May 28, 2002

Environmental Watch: Ocean policy group meeting here

SEATTLE -- The newly formed U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, tasked with developing national policy recommendations for the management of our ocean and coastal environments, will meet in Seattle on June 13 and 14.

The Commission will hold a series of public meetings in the Port of Seattle Commission Chambers at Pier 69 on the Seattle waterfront.

The public is welcome from 12:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 13, and from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, June 14.

Issues on the agenda include the marine environment with a focus on ocean exploration, aquaculture, marine governance and living marine resources.

On Friday the 14th, from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, a public comment session will be held. Speakers will be allotted five minutes and will speak on a first come, first served basis. Written comments may also be submitted to mail@oceancommission.gov.

More information on the commission and its work can be found at www.oceancommission.gov.

Tacoma wins clean city award

WASHINGTON -- The city of Tacoma was honored with a 2002 Clean Cities Program Award by the U.S. Department of Energy at the Eighth National Clean Cities Conference held in Oklahoma City, Okla.

The awards honor companies, municipal agencies, and individuals who have made significant, long-term contributions to advance the use of alternative fuels in cars and trucks.

Tacoma was honored for "leading the Northwest in the use of biodiesel fuel derived from sources such as soybeans."

Other winners included Dallas Public Schools for its use of propane-powered school buses and ENRG Inc. of California, which has set up natural gas fueling stations up and down the West Coast.

The Clean Cities Program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, supports public-private partnerships that deploy alternative fuel vehicles and build supporting infrastructure

Ecology approves MountainStar water plan

YAKIMA -- The state Department of Ecology has approved a package of water rights that will support the development of the 6,200-acre MountainStar resort and adjacent properties near Cle Elum.

As part of the agreement, the resort company has set aside water in several tributaries to enhance stream flows for the benefit of fish and other aquatic resources,and to offset the effects of its water use at the proposed resort.

To facilitate development, Trendwest Resorts acquired a number of water rights within the Yakima River Basin. The package includes a large set of water rights that had historically been diverted near Ellensburg.

However, before the water could be used at the resort, the company needed authorization to withdraw the water at Cle Elum. It also needed to change the rights from seasonal irrigation to year-round uses.

The resort will have access immediately to about half of the water authorized in the decision. The rest of the water will be available after the resort company prepares an acceptable mechanism for monitoring the water rights placed into trust.

Also a water management plan has to be developed for years when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation restricts water diversions.

Trendwest was acquired in April by hotel franchise operator Cendant Corp., which recently sold its interest in the project back to Jen-Weld Corp.

Britain to build biggest wind farm yet

LONDON (AP) -- The government Thursday granted approval to build what will be Britain's biggest wind farm with the capability to generate electricity for 40,000 homes.

The 35 million pound ($51 million) development at Cefn Croes, Wales will have 39 wind-powered turbines.

Energy minister Brian Wilson said he granted approval for the farm in the Cambrian mountains after a "thorough consideration" of representations both for and against the project.

Wilson declined to hold a public inquiry as demanded by some residents opposed to the project.

The government has pledged to have 10 percent of Britain's electricity supplied from renewable sources by the year 2010. A Cabinet Office report recently recommended that this target should be raised to 20 percent by the year 2020.

Geraint Jewson, director of the Renewable Development Company, said work on the wind farm will start in the summer and will take more than a year to complete. The three-bladed wind turbines will have a working life of up to 30 years.

DOT may open up carpool lanes

OLYMPIA (AP) -- Washington may soon open Puget Sound freeway carpool lanes to all traffic on weekends and at night.

The state Transportation Commission agreed to consider the change on Interstate 5, I-90, I-405, Washington 167 and Washington 520. The lanes are now reserved 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for cars carrying two or more riders, vanpools, motorcycles and buses.

"It's clear that many people want to see more flexibility in how we operate the HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lanes, so we are taking a look at it," said Transportation Secretary Doug MacDonald.

He said early findings indicate that the lanes could be opened to all passenger vehicles on weekends and some nighttime hours. The agency will study safety, freeway traffic flow, environmental impact, public attitudes, impact on mass transit and carpooling, legal obligations and financial impact.

If the commission authorizes the change, possibly as early as next month, the switch couldn't happen right away. The state would have to get federal approval, since the lanes were largely built with federal dollars, new signs would have to be erected and any operational or safety concerns would have to be addressed.

Teachers urge incineration delay

IRRIGON, Ore. (AP) -- Teachers at an elementary school near the Umatilla Chemical Depot are urging Gov. John Kitzhaber to delay plans to burn the depot's aging stockpile of nerve gas weapons in an incinerator that is still being tested.

"We just want to make sure no one is at risk," said Johnna Shimp-Jones, a teacher's union representative and a first-grade teacher at A.C. Houghton Elementary School.

About half the school's teaching staff, including her, signed the May 16 letter to Kitzhaber.

The letter said the teachers "do not feel that the procedures currently in place for the gas evacuation safety of our students and staff is sufficient to keep us safe."

The Army has postponed plans to test the incinerator by burning waste industrial solvents after finding a problem with the emissions monitoring system. No new date has been set for the test burns.

Even if the problem is fixed, Kitzhaber still must give the Army permission to start destroying the 3,717 tons of nerve gas stored at the depot. The Army plans to begin in February. Kitzhaber already has said he will not grant permission until he's sure the communities surrounding the depot are safe.