May 27, 2003

Environmental Watch: Cohousing workshop on Wednesday

SEATTLE -- Those interested in balancing the traditional advantages of home ownership with the benefits of shared common facilities can learn more about it at a Wednesday workshop on cohousing communities.

Kelly Scott Hanson of Cohousing Resources will discuss scheduling, financing, feasibility, design, forming residential groups and identifying potential building sites. Guests will discuss cohousing case studies, work through an interactive cohousing exercise and hear testimonials from cohousing residents.

The meeting will be sponsored by the Northwest EcoBuilding Guild Central Puget Sound Chapter and will run from 7 to 9 p.m. in the basement of the brick building behind Phinney Neighborhood Center, 6532 Phinney Ave. N. Non-members will pay $5. For more information, call Marni Evans at (206) 522-7600 ext. 13.

Students design green Habitat homes

LACEY -- St. Martin's College civil engineering students and South Puget Sound Habitat for Humanity have designed a high-density cottage housing development that incorporates energy- and resource-efficiency measures such as radiant-floor heating, conventional wood-framing and insulated concrete.

Using a zero-to-low-impact site design method, 15 St. Martin's seniors designed 15 homes with small footprints so the development allows higher density than standard single-family zones. The design approach also requires that most or all stormwater infiltrates on-site and a majority of the site remains undisturbed from its predeveloped state.

Such restrictions led the students to split into design teams. One focused on a shared community building, one targeted efficiency measures and another formed a site plan with stormwater measures. One such measure was to use permeable pavement, which lets surface water seep through, diminishing the need for storm drains.

The team's goal was to give Habitat permit-ready drawings to submit to the city of Olympia.

"Their site work is invaluable because it's allowing us to move into new territory with low-impact design," said Gretchen VanDusen, an architect on Habitat's design committee.

Skagit dams certified as low impact

SEATTLE -- Seattle City Light's Skagit Project, which is made up of three dams and powerhouses on the Skagit River, has been certified as low impact hydropower by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute.

LIHI recognizes environmentally sound facilities as part of supporting incentives to reduce the impact of hydropower dams on rivers and streams. City Light facilities in Ross, Diablo and Gorge were examined for river flows, water quality, fish passage, cultural resources, and threatened and endangered species protection.

Skagit is Washington's first LIHI-certified project and the first large hydro project in the nation to win the label.

Ecology's first quarter fines: $295,000

OLYMPIA -- The Washington Department of Ecology issued $294,550 in penalties during the first quarter of this year.

Ecology fined Longview's Dockendale Shipping Co. $81,000 for spilling approximately 800 gallons of fuel into the Columbia River. Kalama's Evergreen Marine Corp. was fined $67,500 for spilling 500 gallons of oily waste into the river. The third largest fine was issued against Tacoma's Unix Pine PTE, which released 50 gallons of oily waste into Commencement Bay.

King County penalties included $18,000 against Auburn's Icon Materials for failing to comply with a water-quality order and $10,000 against Issaquah's Port Blakely Communities for discharging turbid water into Issaquah Creek. Ecology's penalty tally for the first three months of 2003 included only fines of $1,000 or above.

TREE program cuts waste, saves money

OLYMPIA -- A partnership between Washington businesses and the state Department of Ecology is helping companies reduce water use and hazardous waste.

By sharing knowledge of industrial processes and pollution prevention, engineers and scientists affiliated with Ecology's Technical Resources for Engineering Efficiency (TREE) program helps businesses reduce waste and save money, the department said.

Ecology cited Industrial Plating of Seattle, whose water bill fell from $80,000 to $23,000; Warden's Basin Frozen Foods, which is saving upwards of 22 million gallons of water a year; and Washougal's Saint Gobain Crystals & Detectors, which cut monthly solid waste by 3.5 tons based on TREE's recommendations.

For information about TREE's free service, call team leader James DeMay at (360) 407-6338, or public information manager Caitlin Cormier at (360) 407-6149. Details are also available at www.ecy.wa.gov.programs/hwtr/TREE/index.html.

Superfund cleanups trudge forward

PORTLAND -- State and federal funds available for large cleanup projects such as the McCormick & Baxter Superfund site are shrinking each year, the Portland Tribune reports.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has spent more than $15 million cleaning the McCormick waterfront site north of the University of Portland. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has spent $8 million, and an estimated $12 million more is needed to finish the job.

It is unclear where the estimated $200 million needed to finish the Portland Harbor Superfund site will come from. The six-mile portion of Portland Harbor includes the McCormick property and dozens of others along the Willamette River.

A new Oregon bill, Senate Bill 751, would let Oregon issue "pollution control bonds" to pay for cleanup; the state could pursue reimbursement from businesses proven responsible for the mess, according to the Tribune.

14 schools win grants for green work

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology has honored 14 Washington schools for their efforts to protect the environment.

The schools received the Terry Husseman Sustainable Schools Awards with awards ranging from $1,500 to $2,500. Formerly focused on recycling, the awards have been revamped to support the state's waste-reduction and sustainability priorities.

Three types of awards were presented. One helps schools start programs, the second assists with ongoing recycling programs and the last goes toward development of an environmental curriculum.

Two King County schools -- Crestwood and Glacier Park elementaries, both in the Kent area -- won. A list of the winners is at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/swfa/terryhusseman.html.