October 21, 2003

Environmental Watch: New hire at NVL Laboratories

SEATTLE -- NVL Laboratories, a Seattle-based hazardous building materials testing laboratory, hired Andre Zwanenburg as manager of the field services division.

Zwanenburg, a project designer and estimator with experience in regulated hazardous materials abatement, will oversee asbestos and lead surveys/inspections, temporary staffing, air and worker exposure monitoring, mold inspections and protocol development.

ABR hires bird scientist

FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- ABR, Inc. Environmental Research & Services hired research scientist Jonathan Plissner. Plissner earned a doctorate at Clemson University and has more than 20 years of experience in ecological research.

Plissner's work with sensitive bird species includes bird censusing, metapopulation viability analyses, behavioral studies, statistical support and passerine and shorebird ecology.

$3.58M OK'd for Commencement Bay work

TACOMA -- The state departments of Ecology and Natural Resources will give the city of Tacoma up to $3.58 million to help pay for cleanup of the Thea Foss and Wheeler-Osgood waterways and to reimburse most of the cost of removing two derelict vessels from Commencement Bay.

Tacoma accepted a $3.4 million Model Toxics Control Act grant from Ecology for cleanup of the two Superfund-listed waterways. Also, DNR will reimburse up to 75 percent of the $238,810 that the Tacoma City Council agreed to pay to have two abandoned boats removed from Commencement Bay's Olympic View Resource Area, which the city spent more than $3.5 million to clean up.

The reimbursement could be close to $180,000. The council accepted the funds at an Oct. 14 meeting, said John O'Loughlin, of the city's Public Works/Environmental Services department.

Criminal charges filed in asbestos removal

SEATTLE -- The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged John Long, owner of Long Classic Homes Ltd. in Puyallup, for improperly removing asbestos-containing materials from a house scheduled for demolition in Renton.

Ecology investigators found Long and his sons tried to remove asbestos ceiling and vinyl-asbestos flooring in 2001. Long was charged with not notifying Puget Sound Clean Air; not using workers certified to remove and handle asbestos; illegally disposing of asbestos debris with regular garbage; and not placing barriers and warnings on the site. He faces up to a year in jail and $40,000 in fines.

King County buses to try biodiesel fuel

SEATTLE -- King County Metro Transit is testing biodiesel fuel in 10 buses as part of an effort to reduce the agency's reliance on fossil fuel.

The agency will test a biodiesel blend of 80 percent diesel fuel with 20 percent vegetable oil, according to a news release. The fuel will cost $1.50 per gallon, compared with 80 to 90 cents per gallon the county spends on ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel, said spokesperson Linda Thielke.

She said the agency will spend $5,000 to monitor the project and determine whether biodiesel causes operation or maintenance problems. Even if biodiesel works well, Thielke said expanding its use could prove difficult due to limited local availability and high prices. The fleet has 1,300 buses.

SPU meetings highlight new drainage plan

SEATTLE -- Seattle Public Utilities will discuss its proposed Comprehensive Drainage Plan at two upcoming community meetings.

SPU is examining how it manages flood protection, habitat preservation and enhancement, water quality, public assets and other stormwater issues.

The agency will discuss the plan at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at Seattle City Light North Service Center, 1300 N. 97th St.; and at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 at Camp Long Environmental Education Center, 5200 35th Ave. S.W. in West Seattle. For information contact Darla Inglis at (206) 733-9196 or e-mail drainage.plan@seattle.gov.

2good2toss.com offers online exchange

TACOMA -- The goal of a new government-sponsored Web exchange is to slow the flow of used appliances, furniture, fixtures, carpet, lumber, electronics, car parts and other items to landfills.

There's little limit to what users can post at http://www.2good2toss.com: Judging by a quick browse of the Web site, items that are legal and non-hazardous appear to be fair game.

Participants include Clark, King, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, Skagit, Snohomish, Thurston, Walla Walla and Columbia counties and the cities of Shelton, Tacoma and Richland. Listings are free, and users can make a buck, but eBay this ain't: Items must be offered for $99 or less. For details visit www.2good2toss.com.

Nov. 4 workshop: 'final word' on toxic mold

SEATTLE -- A Nov. 4 workshop at the Red Lion Hotel, 1415 Fifth Ave., will cover the biological, practical, and legal implications of toxic mold in residential and commercial buildings.

"The Mold Epidemic: Fact or Fiction? The Final Word on Toxic Mold Issues" is designed for attorneys, physicians, contractors, insurance agents, Realtors, property managers, consultants, developers, design professionals and industrial hygienists.

Topics will include development and biology; mold-related illnesses; prosecuting commercial cases; defending contractors and designers; and mold remediation and repair. For details call The Seminar Group at (800) 574-4852 or visit www.theseminargroup.net/htmls/seminars/03moldwa/index.htm.

Comments due on aquatic reserve plan

OLYMPIA - The state Department of Natural Resources is accepting comments on its proposal to create aquatic reserves near Maury Island and Cherry Point.

Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland recommended the sites become aquatic reserves after recommendations from state and federal agencies and academia. At an Oct. 28 meeting in Vashon and a Nov. 5 in Bellingham, DNR will discuss the proposed reserves and aquatic-reserve process. For details visit www.dnr.wa.gov/htdocs/aqr/reserves/home.htm.

Submit comments by Nov. 7 for Maury Island and Nov. 12 for Cherry Point to DNR's SEPA Center, P.O. Box 47015, Olympia, WA 98504-7015, or e-mail to sepacenter@wadnr.gov.

Automakers fight for SUV tax deduction

WASHINGTON (AP) -- An effort in the Senate to cut tax deductions for small businesses that buy sport utility vehicles is running into opposition from automakers, who say the deductions are fair and should be expanded.

The Senate Finance Committee voted this month to cut the amount small businesses can deduct for buying an SUV from $100,000 to $25,000. The bill is headed for the full Senate, where some lawmakers have called for a complete repeal of the deduction.

The deduction applies to vehicles weighing 6,000 pounds or more. Tax deductions for trucks and SUVs first were meant for farmers and other small businesses that needed large vehicles. The deduction amount grew from $25,000 to $100,000 this summer as part of an economic stimulus package.