December 27, 2005

Environmental Watch: Comments due on sand and gravel permit

OLYMPIA — The Department of Ecology is seeking comments on a revised permit to regulate sand and gravel mining operations.

In January Ecology reissued the Sand and Gravel General Permit, a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and state waste discharge general permit for sand and gravel mining operations and related facilities in Washington state. The permit controls the discharge of pollutants from sand and gravel mining operations into state waters.

The permit was appealed by the Washington Concrete and Aggregate Association and Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, and a settlement was reached to modify the permit.

The new permit changes sampling and monitoring requirements, total maximum daily load requirements, and the inspection process.

For a copy, contact Jennifer Hennessey, Department of Ecology, (360) 407-7529 or jenh461//tinyurl.com/8t3ba.

Comments will be accepted at a public workshop and hearing at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, at the Department of Ecology in Lacey. The public comment period ends Jan. 31, 2006, at 5 p.m.

FERC OKs new turbines at Wanapum

EPHRATA -- Grant County PUD has received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to install the remaining nine advanced turbine units at Wanapum Dam.

The new turbines are part of the PUD's efforts to improve generating efficiency and fish passage at the Priest Rapids hydroelectric facilities.

In July 2004 the PUD installed one new advanced turbine and tested power output, efficiency and fish passage survival rates. Testing on the first unit showed that fish survival rates overall are as efficient as those of the aging turbines at Wanapum Dam, and exceed survival at turbines at most other Columbia River hydroelectric plants, according to the PUD. The new turbine also shows a 14 percent increase in generation capacity and a 3 percent increase in water use efficiency.

The turbine was designed through a multi-year research and development program funded by the hydropower industry and the U.S. Department of Energy. This is the first commercial application of this technology.

PUD officials said they expect to replace one of the remaining nine turbines every nine months, with installation complete in 2012. The total cost for this project is approximately $150 million.

Toxic waste workshops in five cities

OLYMPIA — The Department of Ecology will hold Dangerous Waste Management Workshops in five cities in Washington in January and February.

The events will cover reducing waste, identifying hazards, managing waste properly, common violations, inspections and disposal costs.

The workshops will be held in Tacoma Jan. 19 and 20 at the La Quinta Inn, Shoreline Jan. 24 and 25 at the Shoreline Conference Center, Kelso Jan. 27 at the Red Lion Inn Kelso, Spokane Jan. 31 at Mirabeau Park Hotel and Yakima Feb. 3 at Clarion Hotel.

The cost is $55 per person. For information call Lori Gonzalez at (360) 407-7118 or e-mail lgon461@ecy.wa.gov.

Master recycler volunteers needed

SEATTLE — King County will offer its free Master Recycler Composter Program in February to help people learn about composting and give back to the community by volunteering in the program.

Program coordinator Karen May said the county wants to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills by encouraging residents to recycle and compost at home.

"This trained volunteer base greatly expands our ability to reach out into communities to increase environmental awareness about waste reduction and easy guidelines for home composting," May said.

Participants in the eight-week program receive 40 hours of training about waste prevention, recycling, home composting and alternatives to household hazardous waste. It is open to King County residents who live outside the city of Seattle. Graduates are expected to volunteer at least 40 hours in the community. Applications are due Friday, Feb. 3, 2006.

The next annual training will be held at the UW Bothell Campus Tuesday evenings from 6:15 to 9 p.m., Feb. 7 through March 28. There are three Saturday sessions for field trips, hands-on activities and tours.

For information or an application contact May at (206) 296-4353 or via e-mail karen.may@metrokc.gov.

Ecologist honored for spotted owl work

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — One of the pioneers in studying the northern spotted owl has been honored for his contributions to wildlife ecology over the past 35 years.

E. Charles "Chuck" Meslow joined Oregon State University in 1971, planning to study the predation habits of hawks and owls. He said he never expected that research would be scrutinized by loggers, corporate CEOs, environmental groups, the news media, Congress and the courts.

Meslow said he tried to focus on science and avoid politics, serving on the Interagency Scientific Committee charged with developing management options addressing the conservation needs of the northern spotted owl.

For his contributions, he was recently presented with the Aldo Leopold Award by The Wildlife Society.

Meslow worked with a group of biologists who found the northern spotted owl needed large tracts of old trees.

The political decisions that followed reverberated around the country, said W. Daniel Edge, head of the OSU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife and a member of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission.

"The policy debate that arose out of the listing of the species often became very emotional and heated," Edge said. "Chuck Meslow took a lot of heat as the messenger, but he was always focused on what the science said, and he conducted himself to the highest ethical standards."

Meslow said while he and other biologists were never told how to conduct their science, they felt pressure to find the minimum number of acres to set aside for the protection of the owl.

"Initially, we just made a flat-out guess and said 300 acres, lacking anything better," Meslow said. "And there was an immediate, loud screaming sound from the people who wanted to get at the timber.

Eventually, his research found the owls needed thousands of acres, depending on location and habitat conditions. More than two decades later, Meslow says the owl management plan seems to be working.