Environmental Watch: Sheldon & Associates adds wetland expert

Gresham

SEATTLE -- Doug Gresham has joined Sheldon & Associates as a senior wetland ecologist. He has 14 years of experience in wetland ecology, environmental restoration and fisheries assessment in the Northwest.

Gresham will work on environmental studies, wetland delineations, restoration design and permitting. He was with Herrera Environmental.

CH2M Hill names Anderson director

HANFORD -- The CH2M Hill Hanford Group named Dr. Thomas J. Anderson the company's first director of environmental health. Anderson, a former Navy industrial hygiene officer, has 20 years of safety and risk assessment experience, and was with the University of Wisconsin.

Anderson will lead the firm's industrial hygiene program for site workers' health and safety. He will develop exposure risk assessments and work with staff, medical providers and regulatory agencies on industrial health and safety programs at Hanford.

Dave Clark wins national recognition

SEATTLE -- Dave Clark, manager of King County's flood hazard reduction program, received a national award from the Association of State Floodplain Managers. The association's award recognizes one floodplain manager in the country.

Clark has more than 30 years of experience in floodplain management, basin planning and surface water management programs in King County. He helped develop King County's first Shoreline Management Program and basin planning in urban watersheds.

He also worked to develop a flood warning program and other hazard reduction measures, including home buyouts, home elevations and maintenance of flood protection facilities.

Audubon Society medal goes to Bullitt

SEATTLE -- The National Audubon Society presents this year's medal to Harriet Bullitt for her work in conservation and environmental protection. Bullitt works with the Bullitt Foundation to protect forests, rebuild salmon runs, restore wetlands and clean up nuclear waste sites.

She owns and operates Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat, a conference resort on the Icicle River.

Straw bale house tour June 26

SPOKANE VALLEY -- Northwest EcoBuilding Guild hosts a tour on June 26 of two straw bale houses in the Spokane Valley. The tour begins in Spokane Valley and takes place from 1 to 5 p.m. Architects, owners and the builder of the homes will be on hand to answer questions.

Spokane County Conservation District promoted straw bale housing after a ban on field burning in 1998. For more information, call Cherie Peacock (509) 928-3326 or Deborah Warner (208) 683-1649.

Hydropower relicensing seminar in Seattle

SEATTLE -- The Seminar Group of Vashon hosts a conference on hydropower relicensing July 1 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle. A panel will present an overview of Federal Power Act rulings, Indian treaty rights, ESA and FERC issues.

Seminar co-chairs are James M. Lynch of Stoel Rives and Mason D. Morisset of Seattle's Morisset Schlosser Jozwiak & McGraw.

It is designed for lawyers, government officials, tribal leaders, engineers and consultants. Cost is $395 per person. For more information, call (206) 463-4400 or (800) 574-4852 or visit www.theseminargroup.net.

New Web sites for SPU and ORCAA

SEATTLE — Seattle Public Utilities launched a new Web site on its water, recycling, drainage and sewer services. Customers tested the design to help create www.seattle.gov/util. An engineering section lists information for contractors and consultants who are working on SPU projects.

The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency has also revamped its Web site, www.ORCAA.org, to include details on permit applications under review by ORCAA staff. For more information, call (360) 586-1044 or (800) 422-5623.

Daylighting lab at University of Idaho

BOISE -- Architects and engineers in Idaho have a new resource to help with commercial building designs. BetterBricks, a nonprofit program run by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, partnered with the University of Idaho, Idaho Power Co. and the Idaho Department of Water Resources Energy Division to launch an Integrated Design Lab at the UI campus in Boise.

The lab will focus on energy efficiency, daylighting and lighting.

Kevin Van Den Wymelenberg, who was with the University of Washington and the Daylighting Lab in Seattle, will head the Boise lab.

BetterBricks is a free service that connects building professionals with information, tools and training to design and construct high performance buildings. For more information, visit http://www.betterbricks.com or call the Idaho IDL at (208) 342-6817.

Environmental Watch: Adolfson Associates adds Cohen

SEATTLE -- The Seattle environmental consulting firm Adolfson Associates added project planner Alex Warshal Cohen to its staff.

Cohen works on environmental evaluation, natural resource management and waterfront planning. He also works on hydroelectric project relicensing and wind energy development.

Adolfson has offices in Seattle and Portland, and prepares biological assessments, resource management and mitigation plans. The firm is helping jurisdictions with Endangered Species Act issues, shoreline inventories and Best Available Science requirements of the state's Growth Management Act.

New hires at Anchor Environmental

SEATTLE -- Anchor Environmental recently hired Gisele Sassen, Terry Drochak, Katherine Cox, Heather Brotherston, David Holmer and Susan Snyder in its Seattle office.

Sassen is a landscape architect who has worked on park and trail master planning and design.

Drochak is an environmental planner with GIS and wetland delineation expertise. Cox is a field sampler who works on water quality and sediment sampling. Brotherston joins as a project assistant to manage marketing efforts. Holmer is a CAD designer and environmental consultant. Snyder is a project coordinator with expertise in chemistry and data validation.

Anchor is an environmental science and engineering firm that works on shoreline, sediment and geotechnical engineering projects.

Aspect Consulting adds four to staff

SEATTLE -- Earth science and engineering firm of Aspect Consulting recently hired four staff members. Mike Ehlebracht joins the Seattle office as associate geochemist to work on environmental assessments and cleanups.

Jeremy Shaha is a hydrogeologist who worked with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study how forest fires affect sediment transport and stream hydrology. Shaha will work on resource management using aquifer storage and recovery.

Hydrologist Jay Chennault monitored stream flows and worked on flood mapping with the U.S. Geological Survey. Alan Carter Mortimer is a GIS technician who worked for Yellowstone National Park, and also on salmon and steelhead habitat.

Aspect has offices in Seattle and on Bainbridge Island. The 40-person firm works on water resources, geological engineering and information management consulting.

Goldberg joins Earth Share board

SEATTLE -- Earth Share of Washington, a Seattle-based environmental non-profit, elected David Goldberg to its board of directors. Goldberg is a senior associate at Seattle architecture firm Mithun. He was lead architectural designer for IslandWood, a Bainbridge Island school recognized for its materials and energy conservation.

This month Earth Share of Washington hosts several events. On June 10 a forum on making neighborhoods more livable will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the New Holly Community Center on 7054 32nd Ave. S. in Seattle. For information, e-mail jesseca@1000friends.org.

On June 15, a free seminar on clean boating will be from 7 to 9 p.m at the Mountaineers Club at 300 Third Ave. W. Puget Soundkeeper Alliance will provide free kits. For information call (206) 297-7002.

Landau adds geotech, environmental staff

EDMONDS -- Landau Associates, an Edmonds-headquartered engineering and environmental consulting firm, added three to its geotechnical engineering and environmental staff: project engineer Michelle Ramos and environmental scientists Shannon Moore and Evalyn Albright.

April Wallace was promoted to assistant environmental scientist in the Edmonds office. Julie Bohm is the firm's new marketing proposal manager. Jennifer Olson is a staff environmental scientist in Tacoma and Robert Bennion is an assistant geotechnical engineer in Portland.

Landau Associates is an 85-person environmental, geotechnical and natural resources consulting firm with offices in Tacoma, Spokane and Portland.

