Environmental Watch: AMEC hires 3 air quality experts

Lavaty

Knutson

Smith

KIRKLAND — The engineering and environmental consulting firm AMEC recently hired indoor air quality experts Kathie Lavaty, Dianne Knutson and Michael S. Smith.

Lavaty is working on projects at Hanford and will be based in the company's Portland office. She is president of the Pacific Northwest section of the American Industrial Hygiene Association and has 16 years of experience designing systems to protect air from mold, asbestos, lead and hazardous chemicals.

Dianne Knutson and Michael S. Smith are based in Kirkland and their expertise is in mold assessment. Knutson has 10 years of experience in industrial hygiene, including mold investigations in commercial, military housing and medical settings. Smith has 16 years of experience working on air quality for insurance companies, school districts and government agencies.

New rules for state energy facilities

OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke recently announced new rules for ways major energy facilities in Washington state are regulated.

In awarding licenses to large power plants, the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council will now also consider the way plants handle fish and wildlife, wetlands, and water and air quality.

The council is an independent state board with a chair appointed by the governor and members appointed by five state agencies. In 2001, the council started working with governments and interest groups to come up with standards on how to site major energy facilities.

New siting standards and changes to the rules are posted at http://www.efsec.wa.gov/rulerev_new.html.

Get discounts on ‘waste-free' gifts

SEATTLE — County residents can get discounts of up to 50 percent on tickets, gift certificates and memberships through a program offered by the solid waste management divisions of King County and the city of Tacoma.

The "Waste Free Holidays" program's 135 partners offer discounted tickets for concerts, plays, sporting events, museum visits and restaurant meals. Tickets must be purchased before Dec. 31.

For more information, call Tom Watson at (206) 296-4481 or see http://www.wastefreeholidays.com.

WSU energy program gets DOE award

SEATTLE — The U.S. Department of Energy gave the Washington State University Extension Energy Program an award for its clearinghouses, which give professionals free information on how to run operations in energy-saving ways.

Thousands of inquiries come from around the country each year, said Lee Link, WSU Energy Program's Clearinghouse division manager. Queries come from industrial plant managers, private consultants, commercial businesses, government agencies and utilities.

The Energy Program is a self-supporting department within WSU and gets funding from federal agencies and the private sector.

King County removes mercury switches

SEATTLE — A pilot program is underway to remove switches containing mercury from King County vehicle fleets. Tilt switches, which turn lights on when trunks and hoods are raised, contain more than a gram of mercury each.

King County Solid Waste Division and the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program are running the program to help public and private vehicle fleet managers and technicians replace tilt switches with ball-bearing switches. Officials estimate up to 108 pounds of mercury from switches are released each year.

Twelve fleets are participating, including those of the cities of Auburn, Bellevue, Seattle, Renton and Tukwila.

More than 500 switches will be collected by the end of the year and taken to a hazardous waste collection facility. For more information, call Alexandra Thompson at (206) 296-8454 or see http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/facilities/hazwaste.asp.

Reforesting urban greenbelts: forum Dec. 4

SEATTLE — A free forum on how to reforest urban greenbelts will be held on Dec. 4 at Brockey Conference Center, South Seattle Community College, 6000 16th Ave. S.W. from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Participants can find out how to come up with resources to keep community-based habitat restoration projects going.

Tours of the West Duwamish Greenbelt will be part of the event, along with roundtable talks with experts in urban forestry, invasive weed control, public relations and fundraising.

Presenters include Duwamish Tribal Councilmember James Rasmussen, King County Councilmember Dow Constantine and Seattle City Councilmember Richard Conlin.

The event marks the 10th anniversary of the Natural Resource Stewardship Network, a group of government agencies, educational institutions and volunteers.

To register, call (206) 296-8312 or e-mail linda.vane@metrokc.gov.

Environmental Watch: Miller joins DEA as biologist

Miller

BELLEVUE — David Evans and Associates recently hired Edward Miller as a biologist for the Puget Sound region. Miller has seven years of experience in wetlands, environmental impact and habitat assessments. DEA is headquartered in Portland and also has an office in Bellevue.

Miller has worked on project permitting for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. He has a master's in environmental science and management with a focus on watershed management from the University of California-Santa Barbara.

Brown and Caldwell adds staff

SEATTLE — Brown and Caldwell recently added six to its staff. Bruce Ball manages its conveyance division and works on wastewater treatment, pump station design and corrosion control. Alex Reed is a principal electrical engineer.

Dave White and Francis Yuen joined the company's instrumentation and controls department. White is a supervising engineer with 14 year's experience in process control systems for the water and wastewater industry. Yuen is an engineer with experience in water treatment, wastewater treatment and control systems.

Tim Bauman is a cost estimator. Chris Hintz joined the accounts payable department.

Brown and Caldwell is an environmental planning, design and construction management company.

Renewable energy forum in Ellensburg

ELLENSBURG — A half-day forum on renewable energy takes place Nov. 29 at Central Washington University in Ellensburg from 1 to 5 p.m. Hosted by Washington Technology Center and the Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative, the goal is to start talks for a statewide renewable energy strategy.

The focus will be on ways to commercialize sustainable, renewable energy through sources such as wind, geothermal, biomass and bio fuel. Attendees will be business owners, government officials and researchers. Cost is $20.

For more information, contact Thea Medrano at (206) 616-3099 or tmedrano@watechcenter.org. Or see http://www.watechcenter.org/re/events.

19 win Make a Splash grants in Tacoma

TACOMA — The city of Tacoma Surface Water Management awarded 19 grants of $2,500 or less to individuals and groups working to protect water quality.

Among the winning projects are installing rain barrels, clearing non-native vegetation at Blueberry Park and educating youth about the environment.

The city's Make a Splash program gives up to $50,000 a year in grants, which are supported by water utility rates. Applications for 2005 grants will be available in March. For more information, contact special project engineer Christy Strand at (253) 502-2105 or makeasplash@cityoftacoma.org.

New recycling rules, services start Jan. 1

SEATTLE — New recycling rules and services for Seattle residents and businesses will go into effect next year, Mayor Greg Nickels recently announced.

An ordinance goes into effect Jan. 1, 2005, that bans recyclable paper and cardboard in commercial garbage. Yard waste, which is already excluded from residential garbage, will also be excluded from commercial garbage. The ordinance also prohibits recyclable paper, cardboard, cans and bottles in residential garbage.

Changes include free curbside recycling for businesses, commercial food scrap collection, 300 public recycling containers for cans and bottles, and free containers for yard waste subscribers.

King County is ‘StormReady'

SEATTLE — The National Weather Service recently named King County a "StormReady" community, and King County says it earned the highest rating of any county in the country for efforts to protect people and property in flood-prone area.

Floods in King County most commonly occur from November through February during periods of heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt.

County staff work year round to inspect, repair and monitor more than 500 flood protection facilities at the South Fork Skykomish, Snoqualmie, Sammamish, Cedar, Green and White rivers. Since 1990, the county has repaired or upgraded 180 flood protection facilities at a cost of more than $17 million. More than $10 million of that was leveraged from federal, state and other sources of grant funding.

King County maintains, reconstructs and retrofits levees, and buys or elevates homes that often flood. It also updates flood hazard maps.

