sept. 27, the agency is holding a weeding and habitat restoration session. For information visit People for Puget Sound at www.pugetsound.org.

Audit: Boise Cascade fiber sustainable

BOISE (AP) -- An independent audit shows the tree fiber Boise Cascade Corp. obtains from the Northwest's forests for its paper and wood products comes from sustainable sources.

Certifying forests started in the mid-1990s as environmental groups and consumers sought proof that the wood they were buying came from forests that had been managed to encourage sustainable forestry.

In 1995, the American Forest & Paper Association created the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. The program from the timber industry sets standards for logging operations. Companies plant or grow more trees than are harvested each year.

The audit by PriceWaterhouse Coopers certifies that Boise Cascade's fiber procurement in the Northwest conforms to the initiative. It also recertified the Boise-based company's forest management practices on more than 300,000 acres in western Oregon.

Environmental Watch: Herrera expands Portland office

Dragoy

PORTLAND -- Herrera Environmental Consultants transferred environmental scientist and planner Astrid Dragoy from its Seattle office to its Portland office.

Dragoy is working as an in-house consultant for Clean Water Services in Hillsboro, Ore. Her role includes reviewing natural resource assessment reports, wetland delineation reports and restoration/landscape enhancement plans. Her project work focuses on NEPA document preparation and environmental permitting as well as wetlands, water quality and freshwater ecology.

Hazmat group looks at space shuttle crash

SEATTLE -- The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Academy of Hazardous Materials Management will hold its quarterly meeting Sept. 2 at the Rock Salt Steakhouse at 1232 Westlake Ave.

Michael J. Szerlog, on-scene coordinator with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, will discuss EPA's response to environmental threats posed by the Columbia shuttle incident. The meeting starts a 6 p.m., with dinner at 7 p.m. and Szerlog's presentation at 8 p.m.

The cost is $25 with a reservation and $30 without one. For reservations, call Peggy Willingham at (206) 574-1976 or email peggy.willingham@alaskaair.com.

Columbia dredging project may hit wall

LACEY -- A state panel may decide this week whether to postpone state permits for deepening the Columbia River navigation channel, The (Longview) Daily News reported.

The Columbia River Alliance for Nurturing the Environment asked the Pollution Control Hearings Board last week to overturn the state Department of Ecology's decision to give permits to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The environmental group wants a stay on the state permits until the case can be tried next year.

A Port of Kalama attorney told the newspaper that such a delay would harm ports by preventing them from starting work on environmental restoration measures required as part of dredging.

Pageler joins international enviro group

SEATTLE -- Seattle City Council member Margaret Pageler was elected to the Executive Committee of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, a group of municipal leaders who discuss and promote environmental measures.

Pageler is the council's senior member and current chair of its Water & Health Committee, which oversees Seattle Public Utilities. Born in China, she is the only representative on the 21-member committee from the United States and one of three members from North America.

Pageler led efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and led conservation efforts that reduced Seattle's water use to 1970 levels. ICLEI was formed in 1990 to promote sustainable development and environmentally friendly programs. More than 445 cities, towns and counties participate.

Ecology: Lake Spokane fish safe to eat

SPOKANE (AP) -- A new state Department of Health study shows fish from Lake Spokane are safe to eat.

Concern about PCB-contaminated fish prompted the health department, state Department of Ecology and Spokane Regional Health District to issue an advisory limiting consumption of fish from the Spokane River.

Data in the new study show that fish in Lake Spokane are lower in PCBs than other parts of the river. Existing fish consumption advisories remain in effect on other stretches of the river. Lake Spokane is the reservoir behind Long Lake Dam, about 25 miles northwest of Spokane.

The health department encourages people to eat fish caught in Lake Spokane, but to reduce exposure to PCBs through fish preparation and cooking methods.

Sierra joins green construction program

SEATTLE -- High recycling rates during a recent project helped qualify Sierra Construction for King County's Construction Works program.

As the newest member of the program, which promotes recycling and waste-reduction, the Woodinville company will get free technical assistance.

