September 10, 2002

Environmental Watch: Chapin to head NW energy tech group

SEATTLE -- The Washington Technology Center has named H. Day Chapin head of the Pacific Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative, a group working on new energy technologies for the region.

Chapin has more than 20 years experience as an entrepreneur and executive in start-up and large companies in a number of fields including telecommunications, manufacturing and energy.

The Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative is an agreement among Washington Technology Center, Avista Corp., Bonneville Power Administration, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute. Its purpose is to accelerate growth of the energy technology industry in the Pacific Northwest.

EcoBuilding meeting Sept. 25 on cement

SEATTLE -- The Central Puget Sound Chapter of the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild will hold a presentation on the environmental, performance and economic benefits of using fly ash as a substitute for Portland cement in order to reduce a building's environmental impact.

Doug Howell from Seattle City Light will give a background on cement production and climate change, including investigating the possibility of incentives for substituting fly ash for cement. Chris Dixon, director of specifications for Mithun Architects, will discuss actual experience in specifying and using high volume fly ash concrete mixes.

Greg McKinnon of Stoneway Concrete will provide information from the vendor point of view. Lynne Barker, code specialist from Seattle's Department of Design, Construction and Land Use, will speak on building code considerations with fly ash mixes.

The event will be held Wednesday, Sept. 25, in the basement of the brick building at the Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m.; it is free for EcoBuilding Guild members. A $5 donation is requested from others. For more information contact Thor Peterson at (206) 615-0731.

Salmon recovery conference Oct. 22-25

SEATTLE -- The Northwest Salmonid Recovery Conference set for October 22-25 is accepting registrations.

The four-day conference will feature presentations on fish and habitat science, including a field trip to successful habitat restoration projects.

The conference costs $432 for all four days, but single session admission is available.

The event is sponsored by the National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, British Columbia Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Portland Metro, Clallam County Natural Resources, Chelan County Public Utilities, Washington Trout, University of Washington, Inter-Fluv Inc., Ridolfi Engineers, and the Mid-Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group.

The conference will be held at the Mountaineers Conference Center, 300 Third Avenue W. For more information go to http://www.nwetc.org or call (206)762-1976.

Rice-to-fuel project targets pollution

GRIDLEY, Calif. (AP) -- The city of Gridley is taking part in an experimental program that could reduce air pollution in agricultural areas by converting rice straw into a form of fuel for vehicles.

Gridley is just one of many communities in California looking for a way to dispose of rice straw after the rice has been harvested.

"Most of this technology is used in making other products, so there is a fairly high level of confidence this will be successful," said Gridley City Administrator Jack Slota.

The rice industry in Northern California can produce 2 tons of straw per acre annually, Slota said. With 500,000 acres of rice in production in California, that amounts to 1 million tons of straw each year, he said.

Houston bayou added to Superfund list

HOUSTON (AP) -- A polluted waterway that flows into the Houston Ship Channel and is home to a wide range of wildlife has been added to the list of federal Superfund hazardous waste sites requiring priority cleanup.

Patrick Bayou, surrounded by petrochemical plants near Deer Park, was one of 19 sites added to the Superfund National Priorities List this past week.

With the new additions, the priorities list now contains 1,238 cleanup sites, the Environmental Protection Agency said.

Chemicals in sediment from the bayou and adjacent areas include pesticides, aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury and other metals, according to tests by city and state agencies and the EPA.

The bayou includes wetlands that provide habitat for wildlife, waterfowl and migratory birds, and large numbers of fish and shellfish congregate at its confluence with the ship channel.

The EPA says fishermen harvest blue crab and catfish along the channel near Patrick Bayou despite state Health Department restriction on eating such seafood because of high levels of dioxin.

GAO: $245M air filters need more tests

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Air filtering equipment being considered for installation in postal facilities to protect against another biological attack needs further testing, says an investigative report.

The post office began looking into protective systems in the wake of last fall's anthrax attacks which killed five people, including two postal workers. Major mail processing centers in Washington and New Jersey remain closed until they can be decontaminated.

Among the systems under consideration are high efficiency air filtering systems for mail processing centers to remove biological contamination from the air.

But a study by Congress' General Accounting Office, released Monday, said the post office needs to further evaluate whether the filter systems will do the job. It also questions the estimated $245 million cost of the project and whether electrical demand of the systems will affect other postal machinery.

In a response, Patrick R. Donahoe, postal chief operating officer, agreed with the need for testing and said it is under way with the assistance of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

A preproduction version of the system is planned for installation this fall in the mail processing center at Dulles International Airport so its efficiency can be evaluated, he added.

The $245 million cost estimate nationwide was based on the best available information but will probably have to be adjusted over time, he said.