A flood warning center alerts citizens, agencies and businesses when rivers rise to certain levels. Staff respond to inquiries on flooding, road closures, weather forecasts and dam operations on a 24-hour basis. Residents can call (206) 296-8200 or (800) 945-9263 to find out about changing river conditions.

The U.S. Geological Service posts real time river gauge information at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/flood/flood.htm.

USFS says poison best for Ore. lake

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — A U.S. Forest Service study has concluded that chemically treating Diamond Lake to rid it of a species of invasive fish is the best route to restoring the lake's water quality, as well as its trout fishery.

Last week the Umpqua National Forest formally finished its environmental studies on the tui chub issues in the eastern Douglas County lake, said Sherri Chambers, leader of a multi-agency team.

The studies conclude the use of rotenone to kill off the chubs before restocking the lake remains the best alternative for reversing poor water quality and reviving sagging angling interest.

Frances Eatherington of the environmental group Umpqua Watersheds railed against the Forest Service conclusion, saying it is motivated by the department's interest in selling fishing licenses.

"Everybody wants clean water and good fisheries, but that's not what's going on here," Eatherington said. "This is greed."

Eatherington said alternative means, such as nets and traps, should first be tried to trim the chub numbers down "instead of periodically flushing it, like a toilet, by poisoning it."

Environmental Watch: Envirometrics wins two awards

Ruby

PORTLAND — J.D. McAlpine and Mike Ruby of Seattle-based Envirometrics recently won an award from the Air and Waste Management Association's Pacific Northwest International section.

They were recognized for best technical presentation after a talk on how to use fluid mechanics to study wind flow around buildings, one way to help site meteorological towers.

Bazin joins Hart Crowser

Bazin

SEATTLE — Abby Bazin recently joined Hart Crowser. Bazin is working on a mine remediation for the U.S. Forest Service, a sediment habitat restoration for the Department of Natural Resources, and an emergency response plan for the U.S. Coast Guard.

Bazin received a master's in environmental engineering from Stanford University, where one of her focuses was acid drainage from abandoned mines.

Environmental engineering and geotechnical firm Hart Crowser is headquartered in Seattle and has offices in Edmonds, Portland, Anchorage, Denver and Cherry Hill, N.J.

EcoBuilding Guild workshop Nov. 18

SPOKANE — The Northwest EcoBuilding Guild will host a workshop in Spokane on alternative green building materials on Thursday at Argonne Public Library, 4322 N. Argonne Rd. from 6 to 9 p.m.

Don Stephens leads "Beyond Basic Straw Bale: Innovative Building Materials." Stephens builds with rice hulls and tire bales, the kinds of green building products he says aren't often marketed but are economical and perform well. Rice-hulls, for example, give good insulation, repel moisture and are fire-resistant. Stephens is looking at ways to use tightly packed bags of them to build load-bearing walls.

The EcoBuilding Guild is also taking new memberships for listing in its 2005 Green Pages, a directory of regional sustainable building professionals. Contact Carol O'Dahl at (425) 670-1342 or greenpages@ecobuilding.org or see http://www.ecobuilding.org.

Workshops look at pesticide options

PUYALLUP — Western Washington farmers can find out about alternatives to pesticides at two workshops next week.

They will be held on Nov. 23 at WSU Extension in Snohomish County, at 600 128th St. S.E. in Everett, and on Dec. 9 at WSU Puyallup Research & Extension Center, Allmendinger Center, 7612 Pioneer Way E. in Puyallup. Both will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

For more information, call Don Stuart, Northwest field director for American Farmland Trust, at (253) 446-9384 or e-mail dstuart@farmland.org.

The organizers are the American Farmland Trust and WSU's Small Farms Program. They say common agricultural pesticides will be restricted as a result of a recent federal court ruling calling for pesticide buffers near salmon streams and the Federal Food Quality Protection Act, set for 2006.

Expert: LEED buildings on the rise

PORTLAND — Green building expert Jerry Yudelson says there will be five times as many LEED-registered buildings in the next five years as there are now.

In his book "The Insider's Guide to Marketing Green Buildings," Yudelson predicts the number of LEED-registered products will jump from 1,760 at the end of this year to nearly 10,000 at the end of 2009.

Future growth of the green building industry is hindered by upfront costs, he said. Surveys show building industry professionals are sensitive to first costs.

Yudelson chaired a steering committee for the council's Greenbuild conference last week in Portland. He has 25 years of experience in marketing green building, renewable energy systems, and environmental remediation products and services. For information see http://www.yudelson.net or e-mail jerry.yudelson@comcast.net.

A mitigation bank for Lakewood?

SEATTLE — The Pierce Conservation District picked Habitat Bank to do a study of wetlands at Flett Creek in the city of Lakewood. Habitat has teamed with environmental engineering firm Parametrix to plan restoration of the 150-acre site.

Habitat will also look at ways to pay for building and maintaining the restoration, and one way could be to create a mitigation bank. Developers would be able to buy credits here to compensate for impacts to wetlands in other places.

Habitat is also proposing a mitigation bank project in Clark County. Such a bank would allow compensatory credits for wetlands in Mill Creek, Salmon Creek, Lackamas, Gee Creek and Curtin Creek drainages, as well as the East Fork of the Lewis and Columbia Rivers.

Study says Portland is curbing sprawl

SEATTLE — If greater Portland had sprawled like Charlotte, N.C., in the last decade, Portland would have lost an area twice its size, according to a Northwest Environment Watch study comparing the way 15 U.S. cities curbed sprawl and protected farmland in the last 10 years.

Portland ranked first at limiting low-density sprawl. Every other city except Sacramento, Calif., saw a rise in low-density sprawl. Portland also ranked first at saving open space among eight cities.

But greater Portland is less compact than many cities of similar size, and in average density it ranked behind Las Vegas, Denver, Phoenix, Sacramento and Salt Lake City. Only one quarter of greater Portland's residents live in compact neighborhoods, while half of residents of greater Las Vegas do.

Dick Cooley, Portland real estate investor and former chair of the Portland Planning Commission, said Oregon land use laws encourage reinvestment in existing neighborhoods and property.

Northwest Environment Watch is a Seattle-based nonprofit that publishes Cascadia Scorecard, which tracks census data and growth patterns in cities with comparable features.

Environmental Watch: Oil spill task force members picked

OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke and U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Jeffrey Garrett recently named 14 people to a task force to find new ways to respond to oil spills.

Locke and Garrett called for an Oil Spill Early Action task force to look at ways to better prepare for and respond to oil spills, especially during bad weather.

The task force will recommend ways to improve response, technology and notification procedures. Task force members come from government groups, tribes, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Ecology and associations. State and federal agencies will also be involved, with public comment periods at each meeting.

The Department of Ecology and the Coast Guard share responsibility for oil spill response in Washington's coastal waters.

A report set to be complete in January will be sent to oversight groups to test the response plan.

King County in WasteWise Hall of Fame

SEATTLE — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency picked King County as the first government agency in its national WasteWise Hall of Fame.