Sierra, which applied for membership, achieved a 94 percent recycling rate on the 11,400-square-foot Issaquah Highlands Fire Station project. Vendors and subcontractors contributed to recycling and waste prevention efforts.

Construction Works is sponsored by the county's Solid Waste Division and the Business and Industry Resource Venture, a program of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce and Seattle Public Utilities.

To join, companies must recycle 60 percent of construction debris, launch six waste-prevention strategies, use six recycled-content building materials, and offer three public-education activities on waste prevention and recycling. For information, visit www.metrokc.gov/greenworks and click on Construction Works.

Hanford cleanup topic of new book

SEATTLE -- Author Roy E. Gephart will discuss his book "Hanford: A Conversation about Nuclear Waste and Cleanup" Sept. 17 at the University Book Store at 4326 University Way N.E.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford site was used to create tons of plutonium for nuclear weapons, starting with the top-secret Manhattan Project, and tons of waste remain at the site. The 7 p.m. discussion will focus on the facts, values, conflicts and choices involved in cleanup and remediation at the 586-square-mile site along the Columbia River in southeastern Washington.

A geohydrologist and senior program manager with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Gephart has more than 30 years' experience in environmental studies and nuclear waste. For information about the discussion, call (206) 634-3400. For details about Gephart's book, visit www.battelle.org/bclscrpt/Bookstore/hanfordconvers.cfm.

$400K Portland program to boost recycling

PORTLAND (AP) -- Portland's regional government is spending more than $400,000 this year to coach businesses to recycle paper, metal and other wastes, and to buy recycled products.

The initiative provides recycling consultants to evaluate office practices; free cardboard boxes to serve as desk-side recycling bins; and an Internet database offering a list of manufacturers selling recycled products.

Businesses generate nearly a half of the Portland region's landfill-bound trash. Metro wants to boost the region's recycling rate to 62 percent by 2005.

Tests come clean for Oregon beaches

FLORENCE, Ore. (AP) -- Oregon beachgoers have little to worry about, according to a state water quality testing program implemented this summer.

The Division of Health Services program examined water samples from 52 beaches for dangerous bacteria such as E.coli. Two batches revealed bacteria levels above federal water quality guidelines, but further tests found the numbers within healthy levels. None of the beach findings required public warnings or closures.

The program responds to environmentalists' concerns that septic tanks, sewage plants, urban runoff and animal waste are marring Oregon's beaches. Funded by the federal Beach Act of 2000, the state program received $300,000 from the Environmental Protection Agency this year.

Environmental Watch: Adolfson adds staff

Morgan

SEATTLE -- Environmental consulting firm Adolfson Associates hired senior landscape architect Scott Morgan.

Morgan has more than 23 years of experience in landscape architecture and urban, neighborhood and natural resource planning. He will do wetland mitigation services, construction and wetland monitoring, and permit drawings.

Adolfson specializes in natural resource management, planning, Endangered Species Act compliance and environmental impact analysis.

Herrera adds staff

Hampden

SEATTLE -- Herrera Environmental Consultants added Chase Barton to its River Science and Geomorphology group and re-hired Julie Hampden as an environmental scientist and policy analyst .

Hampden recently spent eight months with King County's Watershed Coordination Services Group. She has eight years' experience in fisheries, wildlife, natural resource management and education.

Barton has seven years' experience in engineering geology with a recent emphasis on geomorphologic analysis of channel networks, open-channel engineering and development of sediment budgets. He joins restoration specialists for the Nooksack, Bogachiel and Cispus rivers.

Ecology eases fine against port

SEATTLE -- The state Department of Ecology will forgive $76,000 of a $99,000 penalty against the Port of Seattle if the port decommissions aging Harbor Island fuel transfer lines by 2004.

After a pipe leak at the port's Terminal 18 spilled more than 2,000 gallons of oil into Elliott Bay in 2001, Ecology assessed the $99,000 fine against the port. Tenant Kinder-Morgan Energy Partners, which operates the lines at the oil transfer facility, paid a separate $24,500 fine.

Under a recent settlement, a state-of-the-art facility will replace the existing one. Kinder-Morgan will own and operate the facility on an easement granted by the port. The port and Kinder-Morgan will pay for building the new pipelines.

