Jan 05, 1999

Hanford board seeks at-large member

OLYMPIA -- The Hanford Advisory Board wants you. The 30-member body, which provides recommendations and advice to government agencies working on Hanford issues, needs one at-large member of the public to join the three others now serving. The remaining board members are drawn from local governments, Indian tribes, labor unions, labor unions, and economic development, public health and environmental groups. The at-large members help expand the perspective of the board and bring additional skills and expertise to its mission. Anyone interested in the position should expect to devote a considerable amount of time to it. Board members meet for two full days eight times per year, or a total of 16 days. In addition, the board's standing committees meet once a month. Although boardmembers' expenses for telephone, travel, meals and lodging are reimbursed by the U.S. Department of Energy, there is no compensation for lost work time or other expenses. Further information and application forms can be obtained by calling the Hanford cleanup toll-free number, 1-800-321-2008. The application deadline is Feb. 1, 1999. Applications and nominations will be reviewed by the state Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, who will then recommend one person to Energy for appointment.

Rossotto is WEC's legal eagle

SEATTLE -- Michael Rossotto is the new director of the Washington Environmental Council's legal program. He previously worked as a grassroots organizer for Friends of the Earth, was a staff attorney for the Government Accountability Project, was executive director of the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition, and served on the project development team for Sound Transit's Link light rail system. At WEC, one of Rossotto's primary duties will be to recruit and support volunteer attorneys to work on behalf of the organization and its members. Interested attorneys can contact him at (206) 622-8103.

See toxic gas treatment in action

RICHLAND -- Using new technology developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Battelle, the operator of the lab, has signed an agreement with Current Environmental Solutions to market and demonstrate treatment of toxic gas using a gas-phase corona reactor. The reactor converts volatile organic compounds to nontoxic carbon dioxide and water. According to laboratory spokeswoman Susan Bauer, the process can remove up to 99 percent of such compounds from cleaning solvents, fuel vapors, odors and toxic chemicals, and do it at a cost that is 10 to 50 times lower than that of carbon filters. Current Environmental wants to demonstrate the technology for interested companies and show them how to apply it to their own waste. The company is owned jointly by Terra Vac Corp. and Battelle, and was incorporated in 1997. For more information contact Bauer at the laboratory, (509) 375-2561, or call William Heath at Current Environmental, (509) 371-0905.

Alaska Materials Exchange blocks waste

ANCHORAGE -- The Alaska Materials Exchange, which provides a means to dispose of and reuse salvageable materials, has issued its catalog for the first quarter of 1999. The book lists materials wanted and materials available by businesses, agencies and individuals across the state. Items range from pallets and scrap wood to fuel tanks, chemicals, laboratory equipment and textiles. Many items are free, but the Materials Exchange is requesting users donate $10 annually to support the program. For more information, contact Tee Little, AME coordinator, (907) 296-7600.

Sandpoint, EPA settle on water violations

SANDPOINT, Idaho (AP) -- The city has agreed to settle a federal complaint over Clean Water Act violations by purchasing private property in the city's watershed and barring development there, the Environmental Protection Agency says. The city also will pay a $5,900 civil penalty. The agreement settles a $27,500 fine the EPA ordered against the northern Idaho city last winter for failing to monitor industrial waste water discharges to its sewer plant. Sandpoint must pay at least $120,000 to buy 60 acres or more of privately owned land within its watershed north of the city, Leroy Loiselle, manager of water compliance at the EPA's regional office in Seattle, said Wednesday. The city must make the land off-limits to development to preserve the watershed. The EPA had fined Sandpoint over the city's failure to adequately monitor whether industrial water users had pre-treated waste water sent to the municipal waste water treatment plant. The violations occurred on numerous occasions from 1993 through 1997, the EPA said. The municipal plant discharges treated water into Lake Pend Oreille near the point where it flows into the Pend Oreille River. The EPA did not allege that discharges harmed water quality, or that the pre-treatment violations overtaxed the plant's treatment capacity, Loiselle said. City officials have acknowledged they have been lax in holding local companies to EPA requirements. Sampling was spotty, companies were not fined when violations were found and violators' names were not printed in the newspaper as required, the city admitted. But city officials also have maintained the problems posed no danger to the public.

EPA to propose more disclosure of chemicals

WASHINGTON -- The EPA will propose regulations next month requiring public disclosure of so-called persistent bioaccumulative chemicals, or PBTs, that are released from power plants, pulp and paper mills and industrial plants. These are chemicals such as mercury, dioxins and PCBs that accumulate over long periods of time in the environment. Over years of exposure they can pose significant health concerns including reproductive disorders and cancer. Under the EPA proposal, eight PBT chemicals will be added to the list of toxic substances subject to annual public reporting. The threshold for reporting will be significantly lowered for 14 other chemicals already on the list. "This is certainly information that we've needed to have for along time," said Allison LaPlante, of the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, a grassroots environmental organization. But she said that the thresholds being proposed by the EPA are still too high for many of the chemicals. Even exceedingly small amounts should be reported if released into the environment, she maintained. But EPA officials said the new regulations, when they become final after a 60-day comment period, will provide substantially more information about the public's exposure to these chemicals. Currently facilities do not have to report releases of mercury or many of the other persistent bioaccumulative toxic chemicals unless they process more than 25,000 pounds annually or use more than 10,000 pounds annually. Under those requirements, release data on many of the chemicals do not have to be reported at all. But under the EPA's proposed regulation, the thresholds for reporting would be lowered for most of the chemicals to either 100 pounds or in many cases to 10 pounds, EPA officials said. In the case of PCBs data would have to be made public if more than 0.1 grams are released annually. Jon Savelle is the Journal's environment editor. He can be contacted at (206) 622-8272.

Jan 01, 1999

U.S. Bank

Cynthia Duryee, vice president and manager of public relations for U.S. Bank in Seattle, has been named to the honor roll of the Pacific Coast Banking School. Duryee finished in the top 10 percent of her class after three years in the graduate-level program, which trains officers in the financial services industry.

Kimpton Hotels

Emily Wyse has been named sales manager for Kimpton Hotels in Seattle. The company owns the Alexis Hotel, Hotel Monaco and Hotel Vintage Park. As sales manager for Kimpton, Wyse will handle local corporate clients. She previously held the position of senior sales manager at Marriott's Residence Inn in south Seattle.

Food Services of America

Thomas Staley has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of Food Services of America. Thomas Stewart, CEO of parent company Services Group of America, remains chairman of FSA. Staley has been president of FSA since 1995. He joined the company in 1986.