Workshop on property cleanup June 22

SEATTLE -- A one-day seminar on redevelopment of contaminated property in Washington state takes place at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center on June 22 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Organizers say properties with known or perceived environmental problems are too attractive to be overlooked. The workshop presents case studies of how contaminated properties can be redeveloped. A panel will look at permitting, cleanup strategies and how to protect financial interests. Seattle presenters include Paul Brain and Theda Braddock Fowler of Mikkelborg Broz Wells & Fryer, Kathleen Goodman of Geomatrix Consultants, and Doug Hillman of Aspect Consulting.

Developers, planners, water companies, land use officials, architects and engineers are invited to attend. Education credits can be earned. For more information, call (888) 678-5565 or visit www.lorman.com.

Meetings set on park improvements

SEATTLE -- Seattle Parks and Recreation hosts the following public meetings this month to talk about park improvements.

There will be a meeting today to talk about how to upgrade Ross Shelterhouse at 4301 Fourth Ave. N.W. from 7 to 8:30 p.m. A total of $545,000 could be used to bring the shelterhouse into compliance with city codes and accessibility laws. Design is set to take place this year, with construction set for 2005.

A meeting to talk about 37th Avenue South Park will be on Thursday at the Park Place Apartments, 6900 37th Ave. S. from 7 to 9 p.m. The department set aside $549,045 for site planning, design and construction, and improvements may include picnic shelters, a plaza, landscaping or a community garden.

Mayor Greg Nickels will join community representatives Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 333 Pontius Ave. N. to break ground on a $1.15 million renovation for Cascade Playground. City funds of $515,000 as well as private donations from Vulcan, Harbor Properties and Pemco Insurance paid for the project.

A meeting to review recommendations to transform Occidental Square Park, located at the corner of Occidental Avenue South and South Main Street, will be held on June 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Central Building Arcade, 214 First Ave. S. Parks is holding a series of workshops with a New York-based consultant, Project for Public Spaces. The meeting will be a review the PPS proposals. For information, contact planner David W. Goldberg, at (206) 684-8414 or davidw.goldberg@seattle.gov.

Environmental Watch: Louis Berger adds staff

Lynde

Ginney

Killgore

BELLEVUE -- Fisheries biologist Marcelle Lynde and geomorphologist Eric Ginney will work on energy services in Louis Berger Group’s Bellevue office. Mark Killgore was named office manager.

Lynde worked for National Marine Fisheries Services and several environmental consultants in the Northwest. Ginney has 11 years' experience in geomorphology, hydrology and natural resources.

Killgore was a principal water resources engineer.

Berger's environmental consulting work focuses on water resources. Northwest clients include Puget Sound Energy, Avista Utilities and Chelan County PUD.

Roundtable on financing green development

SEATTLE -- The Cascade chapter of the Sierra Club hosts a roundtable on green development on June 15. The open forum takes place at Seattle R.E.I.'s conference room at 6:30 p.m. It will cover financing and other difficulties faced by developers who want to build green.

Panelists include Bert Gregory of Mithun, Mark Huppert of Catapult Community Development, Douglas Howe of Touchstone Corp. and Hamilton Hazelhurst of Vulcan. Representatives from the University of Washington and the Sierra Club will moderate. For more information, contact Alan Byars, treasurer of the Cascade Sierra Club at (206) 683-4544.

Input sought for The Cascade Agenda

SEATTLE -- Cascade Land Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust, will host public meetings on June 8, 17, 23 and 25 in Issaquah, Everett and Tacoma.

Locals are encouraged to share knowledge of the area and talk about what they hope their community will be like in 100 years. Digital mapping company CommEn Space will create visuals to show what landscapes could look like in the future.

Citizens, community groups, business leaders and public officials will talk about a strategic vision to conserve ranches, farms, timberlands and open space. A steering committee will collate information for Cascade to create its action plan, The Cascade Agenda.

Discovery Park cleanup June 12

SEATTLE -- Earth Share of Washington's Day in the Park is June 12 at Discovery Park & Golden Gardens. Earth Share expects to attract 1,000 volunteers, who will remove invasive plants, clean beaches and rebuild trails.

For more information, contact Earth Share of Washington at (206) 622-9840 or eswinformation@esw.org. Or visit www.dayinthepark.org.

Wetlands scientists meet here in July

SEATTLE -- The 25th Society of Wetland Scientists conference will be held from July 18 to 23 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. It is expected to attract 1,000 scientists, policy makers and regulators who will talk about wetland research, implications of ecosystem management and how effective mitigation is.

They will look at global restoration efforts, including the cultural significance of the "Eden Again" project, which aims to restore Mesopotamian marshes in Iraq and Iran.

Conference speakers include Dr. Mark Sudol, who is chief of the regulatory program of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Dr. David Goode, a biodiversity conservation and sustainable development expert. There will also be workshops on mitigation, and field trips to area wetlands. For more information, visit www.sws.org/seattle2004.

Puget Sound Action Team grants SEEDs

OLYMPIA -- Thirteen organizations including environmental and homeowners groups, local and tribal governments, and Washington State University will receive $36,000 from Puget Sound Action Team.

Grants from its program SEED, Small Environmental Education Dividends, will be used for projects that encourage education and public involvement in programs to protect Puget Sound's marine environment.

Projects will continue through May 2005. For more information visit www.psat.wa.gov/Programs/PIE_app.htm.

City Light Skagit tours start Saturday

SEATTLE -- Seattle City Light announced its tours in North Cascades National Park will begin Saturday. Last year, 5,000 visitors learned about wildlife and the power of falling water in the Upper Skagit River.

Tours have operated for more than 75 years and also cover the cultural history of Newhalem, Seattle City Light's "company town." For information contact (206) 684-3030 or visit www.SkagitTours.com.

WSCTC gets $200,000 for lights

SEATTLE -- Seattle City Light contributed $207,142 to the Washington State Convention & Trade Center to install 6,000 energy-efficient lighting fixtures.

The lights are estimated to save the center $129,000 in energy costs each year. The project's total cost was $323,330. City Light will soon contract with the center on another project to replace neon lighting with light-emitting-diode technology.

New technology eyed for West Point

SEATTLE -- Wastewater engineering design firm Camp Dresser & McKee and ThermoEnergy Corp., a Little Rock, Ark.-based company, is looking at ways to use new technologies at King County Metro's West Point wastewater treatment plant.

One of ThermoEnergy's technologies converts sludge to a high-energy fuel, which can be used by cement and power plants. Another is an adsorption process that removes and recovers ammonia from dilute waste streams.

Groups appeal Pend Oreille mine permit

SPOKANE (AP) -- Environmental groups appealed a state wastewater discharge permit issued to a lead and zinc mine in Pend Oreille County. A subsidiary of Vancouver, B.C.-based Teck Cominco Ltd. spent $70 million to reopen the Pend Oreille Mine, which has been idle since 1977 and is located near Metalline Falls.

Public interest groups say the permit allows discharges of lead, arsenic, mercury and other toxic metals into the Pend Oreille River and that it doesn't comply with the Clean Water Act. They say Ecology relied on outdated studies, ignoring new technologies for reducing pollution.

But Ecology spokeswoman Jani Gilbert said the permit allows neither groundwater nor surface water pollution. Gilbert said Teck Cominco is using sulfate-reducing bacteria treatment technology to reduce heavy metals.

