Environmental Watch: Bitterroot Restoration wins Corps contract

CORVALLIS, Mont. — The ecological restoration firm Bitterroot Restoration won a contract of at least $2 million that could increase to $10 million from the Seattle district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Bitterroot will remove and replace brush and plants for at least a year on properties that federal agencies own or are restoring in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. These include active military installations.

Bitterroot is based in Corvallis, Mont. Clients include the National Park Service, the mining industry and utility groups. The company's past work for the Corps includes watershed planning near abandoned mines.

Workshop on advanced hazmat management

SEATTLE — Lion Technology is holding a workshop in Seattle for certification in advanced hazardous waste management. It will be Thursday and Friday at Holiday Inn Seattle, Sea-Tac International Airport. Cost is $895.

A session on waste identification will cover testing, sampling and screening techniques. Other sessions will review ways to manage releases, treat hazardous waste on-site and recycle.

To register, call (973) 383-8088 Ext. a961 or see http://www.lion.com/a961. Lion Technology is based in Lafayette, N.J.

Two-day conference here on Columbia River

SEATTLE — The Seminar Group will hold a Nov. 14-15 conference called "The Mighty Columbia — A River for All?" at the Renaissance Madison in Seattle.

It is designed for lawyers, government officials, utility executives, resource consultants and engineers. Conference co-chairs are Lorraine Bodi of Bonneville Power Administration and Barbara D. Craig of Stoel Rives in Portland. Topics include:

Legal issues. Oregon judge Malcolm F. Marsh will talk about legal issues related to managing the Columbia River.

Salmon. University of Washington's David R. Montgomery will give an overview of the 1,000-year salmon run.

Long-term policy. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fisheries biologist Robert T. Lackey will outline long-term policy for the river.

Economics. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Tom Karier will review the economics of hydropower, agriculture and fisheries.

Poulsen named Legislator of the Year

OLYMPIA — The environmental group Washington Conservation Voters named Sen. Erik Poulsen (D-Seattle) Legislator of the Year for leading the effort to mandate green building in state buildings.

Poulsen chairs the Senate Water, Energy & Environment Committee. He sponsored the green building law (Senate Bill 5509), which requires new state-funded buildings to meet green design and construction standards. Poulsen also helped make laws for tougher vehicle emission standards, water and solar power incentives, and tighter energy-efficiency guidelines for appliances.

"It's a new day in Olympia," he said. "We had the best session for preserving and improving our state's air, water and overall environmental health in at least a decade."

He also won a Conservation Eagle award from the Northwest Energy Coalition, which includes environmental, civic and human service organizations such as Audubon Society, Seattle City Light and Washington Citizen Action.

UW gets $600K for environmental program

BOTHELL — The Henry Luce Foundation has given the University of Washington $600,000 for student fellowships and to support faculty in the UW's environmental management program.

The program will run for three years. For the first year, UW will work with the city of Seattle to redevelop the central waterfront and recycle organic waste.

University of Washington Bothell professor Kevin Laverty will lead the program. Laverty directs the university's environmental management graduate certificate program.

There are opportunities to create good wind industry jobs in Washington, he said. Government and business groups need to cooperate with engineers and scientists. "The university can help."

Environmental Watch: Prezant industrial hygienist gets award

Gleason

SEATTLE — The Pacific Northwest section of the American Industrial Hygienist Association named Rick Gleason Industrial Hygienist of the Year. He was recognized at a conference on occupational health earlier this month in Bellingham.

Gleason has 25 years of experience in industrial hygiene, and is a consultant with Prezant Associates in Seattle. He also teaches at the University of Washington's School of Public Health & Community Medicine.

Prezant Associates has moved to the Metropolitan Park East Tower 1730 Minor Ave., Suite 900, in Seattle. For more information, see http://www.prezant.com.

A look at the Puyallup River's flood hazards

TACOMA — Tomorrow owners of flood-prone properties in the Puyallup River watershed can learn about the local government's plans to prepare for potential disasters.

The Puyallup River Watershed Council will hold a talk on flood awareness and disaster preparedness in Sumner City Council chambers from 5 to 7 p.m. The talk will cover plans, potential dangers, and the ways citizens and jurisdictions can prepare.

Pierce County Emergency Management Director Steve Bailey will talk about the lessons learned from hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the flooding aftermath. He will cover the county's role in the event of a local flooding emergency.

Tony Fantello manages maintenance for Pierce County Water Programs. He will speak on flood damage potential on the Puyallup, Carbon and White rivers, and explain how much protection levees provide.

For more information, call Linda T. Burgess, Puyallup River Watershed Council chair, at (253) 863-1860.

Swedish expert gives green roof seminar

SEATTLE — Louise Lundberg, the superintendent of Malmö, Sweden's Scandinavian Green Roof Institute, will be in Seattle Oct. 31 for an event called "Inspiration From Abroad, Action in Seattle — Green Roofs Seminar."

Lundberg will show real estate developers, architects and engineers how green roofs work at a seminar at the Seattle Central Library, starting at 9:30 a.m.

The other speakers have visited Lundberg's institute in the past. Magnussen Klemencic's civil engineering director Drew Gangnes will share research he's done since that trip, and building owner David Gold will talk about a green roof he made that uses recycled carpet.

Cost for the seminar is $72 in advance, or $85. It is sponsored by Seattle Public Utilities, the city of Seattle Department of Planning and Development and International Sustainable Solutions, which runs tours to Scandinavia to educate architects, real estate developers and city officials on green building.

For more information, call Patricia Chase at (206) 349-4904 or see http://www.i-sustain.com.

B.C. developer to speak at forum Friday

SEATTLE — Victoria, B.C., developer Joe Van Belleghem will give a lecture Friday morning in Seattle about urban sustainability at Seattle City Hall, Bertha Landes Room, 600 Fourth Ave., from 7:30 to 9 a.m.

Van Belleghem founded BuildGreen Development. He has 17 years of experience in real estate and finance, and says he has developed profitable green buildings.

Sponsors are the city of Seattle, ULI Seattle, BetterBricks and Seattle Public Library.

At the event the city will recognize five building industry groups for their work in building green commercial buildings.