Funding shortfall threatens Superfund cleanups

SEATTLE (AP) -- Cleanup at 13 Washington Superfund sites could be in jeopardy because of inadequate funding, according to a report commissioned by U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

With 47 active sites statewide, Washington ranks 10th among states where a lack of Superfund funding could pose problems, according to "Cleanup Slowdown: How Underfunding the Superfund Program Harms Communities Across America."

Officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Seattle regional office said cleanup has not slowed and that appropriations for Superfund nationally have remained constant -- between $1.3 billion and $1.5 billion -- every year since 1995.

Ecology awards $115M to improve water-quality

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology will allocate $115.3 million in grants and low-interest loans over the next year to help cities and towns address water pollution problems.

Ecology will allocate funds for 74 projects in 28 counties. It based selections on available funding, existing or potential water-quality problems, the project's likely effectiveness at solving pollution problems, state and federal requirements, community priorities and local initiatives available to help the project succeed.

The funds will help communities upgrade municipal wastewater-treatment plants; clean up polluted lakes, rivers and streams; manage pollution from storm water, urban development and agricultural practices; reclaim waste water; and improve habitat for salmon and other threatened fish species.

For project descriptions, visit www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/funding/2004/index.html.

Comments due on trail proposal

KLICKITAT, Klickitat County -- The U.S. Forest Service is accepting comments on its proposal build a recreation trail along 15 miles of former rail bed near the Klickitat River. The agency estimates the job could cost $4 million-$5 million, the Vancouver Columbian reported.

The area is part of a 31-mile former rail corridor along the federally managed Klickitat Wild & Scenic River. The proposal to improve the rail bed between Lyle and Klickitat includes paving sections for use by cyclists, local residents and people in wheelchairs.

Submit comments on the Klickitat Rails-to-Trails Environmental Assessment by Sept. 10 to Dan Harkenrider, Manager, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, 902 Wasco St., Suite 200, Hood River, OR 97031.

Ecology stretches cleanup funds

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology's Clean Sites Initiative sparked cleanup of 25 toxic sites in the past two years, 10 more than original expectations.

Ecology stretched a one-time $11 million appropriation from the state Toxics Control Account to manage cleanup of Standard Chemical on the Thea Foss Waterway in Tacoma, City Parcel in Spokane, Red Shirt Mill in Twisp, the Lower Duwamish Waterway in Seattle and other sites around the state.

Most of the sites were "orphaned," meaning the state found no responsible parties or other resources to pay for cleanup. For more information, visit www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/cleanup.html.

Waste management workshop

SEATTLE -- Attorneys, facility operators, waste brokers and others can learn the basics of toxic and hazardous waste management at a two-day workshop next month at Seattle's Hilton Hotel.

The Lion Technology Hazardous/Toxic Waste Management 2003 Certification Workshop Sept. 18-19 will discuss EPA, DOT, OSHA and state environmental regulations, plus new standards for cargo security, release reporting, computer monitors, mercury-containing equipment and solvent-contaminated rags.

For registration information, call Lion Technology at (973) 383-0800, Ext. W715, or e-mail register@lion.com. For more information, visit www.lion.com/W715.

Refrigerant targets global warming

ATLANTA -- The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers is gathering information on a refrigerant with potential for zero depletion and low global warming.

The refrigerant, R-245fa, is suitable for low-pressure water chillers in large-building air-conditioning systems. Members of the Atlanta-based international organization are also developing equipment that uses the refrigerant in other heat transfer and working fluid applications.

The organization focuses on research, standards writing, publishing and continuing education about heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration. Current research targets indoor air quality, comfort and health, energy conservation, operating and maintenance tools, environmentally safe materials and design tools.

Environmental Watch: Aspect Consulting adds staff

Heffner

SEATTLE -- The Seattle office of Aspect Consulting -- a specialty earth science and engineering services firm -- added two remediation engineers with backgrounds in chemical fate and transport, remedial design, cleanup and property redevelopment.

Associate remediation engineer Dave Heffner has more than 20 years' experience managing environmental restoration projects, evaluating remedial technologies, developing and implementing remedial designs and providing post-construction support.

