Nov 27, 1996

First-ever Duwamish Coalition summit

The Duwamish Coalition will have its first annual summit Dec. 3 to review its past accomplishments and identify a new list of projects to complete. Called "Freight and Fish: Building a Vital Duwamish," the summit will meet from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Aerospace Machinists District Lodge 751, Halls A&B, 9135 15th Place S., Seattle. The Duwamish Coalition was started in April 1994 with the goal of spurring job growth and reclaiming contaminated land in the Duwamish industrial corridor, a narrow plain stretching from Pioneer Square to the intersection of Interstate 405 and the Duwamish River. During the summit, coalition members are expected to discuss and reach consensus on a habitat restoration plan for the lower Duwamish River and Elliott Bay. Adoption of the habitat plan by local governments is expected in 1997. A priority list of projects to improve freight mobility through the corridor also will be considered at the summit. Nearly a century of intense industrial uses have left hundreds of sites in the Duwamish corridor polluted with hazardous materials. More than 200 contaminated industrial sites are located in the area between the Kingdome and Boeing Field. To help solve this problem, the Duwamish Coalition has started work on the Brownfields Redevelopment/Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) Project. That project also will be discussed at the summit. Coalition members include representatives from business, labor, environmental groups, King County, the cities of Seattle and Tukwila, the state Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A wide range of people are interested in the future of the Duwamish industrial corridor because it provides one out of every 10 jobs in King County and generates more than $2.5 billion in payroll annually. To receive more information on the Dec. 3 summit or Duwamish Coalition activities, leave a message at (206) 727-4008.

NVL Laboratories wins county contract

Seattle-based NVL Laboratories Inc. has been awarded a King County contract to analyze asbestos- and lead-containing building materials. The contract has been awarded for one year with the option to be extended for another two years. Benjamin Cook, NVL's hazardous materials manager, said the contract is worth $15,000 a year. NVL Laboratories specializes in hazardous materials services, including materials analysis, consulting for building renovation and demolition projects and laboratory training. NVL focuses on issues involving asbestos, lead and PCBs in building materials.

Spill raises questions about river safety

PORTLAND (AP) -- A recent fuel spill caused by a railroad accident along the Deschutes River has drawn attention to Oregon's ability to protect one of the region's most cherished waterways. The picturesque Deschutes is home to runs of both salmon and steelhead and is a favorite of whitewater enthusiasts. More than 15,000 anglers and 20,000 boaters use the river each year. On Nov. 13, a Burlington Northern Santa Fe locomotive struck a rock that had tumbled onto the track, rupturing its fuel tank. Up to 3,000 gallons of diesel fuel spilled out, said Mike Renz of the state Department of Environmental Quality. The next morning, cleanup crews discovered fuel leaking into the river at the rate of a gallon a minute, Renz said. An emergency crew strung a boom across the river to capture the fuel. Biologists surveyed the area, but found no dead fish. They took samples to test water quality and see if the spill had disrupted the food chain. But Steve Pribyl, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said it's too early to tell if there will be long-term effects. "It remains to be seen how significant an event this is in terms of its impact," Pribyl said. "We got lucky because it was not as bad as it could be. Our hope is this does raise a red flag." Bill Bakke of the Native Fish Society visited the site last week, and said the state must bolster planning to better cope with a major spill. State officials, too, are advocating emergency plans to deal with toxic spills on the Deschutes and other inland waterways. In 1991, the Legislature passed a law requiring the Department of Environmental Quality to develop plans to respond to spills on the Oregon Coast and along the Columbia River. These plans identify environmentally sensitive areas, pinpointing the best spots for containment booms and working out the complex logistics inherent in containing a spill. "We feel these plans are very effective," said Laurie McCulloch of DEQ. "You do all your thinking ahead of time." But Pribyl said the absence of a full-blown geographic response plan poses a risk to the Deschutes.

