POLLUTION PREVENTION NORTHWEST - Electronic Version November - December 1996 Managing Editor: Kristi Thorndike Technical Editors: Madeline M. Grulich, David Leviten Electronic Version Format by: Crispin Stutzman **** ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER **** Pollution Prevention Northwest is published bimonthly by the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC). Part or all of the newsletter may be photocopied. Articles may be reprinted or distributed electronically only in their entirety with written permission from the PPRC. Please credit the author (if any), followed by "Pollution Prevention Northwest, Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center". If you would like to receive a free electronic subscription to this newsletter please e-mail your request to office@pprc.org. Please include the term"P2NW" in either the subject line, or the body of your message. Please also include your full name, your organization, your mailing address and phone number for our records. If you would like to unsubscribe from the newsletter, please send an e-mail message to office@pprc.org. Please include the term "unsubcribe P2NW" in either the subject line, or the body of your message. This newsletter contains the sections described below. Each section heading has "****" on both sides of it to make it easier to find. FEATURED TOPICS - up to three each month. These sections include in-depth articles on selected topics. POLLUTION PREVENTION DIGEST - Short items; of interest to pollution preventers throughout the U.S. ABOUT THE PPRC - A brief introduction to the PPRC, including how to contact us. **** FEATURED TOPIC: HEALTH & POLLUTION PREVENTION **** by Gilbert S. Omenn, M.D., Ph.D. University of Washington School of Public Health & Community Medicine The public health and environmental communities share a commitment to protection of human health and the ecosystems upon which everyone's health depends. Health risks arise from exposures to chemicals, microbes, and radiation in working, community, home and recreational environments -- in the activities of daily life. If there is no exposure -- and no potential exposure -- even quite hazardous agents cannot present a risk. Risk depends upon the intrinsic properties of the agent, the dose or exposure level, and the susceptibility of the people or other living things to the effects of the agent. Exposures, in turn, arise from emissions to air, water, and soil or contamination of food and other product. Therefore, pollution prevention is a key strategy to avert health risks by reducing emissions and exposure at the source. In general, people are more likely to encounter relatively high exposures at work than in general community activities. So, workers can play a particularly empowering role in identifying process changes and work practice changes, and assisting management with assessments of the practicality of such pollution prevention options. This issue of Pollution Prevention Northwest emphasizes the recognition and prevention of adverse effects in people. Many pollutants are known to be hazardous to people -- such as cigarette smoke, vehicle exhaust, chlorinated solvents, heavy metals, and respirable fibers and irritants. While there is still much to be learned about individual agents, mixtures, and a growing list of testable effects, we have plenty of knowledge to justify a commitment to keeping exposures and risks as low as feasible and cost-effective. Often, controls at the source, and especially pollution prevention at the source, will protect us against well-known "sentinel" chemicals and many others, as well. Gilbert S. Omenn is Professor and Dean of the UW School of Public Health & Community Medicine, a member of the PPRC Board of Directors and Chairman of the Federal Risk Assessment and Risk Management Commission, 206-543-1144. **** FEATURED TOPIC: POLLUTION PREVENTION IS KEY TO REDUCING EXPOSURE TO TOXICS **** by Carol Dansereau Washington Toxics Coalition Our current regulatory system requires very strong proof that an individual chemical causes harm to people before its release can be prevented on the basis of human health. This approach creates a situation in which literally billions of pounds of toxic chemicals, including ones that lodge in animal tissues for decades or longer, have been created and released with governmental approval. This has happened and continues to happen because there are enormous barriers to obtaining human evidence linking pollutants to health problems. Unless huge numbers of people are examined in a study, it is hard to prove significance of their health problems in a statistical sense. And because we are each exposed to hundreds of different pollutants from conception onward, it is hard for scientists to sort out what is causing what, especially since mixtures of pollutants can be more deadly than pollutants acting alone. In fact, given the extent of global contamination, there are no longer any uncontaminated groups of people to serve as comparison groups in studies. Moreover, since many of the worst impacts of pollutants may be apparent only in offspring when those offspring reach reproductive age or later, there may be long delays between exposure and effect, making definitive proof even more elusive. Politics and funding also limit human data. As public funding of research comes under increasing attack, a large percentage of the studies that are done are those that large corporation are willing to fund. The biggest limit on human data is that it is unethical in most circumstances to conduct controlled experiments exposing people to toxic chemicals. Yet a massive uncontrolled experiment is