Environmental Watch: Welsh steps down as NEBC director

PORTLAND -- David Welsh steps down as executive director of Portland-based Northwest Environmental Business Council, and will move with his family to Tucson, Ariz.

The council represents 700 firms and organizes conferences, tradeshows and information sessions. Candidates interested in applying for the director position should visit www.nebc.org.

Teglund joins AMEC in Kirkland

Teglund

KIRKLAND -- Senior Special Inspector Bob Teglund joined AMEC's construction support services group in Kirkland.

Teglund specializes in reinforced and post-tensioned concrete, shotcrete and soils. He worked on the Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, the new Seattle Central Library, high-rises and waterfront structures.

AMEC generates revenues of more than $8 billion and has 90 offices in North America. The company specializes in environmental projects for the oil, gas, industrial and infrastructure sectors.

Farstad joins DEA in Bellevue

Farstad

BELLEVUE -- David Evans and Associates in Bellevue recently hired Erik Farstad as a senior environmental planner for Puget Sound. Farstad works on environmental and land use planning.

His experience is in feasibility studies, strategic comprehensive plans, revitalization and transportation projects. He was an assistant task leader for a city of Wenatchee environmental assessment and has managed permitting and documenting projects for local, state and federal agencies.

King County offers grants for projects

SEATTLE -- King County Water and Land Resources Division is offering grants for community environmental restoration and projection projects. Grants are intended for watersheds, habitats, natural resource stewardship and water quality education programs. Salmon conservation and urban tree restoration projects are also eligible.

Last year 53 community groups, schools and non-profits received over $827,000. This year, maximum awards can be up to to $75,000. The deadline for grant proposals requesting more than $2,000 is July 1.

For more information, contact Ken Pritchard, Grant Exchange coordinator, at ken.pritchard@metrokc.gov, (206) 296-8265 or (800) 325-6165 Ext. 6-8265. Or visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/pi/grants.htm.

Make a Splash grants available

TACOMA -- The city of Tacoma will award "Make a Splash" grants of up to $50,000 for education programs on environmental pollution, protection and surface water restoration. Applications are due by June 30.

The city will hold two information sessions; one is today at the Wheelock Library at 3722 N. 26th St., and a second meeting will be held on June 22 at the Moore Branch Library, 215 S. 56th St. Both sessions are from 5 to 7:45 p.m. and are open to the public.

The "Make a Splash" program is supported by the city's surface water utility fees. For applications, contact Christy Strand, Environmental Services, at (253) 502-2105, makeasplash@cityoftacoma.org. Or visit www.cityoftacoma.org/makeasplash.

Sustainable Seattle announces awards

SEATTLE -- Sustainable Seattle awards its Third Sustainable Community Outstanding Leadership Awards today.

Paul Dolan, president of Fetzer Vineyards, will speak on how he made sustainability a priority for his company. The talk and awards presentation are free and open to the public, and will be held at Kane Hall on the University of Washington campus from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

Sustainable Seattle will recognize Beacon Development Group, Flexcar, City of Seattle's Sustainable Building Program, Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, ArtWorks and PCC Natural Markets.

Christy Shelton, a board member of Sustainable Seattle, said some of the organizations are working to improve transportation, build affordable housing and promote earth-friendly construction. Others are helping to empower at-risk youth, redevelop polluted urban sites and protect organic farms.

Sustainable Seattle is a non-profit that promotes sustainable development. For more information, visit www.sustainableseattle.org.

ASCE workshop on water counterterrorism

SEATTLE -- The American Society of Civil Engineers' Environmental and Water Resources Institute will hold a workshop on June 3 at Wyckoff Auditorium at Seattle University, 901 12th Ave. from 1:30 to 5 p.m.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the society a grant to develop bio-terrorism security guidelines for water and wastewater utilities. The workshop allows outside groups and experts to contribute to developing these guidelines.

Participants will talk about the issues water and surveillance designers must consider when creating contamination monitoring systems. Topics of discussion include the kinds of technology and sampling methods being used today, as well communication networks that will be needed in the event water supplies or infrastructure are threatened.

For more information, contact Muhammad Amer at (202) 785-6429 or mamer@cerf.org. Or visit www.ewrinstitute.org.

Conference on greenhouse gases June 3

SEATTLE -- The Air and Waste Management Association will hold a one-day conference on managing greenhouse gas emissions in Seattle on June 3 at Top of the Market, 93 Pike St. #307 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Talks will cover how companies can take stock of their emissions. There will be discussions on how emissions regulations such as those already passed in other countries could impact hydro power and irrigation in the Northwest. There will be presentations on laws, regulations and the economic drivers that are forcing businesses to consider initiatives to reduce gas emissions.

Environmental analysts, managers, regulators and consultants are encouraged to attend. For more information, contact Mike Ruby at (206) 633-4456 or visit www.pnwis.org.

Cascade Land Conservancy awards grants

SEATTLE -- Cascade Land Conservancy recently granted awards to organizations that it says have contributed to preserving Puget Sound's natural lands. Award recipients are Friends of the Trail, REI, Woodland Park Zoo, Cascade Land Conservancy and former governors Dan Evans and Mike Lowry, who together founded the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition.

Cascade Land Conservancy President Gene Duvernoy and Mayor Greg Nickels also announced plans for the Green Seattle Partnership, which aims to protect forested parks and open space from invasive species.

Environmental Watch: Meeting Wednesday on Puget Sound plan

OLYMPIA -- Puget Sound Council, an advisory group for the Puget Sound Action Team, meets tomorrow at Washington State University, 600 128th St. S.E. in Everett from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Members will review the Puget Sound Conservation and Recovery Plan, which defines priority environmental work for 10 state agencies and two universities to take place from July 2005 to June 2007.

Ways to improve water quality and habitat for orcas, salmon, shellfish and other marine life are part of the plan, which will be submitted to the 2005 Legislature for review and funding.

Puget Sound Council has representatives from business, agricultural, environmental, and local and tribal governments. For information call (360) 725-5445 or visit www.psat.wa.gov/Who_we_are/Council.htm.

Strawbale/solar talk Thursday in Spokane

SPOKANE -- Architect Kelly Lerner will present "Strawbale Solar Design and Construction" on Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Washington State University's Spokane campus at 310 N. Riverpoint Blvd.

The talk covers projects in Mongolia, China, California and the Northwest. Lerner teaches natural building workshops and directs testing for the Environmental Building Network. She is an expert on climate-responsive design and sustainable development, and her ecological design work has been published in Metropolis Magazine, Alternative Construction and Building Without Borders.

For more information, contact Deborah Warner at (208) 683-1649 or sunrisedesign@icehouse.net. Or contact Ed Bryant at (509) 927-2430 bryant@icehouse.net.

New rules on oiled wildlife proposed

FEDERAL WAY -- On Thursday the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife will hold a public meeting on its oiled wildlife rehabilitation rules. The meeting takes place at the Federal Way Regional Library at 34200 First Way S. from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

A draft of proposed rule changes, which would amend existing guidelines on how wildlife is rehabilitated, will be presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission at its August meeting in Everett/Lynnwood.

Copies of the draft are posted at www.wdfw.wa.gov/hab/oil_spill. For a paper copy, write to Eric Larsen, WDFW Oil Spill Team Manager, 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia 98501. For more information, call (360) 902-8123.