Partners that helped King County meet environmental goals are Wright Runstad, Sea-Dru-Nar, Total Reclaim and the RE Store. Last year King County bought $5.1 million worth of recycled paper and environmentally preferable products and saved $3 million on reuse. Buying recycled materials, preventing waste and recycling are some of the practices that earned King County its place in the hall of fame.

The first inductees were Kodak, Virco Manufacturing and New Jersey-based utility company PSEG. General Motors and King County joined in October. For more information, see http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/about/waste-wise or http://www.epa.gov/wastewise/about/winners.htm.

Creosote in Middle Waterway cleaned

TACOMA — More than 3,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments were cleaned recently at the head of the Middle Waterway of Tacoma's Commencement Bay, thanks to public and private partners. Cleaning started in July as an alternative to capping sediments.

Funds came from three sources: $1 million from the state Department of Ecology, $500,000 from the city of Tacoma and $250,000 from the Department of Natural Resources.

About 90 percent of contamination was creosote, still in a thick liquid state after 75 years. There were also other oils from the early 1900s industrial era. The eastern shoreline and much of the west side of the Middle Waterway are being restored to mudflat habitat. A local conservation group recognized state employees with an award.

ECOSS to host Thanksgiving fundraiser

SEATTLE — The Environmental Coalition of South Seattle will host a Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 18 at St. Bernadette Parish Hall, 1028 S.W. 128th Street at 5:30 p.m.

Silent and live auctions will be held to raise funds. Auction items include desserts, a river raft trip and $3,500 in concrete fencing. Cost is $60 per person. RSVP by Nov. 12 by calling (206) 767-0435 or e-mail lora@ecoss.org.

Burke-Gilman trail meeting Nov. 16

SEATTLE — A citizen advisory group of 13 holds its first meeting Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. in Lake Forest Park City Hall. The group will advise King County on redevelopment of the oldest section of the Burke-Gilman Trail, which crosses the city of Lake Forest Park.

The group will make recommendations on design, safety, maintenance and environmental concerns. Group members are cyclists, parks and recreation officials, homeowners with properties along the trail and businesses. For more information, contact Logan Harris at (206) 263-6550.

Comments due on Simpson mill permit

OLYMPIA — The Olympic Region Clean Air Agency seeks public comment on renewal of an air operating permit for Simpson Timber Co.'s lumber mill in Shelton. Pollutants at the mill could be particulate matter from dust and sulfur dioxide.

After a 30-day comment period, the agency will see if there is enough interest to hold a public hearing. Copies of the permit draft are available for review on the Web at www.orcaa.org, at ORCAA's office in Olympia or at the William G. Reed Public Library in Shelton. Submit written comments by Dec. 10 to ORCAA, 2940-B Limited Lane N.W., Olympia WA 98502.

ORCAA enforces air quality regulations in Thurston, Mason, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Jefferson and Pacific counties. For more information, call ORCAA at (360) 586-1044.

Benaroya Companies wins Energy Star

SEATTLE — The Environmental Protection Agency has presented an Energy Star Award to the commercial real estate company The Benaroya Companies at Benaroya's offices in Seattle.

Benaroya develops office, high-tech and warehouse properties. To save energy, Benaroya retrofitted lighting, installed motion sensors in rooms and started new maintenance practices.

Energy Star is a voluntary government-backed program that recognizes buildings that use 40 percent less energy than the average building. More than 1,700 buildings around the country have earned the designation.

Kirkland to hold 'Stewardship U'

SEATTLE — A free public workshop on how to start local environmental projects and organize communities will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Kirkland. It takes place at Kirkland Senior Center, 352 Kirkland Ave.

The "Stewardship U" workshop covers how to find funding and organize others for neighborhood restoration, watershed protection or water quality education projects. The goal is to help people learn how to better protect local streams, wetlands and wildlife areas. Part of the workshop is a trip to a stream restoration in Kirkland.

Funding for new projects could be available at an "Instant Grant-ification Booth" at the event, which is organized by King County and Water Tenders.

Pre-register by calling (206) 296-8312. For more information, call Elizabeth Loudon at (206) 263-6014 or e-mail elizabeth.loudon@metrokc.gov, or visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/grants.

Environmental Watch: Norton-Arnold & Co. hires two

Peterson

Coston

SEATTLE — Seattle's Norton-Arnold & Co. recently added two to its staff. The company does environmental mediation that focuses on getting citizens involved in policy-making decisions.

Todd Peterson has 20 years' experience in multi-party planning and negotiations. He is part of Norton-Arnold's team that is leading workshops in British Columbia for representatives of First Nations and other stakeholders to develop a salmon recovery program.

Heather Coston leads the company's Portland office. Coston has six years of experience in urban planning and transit-oriented development and worked at Clark County's public transit agency as a community outreach specialist.

BGI hosts 'humane capitalism' talk Friday

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — Sustainable enterprise expert Thomas Gladwin speaks on the role of business in "humane capitalism" on Friday at IslandWood from 7:30 to 9 p.m. The professor and author says sustainable development today hinges on ecology, efficiency and the "greening of the rich" more than it does on sociology, justice and advancement of the poor.

Gladwin says social sustainability is necessary for environmental sustainability and will speak on poverty, unemployment, disease and the changes that will be required so humans can sustain themselves. Admission is free.

For directions, call (206) 855-4300 or visit wwww.islandwood.org. It is hosted by the Bainbridge Graduate Institute as part of a lecture series on sustainable business.

Off-leash area for Pike/Pine park?

SEATTLE — Bids for construction at Boren Pike Pine Park came in $150,000 over budget in May, so some community members propose a dog off-leash area in part of the park. Seattle Parks and Recreation will host a public meeting on the proposal Nov. 9 at the Northwest School Theater, 1415 Summit Ave., from 7 to 9 p.m.

Landscape architecture firm Nakano Associates developed a concept plan that Parks used to prepare construction documents. There has been $825,000 allocated by the 2000 Pro Parks Levy, which will fund more than 100 projects around the city such as athletic fields and playgrounds. For more information, contact project manager Lynn Sullivan at (206) 733-9105 or lynn.sullivan@seattle.gov.

$46K in SEED money goes to 11 groups

OLYMPIA — Eleven organizations will receive $46,000 in SEEDs, or Small Environmental Education Dividends, for projects to educate people on how to protect and restore marine life in Puget Sound by improving water quality.

Puget Sound Action Team will distribute these awards through May 2005: Surfrider Foundation, $4,100; Audubon Washington, $4,500; Langley Middle School, $4,500; Whidbey Island Conservation District, $4,500; Maxwelton Salmon Adventure, $4,500; Bainbridge Island School District, $3,100; Indochinese Cultural and Service Center, $4,500; Friends of the San Juans, $3,500; Snohomish County, $4,500; city of Bellingham, $4,000; Nisqually River Foundation, $4,100.

Action Team is a partnership of state, local, federal and tribal organizations. For more information, see http://www.psat.wa.gov/Programs/Education.htm

HDR/EES to head study on lead plumbing

BELLEVUE — The American Water Works Association Research Foundation contracted the Seattle-based consulting firm HDR/EES to head a three-year research study of lead-bearing plumbing parts.

Utilities are required to control lead and copper corrosion by treating water, educating the public and replacing service lines. Treating corrosion in ways that comply with the rule is one of the research topics.

