April 1, 2003

Environmental Watch: UI wins Clean Snowmobile Challenge

Photo courtesy of Brian Parmeter/Michigan Technological University The University of Idaho's Cleaner Beemer competes in last month's clean snowmobile competition.

MOSCOW, Idaho -- The University of Idaho's black and green championship Clean Snowmobile is the cleanest, fastest and quietest racing sled in North America.

That was proved when the BMW-powered 4-stroke Arctic Cat swept the 2003 SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge last month. It won first overall and awards for best fuel economy, quietest snowmobile, best performance, lowest emissions and best value.

The win should come as no surprise. Idaho's Arctic Cat was the defending champion from last year's Challenge.

The UI team of engineering students competed against a dozen other teams from across North American at Michigan Technological University. The goal was to design a machine that reduces emissions and noise while maintaining or improving snowmobile performance.

Against the control snowmobile, the Idaho entry's gas mileage was 131 percent lower, its carbon monoxide emissions were cut by 93 percent, and unburned hydrocarbons were decreased 98 percent.

More additions at Herrera Environmental

SEATTLE -- Herrera Environmental Consultants continues to add staff members. The latest additions, Jennifer Goldsmith, Michael Cawrse and Alex Svendsen, join the Water Quality Group.

A company spokesperson says that while the company is growing, some of the additions were made last year but not announced until recently.

The additions are "reflective of the growth of the last year and a half," said Herrera Marketing Director Carla Cassidy. "It's almost every discipline that we offer. In our case, I think it's a matter of pleased clients." As examples, she cited on-call clients such as Seattle Public Utilities, the General Services Administration and the Federal Highway Administration.

Goldsmith specializes in developing water quality monitoring programs, water quality data interpretation and impact assessment, and storm water analysis.

Cawrse is an environmental scientist specializing in water quality and aquatic habitat. He joined Herrera last year after several years with the Skagit County Department of Public Works.

Svendsen's expertise includes water quality, environmental restoration and remediation.

Bellevue to review critical areas policy

BELLEVUE -- The draft recommendations on Bellevue's Critical Areas policies will be reviewed during a 6:30 p.m. meeting Wednesday at Highland Community Center, 14224 Bel-Red Road.

City officials say the policies protect Bellevue's most important and sensitive environmental features, including wetlands, streams and steep slopes. The work is part of a Growth Management Act requirement to include best available science in developing regulations to protect critical areas.

The City Council appointed a citizens' advisory committee to draft the recommendations. The city also hired consultants for the work. The prime contractor is Adolfson Associates of Seattle.

Tomorrow night's meeting starts with an open house. At 7:30 there will be a presentation, which will be followed by a public comment period. More information is available by clicking on "What's New" at http://www.cityofbellevue.org/planning.asp.

DNR wants help with 'green certification'

VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Washington State Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland has invited independent organizations that provide "green certification" to work with the Department of Natural Resources to recognize what he calls the high standard of forestry in Washington.

"Washington already adheres to some of the highest standards of forestry in North America, standards which meet or exceed many certification guidelines," Sutherland said at the recent Certification Watch Conference in Vancouver, B.C. He believes that recognizing these standards would benefit consumers, foresters and organizations that promote responsible forestry.

"Following Washington’s guidelines, we can meet consumer demand in a way that is sustainable and protects healthy ecosystems," he said.

Groups such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council advise foresters on sustainable management of forests and indicate to consumers that the timber has been harvested to meet their standards.

Recognizing Washington’s current standards would allow certification organizations to increase the supply of "green certified" lumber available to consumers and increase demand for these products.

Rodda Paint says it's in the LEED

PORTLAND -- Rodda Paint claims it is the first manufacturer to offer a full line of paints that help builders qualify for credit under the LEED program.

In a press release Rodda said its Horizon line of zero-VOC interior and low-VOC exterior paint is the only full line to earn the stamp of approval from Green Seal, the national organization that certifies products that are less harmful to the environment.