March 11, 2003

Environmental Watch: Herrera expands restoration services

SEATTLE -- Herrera Environmental Consultants is expanding its ecological restoration services with the addition of staff members Tim Abbe, PhD, RG; Maeve McBride; and Erich Hester.

Abbe is a regional expert in river restoration and leads Herrera's river science and geomorphology group. McBride and Hester are engineers specializing in fluvial and tidal habitat restoration; stormwater and flood control evaluation and design; and watershed water quality evaluation.

The three are working with other Herrera habitat specialists to restore river and coastal ecosystems for municipal, agency and tribal clients throughout Alaska, Washington and Oregon.

Ecology adds 27 sites to cleanup list

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology has added 27 properties to its list of contaminated sites targeted for cleanup, and removed four that have been cleaned.

The new sites are in 14 counties: Chelan, Clallam, Island, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Okanogan, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Spokane, Whatcom and Yakima.

The four sites removed from the list are in Douglas, Kittitas, Pierce and Thurston counties.

The list is at www.ecy.wa.gov under the March 5 release "Industrial legacy evident in state's contaminated sites list."

Columbia deepening study extended

PORTLAND -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has extended the time line that Oregon and Washington have to respond to the agency's coastal zone consistency determination for the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project.

The extra 90 days will allow the Corps and states to work out several issues related to environmental and zoning approvals.

Six Columbia River ports have proposed deepening the federal navigation channel between Vancouver and the Pacific Ocean to allow deeper-draft vessels to transit the river. The project also includes several ecosystem restoration projects.

The Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development is evaluating the project's consistency with local planning policies, specifically for Clatsop County. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is evaluating whether to issue water quality certification.

The Washington Department of Ecology is evaluating coastal zone consistency -- specifically for Pacific and Wahkiakum counties -- and water quality certification.

"This is a very complex project and we want the reviewing agencies to have the benefit of the necessary time to consider all available information," said Laura Hicks, the Corps' project manager.

The Corps' record of decision and its agreement with the ports are on hold pending the environmental and zoning approvals.

Baker works on Alaska gold mine DEIS

SEATTLE -- The consulting firm Michael Baker Jr. Inc. assisted in preparing the draft environmental impact statement for Teck-Pogo Inc.'s proposed Pogo Gold Mine Project near Delta Jackson, Alaska.

Region 10 Environmental Protection Agency officials say the DEIS soon will be available for a 60-day public review. The comment period begins Friday.

EPA is the lead agency for the EIS process because the project needs a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. The project team also includes the state of Alaska and the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers.

In a related development, Michael Baker Jr. Inc., is embarking on a new phase of business development in Alaska where it has worked for 60 years.

"We are integrating our engineering services with our energy related business," John Eldred, Alaska manager of Michael Baker Jr., recently told Petroleum News Alaska.

EcoAnalysts opens new Portland office

PORTLAND -- EcoAnalysts Inc., an Idaho corporation, has announced the opening of its fourth office, this one in Portland.

The firm specializes in aquatic biology and bioassessment using periphyton (algae), benthic invertebrates, and fish as indicators of water quality.

The 8-year-old company has 35 employees in Moscow, Idaho; Bozeman, Mont.; Woodland, Calif.; and Portland.

The Portland office will focus on aquatic ecology issues using periphyton communities as indicators of stream/river productivity, water quality and habitat quality. Services will include field sampling of periphyton and macroinvertebrates, laboratory processing of periphyton samples (taxonomy and algal biomass measures), data analysis, data interpretation and report writing.

Projects in hand include a fertilization study on the Kootenai River, as well as several smaller bioassessment-related projects.

De-icer saves time, money, environment

EVERETT -- Snohomish County crews have started using a new road anti-icing solution that officials say is better for the environment.

Calcium magnesium acetate, a non-corrosive and non-toxic product, is derived from lime and acetic acid, also known as vinegar. Unlike sand, CMA does not produce sediments that wash into streams, according to Roy Scalf Sr., operations coordinator of the county’s Public Works Road Maintenance Division.

He expects the use of CMA to save money by reducing the labor and material costs of applying and sweeping up sand.

CMA's one drawback is that it leaves dark streaks parallel to driving lanes. This can leave the appearance of wet or icy pavement, which in turn can lead drivers to believe the pavement hasn’t been treated.

Comments due on Thea Foss agreement

TACOMA -- Two consent agreements filed in U.S.District Court officially recognize a commitment by the city, several utilities and 78 other parties to complete the $62 million Thea Foss Waterway cleanup.

The News Tribune last week reported the filing by Department of Justice and Environmental Protection Agency lawyers came after about 1 1/2 years of negotiations between the parties the EPA identified as responsible for the cleanup under the Superfund law.

The consent decree divides oversight responsibility for the cleanup between Tacoma and PacificCorp, Puget Sound Energy and Advance Ross Sub Co. The other 77 parties have agreed to pay $13 million as their share. The public has 30 days to comment on the documents.

Portland to be featured at ecoroof event

CHICAGO -- Tom Liptan of Portland is among those selected to speak at the first North American Green Roof Infrastructure Conference, Awards and Trade Show May 29-30 in Chicago.

He will discuss a program developed in Portland that encourages the use of ecoroofs to address stormwater concerns and to provide other environmental and economic benefits.

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and the city of Chicago are hosting the conference. For details, see www.greenroofs.ca.

Events scheduled for the E community

SEATTLE -- The following events are scheduled for the Pacific Northwest:

• The Hazardous/Toxic Waste Management 2003 Certification Workshops will be in the Seattle and Portland areas later this month. The Portland workshop is March 24-25 at the Holiday Inn at the Convention Center, and the Seattle workshop will be March 27-28 at the SeaTac Holiday Inn. For details see www.lion.com/W693; write register@lion.com; or phone (973) 383-0800, extension W693.

• The Revised Industrial Stormwater General Permit, which became effective last fall, is the topic of the Northwest Environmental Business Council's 11:30 a.m. April 2 luncheon at McCormick & Schmick's Harborside, 1200 Westlake Ave. N., in Seattle. For more information, telephone the NEBC at (888) 609-NEBC or see www.nebc.org.