The goal is to find out how much lead is contributed to drinking water by service lines, utility-owned devices and plumbing fixtures. That information will be used to write guidelines for regulators, manufacturers and suppliers of water system and consumer plumbing parts. There are 21 utilities helping support the study.

DNR adds 120 rare plants to state guide

OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Natural Resources added 120 new species to the 160 already named in its publication, Field Guide to Washington's Rare Plants. The DNR's Washington Natural Heritage Program produced the guide with funds from the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. It is to help botanists, ecologists, naturalists, planners and land managers identify rare plants.

More than 400 plant species are of conservation concern in the state of Washington. Species descriptions help identify species and their habitats, and indicate potential management issues. Habitats, ecology and distribution of the species are covered in the guide, which is posted at http://www.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/fguide/htm/fgmain.htm. A complete list of rare plants in Washington is at: http://www.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/lists/plantrnk.html.

Thea Foss pollution persists, sources sought

TACOMA — Cleaned parts of the Thea Foss Waterway are still contaminated, and the city of Tacoma and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are looking for sources.

Manson Construction was doing cleanup work and construction in the southern part of the Superfund site next to an area cleaned by utility companies Puget Sound Energy and PacifiCorp.

Inspectors from the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversaw the contractors, who used barriers to contain debris and oily sheens. But recent sediment samples from the capped area show traces of an oily sheen and combustion-related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. Contaminants could have come from stormwater pipes or migrated through the cap.

The city is developing a plan to find the source of the recontamination and how to prevent it from reoccuring. For more information, visit http://www.cityoftacoma.org/fosscleanup.

Is butterfly bush a noxious weed?

SEATTLE — Gardeners like butterfly bush because it attracts butterflies, but the long lilac-colored flower clusters are starting to invade river banks and forests, crowding out native species. The state noxious weed control board hears a proposal to list the non-native ornamental plant as a Class C Noxious Weed at the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center, 990 S.W. Rock Creek Dr. in Stevenson on Nov. 16 at 1:30 p.m.

Like Scotch broom and other noxious weeds, butterfly bush competes with tree seedlings. It can dominate riverbanks and gravel bars in ways that make it hard for native trees and shrubs to grow. Infestations can be found along the Snoqualmie, Cedar, Green and White rivers. Butterfly bush is becoming a problem in forested natural areas such as Taylor Mountain Forest and Sugarloaf Mountain. Some infestations cover several acres, but there are still areas where it has just begun to invade and can be stopped.

Send written comments on the proposal to list butterfly bush as a noxious weed by Nov. 9 to Executive Director Steve McGonigal, Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, P.O. Box 42560, Olympia WA 98504. Fax to (360)-902-2094 or e-mail SmcGonigal@agr.wa.gov. For more information, contact noxious weed program manager Steven Burke at (206) 205-6927 or steve-j.burke@metrokc.gov.

Environmental Watch: Norton-Arnold wins Canadian contract

SEATTLE — Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans contracted with Seattle-based Norton-Arnold & Co. to lead workshops on ways to recover salmon species listed as endangered under Canada's Species at Risk Act.

As part of its $70,000 contract, Norton-Arnold will lead 16 workshops in October and November in British Columbia. Sessions will be held in remote and urban areas including Prince Rupert, Kamloops, Chilliwack and Vancouver Island. Input from First Nations, representatives of the fishing industry and the public will be used to develop recovery strategies, which will go to Canada's Minister of the Environment for approval.

PSU sustainability workshop in Singapore

PORTLAND — Portland State University will launch an outreach program on sustainability education in Singapore, with a workshop there from Nov. 2 to 4. PSU faculty, and industry and government experts from Asia and the U.S. are hosting the workshop on opportunities and cost savings sustainability strategies can offer.

Workshops will address the expensive choices firms and governments face in quickly growing countries in Asia, and how businesses can reduce environmental impacts so they can avoid government sanctions and ensure access to global markets.

PSU says it plans to hold a similar workshop in China in early 2005. For more information, call program director Lee Kuhre at at (503) 725-8556.

Green power's ‘founding fathers' to speak

PORTLAND — Portland-based Ecos Consulting will host a panel discussion Nov. 4 on energy efficiency. "Founding Fathers of Energy Efficiency" will be held at Portland State University's Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Panelists are Ralph Cavanagh, a senior lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council; Amory Lovins, co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute; and Art Rosenfeld, commissioner of the California Energy Commission.

They will speak on ideas they put forward 25 years ago on how to meet growing electricity demand through investments other than new power plants, and opportunities that lie ahead. Panelists will speak on how their ideas have been realized and what obstacles remain.

The event is free and open to the public. Reserve by contacting Ecos Consulting at (503) 224-1417 or see http://www.ecosconsulting.com/reserve.

Ecos was founded by people in the utility industry, environmental community, government and academia. Ecos works on finding opportunities for energy efficiency in the marketplace as well as encouraging use of technologies that are better for the environment.

Green building class in Spokane Nov. 4

SPOKANE — A free workshop on green building takes place Nov. 4 at the AGC Building, 4935 E. Trent in Spokane from 1 to 4 p.m. Hosted by the Construction and Industrial Workforce Development Center, the workshop is intended to help design and construction firms bid for new public construction projects that will be required to be built green.

Design and construction firms will need to be proficient in sustainable building practices and the LEED scoring system, but so will work crews, managers and site superintendents.

For more information about "The Why, What and How of Green Building" workshop, call the Construction and Industrial Workforce Development Center at (509) 535-0391.

NW Maritime Center dock wins award

PORT TOWNSEND — The Northwest Maritime Center's new dock is one of eight urban waterfront projects to win an award from the Washington, D.C.-based Waterfront Center. Architect Brian Court of Seattle's Miller/Hull Partnership said the dock was recognized for its attention to the site's ecology. It won in the environmental protection category.

Its eelgrass-friendly ecological design was done by Sequim-based Battelle Marine Sciences Laboratory. Area high school students recently started monitoring eelgrass plantings.

The Waterfront Center's competition recognizes urban waterfront projects, plans and citizen efforts. Others winners included projects in Minneapolis, New York and Vancouver, B.C.

Tagro gets award from EPA

TACOMA — Tagro, the city of Tacoma's line of gardening products made from biosolids, recently earned a first-place award from the Environmental Protection Agency. Tagro is short for Tacoma Grow.

EPA recognized Tacoma's introduction of mulch and potting soil, and the city's biosolids production process, which has been changed in ways that have helped overcome odor problems as well as expand markets for biosolids products.

Gardeners have been using Tagro products in landscaping, vegetable gardens and large-scale commercial areas since 1989. The city of Tacoma donates its harvest of more than 3,000 pounds of Tagro-grown produce to local food banks each year. For more information, call (253) 502-2150 or see http://www.tagro.com.

Tacoma cleans up garbage truck emissions

TACOMA — The city of Tacoma's fleet services division retrofitted 48 garbage trucks with mufflers designed to cut tailpipe emissions, smoke and odor in half. The division maintains 1,400 vehicles and equipment.

"We'll have the cleanest running trucks around, so clean you can almost sniff the tailpipes," said fleet services division manager Steve Hennessey.