Ticket prices range from $15 to $30. Advance registration is required. For more information, see http://www.seattle.uli.org or call Lynne Barker at (206) 684-0806.

Ecology seeks comments on Kent landfill

BELLEVUE — The Washington state Department of Ecology is seeking public comments on a five-year review of Kent's 60-acre Midway landfill site.

Ecology states environmental conditions have improved significantly since 1985. The city of Seattle used the site, a former gravel pit, as a landfill from 1966-1983.

Ecology began supervising cleanup in 1984, and two years later the Environmental Protection Agency listed the closed landfill as a Superfund site.

Ecology officials say today groundwater is cleaner, methane gas no longer leaves the property and human health is not at risk.

Tests in the early 1980s showed there was potentially combustible methane gas on the site and contaminated groundwater leaking from it. By 2000, cleanup crews capped and fenced the area, and installed systems to extract gas and control surface water there.

Copies of the review and other documents are located at public libraries in Kent and Des Moines, as well as at Ecology's Bellevue office. Comments are due Nov. 4 to: Ching-Pi Wang, site manager, WA Department of Ecology Toxics Cleanup Program, 3190 160th Ave. S.E., Bellevue WA 98008. You may also call (425) 649-7257 or e-mail cwan461@ecy.wa.gov.

WSDOT wants to double vanpools by 2015

OLYMPIA — Washington state Department of Transportation officials say more commuters want to share rides. A state program aims to double vanpool service in 10 years.

WSDOT is monitoring travel behavior for changes that could be linked to costlier gas.

Officials say there were about 15,000 vanpool riders across the state in August of this year, up 20 percent from two years ago. Vanpool operators say a record number will likely want the service in coming months.

The legislature set aside $4 million for the 2003-2005 biennium and $5 million for 2005-2007 for the vanpool program. More demand could use up those funds before 2007.

More than 40 percent of the public vanpools in the United States are run here, according to Peter Thein, executive director of the Washington State Transit Association. Vanpools here run six million passenger trips each year.

This is done through RideshareOnline.com, a free statewide service that connects commuters who want to vanpool or carpool. Users can take advantage of OV lanes, park-and-ride lots or employer-sponsored commute incentives.

Environmental Watch: Free pickup for e-waste Oct. 26-27

RENTON — The city of Renton and the Seattle group Total Reclaim will pay for pickup services for two days this month so businesses can unload electronic waste more cheaply.

Earlier this month, King County banned electronics from its transfer stations and landfills. Businesses can take advantage of the free pickup Oct. 26-27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but must pay for disposal costs.

Items that will be accepted include monitors, laptops, keyboards, mice, printers, scanners and small copying machines.

To be included on the pickup route, call Cascadia Consulting Group at (206) 343-9759 ext. 108. The deadline for reservations is Friday.

Total Reclaim recovers CFCs, a kind of greenhouse gas, from old refrigerators, air conditioning units and domestic appliances. Cascadia Consulting Group is a Seattle-based environmental consulting firm.

Mitigation bank next to Oregon landfill?

PORTLAND — The public works department of Lane County in Oregon wants to put a wetland mitigation bank next to a landfill.

Lane County wants to expand Short Mountain Landfill and proposes to build the bank to compensate for wetlands that would be lost as a result.

The new bank would be called Quamash Prairie Wetland Mitigation Bank. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Oregon Division of State Lands are reviewing the proposal and seeking comments.

Lane County may also use the bank for mitigation credits on other projects permitted by the Corps and the Division of State Lands.

Send written comments by Oct. 31 to Corrie Veenstra, Portland District, Army Corps of Engineers, CENWP-OP-G, P.O. Box 2946, Portland OR 97208. For more information, see http://www.statelandsonline.com.

Wetlands conference in Seattle Oct. 24-25

SEATTLE — Law Seminars International is holding a conference on Wetlands in Washington on Oct. 24-25 in Seattle at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel.

Program co-chairs are Brent Carson of Buck & Gordon and Alison Moss of Dearborn & Moss.

The conference is aimed at real estate developers, planners, government officials and lawyers.

It will cover the ways wetland regulations are changing and give updates on recent developments. Specific topics include the Corps' regulation of manmade ditches, archeological issues, mitigation banking and critical areas.

New group to hold mold conference

SEATTLE — A new group called Seattle Construction Solutions will hold its first conference on mold and moisture control on Oct. 26 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center.

The conference is designed for architects, contractors, developers, engineers, specifiers and other stakeholders.

It will cover ways to prevent or deal with mold and moisture problems, and legal and insurance issues. Organizers say the techniques can be applied to all types of buildings. Industry experts will explain new technologies and products that can be used for remediation.

Registration is $249. For more information, see http://www.constructionsolutionsconference.com.

King County, Tacoma win waste awards

SEATTLE — The Solid Waste Association of North America recently recognized King County and Tacoma utilities with its 2005 Excellence Awards.

The association honored King County for coming up with a new system to collect gas at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. Settling waste was causing valves and pipes to sag, but a new system will move with the waste as it settles.

Tacoma won recognition for its "Tacoma Recycles @ Work" program, which encourages employees to recycle, reduce waste and buy products with recycled content.

The Solid Waste Association of North America holds conferences, creates publications and offers technical training courses.

Finding new uses for salvaged urban trees

SEATTLE — People can find out ways to reuse trees that have been removed from King County parks at an Oct. 22 expo in South Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Ave. N. in Seattle.

Sponsors of the event include King County, Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation and Washington State University Extension. Admission is free.

Bobbi Wallace, King County Parks division resource manager, said the expo is intended for the green building and remodeling community. Wood from urban trees can be made into lumber for furniture or hand railings, for example.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., people can see examples of locally produced wood crafts and learn how wood can be recycled.

Wallace said trees that fall in natural areas can be left in place to provide ecological benefits. But those damaged by storms or disease have to be removed.

The urban tree salvage program started when King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks got a grant from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry, with the goal of finding better ways to use trees removed from parks.

For more information call (206) 296-4232 or see http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/urbantreesalvage.

Tacoma park group seeks volunteers

TACOMA — A Tacoma group called Friends of McKinley Park needs volunteers Oct. 29 to replace invasive species at the park with native salal. Volunteers will gather at 9:30 a.m. at D Street overpass.