underway due to the global contamination that has occurred. And a large body of evidence has emerged that indicates we must make fundamental changes in how we establish regulations and in our attitude about pollution in general. This body of evidence has spurred significant numbers of scientists from diverse disciplines to join together endorsing consensus statements containing the strongest and most urgent of warnings about the need for change. The evidence includes scores of wildlife and laboratory animal studies linking exposures to minute quantities of toxic chemicals to severe reproductive, immunological, and developmental problems, particularly in the offspring of exposed animals. These studies and other laboratory studies have indicated that pollutants once thought "safe" disrupt the hormone system, a system remarkably similar across species, including the human species. Hormone disruption and the devastating impacts it has on individuals and populations were not anticipated in regulations and standards authorizing toxic releases. Despite the limits on human evidence, human evidence does unfortunately parallel and support what is being seen in wildlife and in the laboratory. Several studies of children have now linked exposures to small concentrations of pollutants in their mothers' diets to lowered intelligence and behavioral impairments compared with other children. Various studies have linked individual chemicals to sperm count reductions, skewed hormone ratios, cancers and other problems for individuals exposed at the workplace or at home. And, a variety of human medical trends are disturbingly similar to the problems now showing up in wildlife -- trends like increasing cancer incidence rates after adjustment for aging and removal of lung cancer cases, particularly cancers involving hormone-governed reproductive tissues like the breast, ovaries and testicles. The Need for Toxics Reform Do current toxics policies and programs adequately protect human health and the environment? The answer is, "No." From a scientific point of view, there is need for more research. Definitive proof of harm from certain chemicals is not yet in hand, in some cases, particularly with respect to human beings. From a policy point of view, however, we cannot afford to wait for definitive proof, particularly in light of the limits on human data that make such proof potentially unattainable. The evidence in hand already is too strong. The stakes are too high. Lessons We Must Learn 1) It's not just cancer and immediate problems. While current health regulations focus largely on cancer and whether exposure causes immediate death or obvious injury, or gross birth defects obvious at birth, there is an array of problems linked to pollution. Learning disabilities, reduced sperm counts, damage to our immune systems, and birth defects are just a few. 2) Remember the children. Toxic standards generally consider the impacts of a chemical on an exposed adult. But the worst effects may be felt by children exposed in the womb, as nursing infants and in early childhood. 3) Recognize that a little bit can go a long way. Toxics standards rarely set acceptable discharge levels at zero. Instead they authorize discharges often in concentrations that seem minuscule. Small concentrations multiplied by large volumes of discharge can add up to large quantities of released toxics. Even in small volumes some chemicals can do major harm, especially when embryos or fetuses are exposed and other chemicals are present. 4) Beware of toxics that persist and bioaccumulate. Small releases are particularly likely to lead to major problems when the chemicals are ones that persist -- in other words they don't break down -- and "bioaccumulate" (lodge in the tissues of living things). Current regulations generally treat persistent bioaccumulative toxics like any other toxics. 5) Remember multiple exposures. People and other animals aren't being hit by just single chemicals from single sources. We are bombarded on a daily basis by hundreds of different pollutants. These pollutants may even be more harmful together than they are alone. 6) Respect the complexity of life by preventing pollution. The biggest lesson we must learn is that life is complex and pollutants can cause problems we do not anticipate. We must expect the unexpected from pollution and prevent pollution before it starts. The current standard-setting approach generally assumes that chemicals are safe to release until they are proven harmful. We must shift the burden of proof, allowing releases to the environment only if they are proven safe. In short, we need to replace our current system of authorized toxic releases with one based on precaution and prevention. Excerpted with permission from Alternatives, a publication of the Washington Toxics Coalition. For the full article, including extensive discussion of problems in wildlife and humans linked to pollution, send $5.33 (postage and tax included) to WTC, 4516 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105, requesting the "Poisons in the Web of Life" booklet. Carol Dansereau is Director of the Industrial Toxics Project at the Washington Toxics Coalition, an environmental advocacy group, 206-632-1545. **** FEATURED TOPIC: HOW ASTHMA AFFECTS THE WORKPLACE AND WHAT EMPLOYERS CAN DO **** by Ruth Sechena, M.D., M.P.H. Environmental Risk Information Service Asthma, characterized as episodes of wheezing, coughing and breathlessness resulting from increased reactivity of lung airways is gaining attention because it affects five to 10 percent of the U.S. population. Asthma impacts the workplace not only when employees are stricken, but also when