BetterBricks offers energy events in June

SEATTLE -- Three roundtable discussions on energy will be held June 8, 17 and 29. "Navigating the Energy Points in LEED" will be on June 8 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Sellen Construction. A follow-up discussion will be held June 17 at Seattle City Light from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

"Energy Saving Design in Server Rooms and Data Centers" will be held June 29 at Seattle City Light from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Talks are sponsored by BetterBricks Professional Training, Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light and Tacoma Power. Talks are free but registration is required. For more information, contact (206) 343-3960, training@betterbricks.com or visit www.betterbricks.com/training.

Port OKs dredging for T-46

SEATTLE -- The Port of Seattle last week approved a dredging project at Terminal 46.

The $680,000 project will remove 27,000 cubic yards of sediment. Some or all of the spoils may be unsuitable for open-water disposal, port officials say.

Two-and-a-half years ago the port authorized $71 million to expand T-46 for Hanjin. The plan did not call for any dredging, but some "high spots" have been found on the harbor floor that will interfere with the operations of larger ships, port officials say.

Port commissioners approved funds to hire help to apply for permits, sample sediment and complete engineering. The design will be done by June, and the work is to go to bid in August.

$40K grants available for urban trees

SEATTLE -- Community groups and volunteers are encouraged to submit grant proposals for urban tree projects by July 1. Experts in forestry and ecology help volunteers start tree restoration projects. Grants of up to $40,000 may be used to buy trees and supplies.

As big leaf maples and alders in greenbelts reach the end of their natural life span, invading species such as English ivy, holly and laurel will leave no room for young trees.

King County received funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service and Washington Department of Natural Resources to create the Natural Resource Stewardship Network, which is now 10 years old. Network members are government agencies, businesses and educational institutions.

For grant information, visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/pi/grant-exchange/NRSN.htm or call (206) 296-8042.

Helicopter crew works on salmon project

SULTAN -- Logs and root-wads from Spada Lake reservoir soon will be airlifted to the Sultan River by a Washington Department of Natural Resources' helicopter fire crew, giving pilots a chance to train for "what could be a very tough wildfire season," said Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland.

Government agencies and the Adopt-A-Stream Foundation are enhancing a juvenile salmon habitat in one of Sultan River's side channels.

Funds from the Fish America Foundation were used to purchase 1,000 hemlocks, cedars and Douglas fir trees, which were recently planted along the channel. Another 1,000 will be planted this winter.

Russian refuge to help NW salmon

PORTLAND -- Governor Mashkovtsev of the Kamchatka Oblast Regional Administration has authorized a 544,000-acre headwaters-to-ocean salmon refuge on the southwest side of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula.

Guido Rahr of the Wild Salmon Center in Portland said Kamchatka is like the Pacific Northwest was 100 years ago, before habitats were damaged by industries. Rahr said restoration of Northwest habitats has cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Such costs can be avoided in Kamchatka with preservation projects like the refuge, which is designed to protect salmon from the impacts of coal, gold and natural gas industries.

The United Nations Development Program and the Wild Salmon Center say the Kol River Salmon Refuge is important because it has all six native Pacific salmon species: chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, pink and Asian masu salmon. Also in the region are steelhead, rainbow trout, Dolly Varden char and white-spotted char.

Environmental Watch: Adams heads Herrera's Missoula office

Adams

SEATTLE -- Kathleen Adams will lead Herrera Environmental Consultants' Missoula, Mont., office. In the firm's Portland office, engineer Matthew Brennan leads an aquatic habitat study in Washington County, Ore., for Bronson Creek.

Adams worked on Endangered Species Act and NEPA compliance projects. She was lead author for a biological assessment for a Flathead Indian Reservation irrigation project and is now working on environmental permits for the Montana Department of Transportation.

The Bronson Creek restoration is intended to reconnect the stream to its floodplain and prevent channel incision and bank erosion. Clean Water Services will be responsible for riparian plantings.

Pierce County picks public works chief

UNIVERSITY PLACE -- Pierce County Public Works and Utilities, which is based in the city of University Place, named Harold Smelt director.

Smelt managed the capital improvement program, overseeing 12 engineers, technicians and support staff on stormwater projects. As director, he will oversee 50 employees and work on Clean Water Act permit compliance, stormwater planning and budgets.

EPA holds hazardous waste talk May 24

SEATTLE -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a public meeting May 24 at the Radisson Hotel Seattle Airport at 17001 Pacific Highway S. from 9 a.m to 5 p.m.

EPA staff will talk about how the hazardous waste regulation program is working and ways it can be improved. For more information, call (800) 424-9346 or visit www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/gener/init/index.htm.

Commuter trip reduction projects funded

OLYMPIA -- The Washington State Department of Transportation will give $557,000 to 10 projects aimed at reducing commuter trips. Winning projects will together save an estimated 1,200 single-driver commutes and 34,000 miles per day, according to WSDOT. Examples include cash incentives and free transit passes.

The city of Issaquah will give incentives to employers who encourage employees to use alternate transit. Seattle intends to increase subsidies to first-time transit users. Shoreline plans to promote bicycle commutes on its urban bike trail.

Washington businesses and public agencies are eligible to apply for a second round of proposals for $943,000 by June 4. For more information, call (360) 705-7846 or visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/tdm.

$600K available for Hood Canal projects

OLYMPIA -- The Puget Sound Action Team will offer $600,000 in state and federal funds to reduce the amount of nitrogen that enters Hood Canal.

The action team's plan identifies human activity-related sources that result in the deposit of 100 to 300 tons of nitrogen each year. Nutrients from human and pet waste, stormwater runoff and fertilizer cause algae to grow and reduces the amount of oxygen for fish, octopi and other marine life.

Washington state departments of Ecology, and Fish and Wildlife, as well as tribal and local governments contributed to the plan.

Details on how to apply for funding will be available this spring. For more information, call (800) 54-SOUND or visit www.psat.wa.gov/Programs/hood_canal.htm.

WSDOT to limit herbicides in Island County

OLYMPIA - The Washington State Department of Transportation says it will reduce herbicide use in Island County as a result of public comments in recent months.

WSDOT maintains roadside plants for driver safety, to protect roads and to control weeds, and says it will reduce herbicide use by 60 percent on Whidbey and Camano islands. WSDOT roadside maintenance manager Ray Willard said the department will now allow grass to grow up to the highway's edge instead of leaving a three-foot plant-free buffer. Neighbors can expect to see crews mowing, pulling weeds and planting native species this spring.

For more information, call (360) 848-7238 or visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/maintenance/mgmt_plans.htm.

$50,000 challenge grant for Adopt-A-Stream

EVERETT -- The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation usually funds what it calls "on the ground" stream restoration projects, but has awarded the Adopt-A-Stream Foundation a $50,000 Challenge Grant for environmental education.

The foundation offers training courses in ecology and habitat restoration at the Northwest Stream Center in McCollum Park, Everett.

Foundation director Tom Murdoch said the Streamkeeper Academy offers "a PhD's worth of natural resource education." The foundation has to raise $50,000 to meet the challenge grant.

Stream, wetland course for developers

EVERETT -- The Adopt-A-Stream Foundation will hold a basic training course on stream and wetland ecology June 10 at the Northwest Stream Center at 600 128 St. S.E. from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Cost is $75 and includes a textbook. Real estate agents, developers and streamside property owners are encouraged to attend.