For more information, call Patrick O'Neil, co-director of Friends of McKinley Park at (253) 572-5696. Also see http://www.mckinleyparkfriends.org.

Environmental Watch: Seattle groups offers new biodegradable oil

SEATTLE — Bardahl, a Seattle company that makes oil additives, has developed a new kind of biodegradable hydraulic oil.

Hydraulic oil that breaks up has been on the market for at least a decade. But Bardahl spokesperson Dan Stachofsky said unlike most of these, the new product is 100 percent biodegradable and works better in cold weather.

Bardahl has been making lubricants and additives for 66 years, and distributes internationally. Stachofsky said the new product was created because customers wanted a hydraulic oil they could use in marine and environmentally sensitive areas.

In response to that request, Bardahl's researchers created a soy-based fluid they call HydroClear Biodegradable Hydraulic Oil. This has been used on projects to install a drain at Snoqualmie Ridge II, engineered log jams on the White River and a transmission line for Redmond.

The local distributor of the new oil is Issaquah-based Impact Equipment. Owner Joe Frauenheim said the oil's higher cost is its biggest drawback.

"It's like convincing somebody that organic food is better than normal food," he said. "You're paying a premium for it... but if it spills or leaks, you're going to contaminate the environment." He said insurance companies like the idea of a biodegradable oil, and "most contractors, mechanics and suppliers of heavy equipment will pretty much confirm that's where we're going."

3 Washington roads now federal ‘byways'

OLYMPIA — Three Washington State Scenic Byways have been designated federal byways, bringing the state's total to six.

They are the International Selkirk Loop, the Coulee Corridor and the Stevens Pass Greenway. The routes were picked from a network of more than 3,100 miles of state, local and tribal roads.

Selkirk Loop is a 280-mile tour that circles the Selkirk Mountain Range, which runs through Pend Oreille County in northeastern Washington, northern Idaho and southern British Columbia.

The Coulee Corridor runs for 150 miles from Othello to Omak, and has views of a canyon landscape created by Ice Age floods.

Stevens Pass goes from Monroe across the North Cascade Mountains, following the canyon of the Skykomish River.

The U.S. Department of Transportation runs the byways program, which recognizes roads for their scenic, recreational, historic or archaeological qualities. See http://www.byways.org.

City Light offers series on climate change

SEATTLE — Seattle City Light and Unico Properties are holding a series of Monday lectures this month on the impacts climate change will have on the Northwest.

The free lectures will be held at Rainier Square Conference Center, 1301 Fifth Ave. in Seattle from 12 to 1:15 p.m. Scheduled speakers are:

Oct. 17 John Riedel, a geologist with the National Park Service at North Cascades National Park. Ridel's talk is called "Blue Legacy: Observing the retreat of glaciers in Washington's national parks."

Oct. 24 K.C. Golden, the policy director of Climate Solutions, will give a talk on "Practical climate solutions, healthier communities, stronger economies." Golden was also a director of the energy division of the Washington Department of Community Trade and Economic Development.

Oct. 31 Jorge Carrasco, Seattle City Light Superintendent, will join other city department heads in a talk on adapting to global warming.

For more information, call Sharon Bennett, Seattle City Light, at (206) 684-3008. Or see http://www.seattle.gov/light/news/Docs/GreenUp_Lunch_Poster.pdf.

Crims Island enviro restoration underway

PORTLAND — A three-year, $3.7 million project to restore tidal marsh and forest lands on the lower Columbia River's Crims Island has resumed, officials announced recently.

Crims Island is 48 miles downriver from Portland in Columbia County, Ore., and is a unit of the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian white-tailed deer. This refuge is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

"We have never tried anything of this size and scope before," said the agency's Charles Stenvall. Work at Crims Island will guide tidal marsh restoration elsewhere in the lower river.

At Crims Island, 115 acres of forest and 94 acres of tidal marsh and channels are set to be restored. The work is a joint effort by the Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, American Rivers and the Columbia Land Trust.

Earlier this year, a 2-foot layer of soil was excavated from a marsh dominated with reed canary grass. Now upland habitat that's being used for cattle pasture will be made into a riparian forest habitat through planting and natural seeding. Construction began last year but was cut short due to heavy rains.

The tidal marsh will provide juvenile rearing and foraging habitat for fall chinook, chum and coho salmon. Other salmonids, including Snake River sockeye, steelhead and coastal cutthroat trout will benefit from restored links in the Columbia River's estuarine food web. The project also will provide habitat for waterfowl, bald eagles, Columbian white-tailed deer and migratory songbirds.

5 win governor's pollution prevention awards

OLYMPIA — Gov. Christine Gregoire recently recognized five businesses for their work to prevent pollution.

The groups were recognized for conserving water, saving fuel and stopping or avoiding use of toxic chemicals. One Tacoma company, Totem Ocean, has also been supporting recycling efforts in Alaska.

Gregoire's chief of staff Tom Fitzsimmons and Washington state Department of Ecology Director Jay Manning presented awards to:

Kent company Ball Metal Beverage Container Corp.

Columbia Lighting of Spokane

Meridian Collision Center of Puyallup

Totem Ocean Trailer Express of Tacoma

The University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle

Judges included past award recipients, energy and pollution-prevention experts and representatives from labor and environmental groups. For more information, see http://www.ecy.wa.gov/sustainability/GovAward/gov_awards.htm.

Environmental Watch: Wolfe starts his own enviro law firm

SEATTLE — Seattle lawyer Charles (Chuck) R. Wolfe recently opened a law firm to focus on environmental, land use and regulatory counseling.

Wolfe has more than 20 years of experience in environmental and land use law, including as a partner with Foster Pepper & Shefelman. He represents municipalities and private groups on redevelopment, permitting and remediation issues. Past projects have been in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellevue, Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo and Gig Harbor.

Wolfe has chaired the Environmental and Land Use section of the Washington State Bar, and is also an adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington. He has degrees in law and urban planning.

Landau Associates adds staff

Bohm

Raben

Goetz

EDMONDS — Landau Associates added Linda Goetz and Jill Raben to its Edmonds office. Julie Bohm was promoted to marketing manager.

Goetz is an archaeologist with more than 14 years of experience looking at impacts projects have on historical and cultural resources. Raben has about 10 years of experience as a technical editor and staff writer.

In Portland, Jessica Kruczek is a geotechnical project engineer and Peter Diamond a staff geologist. Kruczek has done site remediation and field sampling, and Diamond spent two years providing technical support to remove oil tanks.

Landau is an environmental, geotechnical and natural resource consulting firm with offices in Edmonds, Tacoma, Spokane and Portland.

EnviroIssues grows in Seattle, Portland

SEATTLE — EnviroIssues, a local public involvement and facilitation firm, named Rachelle Hein and Ara Swanson associates in its Seattle office. Ray Outlaw and Clair Leighton are project coordinators.

Hein did work for Senator Patty Murray, and Swanson coordinated energy conferences. Outlaw recently did an internship with the National Marine Mammal Laboratory and Leighton earned a geography degree from the University of Washington.

In its Portland office, EnviroIssues appointed Cathy McCague as an associate. McCague helped with policy research and outreach for Oregon State Rep. Mike Schaufler.

EnviroIssues does technical and regulatory consulting for government and industry groups.

King County needs land for road work

SEATTLE — King County will hold a public hearing Oct. 11 on the proposed transfer of county property and easements for highway widening. The hearing will be in Woodinville at 22509 State Route 9 S.E. It will follow an open house to start at 5 p.m.

The highway project needs about one acre of land the county bought for the wastewater treatment plant Brightwater, set to be built north of Woodinville.

The proposal calls for land along state Route 9 near state Route 522 to be transferred to Washington state Department of Transportation and Snohomish County PUD. The PUD would use land to relocate utility poles.

Meeting on Madrona Creek daylighting

SEATTLE — The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners will hold a meeting Oct. 13 in the Park Board Room at 100 Dexter Ave. N ., at 6 p.m. It will cover two projects: vegetation at Marshall Park and daylighting Madrona Creek.

A plan for vegetation management has been proposed for a scenic viewpoint at Marshall Park, located at Seventh Avenue West and West Highland Drive.

A public hearing will be held at the meeting on a proposal to daylight Madrona Creek. This work would involve building a new creek channel, a 4,800-square-foot wetland cove and culverts. There would also be a pedestrian trail and four bridges, and native species would be planted between Lake Washington Boulevard and Lake Washington.

The board is a group of citizens who advise the Parks and Recreation Superintendent, the mayor and the city council on parks and recreation matters. For more information, call Sandy Brooks at (206) 684-5066.

AWB, NEBC and Ecology sponsor summit

TACOMA — The Northwest Environmental Summit will be Oct. 19 and 20 in Tacoma at the Greater Tacoma Convention & Trade Center. It is targeted to environmental engineers, consultants, lawyers, agency staff and educators.

The summit is part of Association of Washington Business' effort to keep companies informed of environmental laws, regulations and policies. Other groups sponsoring the event are the Northwest Environmental Business Council and the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Ecology Director Jay Manning will give the keynote address. There will also be 15 information sessions on technical issues, and a trade show on new environmental products.

For more information or to register, see http://www.ecwashington.org. Or contact Amy Johnson at (800) 521-9325 or amyj@awb.org.

Oct. 10-11 conference on enviro rules

SEATTLE — Lion Technology will hold a conference on environmental regulations in Seattle on Oct. 10-11 at the Holiday Inn Seattle at Sea-Tac International Airport.

Workshops are targeted to environmental managers, engineers, consultants and lawyers. Topics include the Safe Drinking Water, Clean Air and Clean Water acts, as well as toxic substances and pesticides.

For more information, call (206) 248-1000 or see http://www.lion.com/e962. Lion Technology is based in Lafayette, N.J.

Environmental Watch: Prezant Associates adds staff

SEATTLE — Industrial hygienist Martin Rose has joined the consulting department of Seattle-based Prezant Associates. Rose has 12 years of experience consulting on environmental and occupational health and safety issues.

Prezant identifies ways to minimize industrial health and safety risks. The company has done projects at Safeco Field and Fort Lewis, as well as single-family homes. Clients include FEMA, Washington State Department of Ecology and King County Department of Natural Resources.

Prezant recently moved its office to 1730 Minor Ave., Suite 900, in the Metropolitan Park East Tower in Seattle. Contact numbers remain the same. Telephone is (206) 281-8858, fax is (206) 281-8922.

Two Skillings to give water quality talk

LACEY — Skillings-Connolly founding principal Thomas E. Skillings and his son Patrick E. Skillings will give a talk in Tacoma today at the annual conference of the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association. The younger Skillings is a staff scientist and wetland biologist.

The two will present research findings from a water quality study at the city of Yelm's Cochrane Park.

In 1999, Skillings-Connolly designed a wastewater treatment facility and four acres of wetlands.

Their research found water quality has changed as a result of recharging groundwater with reclaimed water from constructed wetlands. Some solids and chlorides were totally dissolved, but biological contaminants increased.

Skillings-Connolly is based in Lacey, and does water reclamation and reuse work.

Green Design Slam tomorrow in Seattle

SEATTLE — The Seattle chapter of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild will hold its annual "10 x 10 x 10 Green Design Slam" Wednesday at the Environmental Home Center, 4121 First Ave. S., Seattle. It begins at 6:30 p.m.

Ten architects and builders will each get 10 minutes to show 10 slides of green building projects. Cost is $10. Proceeds support the Guild's new Web site development. The updated site will be launched later this fall. For more information, call Carol O'Dahl at (206) 315-1965.

Seattle schools OK new pesticide rules

SEATTLE — The board of Seattle Public Schools has unanimously approved a new pest management policy.

Board President Brita Butler-Wall said the policy focuses on preventing exposure to toxic chemicals such as pesticides. Some pesticides will likely continue to be used, but new products will be picked based on a new set of criteria. The goal is to use non-chemical methods to control pests.

State law requires school districts to provide notification about pesticide use, which includes informing people before each pesticide application. An advisory committee recommended providing more information about the use of pesticides and a new management policy. That committee included staff members, parents, experts and representatives of health and environmental nonprofits.