GM gets creative in marketing electric car

TROY, Mich. (AP) -- With the help of waddling toasters, flying fans and an army of other appliances come to life, General Motors Corp. launches a media blitz next week to introduce its electric car to California and Arizona. GM isn't saying how much it plans to spend on the campaign for the EV1, but officials said Monday the ads will saturate the four urban markets where the two-seater becomes available for lease Dec. 5. "If you're alive in these markets over the next few months, you'll see one of these ads," said Joe Kennedy, vice president of sales, service and marketing for GM's Saturn Corp. subsidiary, which will market the EV1. On the night of Dec. 5, television viewers in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., will see the introductory, 90-second EV1 commercial put together by Industrial Light and Magic, the special effects studio started by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas. It features dozens of electric appliances that come alive, squeaking and gurgling in anticipation as they hurriedly hop, roll and fly out of their suburban homes and onto the curb to witness the arrival of the EV1. In the background is a score that sounds like a cut from the "ET" soundtrack. The only voice-over comes as the car stops and the appliances crowd around it on the street: "The electric car is here." The attention-grabbing commercial is something of a departure for the normally conservative GM and even for its more creative Saturn unit, whose down-home ads featuring Saturn workers and owners have become its trademark. "We presented some very scary stuff for EV advertising, and our partners at Saturn ... went with some of these bizarre recommendations," said Steven Morrissey, senior vice president at Hal Riney & Partners Inc., the San Francisco firm that has the Saturn ad account. The campaign focuses on the uniqueness of the first electric car intended for mass production by a Big Three automaker. In one highly stylized magazine ad, the EV1 is a silvery blur racing down a desolate road. "You will never again use the words, 'Fill 'er up.' Or 'check the oil,"' the ad reads. "Never utter the need for a tune-up. Or a smog check. Nope. You will simply say, 'Unplug the car and let's go."' In addition to TV, the campaign will use newspapers, magazines, billboards, theaters and the Internet. "Teaser ads" began appearing Monday on 27 billboards in Southern California. "You can't hear it coming, but it is," they read. On Dec. 4, they'll be changed to state, "The electric car is here." Target buyers for the car are 35-54 years old, college graduates with family incomes of more than $125,000 and a strong interest in the environment and new technology. Much of the magazine advertising will appear in upscale publications, such as Architectural Digest, The New Yorker and Atlantic Monthly. The car is being targeted in the Southwest in part because California has mandated that electric vehicles comprise 10 percent of cars sold in that state by 2003. The region's warm climate and commuter lifestyle also are well-suited to the EV1's lead-acid batteries, which have a range of 70-90 miles per charge.

Nov 26, 1996

Graham & James/Riddell Williams

Makoda Etoh has joined the Seattle law firm of Graham & James LLP/Riddell Williams P.S. as an associate. She will serve in the firm's international, corporate and real estate groups. Etoh comes to Graham & James after spending five months as a visiting foreign attorney at the Japanese law firm of Nagashima & Ohno in Tokyo.

Virginia Mason

Margaret Baker, MD has joined the orthopedic surgery department at Virginia Mason Medical Center's Port Angeles Clinic. She specialized in sports medicine, adult reconstructive surgery and trauma.

Washington State Council of Firefighters

Kelly Fox and Alonzo (Lonnie) Hampton have been elected to head the Washington State Council of Firefighters, representing more than 4,500 fire fighting personnel around the state. Fox is a captain at the Olympia Fire Department. Hampton is a firefighter paramedic for the Tacoma Fire Department.

Preston Gates & Ellis

Peter Glase, a partner at the Seattle-based law firm of Preston Gates & Ellis, has been selected as a fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. He is one of four attorneys in Washington state to be honored this year.

Saltmine Creative

Saltmine Creative, Inc., a Seattle-based Internet and creative development firm, will be moving its office effective Dec. 2 to 1725 Westlake Ave. N., Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98109. Their new phone number will be (206)284-7511, the fax number will be (206)284-7875.

Trillium Corporation

In attempt to diversify its portfolio into the rapidly growing electronic commerce market, the Trillium Corporation has purchased a 25 percent interest in DATA Clearinghouse Corporation. Trillium, a Bellingham-based international investment firm, will provide DATA Clearinghouse with capital and management counsel helping the company to increase market penetration in a growing electronic commerce niche -- the interchange of billing and other information between major corporations and their outside law firms. DATA Clearinghouse offers Pro/Fee Management Services, a combination of software and network-based solutions designed to enhance the solid business relationships which corporations have developed with their outside law firms. Trillium will also hold two of six board positions.

W.G. Clark

Mark Glass has joined W.G. Clark Construction Co. as a project manager and construction management specialist. He previously served as vice president of a local development firm. He holds an AA degree in business and real estate law.

CFA

The Concrete Foundations Association has created a new site on the World Wide Web. The website contains information about the concrete foundation industry and the association. The address is http://www.concreteworld.com/cfa.

Champion Transfer

Champion Transfer has joined the Associated General Contractors of Washington. The company specializes in moving plans, small packages and documents for architects, engineers, general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers.