February 1, 2005

Environmental Watch: Pentec Environmental adds Ormerod

Ormerod

Ormerod has 10 years of experience in environmental engineering. He is working on computer modeling to reroute a creek in Centralia and erosion computer modeling for the U.S. Forest Service. Seattle-headquartered Hart Crowser is a 150-person environmental and engineering consulting firm.

Wastemobile in Covington Feb. 11-13

SEATTLE — King County residents can bring household hazardous wastes to a three-day Wastemobile event in Covington Feb. 11-13.

Items accepted for disposal free of charge are pesticides, fluorescent bulbs and ballasts, paint products, and automotive products such as oil, antifreeze and auto batteries.

Wastemobile will be at Fire Station #75, 15635 S.E. 272nd St. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The site is on the south side of Highway 516 (Kent-Kangley Road), one mile east of Lake Meridian. For more information call the King County Household Hazards Line at (206) 296-4692 or see www.govlink.org/hazwaste/house/disposal/wastemobile/index.html.

Portland publishers to run energy Web site

PORTLAND — The Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance awarded a three-year contract to two groups to run energy outreach programs.

Celilo Group Media and Clean Edge will run a monthly newsletter and Web conferencing service focused on energy efficiency, and renewable and smart energy. The Web site nwcurrent.com launches this month and will cover policy, innovations, news and events.

The target audience includes electric utility management staff, policymakers and energy professionals in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

Celilo Group works to expand markets for sustainable products and services and has offices in Seattle, Portland and St. Paul, Minn.

Research and publishing firm Clean Edge tracks clean-tech market trends and opportunities to help investors and policymakers learn ways to profit from emerging technologies. Clean Edge is based in Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance is a nonprofit supported by electric utilities, administrators, state governments, and industry representatives.

Ecology seeks comment on old gas station site

BELLEVUE — Washington state Department of Ecology seeks comment on a proposed covenant removal for the former New Wilson Ford site.

The 2.64-acre site is at 5440 Leary Ave. N.W. in Seattle in an area zoned for commercial land use. It encompasses an area contaminated by petroleum from underground storage tanks. Groundwater is contaminated with chlorinated solvent. The property was used for a gasoline service station, and an automobile dealership operated between 1905 and 2002.

Comments are due Feb. 24. Send comments to Brian Sato, site manager, Washington Department of Ecology Toxics Cleanup Program, 3190 160th Ave. S.E., Bellevue WA 98008. E-mail comments to bsat461@ecy.wa.gov or call (425) 649.7265.

Fluorescent light recycling program starts

SEATTLE — Residents of King, Kitsap, Snohomish and Thurston Counties can recycle fluorescent light bulbs at some local retail outlets through July 18.

"Many residents know that fluorescent lights conserve energy, but not everyone knows they contain small amounts of mercury and should be recycled," said Jeff Gaisford, who manages recycling and environmental services for King County's Department of Natural Resources and Parks.

A list of participating retailers is posted at http://www.productstewardship.net. There are 67 participating stores in King County, including all Bartell Drug and Seattle Lighting stores, Greenwood True Value Hardware, Sammamish Ace Hardware, Junction True Value Hardware and Stephenson Ace Hardware.

Some will not accept fluorescent tubes for recycling. Fees apply, but participants can get coupons for new bulbs in exchange. For more information call Lauren Cole at (206) 296-4363 or lauren.cole@metrokc.gov.

Tacoma raises utility rates

TACOMA — Tacoma residents will pay about $5 more each month for garbage, sewer, surface water and drinking water services this year. A typical customer that has a 30-gallon garbage can, lives on a 7,000-square-foot lot and uses 700 cubic feet of fresh water each month will see his utility bill rise by $5.03.

Tacoma Solid Waste Management raised rates for its residential customers by 8 percent and lowered rates for some commercial customers. Solid waste managers are encouraging residents to switch to a garbage container smaller than 30-gallons as well as use larger recycling containers.

Tacoma city residents will see a jump in price from $5 to $10 for the first 400 pounds of garbage they take to the landfill. Fees pay for transfer facility operations, compaction, tipping and debt service for the Tacoma Landfill environmental cleanup.

Revenue from wastewater rate increases will fund upgrades to the central wastewater treatment plant. Capacity will be increased to prevent untreated sewage from overflowing to Commencement Bay and other freshwater streams.

Water rates will increase an average of 12.5 percent in the next two years. Funds will be used to replace older parts of the water system, meeting federal requirements for treatment, and moving mains because of road-widening projects.