Port of Portland gets $3M for security

PORTLAND — Marine facilities in the Portland area will get more than $3 million in grants from the Department of Homeland Security.

The Port of Portland will get $2.7 million for security enhancements at its marine terminals. Kinder Morgan will get $302,865 for work its Portland marine terminals.

Funding comes from a round of grants under the DHS Port Security Grant Program. The Port of Portland received $510,000 in an earlier round of funding.

Group buys water right to help fish

OLYMPIA — Taneum Canal Co. recently agreed to sell its winter-conveyance water right for $817,316, to a partnership of local water-right holders, Washington Water Trust, the Yakama Nation, and state and federal agencies.

Farmers and cattlemen in Kittitas County have agreed to the deal, which is designed to allow more water to flow in Taneum Creek and the Yakima River during the winter to help spawning steelhead and bull trout.

State Department of Fish and Wildlife officials say there is insufficient water during the winter months for egg incubation, rearing and upstream migration. Creek flows often drop too low to support healthy fish stocks, they say.

The Washington Department of Ecology contributed $516,999, Columbia Basin Water Transactions Program $285,316, and Yakama Nation $15,000. Other partners included the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Washington Water Trust, a nonprofit that works to restore stream flows in state river systems.

Taneum had been using its water right for more than a century. The canal company worked with the partners for more than three years to arrange the deal. Ranchers and farmers will use money from the sale to drill wells to get water in the winter.

Environmental Watch: Brown and Caldwell adds staff

SEATTLE — Brown and Caldwell, an environmental engineering company based in Walnut Creek, Calif., with 45 offices nationwide, has added several people to its Seattle area office: Andrew Lee, Neil Reid, Darin Johnson, Sean Halliburton and Michael Rawls.

Lee was hired as a senior civil/environmental engineer to work on projects for Seattle Public Utilities. Reid is a managing engineer. Johnson is a principal engineer. Halliburton was a temporary technical editor and now works full time. Rawls was a former contractor in the electrical department.

Rick Kelly and Tom Chapman joined the company's mechanical group. Bin Ge joined the firm as a structural engineer. Kelly Kimball is an electrical engineer. Matt Maring is a principal civil engineer with more than 12 years of experience, and is working on water projects.

Lauren Smith joined as a marketing coordinator.

In the Olympia office, Kimberly Murillo has joined to help with county water projects.

AWB names enviro policy director

OLYMPIA—The Association of Washington Business named Chris McCabe governmental affairs director of environmental policy. He has 15 years of experience in governmental affairs.

He worked as a land use lawyer in Olympia and was also in Washington, D.C., as a legislative assistant to former Alaska Senator Frank Murkowski. He also did work for former Washington State Rep. Tim Hickel (R-Federal Way).

He replaces Kristen Sawin, who took a job at Weyerhaeuser. McCabe will share environmental issue responsibilities with staff member Grant Nelson.

USDA gives grants for energy projects

OLYMPIA — Two Washington state businesses recently won grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for renewable energy projects.

George DeRuyter & Sons Dairy, based in Outlook, will get $499,200 for an anaerobic digester in Yakima County. Natural Selection Farms in Sunnyside will get $99,500 to buy equipment to turn canola into biofuel.

Almost $21 million will be distributed in 32 states. Other recipients include farmers, co-ops and rural small businesses doing wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and conservation technology projects. For more information, see http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/wa.

Pierce County open house on basin plan

TACOMA — Pierce County planners will hold an open house Wednesday on the sources of fecal coliform bacteria that were found during studies to update the Clear/Clarks Creek basin plan.

The open house will be at the Summit Library, 5207 112th St. E. from 4 to 8 p.m. A public hearing on the updated plan will be Sept. 27 at the Pierce County Public Services Building (Annex), 2401 S. 35th St. at 8:30 a.m.

Fecal coliform can indicate that viruses or other pathogens are in water. Bacteria can get into water from human and animal waste. Swan, Clear and Clarks creeks are on the state's list of polluted water bodies because of high levels of fecal coliform bacteria.

Researchers found birds and rodents contribute the most bacteria, followed by dogs, then humans.

The plan addresses pollution, as well as stream channel erosion and invasive vegetation management. It proposes spending $65 million over 10 years. Copies are at libraries in Summit, Puyallup, Swan Creek, South Hill and South Tacoma. Comments may be presented Sept. 21 or to the Planning Commission Sept. 27.

Meeting on how to sell green buildings

BELLEVUE — The Cascadia Region Green Building Council is one of the sponsors of a Sept. 27 breakfast meeting on how to market green buildings.

The event will be held at the Meydenbauer Center from 7:30 to 9 a.m. RSVP by Sept. 21 at bellevuedowntown.com/events.

Other sponsors are the Bellevue Downtown Association and Urban Land Institute Seattle.

The main topic will be the benefits of high-performance buildings, which organizers say are healthier and cost less to operate. Speakers include Tom Paladino of Paladino and Co., Douglas Howe of Touchstone Corp., Dan Ivanoff of Schnitzer Northwest and Pat Callahan of Equity Office Properties.

Grants available for aquatic habitat

SEATTLE — Projects designed to improve habitat along Seattle waterways can get funds under Seattle Public Utilities' $300,000 Aquatic Habitat Matching Grant Program. Grants start at $2,000.

Projects that qualify include: removing fish passage blockages in creeks on private property, taking out invasive plants and putting in native plants near stormwater outfalls or creek mouths, removing bulkheads, restoring creek channels and creating shallow-water habitat.

Work must be done along Seattle creek, marine and lake shorelines that have been impacted by the city's drainage system. Urban creeks can be damaged by fast-moving water during storms, as well as stormwater flowing out of pipes or creek mouths.

Deadline for submissions is Friday. For more information, see http://www.seattle.gov/util/aquaticgrant.

Hanford schedules free public tours

RICHLAND — The Department of Energy has scheduled free bus tours of the Hanford site for Oct. 13, 14 and 15.

Tours will cover how plutonium was made. There will be a walking tour of B Reactor, the world's first large-scale plutonium production reactor. Fuel was manufactured in Hanford's reactors, nuclear fuel was irradiated here and production reactors were located along the Columbia River. Today, cleanup work focuses on cocooning former reactors and cleaning up waste sites.

