May 25, 1999

UW noted for energy savings

SEATTLE -- The University of Washington has implemented energy conservation programs that save enough electricity to power 4,000 homes for a year. This morning the UW's achievement was to be recognized by City Light Superintendant Gary Zarker, who was to present UW Executive Vice President Weldon Ihrig with a mock check for $6.5 million. The check represents the UW's investment to date in new technology and energy-efficient lighting on campus. Together with City Light, a total of $12 million worth of such improvements have been made since 1992. They are saving the university about $2 million in energy costs each year.

Schell to release final Cedar HCP today

SEATTLE -- Mayor Paul Schell today will release his final version of the Cedar River Habitat Conservation Plan. The product of years of study and months of public comment, the plan lays out management preferences for logging in the city's water-supply basin, stream flows in the Cedar River and a host of related issues. Joining Schell will be National Marine Fisheries Service Regional Director William Stelle; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Regional Director Ann Badgley; Col. James Rigsby, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; state Department of Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons; and Seattle City Councilmember Margaret Pageler. Schell's plan must be approved by the City Council. The Council then passes it along for review by the federal government.

Anchor adds an engineer

SEATTLE -- Anchor Environmental, L.L.C. has hired engineer Bruce McDonald to provide management, engineering and construction oversight for a variety of projects. They include sediment remediation, upland environmental, waterway and coastal work. Anchor is an environmental, coastal and geotechnical engineering consulting firm. Its focus is on aquatic remediation and waterfront redevelopment projects. The firm is working on projects around North America, from the Northwest to the Great Lakes, Gulf Coast, Alaska and Canada.

Exponent's Bellevue office grows

BELLEVUE -- Exponent, Inc. has added a scientist to the staff of its Bellevue office. He is Michael Garry, an environmental toxicologist who has more than 12 years' experience analyzing the effects of chemicals on humans and other organisms. In another development, Exponent has been selected by the Chemical Manufacturer's Association to evaluate ways to improve the application of models in ecological risk assessment. The firm's approach will be to identify a variety of models for potential use, narrow the list and then conduct a detailed evaluation of the most promising ones. Exponent requests that developers and users of ecological-effects models send suggestions to Dr. Robert Pastorok, Exponent, 15375 S.E. 30th Pl., Suite 250, Bellevue, WA 98007.

Steffen departs EMS West

SEATTLE -- Alex Steffen, program director for EMS's Western States Office in Seattle, has left the firm to pursue writing full time. He will still work with the firm on a project-by-project basis. Steffen can be reached at (206) 706-6897 or at steffen@eskimo.com.

Lunch with PEMA

SEATTLE -- The Professional Environmental Marketing Association will host a luncheon program June 2 at Latitude 47 restaurant in Seattle. The speaker is George Bissonnette, the environmental, health and safety manager for Fluke Corp., who will discuss waste reduction in the electronics industry. The cost of the luncheon is $20 for members of PEMA and the Northwest Environmental Business Council. Others pay $30. For reservations, call PEMA at (425) 455-3680.

Dairy waste is subject to Clean Water Act

KENNEWICK (AP) -- A federal judge has ruled that dairy waste lagoons and manure-spreading equipment are subject to the Clean Water Act. The ruling last week by U.S. District Judge Ed Shea appears to give residents suing four Yakima Valley dairies a wider scope to try to link farm practices to Yakima River pollution. The case comes to trial June 1. Dairy lawyers argued against the broader definition for a "pollution source," but Shea said their definition would give dairy operators license to move manure "without regard" for polluting rivers. "This would avoid the clear intent of Congress as expressed in the Clean Water Act and by the Environmental Protection Agency," Shea said. Shea also reminded the parties that the extent to which the farms in question are sources of pollution has not been determined. The people suing the dairies called the pretrial ruling the first of its kind in the nation. "We are pleased with this court decision and look forward to the trial phase," said Mary Lynn Bos, vice president of the Community Association for Restoration of the Environment. The dairies sued are SunnyVeld, with at least 1,700 mature cows; DeRuyter Bros., with at least 3,425 cows; Henry Bosma, with at least 2,500 mature cows; and Liberty, with at least 3,000 mature cows. Lori Terry, an environmental lawyer representing DeRuyter Bros., stressed the farms involved are family-owned and not factories. She said Shea's rulings don't change the nature of the case, in which dairy lawyers will argue their clients didn't pollute the Yakima River in the five years before the case was filed. "We don't have runoff," Terry said. "We don't have any problems."