Project remediation engineer Jeremy Porter has five years of local remediation experience, mostly on active properties requiring minimal interruption of routine business activities.

Aspect specializes in water resources, groundwater hydrology, contaminant assessment, environmental restoration and geotechnical and geological engineering. It has offices in Seattle and Bainbridge Island.

Huckell/Weinman Associates adds staff

KIRKLAND -- Huckell/Weinman Associates, an environmental and economics planning firm, added three employees to its Kirkland headquarters.

Nikki Parrott, formerly principal and co-owner of Pacific Development Concepts, has 26 years of experience in housing, community development and planning for local government, nonprofits and private developers.

Jacquelyn Stoner has nine years of public- and private-sector experience in land use, community planning, watershed and resource planning, SEPA compliance, public outreach and consensus building.

Alex Warshall Cohen has masters degrees in biology and urban planning and has done recreation studies for hydro relicensing, regulatory research for critical area ordinances, and environmental analysis for a wind-energy facility. Huckell/Weinman specializes in land use, regulatory compliance, environmental planning and economics.

Landfill may require extra treatment

KENT -- Chemical concentrations in the Kent Highlands Landfill Superfund site don't present an health or environmental emergency, but the landfill may require more treatment to comply with state standards.

The state Department of Ecology recently completed its second five-year review of the Kent Highlands Landfill, a former Seattle municipal waste site at 23076 Military Rd. S.. According to the review, the site's chloride and manganese exceed state standards, and the city of Seattle, which is monitoring the landfill, may need to raise dissolved oxygen levels and lower ammonia concentration levels.

Jeff Neuner, of Seattle Public Utilities' Solid Waste program, disagreed. He said the site is complying with state standards and disagreed with Ecology's interpretation of landfill monitoring rules. Parametrix is SPU's consulting engineer, and CH2M Hill did prior work on the landfill. "We're in discussion with Ecology, and we'll sort this out," he said. "We're going to consider additional measures."

Submit comments on the five-year review by Sept. 4. to David South, site manager, Department of Ecology, Toxics Cleanup Program, 3190 160th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98008 or email to dsou461@ecy.wa.gov. For more information, visit www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites/sites_information.html.

Eastern Washington stormwater plan

OLYMPIA -- Just because parts of the Puget Sound get 60 inches of rain a year and the Tri-Cities area gets six doesn't mean eastern Washington doesn't have stormwater problems.

Jurisdictions east of the Cascades still need strategies to meet the state Department of Ecology's goal of treating 90 percent of annual stormwater runoff, said Karen Dinicola, program manager and technical lead for the eastern Washington stormwater manual.

After working with eastern Washington communities and government agencies since June 2001 to tailor a manual and model municipal program for dry climate and soils, the Ecology is accepting comments on a final stormwater manual for the region. "We have a lot of different ways to get at the goal," she said.

Ecology expects the model program to be ready this month and the manual by this fall or early next year. Mail comments by Aug. 18 to Department of Ecology, Water Quality Program, PO Box 47696, Olympia, WA 98504-7696 or email to Karen Dinicola at kdin461@ecy.wa.gov.

Help restore Sammamish shoreline

KENMORE -- The city of Kenmore and Wildcliffe Shores Condominium are looking for volunteers to help restore nearly 2,400 linear feet of the Sammamish River shoreline to shade the river and improve salmon habitat.

A $50,000 grant from the Community Salmon Fund -- a partnership between King County and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation -- is paying for the restoration, which started last week and ends Aug. 22.

Volunteers are doing most of the work, which involves removing invasive vegetation and planting dense native vegetation. For information, call Kenmore's Department of Community Development at (425) 398-8900.

Wastewater utility earns awards

SEATTLE -- The King County Wastewater Treatment Division earned three national awards from the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies.

Renton's South Wastewater Treatment Plant received a Platinum Peak Performance Award for five consecutive years of compliance with effluent quality requirements. Northwest Seattle's West Point Treatment Plant received a Gold Peak Performance Award for compliance with its NPDES permit in 2002 and an environmental achievement award for public information and education.