The free, four-hour tours start and end at Volpentest Hammer Training & Education Center at 2890 Horn Rapids Road in Richland. They will be at 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. and at 12:30 p.m. Check the Web site for available slots, www.hanford.gov/information/sitetours/registration.

For more information on Hanford tours, see www.hanford.gov/information/sitetours.

Environmental Watch: Herrera adds environmental engineer

SEATTLE — Herrera Environmental Consultants has added environmental engineer Gus Kays to its Seattle office. Kays has experience in water resources engineering and construction, including work on Snohomish County's stream and river gauging, and flood warning system. Kays is working on a stormwater quality monitoring program for Washington State Department of Transportation and an upgrade of Seattle Public Utilities' sewer, stormwater and natural stream flow monitoring systems.

Herrera specializes in engineering and environmental projects for local, state, and federal clients throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.

Shaw Environmental hires engineer

BOTHELL — Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure added Jim Fleetwood as a senior environmental engineer in the company's site development group. He has more than 20 years of experience working on environmental projects.

Shaw Environmental is based in Bothell and offers environmental, regulatory compliance and construction services. This includes environmental remediation, geotechnical engineering, pollution prevention and industrial hygiene services. Shaw Environmental is a member of The Shaw Group, which provides piping systems as well as engineering and construction services to the global power generation industry.

Cargo carrier switches to greener fuel

TACOMA — The Evergreen Group announced all of its diesel-powered equipment at the Port of Tacoma's Pierce County Terminal will run on ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. The switch is voluntary.

Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine Corp. is an ocean container carrier that moves cargo between North America and all parts of the world.

The Port of Tacoma Commission had earlier announced that the port will use ultra-low sulfur diesel to run diesel equipment at Port-operated facilities. Officials say the special fuel is not readily available at all North American ports, but a major refiner and supplier, U.S. Oil, is located next to the Port of Tacoma.

R. Ted Bottiger, president of the Port of Tacoma Commission, said using this kind of fuel cuts sulfur dioxide emissions by 97 percent.

Evergreen Group Chairman Y. F. Chang said ocean carriers and their port/terminal partners should use new technology as soon as it becomes available to reduce impacts on marine life and port communities.

Workshop looks at new septic systems

SEATTLE — The University of Washington's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is sponsoring a workshop in Seattle Sept. 19-20 to cover on-site wastewater treatment systems.

Among the speakers at the upcoming event will be experts on new ways to improve small-scale systems such as septic tanks. Nitrogen loading in Hood Canal, which can be traced to some of those systems, depletes oxygen for fish. New technologies will be exhibited at the workshop.

Speakers include California-based sanitary engineer Stewart Oakley and David Stensel from the UW.

Nitrogen reduction was one of the goals of a project in the Buzzards Bay watershed in Massachusetts, and a health and environment official who worked on alternative septic systems there, George Heufelder, will cover this topic. The keynote speaker is George Tchobanoglous, an engineering professor and wastewater expert at the University California Davis.

About 300 environmental health specialists and people who install on-site wastewater treatment systems are expected to attend. Cost is $360 before Sept. 16, and $400 after.

For more information, see http://www.engr.washington.edu/epp/wwt/ or call (206) 543-5539.

Oregon district wins first EPA award

SEATTLE — The Gresham-Barlow School District is set to be the first organization in the nation to earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Leader award. These awards are similar to the Energy Star label, which denote energy efficiency for household appliances.

The district started a conservation management program in 1999 to become more energy- and resource-efficient. Officials say they have cut overall energy use by 46 percent and saved a total of $4.3 million since then. Last year's savings alone equal the salaries of approximately 22 teaching positions.

Under the EPA's Energy Performance Rating System, 12 of the school district's 20 buildings outperform similar buildings in the country by at least 25 points, on a 100-point scale. The district improved average energy efficiency at all its buildings by 30 percent.

For more information, see http://www.energystar.gov or http://district.gresham.k12.or.us.

Landscape firm's trucks run on biodiesel

SEATTLE — Bothell organic landscape company In Harmony recently announced it will switch all of its truck fuel to biodiesel in the next two years.

Earlier this summer, In Harmony installed a biodiesel station to fuel part of its truck fleet. The company bought a 275-gallon tank from Dr. Dan's Alternative Fuel Werks that supplies half of the company's trucks with biodiesel. Within three years the remaining 11 will be converted so they can run on biodiesel, according to In Harmony co-owner Ladd Smith. "We are switching to biodiesel to help reduce global warming."

Biodiesel is a cleaner-burning diesel fuel made from natural, renewable sources such as vegetable oils. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, 100 percent renewable and domestic. For more information, see http://www.fuelwerks.com.

Environmental Watch: NEBC to hear about Gregoire's priorities

PORTLAND — Washington Department of Ecology's Special Assistant to the Director Josh Baldi will be in Seattle tomorrow to talk about projects Gov. Christine Gregoire and Ecology Director Jay Manning have set as priorities for the governor's term.

Baldi will speak at the Northwest Environmental Business Council meeting at McCormick & Schmick's Harborside on Lake Union, 1200 Westlake Ave. N., from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $35 for NEBC members and guests, or $48 for others.

Baldi will talk about ways to reduce toxins, manage watersheds and set up projects such as the Puget Sound Initiative, as well as give an overview of Ecology's plans and the legislation that may be introduced.

Seattle group starts recycling food scraps

SEATTLE — Resource Venture, a program of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, is coordinating a food scrap collection service for businesses that produce food waste.

Restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, hospitals and hotels can recycle meat, table scraps and food-related papers. Rates are about 30 percent less than rates for garbage disposal.

Resource Venture officials say Seattle businesses toss thousands of tons of food waste into the garbage each year, and wash thousands of pounds down the drain. Most of this can be composted, donated or made into new products such as soap and animal feed, they say.

Businesses can apply for free set-up assistance and training. They can also get free biodegradable bags for indoor containers from the city through the end of this year. Customers can choose container sizes and how often food scraps are collected.

For more information, including a list of what materials are acceptable, see http://www.resourceventure.org/rv/issues/waste/rec-ord/food-prgm/index.php.