The city used part of a $100,000 grant from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency to retrofit mufflers with a diesel oxidation catalyst. The porous, ceramic structure uses chemicals to break down exhaust pollutants into less harmful components.

The city is also using biodiesel, a renewable product made from soybean oil, for cleaner emissions. Tacoma's garbage trucks run on a blend of one-fifth biodiesel and four-fifths petroleum diesel. Next year the city plans to introduce "ultra-low" sulfur petroleum diesel, which the city says will reduce harmful emissions up to 90 percent.

DNR gets $25K grant for fire prevention

OLYMPIA — State Farm Insurance gave the Department of Natural Resources a $25,000 grant to create a video and brochure on how to prevent wildfires. Property owners can use the new materials to learn how to use fire-safe landscaping techniques to protect homes.

"We may be in different businesses," said Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland, "but we share a common goal in reducing the risk of wildfire."

Each year DNR spends more than $25 million fighting wildfires in Washington. DNR is responsible for helping prevent wildfires on 12 million acres of private and state-owned forestland.

The video will cover how to use native vegetation to create a fuel break that reduces risk of wildfire but still attracts wildlife. The brochure will show homeowners how to create defensible spaces where firefighters can operate if wildfires approach. Ways to create such spaces are by thinning certain kinds of trees and shrubs, removing dead vegetation and planting more fire-resistant materials. The video and brochure will be ready by the end of the year.

Environmental Watch: Chinese group at conference here today

OLYMPIA — Twenty Chinese delegates are scheduled to attend the Environmental Conference of Washington today at the Washington State Trade & Convention Center. They were invited by the Washington State China Relations Council.

Organizers say they hope the event will help strengthen ties between Chinese environmental groups and Washington's business community. Delegates will have an exhibit on the environmental landscape in China and the country's regulatory system. They will be part of a panel discussion on strategies to maintain water quality.

The conference is hosted by the Association of Washington Business and the Northwest Environmental Business Council as part of an effort to keep the business community informed about environmental policy issues and laws. For more information, call Amy Johnson at (360) 943-1600 or see http://www.ecwashington.org.

Outdoor Rec committee appoints Chapman

OLYMPIA — Gov. Gary Locke appointed Mercer Island resident Bill Chapman to the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation, which issues grants for recreation and conservation projects around the state.

Chapman is a partner with Seattle law firm Preston Gates Ellis and a founding board member of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, a nonprofit that raises money for grants so local communities can acquire land for outdoor recreation and wildlife habitat protection.

The Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation was formed in 1964 to help finance recreation and conservation projects around the state, such as parks, trails, beaches and recreational facilities.

Bulkhead removal at Luna Park this week

SEATTLE — Seattle Parks and Recreation was set to start removing old bulkhead walls at Luna Park yesterday.

Weakened by storms and heavy waves from fast ferries, the bulkhead walls were failing. Bainbridge Island contractor Caicos Corp. will remove the seawall. Most of the work will be done during low tide.

A superstructure is now in place for the park's new pier. The new park will have a grassy area. Parks plans to keep historical elements such as the anchor, plaque and artwork. For details about the reconstruction of Luna Park, see http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/maintenance/luna.htm.

DNR seeks comment on access rules

OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Natural Resources is seeking public comment on its rules for recreation and public access, and is hosting meetings around the state in the next three weeks.

Public meetings are scheduled in Lacey today, Mount Vernon tomorrow, Port Angeles on Thursday, Vancouver on Oct. 26, Spokane on Oct. 27, Seattle on Oct. 28, Okanogan on Nov. 3 and Ellensburg on Nov. 4. All meetings will be from 6 to 8 p.m. DNR staff will make presentations and participants can comment on proposals for recreation facilities, organized events, and road use and access.

Written comments can be sent to: DNR SEPA Center, P.O. Box 47015, Olympia 98504-7015 or by e-mail to sepacenter@wadnr.gov. Comments will be used to prepare an environmental impact statement, which will then undergo public review and comment.

Existing rules were written in 1970 as part of the Washington Administrative Code, but there has been an increase in population and changes in the ways people use DNR-managed lands since. DNR manages more than three million acres of state-owned trust forest, agricultural, range lands and commercial properties. Income earned from the lands is used to build schools, universities and other state institutions.

Water resource conference Oct. 28 at SAM

SEATTLE — A conference on "The Impact of Climate Change on Pacific Northwest Water Resources" will take place Oct. 28 at Seattle Art Museum from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Scientists predict warming temperatures in the Northwest will lead to: warmer winters, more flooding, shorter ski seasons, more frequent droughts and chronic water shortages.

This year's American Water Resources Association Washington Section conference will explore causes of climate change and its impact to the Pacific Northwest's water resources.

Attendees will represent government, business, academia and tribal communities. Scientists and policy makers will speak on climate change and ways to plan and adapt to changing conditions. For more information, call Lisa Vaughn, conference registrar, at (425) 425-883-0777 or see http://www.wa-awra.org

Vashon heavy metal symposium Oct. 30

VASHON — Residents on Vashon Island can attend a free symposium on how to protect pets and children from arsenic, lead and cadmium contaminants in soils.

The Heavy Metals Remediation symposium will be held on Oct. 30 at the Chautauqua Elementary School in Vashon from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Arsenic, lead and other potentially toxic heavy metals contaminate much of the soil on Vashon Island and other areas that were under the Asarco smelter plumes. Contaminants originated in Ruston and Everett.

Soil contamination and remediation experts will provide information that families can use to protect pets and children from the effects of heavy metals in soil. It is free to everyone and includes free childcare. Sponsored by the Vashon-Maury Island Community Council, the symposium is paid for by a public participation grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology. For more information, call May Gerstle at (206) 463-0974.

Polygon proposes to fill wetlands

PORTLAND — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is evaluating a permit application from Polygon Northwest to fill irrigation ponds and wetlands next to Johnson Creek in Beaverton, Ore.

The applicant is proposing a residential, commercial and industrial mixed-use development, which would require filling 1.31 acres of jurisdictional waters of the U.S., including four irrigation ponds and 0.14 acres of wetland fringe. Polygon has also proposed a new sewerline connection.

To mitigate the impacts, Polygon proposes restoring 0.26 acres and enhancing part of a wetland next to Johnson Creek. A public notice is posted at: https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/g/notices/200400564.pdf.

Written comments must reach the Corps by Oct. 22 and should be mailed to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, CENWP-OP-GP Attn: Corrie Veenstra, P.O. Box 2946, Portland, OR 97208-2946. Or call (503) 808-4378.

King County gives $230K for projects

SEATTLE — King County recently announced it will give nearly $230,000 for community projects around the county. Funds are the latest round in the county's Grant Exchange program.

The program offers six grant types: watershed protection, habitat restoration, reforestation, salmon conservation, natural resource stewardship and education. Community groups, schools, and local governments apply. Projects must be located either in King County or in South Snohomish County watersheds that flow into Lake Washington or Sammamish River.

Ten projects won grants: Boys and Girls Club of King County, $15,000; Denny Middle School, $15,000; Friends of Madrona Woods, $60,000; Interim, $6,000; Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, $15,000; Salish Sea Expeditions, $15,000; Seattle Audubon, $28,350; Seattle Public Schools TV, $15,000; Lake Forest Park Stewardship Foundation, $36,640; Delridge Neighborhood Association, $15,000.