Participants can learn about the watershed terminology used by scientists, understand the function of wetlands and how to distinguish between them. The course will cover regulations, the Endangered Species Act and the effect of listing Pacific Chinook salmon. For more information, contact Sue Minger at (425) 316-8592.

Portland airport recycles food waste

PORTLAND -- The Portland International Airport Food Waste Diversion Pilot Project was selected as one of 10 Business for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow award winners by the city of Portland's Office of Sustainable Development.

Last year 80 tons of pre-consumer food waste was converted to compost and used for landscaping at the airport.

"Our original goal was to reduce waste hauled to landfills by 5 percent," said Cheryl Koshuta, port environmental affairs director. "We are thrilled that this program has achieved a 9 percent reduction."

Port of Portland, Portland State University's Community Environmental Services and airport concessionaires sponsored the project to show how concessionaires can voluntarily reduce the volume of food waste they send to landfills.

Environmental Watch: Chantal Stevens heads Sustainable Seattle

Stevens

SEATTLE -- Chantal Stevens joined Sustainable Seattle as executive director. Stevens has worked on natural resource management and environmental issues, including as manager of People for Salmon and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe's environmental division.

Stevens' background is in public policy and environmental law, watershed planning and public education.

Sustainable Seattle is non-profit that aims to enhance the long term quality of life in Puget Sound. Sustainable Seattle says its community sustainability indicators became an international model for how citizens can track quality of life in their communities. The organization was recently award an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation grant to apply its indicator work to Seattle neighborhoods.

Pleus joins EPA science panel

Pleus

SEATTLE -- Dr. Richard C. Pleus, director and toxicologist of the Seattle-based health consulting and research firm Intertox, will serve on a science review board of the U.S. EPA FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel in Arlington, Va.

Congress established the 11-member panel to give scientific advice to EPA on pesticides' impact on human health and the environment. The review will look at sensitive populations, such as pregnant women, children and the elderly, and the possible risk to workers.

Meeting Wednesday on shoreline rules

SEATTLE -- Peter Skowlund from the Department of Ecology will discuss the Shoreline Master Program Guidelines Wednesday at McCormick & Schmick's Harborside on Lake Union at 1200 Westlake Ave. from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The guidelines set rules for local planning and regulations of shorelines and give information on sources of funding available to put them into practice. The talk is hosted by the Olympic chapter of Northwest Environmental Business Council. Cities and counties must update shoreline master programs over the next decade.

Cost for the lunch is $45 for non-members. For more information, contact NEBC at (888) 609-NEBC or visit www.nebc.org.

Streamkeeper Academy offers classes

EVERETT -- The Adopt-A-Stream Foundation's Streamkeeper Academy is offering courses on Pacific Northwest streams, wetlands, woods, beaches and the creatures that inhabit them. Classes are held at the Northwest Stream Center east of Interstate 5 in McCollum Park, Everett.

Bird expert Sue Minger gives a slide talk on birds on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Seattle Audubon Society's Neil Zimmerman gives a talk on creating a garden for wildlife on Friday at 7 p.m. Native plant steward Donna Gleisner leads a walk through the area surrounding the Northwest Stream Center on May 15 from 10 a.m. to noon. Wildlife biologist Julie Stofel talks on the bald eagle on May 21 at 11 a.m.

Use It Again event this Saturday

SEATTLE -- Seattle Public Utilities is hosting a free event for citizens to pick up or drop off reusable items. The next "Use It Again, Seattle!" event takes place Saturday at the Northwest Center at 1600 W. Armory Way, behind Animal Control off 15th Avenue West.

SPU will accept clean items in good condition for recycling or donation, including furniture and appliances, except refrigerators and freezers. Reusable clothing will be accepted.

For more information, call (206) 615-0701 or visit www.seattle.gov/util/useitagain. For information on household hazardous waste disposal, call (206) 296-4692.

SPU presents BEST awards May 13

SEATTLE -- A forum on sustainable strategies takes place on May 13 at Bell Harbor International Conference Center from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Gifford Pinchot III, director of the center for business ecology at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, will make the keynote speech.

Seattle Public Utilities will present Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow awards to companies that recycle and conserve resources.

Sessions will include "Designing for the Next Industrial Revolution," "Increasing Profits and Saving Money" and a session with Sam Anderson, executive officer of the Master Builders of King & Snohomish Counties.

Cost is $75 for the forum. For more information, contact KaDeena Lenz at (206) 389-7302. Or visit www.ecd-sea.org/News_Events/events.cfm.

Septic tank workshops coming up

BELLEVUE -- Public Health Seattle & King County will hold workshops on how septic systems work and how to prolong their life spans. Safety precautions, maintenance, signs of system failure, and tips will be covered at workshops Thursday and May 15. The events take place at Eastgate Public Health Center, 14350 S.E. Eastgate Way in Bellevue.

For more information, contact Michelle Britt, operations and maintenance program manager, at (206) 205-8962. To find out about Public Health's wastewater programs, visit www.metrokc.gov/health/wastewater.

Soundkeeper cleanup May 15

SEATTLE -- Seattle-based Puget Soundkeeper Alliance is organizing an cleanup on May 15 at Seattle's South Lake Union Park.

More than 300 volunteers from environmental and community groups, Lake Union area businesses and associations are expected to participate in the cleanup from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at locations throughout Lake Union and Portage Bay. The event is made possible by a King County Waterworks grant.

Mayor Greg Nickels will kick-off the event at 9 a.m. at South Lake Union Park. For more information contact Chris Wilke of Puget Soundkeeper Alliance at (206) 297-7002 or visit www.pugetsoundkeeper.org.

Lead found in 6 Seattle schools' water

SEATTLE (AP) -- Seattle Public Schools officials report the first six schools to have their water tested all exceeded federal limits for lead.

Dangerous levels were found at dozens of drinking fountains that children have used for years. Results announced last week were from samples taken at Fairmount Park, Olympic Hills, Schmitz Park, John Rogers and Wedgwood elementary schools and Nathan Hale High School.

The Seattle School District, which has been under mounting pressure from parents, recently ordered testing at all of its 100-plus school sites and began to provide bottled water at schools with older water systems.

The district will divert funds from other capital projects to pay for any remedial work needed after the tests and remediation plans are complete. The plans are expected to cost between $400,000 and $500,000.

Oregon county eyes West Nile tax

BEND, Ore. (AP) -- Deschutes County commissioners are expected to decide soon whether the county needs a new tax to pay for mosquito control.

The mosquito control district could cost taxpayers as much as six cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, the county's public health director said in an e-mail to The (Bend) Bulletin.

A recent study of the region's mosquito population found that the species of mosquito that transmits West Nile is abundant throughout Deschutes County.

Environmental Watch: Sustainable groups plan joint meeting

SEATTLE -- The Northwest EcoBuilding Guild will hold a meeting on sustainability Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. The meeting will take place in the basement of the Brick Building at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N. The program is free and no registration is required.

The event is designed to bring together many organizations that support sustainability, so groups can learn more about each other and join forces for change.

Presenters include Brandie Smith of the Washington Toxics Coalition, Jason McKinney of Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, Aileen Gagney of American Lung Association of Washington and Chris Herman of Solar Washington. For more information, visit www.ecobuilding.org/cal.

