May 26, 1998

Baron & Co.

William Rink, formerly a principal partner and creative director with Mustang Marketing and Advertising in Agoura Hills, Calif., has joined Baron & Co., a Bellingham-based marketing communications firm, as creative director.

PacifiCare

Steven Finden has joined PacifiCare of Washington, one of the state's largest managed health care service companies, as vice president of sales and marketing.

Asarco

Asarco Inc., owner of the former smelter in Ruston and Tacoma, has promoted Karen Pickett to operations supervisor. Pickett joined the firm in 1993 as information center coordinator.

Northwest Containers Services

Joseph Casalini, former vice president of Rabanco, has been appointed to vice president of corporate development at Northwest Containers Services. Casalini will be responsible for pursuing new intermodal rail service opportunities in North America. Northwest Containers Services has terminals in Portland, Tacoma and Seattle.

Foster Pepper & Shefelman

Chuck Wolfe a member of the Seattle law firm Foster Pepper & Shefelman, was named chair-elect of the Planning and Law Division of the American Planning Association. Wolfe chairs the Environmental Practice Group at Foster Pepper & Shefelman.

EIC/US is up and running

WASHINGTON -- The Environmental Industry Coalition of the United States (EIC/US) had its official kickoff earlier this month in Washington, D.C. The new nationwide coalition has been established to breathe new life into the $181 billion U.S. environmental industry, which has experienced flat or downward growth rates in recent years. EIC/US plans to push for agendas that would encourage exports of U.S. environmental technologies overseas, as well as increased use of those technologies at home. Membership in EIC/US includes regional and state trade associations, sector-specific trade associations and agencies such as the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED). EIC/US officers were elected on May 1. They are: Grant Ferrier of the California Environmental Business Council, chairman; Dan Moon of the Environmental Business Council of New England, vice chairman; Ira Rubenstein of the Environmental Business Association of New York, secretary; and Bobbi Tousey of the North Carolina Environmental Technologies Consortium, treasurer. The four officers are part of EIC/US's 13-member board of directors. David Welsh, executive director of the Northwest Environmental Business Coalition in Portland, is a member of the board. Welsh said one project already being spearheaded by EIC/US is an "electronic commerce partnership" with Public Technology Inc., the non-profit research and development arm of the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties and the International City/County Management Association. The partnership would allow cities and counties to buy environmental products and services over the Internet. Welsh is working to get the cities of Seattle, Bellevue and Portland involved in the program. "It's just one example of what I think EIC can accomplish," Welsh said.

$24.4M grant for drinking water safeguards

SEATTLE -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded a $24.4 million grant to the Washington State Department of Health in order to help small communities throughout the state protect their drinking water sources. The money will be used to provide communities with low-interest loans so they can upgrade and improve their water-system infrastructure. This is the first full grant given to the state under a new program called the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, which was established under the 1996 Safe Drinking Water Act amendments. More than half the loans will go to water systems that serve less than 10,000 people. The Department of Health has developed a priority list of projects to receive loans. Priority is being given to communities facing the greatest public health risk. The loans will actually be administered by the Washington State Public Works Board and the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development.

Columbia Machine wins env'l award

VANCOUVER, Wash. -- The state Department of Ecology has awarded an Environmental Excellence Award to Columbia Machine Inc. of Vancouver. The 420-employee company was recognized for substantially reducing the amount of hazardous wastes it generates in the process of producing machinery that is used to make concrete blocks, bricks and paving stones. Columbia Machine also produces handling equipment used to stack and wrap boxed products. With technical assistance from Ecology, the company was able to reduce its hazardous wastes -- which consist primarily of waste paint and solvents -- from 20,000 pounds to 2,000 pounds a year. If Columbia Machine maintains its lower level of waste production, it will retain "inactive facility status" and will not be required by Ecology to prepare a pollution-prevention plan.

Stirling, Thompson join Intertox

SEATTLE -- Intertox Inc., a Seattle scientific research firm that specializes in public health and environmental issues, has announced the addition of two new staff members. Dale Stirling has joined Intertox as an environmental historian and information specialist. He has 18 years of experience working for both government agencies and consultants on natural resource, environmental and information-management issues. Most recently he worked for Landau Associates Inc. Ruth Thompson has joined the company as a senior environmental health scientist. Thompson has eight years of consulting experience in the areas of risk management and risk assessment with a specialization in genetic and environmental toxicology. She most recently worked as a risk assessor with URS Consultants.

How to find -- and keep -- good clients

SEATTLE -- Christopher J. Soelling, a Seattle attorney who specializes in contract negotiation and claim resolution for commercial and professional clients, will give environmental consultants tips on how to identify and keep good clients at the next PEMA luncheon. The Professional Environmental Marketing Association (PEMA) luncheon is set for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 3 at Latitude 47, 1232 Westlake Ave. N., Seattle. Soelling says everyone wants "good" clients -- those who are a pleasure to work for, who provide interesting work, and who happily pay when the bill is rendered. In contrast, no one wants "bad" clients -- those who make unreasonable demands, are unappreciative, and who either don't pay the bill at all, or pay late after extracting an undeserved discount. At the luncheon, Soelling will identify ways to distinguish good clients from bad and offer advice on how to avoid turning good clients bad. He also will explain how to select the best collection method and minimize the chances of not getting paid. Soelling is an attorney with Short Cressman & Burgess P.L.L.C. Cost of the luncheon is $20 for members of PEMA and the Northwest Environmental Business Council and $30 for non-members. To register for the luncheon, call (425) 455-3680.

EPA issues complaint to dairy farm

BOW, Skagit County -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued a complaint to Hansen Farms alleging the Skagit County dairy farm allowed manure-laden runoff to drain into ditches that flow toward Samish Bay. EPA inspectors say they observed the runoff on Dec. 19, 1997. The EPA has proposed issuing a civil penalty of $11,000 to Hansen Farms. EPA's complaint was accompanied by a compliance order that requires the dairy farm to stop all discharges of contaminated runoff. Hansen Farms has until June 19 to challenge the penalty or contest EPA's allegations. Hansen Farms is the sixth dairy to receive a complaint and compliance order as a result of inspections EPA has conducted at dairies throughout Western Washington since last December. The EPA says it plans to issue more complaints and compliance orders over the next few weeks.