September 9, 2003

Environmental Watch: Portland brownfields conference Oct. 27-29

PORTLAND -- Thousands of business, government and industry representatives are expected to attend the eighth annual national brownfields conference in Portland next month.

Set for Oct. 27-29 at the Oregon Convention Center, "Brownfields 2003: Growing a Greener America" will offer educational sessions, exhibits, round-table discussions, workshops and recent news on brownfield cleanup and redevelopment.

Topics will include redevelopment, revitalization, assessment and cleanup of contaminated properties. Sponsors and co-sponsors include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, International City/County Management Association, and government, business and not-for-profit groups.

Past conferences drew up to 4,000 architects, bankers, developers, consultants, insurers, investors, planners, students, government officials, activists and others. For details, visit www.brownfields2003.org.

Cantwell, Murray to speak at Columbia event

SEATTLE -- U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray will discuss challenges facing the Columbia River at "The Mighty Columbia" conference at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center next month.

Conference sponsor The Seminar Group says space is filling up for the Oct. 23-24 conference. Keynote speakers Cantwell, Murray and other speakers assembled by the law firm Heller Ehrman White & McAuliffe will discuss federal legislation affecting the river and other water, fish, transmission and energy issues.

The conference is geared towards attorneys, government officials, energy specialists, environmentalists, water managers/users, engineers, consultants, developers, landowners, tribal officials and policy makers. For details, call (800) 574-4852 or visit www.theseminargroup.net/htmls/seminars/03rivwa/index.htm.

Built Green coming to Pierce County

TACOMA -- The Master Builders Association of Pierce County is launching a Tacoma/Pierce County Built Green program.

Built Green promotes safe, healthy, energy-efficient homes that protect natural resources and have minimal impact on the environment.

The county program, which starts Sept. 24, will have remodeling and construction components. It will give remodelers a checklist of more than 200 action items and will give construction projects a chance to earn one-, two- or three-star Built Green ratings.

MBA is part of the Building Industry Association of Washington, which represents developers, builders, remodelers, suppliers, financial institutions, subcontractors, sales and marketing professionals, and others who take part in building homes.

BBL to support Superfund cleanup

SEATTLE -- Contractor ACC/Hurlen hired environmental consulting firm Blasland, Bouck & Lee to monitor water quality during dredging and cap replacement at the Pacific Sound Resources Superfund site on the south shore of Elliott Bay.

Upcoming cleanup at the former wood-treatment site, which is now owned by the Port of Seattle, includes removing about 700 treated wood pilings, dredging 100 cubic yards of contaminated sediments and placing a clean sediment cap over about 58 acres. Geologist Shannon Dunn will lead BBL's field team.

Oct. 2 course targets wetlands, streams

EVERETT -- The Adopt-A-Stream Foundation instructors invites Realtors, developers, property owners and others to attend an Oct. 2 course on stream and wetland ecology.

From 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m. in the Northwest Stream Center at 600 128th St. S.E. in Everett's McCollum Park, instructors will discuss watershed terminology, wetland functions and how to tell the difference between different types of wetlands. Officials from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and Snohomish County Planning and Development Services will discuss the Endangered Species Act.

The $75 fee includes the textbook. For information and to register, call Sue Minger at (425) 316-8592.

Community forum on Duwamish cleanup

SEATTLE -- The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition is holding a community forum on the Duwamish River Superfund site Sept. 30 in South Park.

A 5 p.m. open house will precede the 6-8 p.m. forum at the South Park Community Center at 8319 Eighth Ave. S., where coalition members will discuss Duwamish River cleanup projects and health advisories. The forum also will have a photo and arts exhibit, child care and light refreshments.

For more information on the community forum or on Duwamish River cleanup sites, call (206) 954-0218 or visit www.duwamishcleanup.org.

Chesaw gold mine proposal to be reviewed

YAKIMA (AP) -- State and federal agencies will study whether a proposed underground gold mine near Chesaw in Okanogan County will hurt the environment.

Crown Resources asked the state Department of Ecology and U.S. Forest Service for permission to extract 1.2 million ounces of gold from beneath Buckhorn Mountain over 10 years. The company wants to process 1,500 tons of ore per day at an off-site mill.

The operation would cover 135 acres, 25 of them on public lands. The environmental review will identify required actions to compensate for environmental harm and will identify permits needed for the project.

Invasive plants threaten Hells Canyon

IMNAHA, Ore. (AP) -- Dramatic changes are underway at the remote Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, the deepest gorge in North America.

Unusually intense summertime wildfires in recent years are killing stands of timber on the grassy, upland benches. And the canyon is experiencing a massive invasion of noxious weeds.

"Unless we get our act together and get some serious funding in the next five years, we could lose a big portion of Hells Canyon," warned Phil Shephard of The Nature Conservancy.

The issue could unite many diverse groups with interests in the canyon, he said. Even aerial spraying, which can kill nontarget plant species and often runs into opposition from environmentalists, has a chance of getting a go-ahead, he said.

Portland Metro eyes new habitat rules

PORTLAND -- One year after identifying 80,000 acres for wildlife protection, the Portland area's regional government will publicize ideas for a preservation plan for sensitive waterways and animal habitats, The Oregonian reports.

Leaders at Metro, which makes land-use, conservation and transportation decisions, have been working for years on a plan to expand city and county habitat protections. They're considering public land purchases, education programs and incentives such as tax breaks and streamlined permitting in exchange for habitat restoration and development restrictions.

Metro officials say the environmental plan "will reflect connections between rivers, streams and forests," according to The Oregonian. The agency will discuss possible measures at two public hearings next month and will release specific proposals next spring or summer.