October 18, 2005

Environmental Watch: Free pickup for e-waste Oct. 26-27

RENTON — The city of Renton and the Seattle group Total Reclaim will pay for pickup services for two days this month so businesses can unload electronic waste more cheaply.

Earlier this month, King County banned electronics from its transfer stations and landfills. Businesses can take advantage of the free pickup Oct. 26-27 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but must pay for disposal costs.

Items that will be accepted include monitors, laptops, keyboards, mice, printers, scanners and small copying machines.

To be included on the pickup route, call Cascadia Consulting Group at (206) 343-9759 ext. 108. The deadline for reservations is Friday.

Total Reclaim recovers CFCs, a kind of greenhouse gas, from old refrigerators, air conditioning units and domestic appliances. Cascadia Consulting Group is a Seattle-based environmental consulting firm.

Mitigation bank next to Oregon landfill?

PORTLAND — The public works department of Lane County in Oregon wants to put a wetland mitigation bank next to a landfill.

Lane County wants to expand Short Mountain Landfill and proposes to build the bank to compensate for wetlands that would be lost as a result.

The new bank would be called Quamash Prairie Wetland Mitigation Bank. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Oregon Division of State Lands are reviewing the proposal and seeking comments.

Lane County may also use the bank for mitigation credits on other projects permitted by the Corps and the Division of State Lands.

Send written comments by Oct. 31 to Corrie Veenstra, Portland District, Army Corps of Engineers, CENWP-OP-G, P.O. Box 2946, Portland OR 97208. For more information, see http://www.statelandsonline.com.

Wetlands conference in Seattle Oct. 24-25

SEATTLE — Law Seminars International is holding a conference on Wetlands in Washington on Oct. 24-25 in Seattle at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel.

Program co-chairs are Brent Carson of Buck & Gordon and Alison Moss of Dearborn & Moss.

The conference is aimed at real estate developers, planners, government officials and lawyers.

It will cover the ways wetland regulations are changing and give updates on recent developments. Specific topics include the Corps' regulation of manmade ditches, archeological issues, mitigation banking and critical areas.

New group to hold mold conference

SEATTLE — A new group called Seattle Construction Solutions will hold its first conference on mold and moisture control on Oct. 26 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center.

The conference is designed for architects, contractors, developers, engineers, specifiers and other stakeholders.

It will cover ways to prevent or deal with mold and moisture problems, and legal and insurance issues. Organizers say the techniques can be applied to all types of buildings. Industry experts will explain new technologies and products that can be used for remediation.

Registration is $249. For more information, see http://www.constructionsolutionsconference.com.

King County, Tacoma win waste awards

SEATTLE — The Solid Waste Association of North America recently recognized King County and Tacoma utilities with its 2005 Excellence Awards.

The association honored King County for coming up with a new system to collect gas at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill. Settling waste was causing valves and pipes to sag, but a new system will move with the waste as it settles.

Tacoma won recognition for its "Tacoma Recycles @ Work" program, which encourages employees to recycle, reduce waste and buy products with recycled content.

The Solid Waste Association of North America holds conferences, creates publications and offers technical training courses.

Finding new uses for salvaged urban trees

SEATTLE — People can find out ways to reuse trees that have been removed from King County parks at an Oct. 22 expo in South Lake Union Park, 860 Terry Ave. N. in Seattle.

Sponsors of the event include King County, Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation and Washington State University Extension. Admission is free.

Bobbi Wallace, King County Parks division resource manager, said the expo is intended for the green building and remodeling community. Wood from urban trees can be made into lumber for furniture or hand railings, for example.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., people can see examples of locally produced wood crafts and learn how wood can be recycled.

Wallace said trees that fall in natural areas can be left in place to provide ecological benefits. But those damaged by storms or disease have to be removed.

The urban tree salvage program started when King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks got a grant from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry, with the goal of finding better ways to use trees removed from parks.

For more information call (206) 296-4232 or see http://www.metrokc.gov/parks/urbantreesalvage.

Tacoma park group seeks volunteers

TACOMA — A Tacoma group called Friends of McKinley Park needs volunteers Oct. 29 to replace invasive species at the park with native salal. Volunteers will gather at 9:30 a.m. at D Street overpass.

For more information, call Patrick O'Neil, co-director of Friends of McKinley Park at (253) 572-5696. Also see http://www.mckinleyparkfriends.org.