July 15, 2003

Environmental Watch: July 21 workshop on selling green homes

BELLEVUE -- Master Builders Association University is holding a half-day workshop next week for Realtors, lenders, developers and marketing professionals who want to reach buyers interested in healthy, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly homes.

On July 21 from 8 a.m. until noon the "Tapping the Green in Built Green" workshop will feature presentations by Millie Allen, vice president of sales for Ideal Homes; Jill Mayfield, president of Jill Mayfield Communications; Kathleen O'Brien, president of O'Brien & Co.; Dave Porter, vice president of Countrywide; and Robin Rogers, director of the Built Green program of Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties.

The workshop is in the banquet room of the Master Builders Association at 335 116th Ave. S.E., Bellevue, WA 98004. Registration is $45 and $5 for a RCH certificate fee. For more information, call (425) 451-7920.

City's sustainability office targets business

SEATTLE -- Former Seattle Mayor Paul Schell formed the city's Office of Sustainability and Environment in late 2000 to foster eco-friendly practices in Seattle neighborhoods, government departments and transportation systems.

As it prepares to head into its third year, the office's new goal is to create similar change in the private sector, said director Steve Nicholas.

Seattle's sustainability office is working with the Economic Development Council of Seattle/King County and Seattle Office of Economic Development on ways to encourage eco-friendly business in the region. Nicholas said he and his five-person staff are also working on strategies to promote sustainable products, practices, technologies and other possible economic growth sectors.

For more information, call Nicholas at (206) 615 0829 or visit www.cityofseattle.net/environment.

Tacoma landfill cleanup gets thumbs-up

TACOMA -- A few improvements could be made to the Tacoma landfill, but overall, the cleanup project is on track and is protecting human health and the environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said.

Part of the Commencement Bay, South Tacoma Channel Superfund site, the Tacoma landfill was added to EPA's National Priorities List in 1983. In a second five-year review of the 220-acre landfill -- the first was in 1997 -- EPA considered groundwater monitoring, surface water and landfill gas, as well as inspection and maintenance reports and community concerns.

To improve the landfill, EPA recommended that cleanup teams address small amounts of gas detected at a nearby Home Depot store; stormwater found leaking through the upper landfill cover; vegetation and other visual obstructions to the landfill cover; and bird-management and odor-control plans.

Aug. 4-8 course on groundwater pollution

SAN FRANCISCO -- A Princeton Groundwater class next month will cover groundwater pollution and hydrology from theory to practice.

The Aug. 4-8 class will explore the Pollution Prevention Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act, and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as well as state groundwater and pollution regulations. Topics include groundwater legislation, natural attenuation, risk assessment, wellhead protection, monitoring equipment and remediation alternatives, with an emphasis on principles and professional practices underlying groundwater pollution, hydrology and remediation.

The instructors are Robert Cleary of Princeton Groundwater; John Cherry of University of Waterloo; David Nielsen of Nielsen Environmental Field School; Michael Kavanaugh and Richard Brownell of Malcolm Pirnie; Bernard Kueper of Queens University; and Murray Einarson of Einarson and Associates.

The $1,395 registration fee covers materials and refreshments. For details about topics and instructors, call Princeton Groundwater at (813) 964-0800 or visit www.princeton-groundwater.com.

Exhibit space remains for tradeshow

PORTLAND -- Only 16 booth spaces remain for the Nov. 18-19 Northwest Environmental Conference Tradeshow at the DoubleTree Jantzen Beach Hotel in Portland.

Booth space at the 2003 conference, which highlights advanced environmental technologies and services, has sold out the past four years. For more information about booth space, call Cara Bergeson of the Northwest Environmental Business Council at (503) 227-6361 or visit http://www.nwec.org');">www.nebc.org or http://www.nwec.org.

Wind power, other projects get funds

SEATTLE -- 3TIER Environmental Forecast Group is working with the University of Washington to forecast the amount of energy produced by large wind projects.

More accurate wind forecasts make systems more reliable and lower costs, according to 3TIER, a Seattle-based atmospheric and hydrological forecasting service. The 3TIER/UW project will use computer algorithms to help expand wind power production. Its first year will focus on short-range forecasting, and later research will focus on improving forecasts at longer lead times.

The project received funding from the Washington Technology Center, which supports industry/university collaborations and companies with 250 or fewer employees.Twice a year, the technology center's Research and Technology Development program makes awards of up to $100,000 to support companies' work with university researchers. Andgar Corp., Second Act Partners, Shoreline Industries and Washington Farms also received funding.

Watch out for drug junk

OLYMPIA -- Propane tanks and other seemingly innocent trash could actually be waste from a methamphetamine lab, the state Department of Ecology says.

As summer sunshine draws more people outdoors, Ecology is warning Washingtonians to watch out for a rising number of meth lab dump sites.

Camping areas, public and private forests, and rural and suburban roads, as well as dumpsters behind businesses and shopping malls, put some people in contact with meth-lab chemicals.

The following items, as well as strong ammonia odors, could point to a meth-lab dump site: propane tanks or other pressurized cylinders; containers of acetone, toluene and Coleman Fuel; starter-fluid spray cans; shredded lithium batteries; Red Devil Lye (drain cleaner); muriatic and/or hydrochloric acid; empty cold-medicine packages or containers; and plastic tubing, glass jars, funnels, coffee filters and hypodermic needles.

Ecology hazardous-materials teams were called to clean up 818 meth-labs and dumpsites though the end of June. Pierce County reported the highest number of meth-lab, followed by King, Spokane, Thurston, Snohomish and Benton counties. Those who contact meth lab materials should leave the area immediately and contact local police.