B.C. timber giant to get public land

PORT ALBERNI, British Columbia (AP) -- MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. stands to acquire about 300,000 acres of coastal British Columbia as its own private forest lands in a settlement proposed by the company and the provincial government. The lands would no longer be subject to British Columbia's Forest Practices Code. Some 75,000 acres would not require stumpage fees be paid to the province. The remaining 225,000 acres are already in MacMillan Bloedel-held tree farm licenses which don't pay stumpage, although they are subject to the code. The settlement agreement stems from passage of the Parks Amendment Act in 1995, which created 14 protected areas in Clayoquot Sound and 23 parks elsewhere on Vancouver Island. Many of the areas and parks, including Carmanah Pacific and additions to Strathcona Park, involved land on which MacMillan Bloedel held timber rights. The company lost harvesting rights to almost 130,000 acres of mostly old-growth timber, forestry-related infrastructure such as roads and bridges, and allowable annual cut from government land. MacMillan Bloedel moved to sue the province, but in March, after a year of negotiation, the province agreed to pay the forestry giant nearly $84 million (Canadian) plus interest accumulating from January. The amount can be paid in cash, resource rights and/or land, with values to be set by a third-party appraiser. The land has an Oct. 31 deadline, although this can be extended by 90 days if the parties agree. A public consultation process, involving meetings and open houses, is to begin next month. According to a technical overview of the settlement, the province, anticipating public response, has asked MacMillan Bloedel to identify more land than is needed to satisfy its entitlement. Jon Savelle is the Journal's environment editor. He can be contacted at (206) 622-8272.

Department of Natural Resources

Susan Zemek was recently appointed director of communications for the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Zemek formerly served as public affairs director at the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Zemek replaces Dave Workman, now communications coordinator for the State Year 2000 Office at the Office of Financial Management.

Mountain View Funeral Home

C. Keith Geense was recently added as head of the bereavement support program at the Mountain View Funeral Home in Tacoma. Geense formerly served as an ordained minister with the Reformed Church in America.

Center for Legal Studies

The Center for Legal Studies will be offering paralegal training courses in Seattle through Eastern Washington University beginning June 12. For more information, call 1-800-522-7737.

Port of Shelton

The Port of Shelton Commission has hired Bob Robinson to be its new executive director. He was formerly manager of the Port of Ilwaco.

Holaday-Parks

Field engineers Engwin Chang and David Edie have joined the controls department of Seattle-based Holaday-Parks. Chang was previously with Frasier Valley Heating of Canada. Edie moved over from the company's CAD department. In the service department, two service technicians were added --Eric Robinson and Scott Cline. The mechanical contractor is working on several jobs in the area, including the Schnitzer Corporate Campus in Bothell, Nordstrom's former downtown Seattle store, Seattle Children's Theatre Technical Pavilion and the 505 Union Station project.

Lugo Construction

Lugo Construction of Fife has hired Chuck Sartain as a superintendent. He came from Ron Construction and will operate out of Lugo's Bellevue office.

Department of Natural Resources

Susan Zemek was recently appointed director of communications for the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Zemek formerly served as public affairs director at the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. Zemek replaces Dave Workman, now communications coordinator for the State Year 2000 Office at the Office of Financial Management.

Mountain View Funeral Home

C. Keith Geense was recently added as head of the bereavement support program at the Mountain View Funeral Home in Tacoma. Geense formerly served as an ordained minister with the Reformed Church in America.

Center for Legal Studies

The Center for Legal Studies will be offering paralegal training courses in Seattle through Eastern Washington University beginning June 12. For more information, call 1-800-522-7737.

Port of Shelton

The Port of Shelton Commission has hired Bob Robinson to be its new executive director. He was formerly manager of the Port of Ilwaco.