children have recurrent episodes requiring parents to take time away from work. The causes and aggravators of asthma are multiple, including workplace and environmental factors. Following are a few of the most common factors that can cause or aggravate preexisting asthma: Ozone. More than 50 million Americans live in counties that exceed the current National Ambient Air Quality Standard (0.12 parts per million) for ground-level ozone, which is the principal component of smog. At high levels, ozone decreases lung function in both asthmatic and non-asthmatic people. Ozone also has been shown to increase lung reactivity in asthmatics when they inhale allergens such as pollen, while this was not the case in people who only have allergies. This suggests that some air pollutants may make asthmatics hypersusceptible to other exposures. Particulate matter. There are several studies that associate increased asthma symptoms with particulate matter -- dust, smoke, soot. In a group of asthmatics, asthma medication requirements increased with higher particulate levels. Current research mainly addresses particle size, but future studies may show that the chemical and biological characteristics of these particles are as important as particle size in predicting health effects. Indoor air pollution. Resulting from volatile organic compounds (releases from solvents, paints, glues, burning fuel), indoor biologic matter (dust mites, fungi), nitrogen dioxide, and environmental tobacco smoke, indoor air pollution probably plays a large role in asthma. So, what can businesses do to reduce work-related asthma: Create a smoke-free workplace. Cigarettes are implicated in a multitude of health effects, including the aggravation of asthma symptoms for smokers and nonsmokers. Make a list of the toxic chemicals you use. To determine if products you use contain toxic chemicals, refer to your Material Safety Data Sheets, which suppliers are required to provide with all products that contain chemicals. Eliminate or reduce use of toxic chemicals. Adopt strategies to eliminate or reduce the use of regulated chemicals or, at a minimum, worker exposure to them. It's possible the interaction of two chemicals may be a culprit. Improve indoor air quality. The resources listed in the resources section of this newsletter can help you assess if you have a problem, and suggest solutions. Encourage treatment. Encourage asthmatic employees to participate in a comprehensive approach to evaluation and treatment, which includes workplace and medical evaluations, and evaluations of the home and community environments. Ruth Sechena is Director of the Environmental Risk Information Service, which is supported by a grant from the National Institute for Environmental Sciences (#P30 ES07033), 206-616-7557. **** Why It's Difficult to Link Chemical Exposure to Health Problems **** by Ruth Sechena, M.D, M.P.H., Environmental Risk Information Service Corporate managers and business owners often have to balance incomplete information about the possible health risks of the chemicals their companies use -- and the pollutants they produce -- with the all-too- well-known realities of productivity and profitability. The question is: why is there limited information on the health hazards of chemicals? Because it's difficult for scientists to link chemicals or pollutants to specific health problems. How scientists determine the health effects of chemicals is complex. They must develop a "chain of evidence" that proves a person absorbed a chemical through inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion or other means, and that this exposure caused some sort of health effect. Unfortunately, building this chain of evidence is not, in most cases, an easy job. Many factors complicate the task. There are more than 80,000 chemicals in use today. The process to evaluate the health effects of each is expensive. As a result, it can be difficult to find information about the health effects of the specific chemicals you use. To determine if products you use contain toxic chemicals, refer to the Material Safety Data Sheets supplied with them. Chemicals get into the body several ways. A chemical must have a "pathway" into the human body. This can include lung inhalation, ingestion, skin absorption or injection, or any combination of these pathways. Chemicals affect people differently. People are genetically diverse and respond differently to environmental chemicals. Individuals working under identical conditions can respond in differing manners. The effects of some chemicals are difficult to identify. Some chemicals have such subtle that they may be difficult to recognize, for instance central nervous system changes such as alterations in mood or vigilance. Others may be experienced as a slight change in a laboratory test while the individual shows no obvious signs of disease. It is also difficult to link chemical exposures to health outcomes that are common. As scientists' experience and expertise increase, they may discover that the "safe" chemical 'de jour' really adversely impacts human health. Consequently, reducing chemical exposures simply to that required by law may not protect your employees or the community. **** FEATURED TOPIC: THREE RULES ALL EMPLOYERS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HOW TO PROTECT WORKERS FROM TOXICS **** by Anna S. Bachmann Washington Committee for Occupational Safety and Health By following three basic safety and health rules, the costs associated with lost production and workers' compensation claims to employers, as well as injuries and deaths to employees, may be greatly decreased. Hold Regular Staff Meetings. It's a Washington state law that all employers with 11 or more employees shall have a designated safety committee composed of employer-selected and employee-selected members. Oregon has a similar law. It's also a good idea for all employers, even those with fewer that 11 employees, to have active safety meetings (e.g. formal, monthly committee meetings or informal tailgate meetings) in which employees have a voice to present their safety and health needs and concerns to employers. These meetings will often provide ideas to management on how to find substitutes for toxic hazards on the job or eliminate them entirely. This is often where safety and health meets pollution prevention. In addition, there should be at least one individual who is responsible for safety and health on the job. This individual should make sure that the company is meeting all safety and health requirements, organizing worker training, and making sure that all safety equipment is available and in good working order. Provide Appropriate Worker Training and Certification. At a minimum, all workers should be receiving hazard communication training by their employer. Such training means giving workers information about all the specific hazards on the job, giving them adequate information on how to identify each hazard, and showing them how they can protect themselves. It is not enough to show workers a 15 minute safety video and give them a dusty copy of the employer's safety rules. Training needs to be interactive, updated on a periodic basis, evaluated and constantly improved. In addition, specific types of work, such as hazardous waste handling, lead or asbestos abatement require certification. Make sure your employees are properly trained to do these more hazardous jobs and that their certification is kept up-to-date. Supply Proper Safety Tools & Equipment. A general guide for protecting workers from safety and health hazards on the job is Eliminate/ Isolate/Protect. Employers should first try to eliminate hazards from the workplace (e.g. pollution prevention can sometimes eliminate the use of certain toxic chemicals on the job). When this is not possible, employers should try to isolate hazards from employees (e.g. putting protective barriers around dangerous equipment). Failing that, employers should protect the workers themselves from those hazards (e.g. providing personal protective equipment like respirators). Often workers are injured on the job because they don't have the appropriate tools to protect themselves. For example, a painter is overcome by solvent vapors because she is using a dust mask instead of an organic vapor cartridge mask. Providing adequate protective safety tools to workers is a basic but often overlooked factor in worker safety. Having regular safety meetings and a properly trained workforce can also help inform the employer about proper equipment needs. The key to all three of these rules is management commitment. None of them will work properly without an employer committed to health and safety at work. Anna S. Bachmann is Training Coordinator for WashCOSH, a safety and health advocacy group, 206-767-7426. **** Health and Pollution Prevention Research at the University of Washington **** Health Effects of Particulate Matter Air pollution in the Spokane, Wash.-area is generally from grass burning for clearing fields, wood burning for home heating, vehicular exhaust, windblown dust and road-traction dust. The objective of this multi-university/EPA study is to determine the health risk for residents of the Spokane-area of airborne particulates. Researchers hope to determine the association with health outcomes from these sources by using additional air monitoring devices and by gathering data on visits to emergency rooms, admissions to hospitals and mortality records. In addition, a group of patients with asthma will be selected from those who visit the emergency rooms after high pollution days and asked to record daily symptoms. The study should provide new information on the relationships between fine particles and human health. Study of Air Pollution and Asthma Statistics show that young African-Americans have a greater prevalence for asthma, as well as significantly higher mortality rate from asthma, than young Caucasians. Several years ago, University of Washington researchers reported an association between asthma visits to emergency rooms and particulate matter air pollution in the Central District of Seattle, where the majority of African-American children in the Seattle-area live. In Phase 2 of this study, researchers will collect hospital emergency room data and hospital admissions for diagnoses of asthma from Central- area hospitals. The study will examine the relationships between air pollution and asthma in residents of the Central District, providing researchers with additional data. For more information on research at the University of Washington School of Public Health & Community Medicine, contact Jane Q. Koenig, Ph.D., 206-543-2026. **** Health Resources **** Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) This federal agency works to prevent exposure and adverse health effects from exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites, unplanned releases and other sources of pollution present in the environment. ATSDR provides public health assessments of waste sites, health consultations concerning specific hazardous substances, response to emergency releases of hazardous substances, applied research in support of public health assessments, information development and dissemination, and education and training concerning hazardous substances. For more information, call 404-639-6000 or