Chambers Creek plant open house

UNIVERSITY PLACE -- Pierce County residents are invited to an open house May 1 at the Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Chambers Creek plant is at 10311 Chambers Creek Rd. W., in the city of University Place.

Visitors can learn about the wastewater treatment process, and the plant's future plans for expansion and improvement. Last year the Chambers Creek plant treated an average of 16.5 million gallons of wastewater per day. It serves University Place, Lakewood, DuPont Northwest Landing, Spanaway, Midland, Frederickson and South Hill.

For more information, contact Sheryl Purdy, Pierce County Environmental Services at (253) 798-4140.

Seattle park board to meet May 13

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners will meet May 13 at 6 p.m. in the Park Board Room at 100 Dexter Avenue N.

Items on the agenda include a briefings on design of Bergen Place Park at 5420 22nd Ave. N.W. and a land exchange proposal between Parks and Recreation and the Seattle School District. Also on the agenda is a recommendation on the design for the new Ballard Civic Center Park at 5701 22nd Ave. N.W., to be funded with $2.5 million from the Pro Parks Levy.

For more information, contact Sandy Brooks at (206) 684-5066 or sandy.brooks@seattle.gov.

Classes on green home remodeling

SEATTLE -- Seattle Public Utilities and the Environmental Home Center are hosting free classes on green home remodeling May 13 and June 10. Classes take place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center, 950 N.W. Carkeek Park Road.

Participants can learn what makes a product or design green and get advice about working with design and construction professionals. Examples of green building methods in Seattle will also be presented.

Space for the classes is limited. To register, contact (206) 684-0877 or carkeek.park@seattle.gov. For more information, visit www.seattle.gov/sustainablebuilding.

Comments sought on two Corps projects

PORTLAND -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are proposing an environmental restoration project on Crims Island to benefit salmon, deer, waterfowl and other species. The island is on the Columbia River near Clatskanie, Ore.

The Corps and USFWS propose to restore 92 acres of native tidal emergent marsh, mudflat and side channel habitats, and 115 acres of native forest habitat.

Improvements in tidal inundation and more tidal channels are intended to create better habitat for juvenile salmonids. They will also help improve transport of dead marsh vegetation to the Columbia River. Planting and natural seeding will convert upland area to native riparian forest habitat.

The draft of the plan is posted at: www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pm/e/crims_draft.htm. To comment on or receive a copy, write by May 25 to: District Engineer, U.S. Army Engineer District - Portland, Attn: CENWP-PM-E (Dorsey), P.O. Box 2946, Portland, OR 97208-2946, or call Geoff Dorsey, Environmental Resources Branch, at (503) 808-4769. Refer to Corps ID number CENWP-PM-E-04-03.

The Corps is also seeking public comment on a proposal to construct a fishing access site on the Columbia River near White Salmon, Wash. The site is located east of the Hood River Bridge and west of the city of Bingen.

Construction work would include a paved access road, parking, building, dock and sewage drain fields. The project would begin this fall and be completed by fall 2005. The draft is posted at: www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pm/e. For more information, contact Steve Helm at (503) 808-4778 or Steve.R.Helm, District Engineer, Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: Steve Helm, CENWP-PM-E, P.O. Box 2946, Portland, OR 97208-2946.

E-waste recycling until May 8

SEATTLE -- Consumers can recycle used computer equipment at participating Staples stores until May 8. Staples will recycle desktop computers, monitors and notebook computers at 31 stores in Washington and Oregon.

Customers are asked for a $10 donation. Staples says it will contribute all funds to local school districts. The company is working with Envirocyle, a recycler of electronic equipment, to reuse or dispose of computer equipment. For more information, visit www.staples.com/earthday.

$3M aquifer study will need more time

POST FALLS, Idaho (AP) -- Limited funding means it will likely take longer than the planned three years to complete a local aquifer study, Idaho Department of Water Resources said.

Hal Anderson, the department's planning administrator, said bureaucratic hurdles and limited funding have slowed the project.

The study, estimated to cost between $3 million and $3.5 million, will examine the quality and quantity of the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie aquifer. It is the sole source of drinking water for more than 400,000 residents in Kootenai and Spokane counties.

Area leaders hope the cooperative effort between the Idaho Department of Water Resources, Washington Department of Ecology and the U.S. Geological Survey will help them understand the dynamics of the water source.

"We need answers soon, but we'll be hard-pressed, given the lack of funding, to get this done in three years. It's an ambitious goal," Anderson said.

Firm pays workers to buy hybrid cars

PORTLAND (AP) -- A Portland company is paying employees who drive fuel-efficient cars a $150 per month bonus.

Quantec, a small Portland-based energy consulting firm, says the bonus will extend 60 months to help employees buy a hybrid car that gets at least 45 miles a gallon.

For that, Quantec was among 10 local businesses and government programs recognized by the city's Office of Sustainable Development.

Quantec's president, M. Sami Khawaja, says his company's Cleaner Air Vehicle Program fits into a business strategy to promote environmental sustainability and that the company receives no tax benefit for it.

So far, 12 of Quantec's 25 employees have taken advantage of the offer. Khawaja says the rest of the employees plan to purchase hybrid vehicles, which run on a combination of gas and electricity, some time this year.

Environmental Watch: EPA toxic chemicals workshops

SEATTLE -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will hold a series of free workshops on Toxic Chemical Release Inventory reporting on May 3, 4, 5, 7, 11 and 13.

The workshops will provide information to private sector and federal facilities staff responsible for records and TRI reporting, and consulting firms and lawyers who may be assisting them. For more information, call (206) 553-2571 or see www.epa.gov/tri.

Water law conference May 6 and 7

SEATTLE -- On May 6 and 7 Law Seminars International will present a Washington water law conference at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel.

Experts from western states will share experiences, challenges and success stories. For registration information, call (206) 621-1938 or (800) 854-8009, fax (206) 567-5058 or registrar@lawseminars.com.

Cormorant eggs moved to Portland

BREMERTON -- Washington State Department of Transportation and the Audubon Society of Portland moved four pelagic cormorant eggs from the Warren Avenue Bridge in Bremerton to Portland.

When WSDOT workers discovered 260 pairs of pelagic cormorants nesting under the bridge's center span last year, engineers and biologists had to hatch a plan to move forward on a project to paint the bridge.

Noisemakers and lights deterred most birds, but one peregrine falcon pair nested. WSDOT got permits from state and federal agencies and collected the eggs. WSDOT biologist Marion Carey said moving the eggs was a last resort. "Our goal now is to release the birds back into the wild in Washington state."

The Audubon Society in Portland will incubate and rear the eggs, and work with the Oregon Zoo to hatch them and prepare the falcons for reintroduction.

Bio oil fuel project starts in Canada

VANCOUVER, B.C. -- A Vancouver, B.C.-company, DynaMotive, has broken ground on a demonstration project for an oil-fueled power facility in West Lorain, Ontario.

The plant aims to show the commercial potential to convert waste products into energy. It will use a rapid heating process to turn bark, sawdust, shavings and agricultural waste into a unique oil.

Working with consulting groups, DynaMotive will build, install and operate a system to process Erie Flooring and Wood Products' wood residue. The plant is expected to process 100 tons per day of bio mass and to produce 70 tons of "oil."