Information sessions on how to write grants will be Nov. 6, Nov. 13 or Dec. 4. Call Linda Vane at (206) 296-8042 or Elizabeth Loudon at (206) 263-6014 for more information.

Environmental Watch: Young joins DEA as environmental planner

Young

BELLINGHAM — David Evans and Associates hired Sara K. Young as an environmental planner in its Bellingham office. Young's experience is in wetland delineation, hydric soil evaluations and ecological surveys. She studied wetlands in Washington and California's coastal, inland and desert ecosystems.

Young has managed a residential development in Palmdale, Calif., a mining site outside of Primm, Nev., and an 18-mile toll road construction project in Orange County, Calif.

Adolfson hires senior scientist Parry

Parry

PORTLAND — Adolfson Associates added senior scientist Betsy Parry to its Portland office. Parry has 15 years of experience developing natural resource plans, and evaluating fish and wildlife habitat.

Parry also managed transportation projects involving wetlands, cultural resources and endangered species. She has expertise in plant community ecology in wetlands and uplands. Parry has also worked on public hearings and community outreach.

Adolfson is an environmental consulting firm specializing in natural resource management. It has offices in Seattle and Portland.

Hart Crowser names new principal

SEATTLE — Hart Crowser promoted Julie Wukelic to senior principal. During Wukelic's 15 years at the firm, she has managed environmental work for the development of Benaroya Hall, Niketown and most recently the city of Bremerton's new conference center. Wukelic works with Northwest property owners on environmental due diligence for property transactions.

Hart Crowser is a 150-person environmental and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Seattle. It has other offices in Edmonds, Portland, Anchorage, Denver and Cherry Hill, N.J. Hart Crowser specializes in environmental and geotechnical engineering, natural resources and remediation technologies.

Park commissioners meet Oct. 14

SEATTLE — The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners holds its next meeting Oct. 14 in the Park Board Room at 100 Dexter Ave. N. at 6 p.m. Topics include:

• A proposal to move Sadako Peace Sculpture from Peace Park in the University District to Green Lake Park. Staff recommend keeping the statue where it is.

• Beach fires. At designated areas at Golden Gardens and Alki beaches, beach fires are permitted.

• Capehart housing/Navy privatization at Discovery Park.

The seven-member citizen board advises the Parks and Recreation superintendent, the mayor and the city council. For more information, contact Sandy Brooks at (206) 684-5066 or sandy.brooks@seattle.gov.

Apprentice electricians get solar training

RENTON — A 9-kilowatt solar electric system was recently installed at a Renton training facility for apprentice electrians. The Puget Sound Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee's center is located at 550 S.W. Seventh St. It trains 2,000 journey-level electricians each year.

Training director Bill Bowser said a continuing education class on solar electric system installation has consistently been full. He said the center plans to add 4 to 5 kilowatts to its solar system each year, with the help of apprenticing electricians. More electricians will then be qualified to design and install solar power systems. For more information, see http://www.psejatc.org.

Rains halt work on $3.8M salmon project

PORTLAND — Heavy rains stopped construction work on a $3.8 million salmon habitat project on the lower Columbia River in August, but work will resume in July 2005.

At Crims Island, which is 48 miles downriver from Portland in Columbia County, Ore., 76 acres of tidal marsh and 115 acres of forest will be restored. Part of the plan calls for excavation of two feet of soil from an area dominated with reed canary grass.

Tidal marsh restoration will create rearing and foraging habitat for juvenile fall chinook, chum and coho salmon. Snake River sockeye, steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout will benefit from restored links in the Columbia River's estuarine food web, as will waterfowl, bald eagles, Columbian white-tailed deer and migratory songbirds.

The project will be a three-year effort by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bonneville Power Administration, American Rivers and the Columbia Land Trust. Fish and Wildlife's Charles Stenvall said, "We have never tried anything of this size and scope before. Work at Crims Island will influence design of restoration projects on other refuge islands."

Columbia River power options: Oct. 21-22

SEATTLE — The Seminar Group will host a conference on the Columbia River's power on Oct. 21 and 22 at the Westin in Seattle. The conference considers the next phase of development of electrical power in the Columbia River basin. Policymakers are looking for new ways to manage the region's resources, as there are limits to how much power the river can provide.

Lawyers, utilities executives, and power and transmissions developers are invited to participate. For more information or to register, call (206) 463-4400 or (800) 574-4852. The Seminar Group is based in Vashon.

New ocean and health research to start here

SEATTLE — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said new research studies will start in Seattle on how oceans can impact human health.

Dr. Usha Varanasi, director of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, will lead new research. As part of the Oceans and Human Health Initiative set up by Congress last year, scientists will study how humans impact the ocean health and how oceans influence human health.

Teams will study ways biotoxins and chemicals in seafood impact human health. A goal is to understand key stressors and forecast health threats from contaminated seafood.

Other groups that will work on ocean and health research are the Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, S.C., and the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laborator in Ann Arbor, Mich. They will study beach safety, seafood quality, coastal pollution, marine toxins and pathogens. Each research center will receive $2 million in the first year.

Environmental Watch: Anchor Environmental adds Seattle staff

SEATTLE — Anchor Environmental hired new staff in its Seattle office. Bryan Patterson is an environmental engineer with expertise in aquatic environments. Environmental toxicologist Shawn Hinz assesses aquatic and upland systems. Junior planner Katie Chamberlin has marine affairs and regulatory expertise. Erin Iverson is a GIS analyst with database administration experience.

Leilani McSpadden is a senior accounting coordinator. Kim Golka-Ridlon is a senior payroll and accounting coordinator.

Thomas Patterson is on the information technology team and will troubleshoot technical problems in the company's eight offices. Lynn Turner is a project assistant and helps manage document production and marketing efforts. Susan Thompson works on general office support as a project coordinator in the Portland office.

Anchor is an environmental science and engineering firm that focuses on shoreline projects. The firm works on projects around the country, specializing in sediment management, environmental review and geotechnical engineering.

Goldendale wind project gets $307,000

OLYMPIA — When three Fuhrländer wind turbines come to Goldendale in Klickitat County, they'll be the first in the state to supply community-owned power, said Jessica Raker of Northwest Sustainable Energy for Economic Development, or SEED.

A $307,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture allows SEED to team up with Last Mile Electric Cooperative and the Klickitat County Public Utility District to bring three 100-kilowatt turbines to Luna Point, near Goldendale. Profits from sales of power will go to Operation Warm Heart, a low-income energy assistance program.

Raker said construction is set to start at the end of summer 2005. She said the location was a demonstration site for Department of Energy-sponsored wind projects.

USDA chose 167 in 26 states to receive $22.8 million in competitive grants. Rural small businesses, farmers and ranchers can use funds to create renewable energy systems.

Can green power boost your brand?

SEATTLE — A conference on using green power in business will be on Oct. 19, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Qwest Field and Events Center in Seattle. Organizers of "Better Business Through Green Power" will show examples of how green power purchases can strengthen brand recognition, and customer and employee loyalty.