The West Point and South plants discharge treated wastewater deep into Puget Sound. To meet federal discharge permit requirements, treatment plants must meet biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, fecal coliform counts and total residual chlorine limits in removing pollutants from wastewater.

Technology targets arsenic, phosphorous levels

MOSCOW, Idaho -- A Coeur d'Alene firm plans to market a University of Idaho technology the company says efficiently reduces arsenic in drinking water and phosphorous in wastewater.

Blue Water Technologies this month signed a licensing agreement with the Idaho Research Foundation to market the Vandal-Ion process. In a university news release, company co-founder and chief executive officer John Shovic said Vandal-Ion is "the most cost-effective process available for removing these contaminants from water."

The technology was developed by Greg Möller, an associate professor of environmental chemistry and toxicology in the university's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences who receives funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Agriculture.

The company says the Vandal-Ion process can be adapted to reduce arsenic and phosphorous to trace levels. "Built-in-place" water-treatment plants and mobile plants will offer the technology next year, Shovic said.

Environmental Watch: Promotions and new hires at Landau

Johnston

Bower

EDMONDS -- Engineering and environmental consulting firm Landau Associates added 15 employees and made eight key management and leadership moves.

The Edmonds-based firm named principal Steve Johnston as president and CEO; principal Jay Bower as chief operating officer; and principal Larry Beard as quality and training director. It promoted Diana Badowski to business development director; Martin Powers to associate and environmental services director; Eric Weber to associate and Tacoma office manager; Joe Kalmar to senior engineer; and Sean Cool to project geotechnical engineer.

For its Edmonds office, Landau hired geologist Cathy Kilday, engineer Gary Huitsing, geotechnical engineer Brian Bennetts, geologist Erik Gerking, assistant geologist Mike Buckley, technician Todd McKenney, marketing proposal coordinator Marni Kintner, computer network support specialist Jake Pellham, project coordinator April Wallace and graphic designer Emily Batchelor.

The firm hired geotechnical engineer James Wilson for its Tacoma office. For its Portland office Landau hired geologist Leslie Driver-Rowe, geotechnical engineer Ben Hoffman and project coordinator Clarice Sieckman. It added project coordinator Pam Stevens y Perez to its Spokane office.

Clayton Group Services adds staff

SEATTLE -- Clayton Group Services, an environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Administration consulting and services firm, added insurance services and business development director Bruce D. Hollcroft to its Seattle office.

Michigan-based Clayton Group Services specializes in environmental due diligence regulatory compliance, soil and groundwater remediation, industrial hygiene, occupational safety, ergonomics, and asbestos and mold assessment and remediation.

Hollcroft has more than 20 years' experience in risk control related to ergonomics, environmental protection, workers' compensation and OSHA regulations. He is also a certified safety professional with experience in accident investigation, behavior-based safety and safety management.

Sept. 4 workshop on wetland, streams

EVERETT -- The Adopt-A-Stream Foundation is inviting Realtors, developers, waterfront property owners and others to a Sept. 4 workshop on stream and wetland ecology.

The 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. workshop in the Northwest Stream Center, 600 128th St. S.E. in Everett, will cover wetland terminology, types and functions, and government agencies' role in wetlands.

Adopt-A-Stream instructors and representatives of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and Snohomish County Planning and Development Services will discuss the latest local, state and federal regulations. The $74 fee includes a textbook.

For more information or for a registration form, call Sue Minger at (425) 316-8592.

Apply for environmental improvement funds

OLYMPIA -- Washington residents, businesses, organizations and educational and public-interest groups can apply for up to $45,000 each in Puget Sound enhancement and protection funds.

The Puget Sound Action Team, a partnership of state, local, federal and tribal groups, plans to award a total of $450,000 for projects addressing Puget Sound shorelines, fish-recovery, stormwater runoff and contamination of local water sources. The deadline for applications is Oct. 13.

For more information, visit the Puget Sound Action Team online at www.psat.wa.gov or call (800) 547-6863.

