August 31, 2004

Environmental Watch: Hart Crowser adds five to staff

SEATTLE — Hart Crowser's Seattle office recently added five staff members to work on environmental and pollution prevention projects.

Environmental engineer Peter Smiltins designs remediation for dry cleaning and gas station sites. Evan Griffiths is working on groundwater remediation, mine reclamation and landfill closure projects. Oceanographer Erin Breckel is working on plans for stormwater pollution prevention for a port and a recycling company. Geochemist Jessica Robertson surveys hazardous building materials. Project assistant Jessica Ballard is working on environmental site assessments for the Seattle Monorail Project.

Hart Crowser is a 150-person environmental and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Seattle. The firm specializes in environmental and geotechnical engineering, natural resources and remediation technologies. It also has offices in Edmonds, Portland, Anchorage, Denver and Cherry Hill, N.J.

New wetland rules from the Corps

PORTLAND — New guidelines from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are intended to help engineers design wetland mitigation projects more successfully than they have been in the past. New guidelines are available at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/g/regs/MGMR.pdf.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers published the new mitigation guidelines and monitoring requirements for its Portland District, which includes the state of Oregon and Washington ports on the Columbia River, from the Port of Ilwaco to Port of Klickitat.

The guidelines were developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries and other resource agencies. For more information, contact Kathryn Harris at Kathryn.L.Harris@usace.army.mil.

NW salmon experts host festival in Russia

PORTLAND — Northwest salmon experts host a festival in Russia this weekend to promote awareness of wild salmon protection. The first international Sakhalin Salmon Festival will be held Sept. 4 to 6 on the banks of the Krasnodonka River, near the town of Aniva in the Sakhalin region.

The Portland-based Wild Salmon Center has helped fisheries mangers, scientists and conservation groups in the Russian Far East for more than a decade. They will attend the festival along with representatives from Salmon Nation and Oregon Trout's Salmon Watch. Northwest experts will meet Russian fish biologists, educators and a marine protection group called the Living Seas Coalition. For more information, contact Angela Owen, Wild Salmon Center (503) 222-1804, aowen@wildsalmoncenter.org. Or visit http://www.wildsalmoncenter.org.

Hazmat group to meet Sept. 7

SEATTLE — The next quarterly meeting of the Pacific Northwest chapter of the Academy of Hazardous Materials Management will be held Sept. 7 at Rock Salt Steak House, 1232 Westlake Ave. N. in Seattle. A social hour starts at 6 p.m.

Emery Bayley, senior technical services manager of the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, will speak on the coalition's efforts to remediate contaminated properties. The academy certifies professionals and provides networking opportunities for the industry. Cost is $25. Reserve by Thursday. For more information, contact Peggy Willingham at (206) 392-9854 or peggy.willingham@alaskaair.com. Or visit http://www.pnwc-ahmm.org.

County updating flood hazard plan

SEATTLE — King County will present workshops Sept. 8, 13, 14 and 15 to gather public input to update its 1993 flood hazard reduction plan.

The plan outlines strategies for reducing hazards, and providing health and safety services when floods occur. The update will take into account the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, a national flood insurance program and amendments to the Growth Management Act such as the Endangered Species Act listing of chinook salmon and bull trout.

Presentations on the county's river management will be followed by public sessions at libraries in North Bend on Sept. 8 and in Auburn on Sept. 13. Sessions will also be held at Renton Community Center on Sept. 14 and Carnation's Sno-Valley Senior Center on Sept. 15. A draft of the plan for public review is scheduled to be out in November. For information see the Web site at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/topics/flooding/FLDtopic.htm

USGBC hosts talk on lifecycle issues

SEATTLE — The U.S. Green Building Council hosts a conference to address green building and lifecycle assessment methods. "Crossroads" will be held at the Mountaineers Building, 300 Third Ave. W., in Seattle on Sept. 10.

The council says the lifecycle assessment method has been used to specify what counts as sustainable building materials. Ways to identify and measure environmental and economic impacts will also be covered. A roundtable includes: Nina Tallering, Glen Gilbert, Vivian Loftness, Tom Paladino and Philip White. Cost starts at $180. For more information, contact ncollie@sppcoalition.org. The same conference will also be held in Portland on Sept. 9.

Sustainable transportation, trade seminars

PORTLAND — The Oregon Natural Step Network presents "Sustainable Transportation: Oxymoron or Opportunity" on Sept. 20 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Omsi Cafe, 1945 S.E. Water Ave. in Portland.

The seminar covers how to transport people and goods in efficient and sustainable ways. Alternative transportation, alternate fuels, and best ways to ship small packages are some of the topics to be covered. Cost is $110 or $90 for members. Attendance is limited.

The Sustainable Industries Journal sponsors a talk on sustainable free trade on Sept. 15 at Multnomah Athletic Club, 1849 S.W. Salmon St. in Portland. Speakers include Steve Smith, founder of tea company Tazo, and David Griswold, president of coffee trader Sustainable Harvest. Cost is $35. For more information on either event, contact Barbara Koneval at (503) 241-1140 or events@ortns.org or visit http://www.ortns.org/events.asp.

Baldwin shows eco-friendly piano

TRUMAN, Ark. — Nashville-based Baldwin Piano has a new piano model made from lyptus, a hardwood grown in South America under sustainable forestry practices. The premium-grade lyptus is grown on plantations. To prevent native ecosystems from being overwhelmed, plots are interspersed with native trees on a regular basis.

The Baldwin model was on display in Atlanta at the recent International Woodworking and Furniture Supply Fair, a trade show for the furniture and architectural woodworking industries.

Public hearing on roadless forest rule

SEATTLE — Gov. Gary Locke, Senator Maria Cantwell and Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash) sponsor a public hearing Wednesday to get public comments on repeal of a federal rule on roadless forests.

The hearing will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Shoreline Conference Center, 18560 First Ave. N.E. in Shoreline. A panel of elected officials and environmental policy aides will hear public comment.

Other topics covered will be the decline of Olympic, Mount Rainier and other national parks in the region. Sponsors are: Washington Wilderness Coalition, the Campaign to Protect America's Lands and the Coalition of Concerned National Park Service Retirees. For more information, call Tom Uniack at (206) 633-1992, Ext. 102 or visit www.wawild.org/campaigns/hearing.html.