Mar 30, 1999

Landau Associates is growing

EDMONDS -- Landau Associates, an environmental and geotechnical engineering consulting firm, has added staff and promoted six members of the firm. Pete Stoltz, a sediment specialist with 10 years' experience, has joined the home office in Edmonds. Heather Nielsen and Catherine Reidy have joined the same office as project coordinators. In the Spokane office, David Breen brings 10 years' experience in remediation of contaminated industrial sites to his new position with Landau. And Jackie Slakey is Landau's new project coordinator in the Tacoma office. The firm's Edmonds office has seen several staff promotions. Jay Bower is now an associate; Pete Rude has been promoted to senior chemist; Stacy Pischer has been named a project geologist; Mark Ahlstrom and Phil Burgmeier have been promoted to senior staff geologist; and Terrie Flaming is now human resources manager. Landau Associates employs 70 people in offices in Edmonds, Tacoma, Spokane and in a new office in Portland. The firm specializes in environmental site characterization, remedial design engineering, environmental compliance and permitting, and geotechnical engineering. Current projects include work on Ross Island, in Portland, and at the Western Processing Superfund site in Kent.

King County approves septic system regs

SEATTLE -- The King County Board of Health has approved amendments to Title 13 of the Code of the King County Board of Health. Known as the "On-Site Sewage Code," Title 13 governs the use of septic tank systems, including their design, construction, use, maintenance and repair. With the new amendments, the code will:

• Incorporate state-mandated changes;
• Provide for alternative technology;
• Require owners of septic systems to place a notice of it in their property title, and identify maintenance responsibilities;
• Streamline regulatory review for properties proposing to use alternative technology; and
• Require periodic septic-system monitoring to ensure its proper operation.

Carl Osaki, environmental health director for the Public Health Department, said the new regulations may be burdensome to some property owners, but are necessary for public health. The amendments go into effect in mid April.

Septic-system conference next month

SEATTLE -- Facilities managers will have a chance April 29 to learn the latest information about septic systems at a conference sponsored by the Washington Sea Grant Program. To be held at Washington State University's Puyallup Research and Extension Center, in Puyallup, the conference will present experts in such subjects as the operation, monitoring and maintenance of on-site sewage treatment and disposal systems. The registration fee for the conference is $25 before April 15 and $30 thereafter. To register or for more information, email Don leaf at leafd@u.washington.edu or Teri King at guatemal@u.washington.edu. Both can be reached at (360) 427-9670, ext. 396.

Wetlands assessment update is near

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology's Wetland Function Assessment Project, which outlines methods for assessing lowland wetlands and collecting field data, is nearly finished. In May the department will publish the material for riverine and depressional wetlands in the state. Ecology plans to offer training in the assessment methods this summer. The training is intended for consultants, agency staff and others who need to use the techniques. For information about training, contact Emily Teachout at etea461@ecy.wa.gov or (360) 407-6172.

Soil remediation bids wanted

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology is seeking bids from firms interested in work cleaning up contaminated soils in residential areas around the Everett smelter. The estimated cost of the project, for bonding purposes, is $500,000, and involves excavation and removal of the affected soil. The deadline for bids is April 22 at 5 p.m. Ecology's project manager will hold a meeting at the site at 10 a.m. on April 7 to answer questions and to allow contractors to get a look at the properties. Bids may be sent by regular mail to the Department of Ecology, Toxics Cleanup Program, P.O. Box 47634, Olympia, WA 98504-7643. To hand deliver bids or to send them via UPS or Express Mail, the address is Department of Ecology, Toxics Cleanup Program, 300 Desmond Dr., Lacey, WA 98503.

Bellingham chlorine plant to close

BELLINGHAM -- Georgia-Pacific West, Inc. will close its downtown Bellingham chlorine plant by the end of the year, company officials announced Thursday. Environmental activists applauded the decision. They said the end of chlorine production also means the end of mercury discharges into Bellingham Bay, which were the subject of a recent lawsuit by Puget Soundkeeper Alliance. "Stopping chlorine production in Bellingham is good news for community health and brings GP one step closer to zero discharge of long-lasting poisons like mercury," said Laurie Valeriano of the Washington Toxics Coalition. "Now they can focus on getting to zero for dioxin and other chlorinated poisons."

The Guardian newsletter debuts

BREMERTON -- A new bimonthly environmental newsletter, called The Guardian, has been launched by Professional Options in Bremerton. President Dona Keating said it is dedicated to environmental service around the world, and will feature information on service trips, research assistance projects, wildlife habitat restoration and preservation, rebuilding of international communities, teaching languages, and providing medical assistance. The newsletter also includes job notices, environmental articles, news, products and classifieds. The Guardian is available in print and on the Web.

Biodiversity at the Seattle Public Library

SEATTLE -- A program on biodiversity in Washington state will be presented at noon on Friday, April 2, at the Central Library in downtown Seattle. The free program will be held in the Lee Auditorium. Dr. Peter W. Dunwiddie will present the program. A conservation ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, he will give a slide presentation of the diversity of native plants and animals around the state. Dunwiddie also will discuss the enormous changes brought about by settlers over the past century, and the anticipated loss of biodiversity in the next. For more information, call the libary's Science and Social Science Department, (206) 386-4620. Jon Savelle is the Journal's environment editor. He can be contacted at (206) 622-8272.

Economic Development Council

The Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County recently appointed H. Roger Qualman, executive vice president and manager of Norris, Beggs & Simpson, to its board of directors. The mission of the Economic Development Council is to retain and recruit family-wage jobs in King County. Norris, Beggs & Simpson is a Portland-based real estate brokerage, asset and property management and mortgage financing firm.

Puget Sound Blood Center

John Akin was recently elected president of the Puget Sound Blood Center Board of Trustees. Akin has served on the board for four years. Fred Tilton, medical director for the Boeing Company, has joined the Board of Trustees.

Sound Transit Citizen Oversight Panel

Larry Shannon was recently appointed to the Sound Transit Citizen Oversight Panel. The panel is comprised of citizens throughout the Sound Transit three-county district and serves as an independent body responsible for reviewing the performance of Sound Transit. Shannon is currently chair of the Bellevue Transportation Commission and the King County Citizens Water Quality Advisory Committee. Bruce Agnew, Diane Carlson, Steve Goldblatt, Fred Hart, Kristi Mandt, David Osaki, Reid Shockey and Al Stipe were re-appointed to three-year terms.

Ferring Nelson

Ferring Nelson, a Seattle-based law firm, recently added Chris R. Casey and Patrick K. Fannin as associates emphasizing creative dispute resolution in construction, contracts, employment and insurance defense practices.

Lee Hecht Harrison

Linda A. Braley has been promoted to vice president of client relations in Lee Hecht Harrison's Bellevue office. Braley formerly served as an account manager and liaison for Lee Hecht Harrison, an international career management firm.

Cost-U-Less

Cost-U-Less recently opened its 11th retail store in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles. Cost-U-Less, a Bellevue-based operator of warehouse "club style" retail stores, plans to open stores in Aruba and St. Maarten later this year.

American Construction

Everett-based American Construction Co. recently reorganized into three divisions -- Land, Marine and Equipment. Kevin Culbert was named manager of the Marine Division and vice president of the firm. Culbert, a professional engineer, has over 10 years of marine construction industry experience. The manager of the Land Division is Ed Doern, a construction management graduate of Oregon State University and 25-year veteran in the pile foundation industry. The Land Division will carry out all of the company's foundation piling and shoring work. Peter Stephens is the manager of the Equipment Division. He is a professional engineer with nearly 20 years of experience in management and maintenance of heavy machinery. The Equipment Division is responsible for the company's equipment and its crane service and leasing jobs.