Port buys Japanese Memorial Garden

SEA TAC -- The Port of Seattle recently purchased the site of the Japanese Memorial Garden on Des Moines Memorial Drive as part of its proposed third runway airport project.

The garden will receive $10,000 in maintenance labor and supplies from the Sea Tac Parks Department and $5,000 from the city of Burien.

The groups will give funds each year through 2007 or until the garden is relocated to Highline Botanical Garden in North SeaTac Park.

The Seike family constructed the garden to honor a son who died while serving the U.S. in World War II.

Wastewater treatment plant tours

SEATTLE -- King County's Wastewater Treatment Division will hold two open houses at its regional plants. The first is on Friday at the South Treatment Plant, 1520 S.W. Grady Way, in Renton from 4 to 6 p.m. The second is Saturday at the West Point Treatment Plant, 1400 W. Utah St., from 10 a.m to noon.

Visitors can see how more than 200 million gallons of wastewater are processed daily, and learn about plans for enhancing plants. King County treats wastewater for 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.

$150K for Snohomish County disaster plan

EVERETT -- Snohomish County received a $150,000 federal grant to develop a plan with 10 of its cities. The grant will be used to take measures to reduce risks posed by floods, earthquakes, landslides, wildfires and severe weather.

The county applied for the pre-disaster mitigation grant, which is part of a Presidential initiative and administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. A coalition of Snohomish County cities and agencies began work earlier this year on a natural hazards mitigation plan to identify natural hazards and areas of vulnerability. The plan is scheduled to be complete by November.

Anchorage geese population plummets

ANCHORAGE (AP) -- Anchorage's urban goose boom has fizzled and local scientists are not sure why.

The local population of lesser Canada geese has plummeted about 70 percent over the past eight years, from almost 5,000 in 1996 to an estimated 1,450 last July.

The city's overabundance of geese led to control measures but scientists with the Anchorage Waterfowl Working Group say they cannot fully explain what happened.

Human-tolerant lesser Canada geese colonized nest sites in Anchorage about 40 years ago and found a haven. The expansion of grassy yards, school fields, parks and golf courses, plus plenty of ponds and creeks, made the city into a goose heaven.

The population grew at 12 percent to 15 percent per year through the 1980s and early 1990s.

Government biologists began an aggressive plan to cut goose numbers to 2,000 by hazing and killing birds at airports, collecting eggs in the spring and transplanting goslings. It was supposed to take a decade or more of slow decline to bring urban geese under control.

But by 2002, their numbers had fallen to 1,500, and they were lower last year.

Last summer, Washington state and city of Seattle officials announced that the number of Canada geese in local parks had dropped by about three-quarters since 2000, when federal wildlife agents began killing thousands of the birds. More than 5,600 geese in Seattle were destroyed from 2000 to 2003.

Ex-weapons site access plan opposed

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) -- At least three local governments are opposing federal plans to open the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons site to widespread recreational use.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service favors public access once the 6,200-acre site is cleaned of most radioactive contaminants and transformed into a wildlife refuge.

Boulder's City Council called for a cautious approach, an option that would make ecological restoration the top priority at Rocky Flats for 15 years while allowing limited public access.

Officials from Arvada, Westminster, and Broomfield and Jefferson counties all back a plan allowing recreational access on foot, horseback or bicycle to at least 16 miles of trails. That alternative is also what the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service favors.

The Energy Department is expected to hand over control of all but about 1,000 acres to the wildlife service when cleanup is finished in 2006. That core area of the site, where plutonium triggers for bombs were produced for more than three decades, would remain off limits.

Environmental Watch: County begins noxious weed survey

SEATTLE -- To catch invasive weeds early before they spread, a King County weed control program is surveying areas for noxious weeds.

King County helps landowners identify noxious weeds and suggests control options. Since the county began tracking weeds in 1996, more than 80 percent have been eradicated. Last year, the program surveyed 6,000 infestations and controlled weeds on 82 percent of sites found.

Serious weeds that show up early in the season are: giant hogweed, garlic mustard, milk thistle, gorse, dalmation toadflax, tansy ragwort and Brazilean elodea. King County officials say efforts over five years to eradicate a single infestation of hydrilla verticillata, an aquatic weed, have cost $450,000. For more information, contact (206) 296-0290, noxious.weeds@metrokc.gov or visit dnr.metrokc.gov/weeds.

Lunch landscape seminars for free

SEATTLE -- Lifestyle Landscapes, a Seattle-based landscaping firm, will give free on-site "Lunch and Learn" seminars at businesses over lunch hour. Topics include landscaping mistakes, art in the garden and master planning for large and small spaces.

Seminars will be available to companies in the greater Seattle and Eastside areas. Lifestyle Landscapes will provide a catered lunch. For information, contact Cate Vanasse of Lifestyle Landscapes at (206) 621-2626 or cate.vanasse@lifestyle-landscapes.com.

County parks' annual report online

SEATTLE -- The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks' 2003 annual report, "Environmental Stewardship in King County," is available online. The report covers the department's four divisions: Parks and Recreation, Solid Waste, Wastewater Treatment and Water and Land Resources.

The report is posted at: dnr.metrokc.gov/. For more information contact (206) 296-6500.

30,000 pounds of waste food "recycled"

BELLINGHAM -- Sanitary Service Co. and the Haggen supermarket chain have diverted nearly 40 percent of the chain's compostable waste stream, 30,000 pounds, as part of its Whatcom County food scrap recycling program.

SSC collects and delivers compostables to Green Earth Technologies in Lynden. Green Earth then processes material into saleable compost.

Ecology launches hazmat Web site

BELLEVUE -- Washington state Department of Ecology has set up a Web site on how to manage used oil and hazardous wastes. The Web site provides information about types and location of disposal facilities, and the kinds of wastes they accept.

For more information, visit www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr.

Meeting April 22 on septic fee hike

SEATTLE -- Public Health Seattle and King County's Eastgate office will hold a public meeting on Public Health's proposal to increase home septic sewage and water source fees.

Homeowners pay these fees when applying for septic system permits.

The meeting will be held at Eastgate Public Health Center at 14350 S.E. Eastgate Way on April 22 at 6 p.m. For information, call (206) 296-4600 or visit www.metrokc.gov/health/wastewater.

Tacoma's Tagro wins research award

TACOMA -- Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies recognized the city of Tacoma with a research and technology award.

The city's Tagro mulch and Tagro potting soil earned the award, which is granted to innovations in wastewater treatment or biosolids use. Tagro mulch and potting soil is made with a blend of local biosolids, sawdust and bark mixtures.

The city said Tagro potting soil outperformed traditional potting mixes at Washington State University's Cooperative Extension greenhouse trials in Puyallup.

Goodwill takes furniture at Tacoma Landfill

TACOMA -- Tacoma and Pierce County residents can now donate furniture at a landfill instead of dumping it. The Goodwill donation station at Tacoma Landfill now accepts furniture along with clothing, toys and household items.

Susan Martensen, Goodwill's director of marketing and communications, said once at the landfill, people were hesitant to drive elsewhere to donate furniture. "Unfortunately, some very useable items were disposed as garbage," she said.

For information, call Elaine Brabham, Goodwill donations manager, at (253) 573-1333.