Call hotline to report illegal dumping

SEATTLE — King County recently created a telephone hotline and Web site for people to report illegal dumping. This was one of the recommendations by a task force looking into the problem.

County officials rely on the public to identify illegal dumpsites. The hotline and Web site are intended to make it easier, and are also interlinked so agencies can coordinate a response. Call (206) 296-SITE (7483) or toll free on (866) 431-7483 to report illegal dumping, or go through the Web site http://www.metrokc.gov/dumping.

King County Executive Ron Sims convened the task force in 2003. Illegal dumpsites can attract rats, pollute rivers and streams, and contaminate wells if the site has hazardous chemicals. Such sites can attract further dumping if not cleaned quickly.

The county's task force had other recommendations, such as making the enforcement system more effective, starting a prevention and education outreach program, and putting more emphasis on the safety of field investigators.

Workshop Sept. 14 for 'salmon watchers'

SEATTLE — Seattle Public Utilities will hold a workshop Sept. 14 for volunteers interested in counting salmon returning to the city's urban creeks this fall.

Once trained, the "salmon watchers" will spend 15 minutes twice a week observing streams and counting migrating salmon. Data volunteers collect is used to make decisions on ways to help restore endangered salmon runs and improve habitat for all salmon.

The workshop will be held at Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N., Suite 140, from 7 to 9 p.m. To sign up, call (206) 684-4163 or for more information, see http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/salmon/index.htm.

Grants available for Sea-Tac area creeks

SEATTLE — The Port of Seattle is offering $300,000 in grants to local governments or groups for projects to enhance streams near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The Port will give half of these funds to projects in the Des Moines Creek watershed, and half to projects in a watershed of Miller and Walker creeks. The goal is to give local governments, residents or interested parties money to improve sections of the creeks that are not on Port property.

Grants are part of the port's mitigation plan for environmental impacts of construction at Sea-Tac. The port is doing $155 million worth of mitigation on property it owns.

Applicants can suggest projects, such as stabilizing stream banks, planting native vegetation or creating pools that would be winter habitat for fish.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Washington State Department of Ecology will decide which projects get funding. There is no matching fund requirement.

Applications must be received by Nov. 23. They are posted at http://www.portseattle.org. For more information, call (206) 988-5527.

Natural yard care classes start this fall

SEATTLE — King County, the city of Seattle and 39 other agencies are supporting a program to encourage people to buy and use environmentally preferable yard care products. Workshops on natural yard care are set for the fall.

Natural yard care includes building healthy soil, selecting the right plants, conserving water and avoiding the use of pesticides. Fall is a good time to feed and protect soil by fertilizing, adding compost and applying bark mulch.

People can get discounts of more than 20 percent on environmentally friendly gardening products through the program, which runs through Sept. 30.

For more information, including the list of 45 participating retailers and a schedule of fall gardening classes see: http://www.yarddays.com

Environmental Watch: Expert talks on underfloor air systems

PORTLAND — Engineer Fred Bauman of the Center for Built Environment at the University of California, Berkeley, will be in Seattle and Portland to give workshops on underfloor air distribution.

Bauman wrote ASHRAE's guide to underfloor air distribution design. He has also been looking at new office designs that take advantage of the flexible spaces underfloor air can support.

He'll talk about critical design issues and moderate discussions with Seattle and Portland designers who have tried different approaches.

The Seattle workshop will be Sept. 7 at the Bertha Knight Landes Reception Roomon at City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave.

The Portland workshop will be on Sept. 8 at Ecotrust Building, 721 N.W. Ninth Ave.

Both will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sponsors include area utility groups, the Cascadia Region Green Building Council, BetterBricks and ASHRAE.

For costs and to register, see http://www.cascadiagbc.org. For more information, contact (877) 343-3960 or training@betterbricks.com.

Volunteer salmon watchers needed

SEATTLE — Upcoming workshops are set to train volunteers to gather data on salmon spawing in local streams and to find areas where they get stuck.

From September through December for almost 10 years volunteers have been watching for salmon along streams and shorelines in the Lake Washington watershed and on Vashon Island. They also look for barriers to migrating salmon. Scientists and policy-makers use this data as part of salmon recovery work.

Workshops will show volunteers how to identify species and spawning salmonids. Sessions are scheduled for: Sept. 15, Odle Middle School Library, 14401 N.E. Eighth St., Bellevue. Program sponsors include area municipalities, Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust and the King Conservation District.

For more information call Jennifer Vanderhoof at (206) 263-6533 or see http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/waterres/salmon.

Wood recycler joins King County LinkUp

SEATTLE — Rainier Wood Recyclers has joined King County's LinkUp program, which partners with businesses to expand markets for recycled materials.

LinkUp members are manufacturers, material processors and businesses that encourage salvage and reuse.

Rainier Wood grinds and recycles urban wood waste, landclearing debris and brush. It handles up to 70,000 tons a year of construction and manufacturing debris, pallets and crates.

Some of the material is turned into products, including mulch, animal bedding and boiler fuel. Fine-cut wood goes to a company that markets it for playground base, and some material becomes part of siding.

Rainier Wood's recycling yard in Covington has run for more than 15 years. It also has newer yards are in Auburn and Fall City.

For more information, call Kris Beatty at (206) 296-3740 or see http://dnr.metrokc.gov/linkup.

Green power buying jumps 40%

PORTLAND — The nonprofit Renewable Northwest Project says the number of utility customers buying green power in this region jumped 40 percent from 2003 to 2004, according to Renewable Northwest's recently released report.

There are 36 utilities in the Northwest offering customers a choice of power from wind, solar, landfill gas power or low-impact hydro resources. These utilities are in both urban and rural markets.

The amount of green power sold from 2003 to 2004 through voluntary programs was 22 times higher than what Renewable Northwest tallied in 2000. Green power customers have bought more than 550 million kilowatt-hours since 2003, enough to run more than 45,000 homes for a year. Customer retail green power purchases help pay for construction of renewable energy projects.

Golf course seeks status as sanctuary

TACOMA — The Lake Spanaway Golf Course recently completed the first of a six-step process to get certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary.

Lake Spanaway Golf Course, at 15602 Pacific Ave., opened in 1967. Lake Spanaway officials say they've kept areas secluded for wildlife for seven years, installing nest boxes and keeping tall grass and brush for birds and small animals.