Pierce County considers habitat package

TACOMA -- Pierce County leaders are proposing a 600-page land-use plan that could affect wetlands, roads, trees, stormwater, fish, wildlife and other key environmental issues in unincorporated Pierce County, the Tacoma News-Tribune reports.

Launched by County Executive John Ladenburg, the "habitat protection and restoration" package includes measures such as tightening preservation of natural vegetation and open space, and raising standards for installing bulkheads along waterfront properties in unincorporated county areas where 332,980 people live.

Pierce County also wants a tree-preservation ordinance and a low-impact development ordinance to promote environmentally sensitive building practices, according to the News-Tribune.

Environmentalists are criticizing the plan for falling short in areas, while builders are saying its regulations are too tight. For more information, visit www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/services/home/property/pals/landuse/esa/htm.

EPA may relax air rules on older plants

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration said last week it will reconsider parts of new clean air rules it completed last New Year's Eve. Those rules relaxed earlier regulations on dealing with air pollution when older industrial plants expand, make major repairs or modify operations to increase efficiency.

White House and United States Environmental Protection Agency officials say the regulations as interpreted by the Clinton administration created disincentives for companies to reduce pollution. Environmental groups and states downwind from the biggest industrial sources of air pollution sued to overturn the rules immediately after they were issued, saying they undermined efforts to protect public health.

Some of the rules involve: an analysis saying EPA revisions will lead to less pollution than past rules; whether facilities that modernize have to keep records and file certain reports about pollution levels. allowing plants with numerous pollution sources to increase pollution from some sources as long as overall air emissions are not increased; and how emission increases are measured when smokestacks, boilers and generators are replaced.

EPA will accept public comment for 30 days. For more information, visit EPA at www.epa.gov/nsr or the Natural Resources Defense Council at www.nrdc.org/air/pollution/pnsr.asp.

Dry fall here may force water restrictions

SEATTLE -- Seattle's water supply should run deep enough to quench the city through this hot, dry summer, but residents may be asked to scale back water use if the city experiences an unusually dry fall.

Seattle reservoirs are running at about 80 percent of normal capacity for this time of year, after starting off the summer nearly full after 2002's dry fall and winter, according to Seattle Public Utilities. The local water supply tends to survive hot, dry summers, but SPU says the supply can suffer when summer is flanked by a dry winter, spring and fall.

While dry conditions have yet to hurt the water supply for humans, the conditions have lowered stream flows for fish, creating tough conditions for young salmon and bull trout. For updates on how water-supply conditions are affecting humans and fish, visit www.seattle.gov/util/watersupply/.

Environmental Watch: White new enviro director at WSDOT

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Transportation appointed long-time state water quality expert Megan White as its new director of Environmental Services. She replaces former director Jerry Alb.

White, a civil engineer, has been with the Department of Ecology for 18 years, recently managing its water quality program. Ecology special assistant Dick Wallace will serve as interim water quality program manager after White starts the new position Sept. 2.

She will lead the team that makes sure WSDOT's facilities, projects and on-going operations comply with federal and state environmental laws.

Blasland, Bouck & Lee adds staff

SEATTLE -- Environmental consulting firm Blasland, Bouck & Lee added a geologist and a civil engineer to its Seattle office.

Pamela Sargent has more than 20 years of civil and environmental engineering experience in the public and private sectors. She was project engineer for sediment remediation for Tacoma's Thea Foss Waterway Superfund site and developed a design to enlarge the Blair Waterway turning basin to accommodate deeper-draft container vessels.

BBL hired Shannon Dunn as a senior project geochemist for the firm's Seattle and Portland offices. She has worked with aerospace contractors, mining companies, plywood manufacturers, metals recyclers, landfill operators and the U.S. Department of Defense. She will concentrate on sediment quality issues associated with chemodynamics and bioturbation.

Energy nonprofit hiring building project staff

PORTLAND -- The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance hired Curt Nichols as project coordinator for two commercial building initiative projects. Nichols will focus on energy efficiency in health care facilities and grocery stores in Washington, Oregon and other northwest states.

Nichols spent 11 years as energy manager for the city of Portland, managing the City Energy Challenge program and annual BEST Business Awards. He also worked for 11 years with the Oregon Office of Energy, Eugene Water & Electric Board and Pacific Gas & Electric.