Hanford Reach juvenile chinook agreement

EPHRATA, Grant County -- An agreement between dam operators, fish agencies and tribes aims to protect fall chinook during periods when juvenile fish prepare to migrate to the ocean.

The Hanford Reach fall chinook protection program is based on the 1988 Vernita Bar agreement. The new agreement also accounts for new data on flow fluctuation limits.

Grant PUD, Bonneville Power Administration, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, NOAA Fisheries, Chelan County PUD, Douglas County PUD, and the Colville Confederated Tribes developed the agreement together.

Joe Lukas, senior fisheries scientist for Grant County Public Utility District, said the agreement provides greater guarantees on timing of water delivery and weekend protection flows, and limits flow fluctuations for juvenile fall chinook.

Last year, nearly 100,000 fall chinook salmon returned to the Hanford Reach to spawn. The area has recently seen some of the highest returns in 40 years.

Corps studies hydro spill response

PORTLAND -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is accepting outside help to conduct reviews of its maintenance of hydroelectric powerhouses.

Following a January mineral oil spill at Dalles Dam, the Army Corps promised to look at causes so it could provide a better response in the future.

Equipment failure allowed 1,300 gallons of mineral oil to leak into the Columbia River. An independent panel of experts in operations, maintenance and environmental compliance recommended improvements at Dalles Dam. A stakeholders meeting is planned in May.

The Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will review spill response resources, and operations and maintenance.

Eco-artist lecture at UW Bothell

BOTHELL -- The University of Washington, Bothell will hold a free talk by artist Aviva Rahmani called "The City of If, Bothell" on April 30 at UW Bothell's North Creek Cafe.

Rahmani builds teams of scientists, policy makers and others to create artwork that reflects environmental and social concerns.

Panelists include Senator Rosemary McAuliffe, Suzi Wong Swint of Snohomish County Surface Water Management and Mike Reid of the Brightwater Education Task Force. Each will discuss community, art and the environment. Rahmani's work is inspired by classical music, dance, theatre, art and contemporary city planning.

For further information or reservations, contact Dr. Kochhar-Lindgren at KKochhar@uwb.edu.

Environmental Watch: Toxicologist Hays hired for Intertox

Hays

SEATTLE -- Sean M. Hays was recently named principal of Intertox, a Seattle health science consulting and research firm. He is a toxicologist and chemical engineer specializing in physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling and exposure assessment.

Hays helped NASA determine the effects of lead exposure to the bone mass of astronauts.

Intertox focuses on environmental, health and safety issues. Experts in toxicology, industrial hygiene and epidemiology conduct risk assessments, characterize hazards and develop mitigation plans.

Flexcar names new Seattle manager

SEATTLE -- Flexcar, a Seattle-based car-share company, has added 23 vehicles to its Seattle-area fleet, which now totals 130, and named a new general manager for the Seattle region: Brett Allen. Former general manager William del Valle will manage the San Diego area.

Flexcar began as a Metro Transit pilot program and is based on a European model. It started in 2000 with four cars and a few members on Capitol Hill. Membership in the Seattle area is now about 10,000. Nationwide, the company has nearly 20,000 members and operates more than 300 vehicles.

County gets brownfields job training grant

SEATTLE -- The Environmental Protection Agency will give King County a $150,000 grant to provide environmental cleanup job training to people who live in low-income areas near brownfield sites.

The program will train residents on safety, industrial hygiene, lead and asbestos abatement, and environmental assessment. Partnerships with cleanup firms and trade unions are expected to generate apprenticeships and jobs for graduates.

According to the EPA, more than 60 percent of people completing such programs have obtained employment in the environmental field, earning an average hourly wage of $12.84. For information, call (206) 553-2100 or visit www.epa.gov/brownfields.

State tightens environment rules

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Gary Locke recently signed five bills involving carbon dioxide, stormwater runoff and oil spills.

One bill requires power plants to offset 20 percent of carbon dioxide they generate. Plants can either directly or indirectly invest in CO2 mitigation projects such as forest preservation, or the conversion of buses from diesel power to natural gas. New standards will reflect rules developed by Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council.

Another bill makes changes to the state stormwater permitting system. The Department of Ecology will have authority to monitor and enforce the permits.

A bill aimed at preventing incidents like the 4,800-gallon oil spill that occurred at Point Wells last December would require Ecology to form a rule for how to contain such spills.

Meeting on Whidbey Island weeds

COUPEVILLE - The Washington State Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting today at 6 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Coupeville High School. Environmental experts will discuss roadside maintenance, weed control and herbicide use on Whidbey Island.

WSDOT says it reduced herbicide use on Whidbey Island more than 40 percent in the past two years. Maintenance crews expect to cut herbicide use on Whidbey Island in half this year.

WSDOT recently released a draft Whidbey Island Integrated Vegetation Management Plan which covers the route along Highway 20 and Highway 525. For more information, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/maintenance/ivm.htm. Also contact Ray Willard at willarr@wsdot.wa.gov or (360) 705-7865.

Nisqually watershed plan to be reviewed

OLYMPIA -- On April 13 the Pierce County Council will meet with its counterparts in Thurston and Lewis counties to decide whether to approve the proposed Nisqually Watershed Management Plan. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center Olympia, 100 Browns Farm Road.

If approved, this will be the first watershed plan whose development was led by a tribe. The meeting will be chaired by Diane Oberquell of the Thurston County board of commissioners and open with comments by Dorian Sanchez, Nisqually Tribe chair.

Pierce County Council held a public hearing on the proposal last week and received a briefing from Susan Clark of Pierce County Water Programs and Lisa Dally Wilson of Golder Associates.

Alternative vehicle show April 10

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Parks and Recreation's Alternatively Fueled Vehicle Rally will take place April 10 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Discovery Park Environmental Learning Center. Vehicles on display include electric cars, bicycles, trucks and natural gas-fueled mechanisms.

According to Seattle Parks and Recreation, motor vehicles are the primary source of air pollution in the central Puget Sound region.

Water policy expert to speak at PLU

TACOMA -- Sandra Postel, co-author of "Rivers for Life: Managing Water for People and Nature," will present an Earth Day lecture at Pacific Lutheran University on April 22. The free talk will begin at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a reception and book signing.

Postel's work is about preservation and sustainable use of fresh water ecosystems. She is director of the Global Water Policy project in Amherst, Mass. For more information, contact Charles Bergman at (253) 535-7490 or bergmaca@plu.edu.

Converter retrofits for diesel school buses

OLYMPIA -- Some older-model school buses will be outfitted with catalytic converters, at a cost of $1,200 per bus, which will cut toxic exhaust emissions by as much as 50 percent, according to the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency.

Washington state has contracted with Renton-based Cummins Northwest to retrofit some buses from Olympia School District No. 111 and Ocean Beaches School District No. 101 this month.

Washington State Clean School Bus Program aims to retrofit more than 5,000 school buses statewide in the next few years. For more information, visit www.orcaa.org/news.html.

Exam review course for hazmat managers

SEATTLE -- The Northwest chapter of the Academy of Hazardous Materials Managers will offer a Certified Hazardous Materials Managers overview course May 17-19 at the Swedish Cultural Center on Dexter Avenue in Seattle.

The certification exam will be offered on May 21 at Shoreline Community College and exam applicants must register six weeks in advance. Call (301) 984-8969, or visit www.ihmm.org to register.