October 16, 2001

Environmental Watch: Grigsby joins King County DNR

SEATTLE -- Daryl Grigsby has been named manager of the King County Department of Natural Resources Water and Land Resources Division. Grigsby has been head of the Seattle Department of Transportation for the last five years.

Prior to that, however, Grigsby worked with the county on water pollution issues and environmental issues.

"We are fortunate to have someone with the management strengths and operational experience Daryl brings to the job," said DNR Director Pam Bissonnette.

Grigsby's first task will be reorganizing the Water and Land Resources Division, responsible for flood protection, habitat protection, drainage and sewer services and agriculture and resource lands.

Grigsby begins Nov. 19.

Skagit Streaming debuts tonight

SEATTLE -- Delayed by the power crunch, Skagit Streaming, a video projection of salmon and streamlife from the Skagit River, will begin tonight on a 34-foot high screen mounted on the Bon Marche parking garage, at Second and Pine Street downtown.

The installation was originally set to debut last spring.

The display features three cameras -- bearcam, fishcam and bugcam -- that will broadcast each night beginning at dusk, or around 7:30 p.m.

The Skagit River produces 25 percent of Seattle's electricity supply with hydropower from City Light's Skagit hydroelectric project. Pink salmon are returning to the Skagit currently, with about one million fish expected this week.

The broadcasts will continue indefinitely.

Keeco gets Miami-Dade approval

LYNNWOOD -- Miami-Dade County, Fla. has approved the use of Keeco's silica microencapsulation (SME) water treatment technology for treating stormwater and wastewater.

The technology satisfies both groundwater and surface water clean up target levels, said Keeco Chief Operating Officer Bill Anderson.

Florida is known as having some of the most stringent standards in the nation.

"The SME approach to stormwater management represents, we believe, the most economically practical and environmentally sound approach to achieving compliance," Anderson said.

With the approval, Keeco is now moving forward with partners to close several significant projects in Florida, said Anderson.

Yakima U-Haul site has 62 contaminants

U-Haul of Inland Northwest has been ordered to remove contaminants from the soil at a site the company owns along the railroad corridor in Yakima. U-Haul bought the land in 1984.

According to the Department of Ecology, the goal is to clean up the four-acre site so it can be safely used again. A variety of operations contributed to contamination of the area over a 66-year period -- including the manufacture of pesticides and the distribution of petroleum products.

Of the 62 contaminants found on the site, 23 are considered carcinogenic. About 30 have leached into the aquifer beneath the property as well.

Comments on the clean-up plan are being accepted through Nov. 10. Copies are available at the Yakima Valley Regional Library and the Department of Ecology office in Yakima.

Snake River site restoration gets funds

NYSSA, Ore. (AP) -- An Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife grant will help restore 35 acres on land owned by Three P, a heavy equipment company based in Nampa, Idaho, for waterfowl, upland game birds and hunters.

The $164,000 project will restore part of Three P's 87 acres along the Snake River near Nyssa, said Ann Pressentin Young, a spokeswoman for the department.

A series of ponds and channels will be built, trees and shrubs will be planted, and nesting habitat, winter cover and food plots will be created, she said.

The project is expected to help ducks, geese, pheasants and quail.

Most of the expenses will be paid by Pheasants Unlimited, a group for hunting enthusiasts and conservationists, and Three P.

The Fish and Wildlife Department's Access and Habitat Program will contribute $18,887, she said. Some public hunting will be allowed by permission.

Clarkston port mulls stink suit

LEWISTON (AP) -- Port officials in Clarkston, Wash., are considering a lawsuit against Lewiston and some regulatory agencies over foul odors they blame on a compost plant.

Ed Hafer, one of a number of Clarkston residents who complained to the port commission Monday, said the stench is so pervasive he can't get it out of his closet, making his home worthless.

"If it smells like crap, it is crap," Hafer said.

Some blame the odors on the EKO Regional Compost Facility near the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers, where sewage treatment byproducts and yard waste are turned into compost. Most bacteria are removed before the byproducts reach the plant.

A preliminary assessment, released last week following a study by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, found as many as five sources of odors which have yet to be identified.

Last month Clarkston commissioners said they would consider suing the city and port of Lewiston and regulatory agencies if their concerns were ignored.

On Monday, port lawyer Bruce Ensley said a lawsuit may not be the quickest way to clear the air.

"You have to have more than instinct," Ensley said. "You need to have evidence."

Even if the port won in court, the decision could be appealed, Ensley said. He suggested first trying to work with the appropriate agencies to seek improvements.

EKO has a conditional use permit with the North Central District Health Department in Lewiston, holds a local business license and is a tenant of the Port of Lewiston.

Clarkston port commission chairman Richard Sherwin said the panel will probably decide next month what action to take.

"If that (a lawsuit) is the only option left, that will probably be what happens," Sherwin said.

Meatpacking suit settled for $14M

WASHINGTON -- Meatpacking giant IBP Inc. will spend more than $14 million in penalties and improvements to settle a lawsuit filed over alleged environmental violations at its Dakota City, Neb., plant.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency filed the lawsuit in January 2000 against IBP, accusing the meatpacking giant of polluting the air and water surrounding its 200-acre Dakota City plant.

As part of the settlement, IBP agreed to spend $10 million to construct additional wastewater treatment systems to efficiently reduce its discharges of ammonia into the Missouri River.

The company also has agreed to continue and expand operational improvements ordered last year that will significantly reduce hydrogen sulfur air emissions, Justice Department officials said.

IBP, based in Dakota Dunes, S.D., also will pay penalties of $2.25 million to the EPA and $1.85 million to the state of Nebraska.

In return, the EPA dropped its lawsuit against the company and its claims of environmental violations by the company.

The settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing, IBP said.

"While we still don't agree with the nature and extent of the claims made in the federal government's lawsuit, we're glad that we were able to come to an agreement that allows us to put this matter behind us," William Tolle, IBP assistant vice president for environmental affairs said.

IBP, the nation's biggest beef processor, was bought by Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson Foods Inc. in a $3.2 billion deal that closed last month.