Sculpture park cleanup gets $2.1M

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology awarded a $2.1 million grant to the Museum Development Authority to help the Seattle Art Museum turn a former oil terminal into Olympic Sculpture Park.

The grant will cover half of the cost of site cleanup, which will include a cap of clean fill over areas where contaminated soil could not be removed. Cleanup work will be coordinated with the park development project, scheduled to start in 2004. Opening is planned for 2005.

The Seattle Art Museum plans to build the park near Myrtle Edwards Park at the former Unocal Marketing Terminal. Unocal removed more than 100,000 tons of contaminated soil before the museum bought the 8.5-acre site in 1999.

Designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architects, the park will provide pedestrian access to waterfront by bridging railroad tracks and Elliott Avenue, while incorporating outdoor sculpture.

Ecology offers help with new water rules

OLYMPIA -- With the first major overhaul of Washington's surface water-quality rules taking effect Aug. 1, the state Department of Ecology is highlighting some key points -- and places to get technical help.

The rules establish measures to protect the quality of the state's surface waters. They highlight water uses designated for protection in specific water bodies; criteria to protect those uses; and an antidegradation program providing further protection for pristine waters. The rules also explain how to use mixing zones, compliance schedules, attainability analyses and other compliance tools.

For technical assistance, call Mark Hicks at (360) 407-6477 or e-mail mhic461@ecy.wa.gov. For more help, call Ecology's Office of Regulatory Assistance at (360) 407-7037; Northwest Regional Office at (425) 649-7000; Southwest Regional Office at (360) 407-6300; Central Regional Office at (509) 575-2490; or Eastern Regional Office at (509) 456-2926.

To read the revised rule, responses to public comments and other administrative and technical details, visit www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/swqs.

2nd quarter Ecology fines total $356,387

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology issued $356,287 in fines during the second quarter of this year. The tally includes fines of $1,000 or more.

The biggest fine went to Safeway for discharging 1,075 gallons of diesel into Lake Bellevue and a nearby drainage ditch in 2001. Ecology also fined Nichols Brothers Boat Builders $47,000 for building and installing a 600-foot-long, 20-foot-wide marine launch structure in Freeland in Island County without a shoreline permit.

The Tacoma Steam Plant was fined $25,000 for improperly managing and disposing of large amounts of incinerator ash, and Seavestco Inc. was fined $13,000 for releasing silt-laden water from the Wellington Hills construction project in Woodinville into a drainage ditch connected to Bear Creek.

Other King, Pierce and Snohomish county fines went to Product Plating Inc., Trident Seafoods, Goodrich Aviation Technical Services, the Washington Department of Transportation.

Aug. 14-15 seminar on NW power issues

SEATTLE -- A seminar next month will explore Northwest power issues from legal, utility, water, business, government, consultant and environmental perspectives.

On Aug. 14 and Aug. 15 at Renaissance Seattle Hotel, "Northwest Power Supplies -- Emerging Issues for a Power Supply Future" will discuss siting, financing, market risks, wind power, hydro re-licensing, transmission systems, natural gas and other power-related topics.

Presenters will include representatives of Energy Advisory Group, American Wind Energy Association, Puget Sound Energy, the Snohomish Public Utilities District, Preston Gates & Ellis, Robert D. Kahn & Co., the Bonneville Power Administration, Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission and other groups.

For registration information, call Law Seminars International at (206) 621-1938 or (800) 854-8009 or e-mail registrar@lawseminars.com.

County sued over erosion control

SEATTLE -- A May Valley man is suing King County for using woody debris to control erosion, the King County Journal reported.

Activist Chuck Pillon filed a lawsuit in King County Court asking public health and safety officials to review the erosion-control method, which Pillon claims endangers boaters and swimmers.

According to the lawsuit, a Maple Valley child nearly drowned in woody debris in the Cedar River last May and now uses a walker and cannot speak. A spokesperson for the county's Department of Natural Resources told the newspaper there was no woody debris where the near-drowning occurred and said a similar lawsuit by Pillon was dismissed last year.