The keynote speaker is author and consultant Gifford Pinchot, who works to help companies use sustainable business practices. Other speakers are Kevin Hagen, a renewable energy procurement strategist, and Jim Burke, coordinator of Sacramento municipal utility district's Greenergy program.

Cost is $60. For more information, contact Diane Zipper, Renewable Northwest Project, at (503) 223-4544 or diane@RNP.org.

Wetlands conference Oct. 25, 26

SEATTLE — Seattle-based Law Seminars International presents its "Wetlands In Washington" conference in Seattle on Oct. 25 and 26. Brent Carson of Buck & Gordon and A.W. "Sandy" Mackie of Perkins Coie will chair the program, which covers: isolated wetlands, tribal perspectives on wetlands protection, permitting, mitigation banking and the survival of the shellfish industry. For more information, call (206) 567-4490 or (800) 854-8009. Or visit: http://www.clenews.com/LSI/04/04wetwa.htm.

County redesigns waste disposal Web site

SEATTLE — King County's Solid Waste Division has redesigned its Web site so people can find out where to recycle electronics and used appliances, and how to safely dispose of hazardous wastes such as paint and batteries.

King County researchers say the average person has four gallons of paint, two pounds of pesticides and a couple of old televisions he doesn't want.

A new Web site feature is a "What do I do with…?" pull down A-Z menu that gives information on what to do with items ranging from animal waste to vehicles. See http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/.

REI gives $10,000 for new rest stop

TACOMA — A 3.5-acre wetland is being created along the Pierce County Foothills Trail corridor between Orting and South Prairie. The wetland will bridge a 3.3-mile link in an 11-mile paved trail between McMillin and South Prairie. It is set to be finished this fall.

Volunteers will plant 40,000 native wetland species at the site on Saturday. The county was required to create the wetland in order to mitigate the trail's environmental impacts. Recreational Equipment Inc. gave a $10,000 grant to construct a rest stop overlooking the wetland.

The rest stop will have a 500-square-foot asphalt pad, a picnic table, park bench, barbecue pit and bike rack.

Columbia River channel work starts

PORTLAND — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently announced completion of the first ecosystem restoration project associated with the Columbia River Channel Improvement.

Construction at Lord-Walker Island, near Longview, involved excavation of 620 cubic yards of sand from the downstream end of Lord Island. New conditions will provide habitat for juvenile salmon as they migrate to the ocean.

Larson Marine Services of Portland won a $5,199 contract to do the work last month.

Work at Lord-Walker Island is the first construction on the $134 million project, which aims to improve the deep-draft transport of goods on the authorized Columbia River navigation channel as well as restore ecosystems for fish and wildlife.

Oregon and Washington have committed $55.4 million to the project. Additional environmental work will take place next summer. Efforts to deepen the navigation channel are set to start in summer 2005.

Tribe wants more study of Post Falls dams

OST FALLS, Idaho (AP) — The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is digging in its heels in its demand for an analysis of how much usable land was lost when the free-flowing Spokane River was dammed up at Post Falls by Avista Utilities.

Tribal and utility officials agreed that the tribe is not advocating removal of the dam, which manipulates water levels in Lake Coeur d'Alene to provide power generation. But it is contemplating seeking federally authorized payments for lands flooded by dams.

The tribe owns the bottom third of the lake.

Bruce Howard, relicensing manager for Avista, said there have been various studies of the dam's impact, but he said Avista felt the free-flowing river scenario was unrealistic and chose not to include it as a dam-operation choice on its license application to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The application is due by July, and Avista is trying to complete a draft by January for a three-month review so there is still time to make any changes before the submission deadline. The utility has been working with the tribe and all other interested parties to put together an application that all can agree on.

But the dispute over the free-flowing river analysis could thwart the tribe's signing on to any analysis.

Environmental Watch: Washington state solar tour Saturday

SEATTLE — Ninety solar-powered buildings around the state will be open for tours Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as part of a nationwide American Solar Energy Society event. It will be the biggest solar tour in Washington in four years, said Pamela Burton of Solar Washington, a nonprofit that works to develop renewable energy. Homes, businesses, schools and institutions will be open for tours. Here are some of the new stops:

The Seattle tour has 18 sites. At four homes, families have invested in systems to use solar energy for hot water and electricity.

The Energy Outreach Center in Olympia. Its goal is to educate the public about energy efficiency and sustainable building.

Grays Harbor College has a new coastal resource learning project, which incorporates solar and wind energy into its natural resources program.

Conover Commons offers solar options. It was built under the city of Redmond's new cottage housing development code.

Spirit Ridge Inn on the north end of Camano Island offers clean solar power.

Eleven sites in Chelan County, including schools in Wenatchee, are participants in the Chelan County Public Utility District's sustainable natural alternative power program.

Quinault picks energy expert for study

PENNINGTON, N.J. — The Quinault Indian Nation chose the Pennington, N.J.-based solar technology company WorldWater Corp. to study how the 210,000-acre Quinault Nation can use renewable energy systems at its beach resort and casino. The tribe won a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to help fund the study.

The Quinault Nation is located along the coast on the Olympic Peninsula. WorldWater, which provides solar energy and water-pumping systems, will look at ways the Quinaults can use solar, wind, wave and other renewable energy sources.

WorldWater says it delivers systems in Africa and Asia, and that its technology is used for commercial and industrial water-pumping, irrigation and refrigeration systems.

$1M grant for 35 ‘Breathe Easy' homes

SEATTLE — A project to design 35 homes for people with asthma in the West Seattle's High Point housing project recently won a grant for almost $1 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The University of Washington is teaming up with Seattle-King County Public Health to see if efforts to design allergen- and dust-reduced environments help children with asthma.

Funds cover research as well as upgrades to units. The project team includes Mithun of Seattle and Absher Construction of Puyallup.

The Breathe Easy Homes demonstration units have filtered ventilation, cabinets free of asthma-triggering glues, easy-clean flooring, doormats designed to limit tracked-in dirt and a HEPA-filter vacuum cleaner.

More people in low-income housing tend to suffer from asthma, according to UW professor Tim Takaro, and up to 12 percent of public housing residents have asthma. Takaro's study will compare a year's worth of asthma symptoms in children before and after they move into Breathe Easy homes. Occupants will move into the new homes starting in September 2005.

Two meetings on new work at arboretum

SEATTLE — The first of two public meetings on the Washington Park Arboretum will be held Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Montlake Community Center's Tudor Building, 1618 E. Calhoun St. The meeting will focus on the south entry and Madrona Terrace area.

Proposed work includes construction of a 30-space parking lot, an education shelter, new exhibits on forest communities and renovation of Holmdahl Rockery. The public can comment on preliminary designs.

An Oct. 21 meeting at the Graham Visitor's Center at the Washington Park Arboretum, 2300 Arboretum Drive E., from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. will address ways to create a wayfinding plan.

Meetings are hosted by Seattle Parks and Recreation, the University of Washington and the Arboretum Foundation. For more information about the south entry project, contact project planner David Goldberg at (206) 684-8414 or davidw.goldberg@seattle.gov. For more information about the wayfinding plan, contact project manager Jerry Ernst at (206) 652-0599 or jernst@prrbiz.com.