Audubon International manages a national network of backyards, schools, corporate and business properties, and golf courses that help promote environmental stewardship and sustainability. The program for golf courses is designed to enhance wildlife habitats and protect natural resources. Environmental planning is the first step to certification.

Marymoor Park gets 20 "blue bikes"

SEATTLE — Twenty new Trek Cruiser Classic bikes are available at Marymoor Park for residents to use for free.

King County is one of eight participants around the country in the Dasani Blue Bike Program, a community bicycling program that gives residents free access to bikes.

Bikes will be stored in lockers at Marymoor Park. People can register to use them at King County Parks and Recreation's office in Marymoor Park. They can ride them around Marymoor Park or on the Sammamish River Trail.

Other program supporters are local citizens, cyclists and the Rails to Trails Conservancy.

Environmental Watch: Nature Conservancy hires manager

Morse

SEATTLE — The Nature Conservancy of Washington added Kevin Morse to manage projects in the Skagit Delta. Morse ran the environmental industries program for the Economic Development Association of Skagit County, and was also executive director of a Maryland regional planning agency that did work for three counties and 21 municipalities.

The Nature Conservancy is an international nonprofit that works to protect land and water for plants, animals and natural communities. The group was founded in 1951 and does work around the United States and in 27 countries. Officials say the group's efforts have protected more than 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of river around the world.

West Consultants adds staff

SALEM, Ore. — West Consultants recently added Joseph Amann to its Bellevue office. Amann's educational background is in hydraulics, hydrology, sediment transport and watershed sustainability.

Engineer Chris Bahner transferred from company's San Diego office to its Salem, Ore., office. Bahner's background is in water resources, sedimentation and hydraulics. Also in Salem, Christine A. Jenkins and James E. Heyen have earned their professional engineering licenses. Both are hydraulic engineers and do hydrologic and hydraulic modeling.

West Consultants also announced its president Jeffrey B. Bradley has been named president of the ASCE American Academy of Water Resource Engineers. West Consultants is a water resource engineering and environmental firm.

Researchers: Vashon could power itself

VASHON — A Vashon-based nonprofit called the Institute for Environmental Research and Education says Vashon Island could profit if it ran on renewable energy.

The institute recently released a report that says Vashon Island's 11,000 residents could save $55 million if they relied on wind and solar power. The researchers say after first setting up ways to conserve energy, the island could run on 15 wind turbines, which would be backed by solar PV and biomass generators. Setting those up would cost less than $40 million, they say.

"Our report recommends that Vashon create its own utility district," said the institute's Executive Director Rita Schenck. Conservation and renewable technology could lead to energy independence within 10 years, Schenck said.

The researchers say existing energy efficiency technologies such as Energy Star appliances, insulation, compact fluorescent lighting and heat pumps can reduce the building-related energy use by more than 70 percent. The report says fossil-based energy costs are rising at a rate of four to 13 percent per year, but the costs to generate renewable energy are falling at about 2.5 percent per year.

Corps proposes turtle habitat project

PORTLAND — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is proposing a habitat improvement project in an area called Fern Ridge for the Northwestern pond turtle, which is listed as a federal "species of concern."

The pond turtle population in Oregon is believed to be less than 10 percent of what it was in the past, with the largest decline in the Willamette Valley. The turtles' habitat has been lost and degraded by agriculture, urban development, flood control projects and predation, according to the corps.

The $20,800 project is set to start in September or October, before the fall rains, and take about a week. Fern Ridge was picked because it already has pond turtles, though the population is mostly adults.

Work will involve reshaping steep vertical banks, creating low-profile nesting berms and removing woody vegetation. A draft environmental assessment is at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pm/e. Send comments postmarked by Sept. 2 to: District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer District, Portland, Attn: CENWP-PM-E, P.O. Box 2946, Portland, Ore., 97208-2946.

Comments also can be e-mailed to james.b.stengle@nwp01.usace.army.mil. Refer to public notice # CENWP-PM-E-04-11, South Marsh Turtle Nesting Habitat Restoration Project. Or call the Corps' Jim Stengle at (503) 808-4772.

Meeting on new waste, water rules

SUMNER — Two Washington Department of Ecology officials will be in Sumner on Wednesday to explain how municipalities must meet new stormwater permit requirements.

The Puyallup River Watershed Council has invited the speakers to its meeting, which will be held at Sumner City Council Chambers, 1104 Maple St., from 5 to 7 p.m.

John Diamant is the industrial permit engineer for Ecology's southwest region and Janice Sedlak is the municipal permit specialist at Ecology's headquarters. They will join Amy Bates of Citizens for a Healthy Bay will talk about a water pollution hotline that she manages for the City of Tacoma. Citizens can use this to anonymously report suspected sources of pollution.

The Puyallup River Watershed Council is a volunteer group of citizens and representatives of cities, counties, Tribes, agencies, universities and private industries. See http://www.prwc.org for more information, or contact Linda T. Burgess at (253) 863-1860 or LTBurgess3@msn.com.

BPA studies power grid reorganization

PORTLAND — How electricity gets delivered to every utility in the Northwest will come under scrutiny in the next month as the Bonneville Power Administration considers a major reorganization of power grid operations in four states and British Columbia.

Bonneville owns and operates 75 percent of the region's high voltage transmission grid. Officials say the bulk power transmission system is sagging under the weight of growing demand.

A public comment period on options being considered will run through Sept. 9. BPA expects to announce its decision about which path to pursue by Sept. 30.

One option is to keep operating as is, with each transmission system run separately. Here are the proposed alternatives:

Grid West would unite multiple transmission systems under a single entity that would be governed by an independent board of directors. Utilities would retain ownership of their assets, but Grid West would handle control, operation and expansion. A board would develop a business plan for the organization and offer contracts to the region's transmission owners to implement it. (www.gridwest.com/DP2Info.htm)

Under the Transmission Improvements Group proposal, utility owners would keep control of their assets, and address operations and expansion issues through multiple contracts. This approach seeks to avoid creating a new transmission entity that some believe might reduce accountability to regional transmission users. (www.tig-nw.kristiwallis.com)