Free seminars on new Seattle energy code

SEATTLE — To help with the transition to the new energy code, the Department of Planning and Development is offering four free seminars: lighting and motors on Oct. 11, mechanical systems on Oct. 18, and building envelope design on Oct. 25. An overview will be presented Nov. 1. Changes apply to nonresidential construction.

Seminars will be from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Lighting Design Lab. Participants receive free copies of the 2003 Seattle Energy Code and 2003 Washington State Energy Code. To register, contact Daphne Tomchak at (206) 684-7932 or Daphne.Tomchak@seattle.gov. The new code is posted at www.seattle.gov/dpd/energy.

Businesses can cut cars and get cash

BELLEVUE — The city of Bellevue, King County Metro and the Bellevue Downtown Association are launching a demonstration program for Bellevue employers. It's designed to reduce drive-alone trips throughout Bellevue.

The FlexPass program gives cash rebates to Bellevue employers who buy FlexPass transportation for the first time. Employers receive $40 for downtown Bellevue areas and $20 for other Bellevue areas for each pass distributed to its employees. The program combines transit, vanpool and emergency taxi rides into one annual pass that is priced below retail transit passes.

The rebates are one way the city is trying to cut downtown drive-alone commutes by next year. Employers must register by December for rebates and are required to survey employees for usage. In May 2005, employers can get $400 to survey employees again. For more information, contact Debbie Driver at Bellevue Downtown Association, (425) 990-3098, or Maria McGarry at the city of Bellevue, (425) 452-4345.

City Light incentives for energy upgrades

SEATTLE — Seattle City Light is offering financial incentives through the end of the year for energy-efficient improvements. Businesses and multifamily housing are eligible for City Light's "Energy Smart Services" program.

Eligible projects are upgrades to lighting, HVAC systems, building controls and industrial processes. Medium and large commercial and industrial customers can get a 10 percent signing bonus if they contract with City Light before Dec. 15. Those completed, inspected and approved by City Light by July 15, 2005, can get an extra 10 percent bonus.

For more information call (206) 684-3254. For more information on incentives for small businesses and multifamily buildings, call (206) 684-3800 or visit www.seattle.gov/light/conserve.

Environmental Watch: EnviroIssues turns 15, adds staff

Pelley

Galano

SEATTLE — Now in its 15th year, Seattle consulting firm EnviroIssues recently added new staff. Suanne Pelley joined as a senior project manager. Chelsea Galano works on environmental planning. Kristy Laing was a community outreach coordinator at the University of Washington's health sciences program. Kristine dos Remedios rejoins after earning her master's degree in urban and regional planning from Portland State University. Alexa Miller was an account executive for Microsoft. Angie Thomson-Buldis was a communications liaison for the University of Washington's college of ocean and fishery sciences. Marlies Wierenga worked at the Washington State Department of Transportation on soil bioengineering cost and benefit analysis. Hadley Greene was promoted to project manager and will manage the Washington State Ferries' Colman Dock master plan.

The company works on public outreach for clients, most of whom are in the public sector. EnviroIssues creates publications and Web sites, facilitates meetings with decision-makers and organizes meetings for public comment. The firm has offices in Seattle, Richland, Portland and Boise.

Learn how to harvest rainwater Thursday

SEATTLE — Northwest architects, engineers and developers will share their expertise on rainwater harvesting in Seattle on Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at the Olympic Room at Seattle Center.

They will join installers and government regulators in presentations on how rainwater harvesting can be part of the region's sustainable community development. Cost is $35. See the schedule and register at http://www.engr.washington.edu/epp/arcsa. For more information, contact Dick Lilly, Seattle Public Utilities, (206) 615-0706, or dick.lilly@seattle.gov

October workshops on shorelines, regulations

SEATTLE — Workshops on shorelines and environmental regulations will be held in Seattle next month.

Law Seminars International hosts a workshop Oct. 1 on shorelines regulation and permitting at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel. Led by Thomas R. Bjorgen of Bjorgen Bauer and T. Ryan Durkan of Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson, it will cover how to use new guidelines to manage aquatic lands and is targeted to developers, city planners, property owners and lawyers. To register, contact (206) 567-4490 or (800) 854-8009. Or visit http://www.clenews.com/LSI/04/04showa.htm.

Lion Technology will present an environmental regulation workshop on Oct. 11 and 12 at the Seattle Airport Hilton. It will cover systematic compliance, the safe drinking water act, pesticides and toxic substances. Training will be provided on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's rules and 40 CFR. To register, call (973) 383-0800 Ext. e835 or visit http://www.lion.com/e835.

County council meets on farms, forests

ISSAQUAH — King County Council holds its next town hall meeting on Sept. 27 at Pickering Barn, 1730 10th Ave. N.W. in Issaquah. The topic will be why working farms and forests are part of the county's agricultural heritage.

Town hall meetings are regularly held around the county so residents who may not be able to travel to Seattle can give public comment. For more information, visit http://www.metrokc.gov/council/townhall.

King County hosts farm tour Oct. 2

SEATTLE — King County will host a tour of farms on Oct. 2. This is the sixth year of the tour. It gives county residents a chance to learn about local food systems. The public tour of 23 county farms will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants can visit corn maze fields, buy produce and pumpkins, and talk with farmers.

Maps are available at farmers markets around the Puget Sound and Seattle Public Libraries. Admission is free. For more information, call (206) 205-3206.

Donations sought to replace Green Pages

SEATTLE — The Environmental Home Center, a supplier of sustainable building materials, is calling for donations to help the non-profit NW EcoBuilding Guild replace its stock of the Green Pages, which was lost in the Home Center's August fire.

The fire destroyed offices, a showroom and a warehouse. In storage were 5,000 copies of the Green Pages, a directory of sustainable professionals and services in the Northwest. Donations can be sent to: NW EcoBuilding Guild, P.O. Box 58530, Seattle, WA 98138-1530, Attn: EHC fire/Green Pages. For details, contact membership@ecobuilding.org.

Since the fire, the Home Center has received support and offers for financial assistance from some of its SoDo neighbors and customers. It uses a call center to sell products to customers in all 50 states.

Products are low-toxic paints and finishes, wool and plant-fiber carpets, sustainably harvested wood for flooring and cabinets, tiles, energy-efficient insulation and decking. To order, call (206) 682-7332 or (800) 281-9785. Also visit http://www.environmentalhomecenter.com.

NW ports win environmental awards

SEATTLE — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presents the port of Seattle with a Phoenix Award this week for redevelopment of Terminal 18 on Harbor Island, a Superfund site.

Years of industrial activity polluted the island with oils, metals and PCBs. Thousands of cubic yards of contaminated soil were removed. Other polluted areas were capped during a $300 million, eight-year expansion.

Vehicle and rail access was improved and a waterfront park created. Port officials say redevelopment resulted in 2,000 new jobs.

The Port of Portland won an award from the American Association of Port Authorities for environmental management. Using what's called the Environmental Management System, the port sets goals and targets each year based on statewide environmental initiatives, trends, stakeholder concerns and business needs. The port then evaluates impacts and decides how resources should be allocated next. For more information, visit www.portofportland.com/environ_programs.htm.