visit the Web site (http://atsdr1.atsdr.cdc.gov:8080/atsdrhome. html). Federal Commission on Risk Assessment & Risk Management As required by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, the Risk Assessment and Risk Management Commission is making a full investigation of the policy implications and appropriate uses of risk assessment and risk management in regulatory programs under various federal laws to prevent cancer and other chronic human health effects which may result from exposure to hazardous substances. The federal commission will release its final report in two stages at the beginning of 1997. The commission's main recommendations are: 1) to put each worker, community or ecological problem into public health and ecological context, getting beyond the present one-chemical, one-risk, one-medium at a time thinking; and 2) to actively engage all stakeholders because local people often have knowledge about sources of exposure, behavior patterns, and cultural practices that the modelers in regulatory agencies do not. For more information or to view the final report on-line when available, visit the RiskWorld Web site (http://www.riskworld.com). Occupational Safety & Health Administration OSHA's mission is to save lives, prevent injuries and protect the health of America's workers. It establishes protective standards, enforces those standards, and reaches out to employers and employees through technical assistance and consultation programs. When possible, OSHA will seek and expect implementation of hazard control strategies based on primary prevention -- strategies which focus on fixing the underlying causes of problems and reducing hazardous exposures at their source. The OSHA Web site contains information about a range of occupational hazards, health and safety fact sheets, and action plans for industries that encounter specific priority hazards (such as solvents, metalworking fluids, dangerous medications and diesel exhaust). The Northwest Regional Office is located in Seattle, Wash., 206-553-5930, Web site (http://www.osha.gov/). In Alaska, call the state office at 907-269-4955 or the Anchorage- area office at 907-271-5152. In Idaho, call the Boise-area office at 208-334-1867. In Oregon, call the state office at 503-378-3272 or the Portland-area office at 503-326-2251. In Washington, call the state office at 360-902-5500 or the Seattle-area office at 206-553-7520. Environmental Protection Agency EPA provides information and resources to businesses and individuals about environmental regulations and compliance, safe chemical substitutes, voluntary programs and more. For more information, call 800-424-4372 or visit the national Web site (http://www.epa.gov/epahome/epa.html) or Region 10 Web site (http://www.epa.gov/r10earth/r10.html). Field Research & Consultation Group Part of the University of Washington's Department of Environmental Health, this group provides industrial hygiene, safety and occupational health services to professional, industry and labor groups; conducts research on chemical and physical hazards in the workplace; and serves as a source of environmental and occupational health and safety information. For more information, call 206-543-9711 (e-mail: frcg@u.washington.edu). Environmental Risk Information Service (ERIS) Part of the University of Washington's Department of Environmental Health, ERIS provides technical assistance and consultation to communities with environmental health concerns, and is staffed by a physician board certified in occupational and environmental medicine, and an information specialist. For more information, call 206-616-7557 or send an e-mail message to: rsechena@dehpost.sphcm.washington.edu. Alaska Health Project This nonprofit organization provides information and advocacy on occupational and environmental health issues in Alaska, and other Northwest states. The Project answers technical questions, offers industry-specific waste reduction manuals and conducts occupational safety training. For more information, call 907-276-2864 (toll-free in Alaska: 800-478-2864). Oregon Committee for Occupational Safety and Health Oregon COSH is a nonprofit organization that works to improve on-the- job worker safety and health by ensuring an environmentally sound workplace. The organization monitors safety and health regulations in Oregon, and is currently working on worker compensation issues. For more information, contact Dick Edgington at 503-244-8429. Washington Committee for Occupational Safety and Health WashCOSH is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving safety and health on the job. The organization provides training, advocacy, technical assistance and referral on occupational health and safety issues. WashCOSH also maintains a resource library of safety and health information and publishes a quarterly newsletter. WashCOSH is currently working on a variety of projects, including hazardous materials training, worker involvement in pollution prevention and violence in the workplace. For more information, call 206-767-7426, (e-mail: washcosh@igc.apc.org). Or visit the organization's Web site (http://www.halcyon.com/anderwp/pdc5/washcosh.htm). Washington Toxics Coalition The Washington Toxics Coalition is an environmental advocacy organization dedicated to protecting public health and the environment by identifying and promoting alternatives to toxic chemicals. The group provides information about pollution prevention in the home, schools, business, agriculture, forestry and industry, and a "toxics hotline" for questions about toxics alternatives. For more information, or to reach the Toxics Hotline, call 632-1545 (in Seattle) or 800-844-SAFE. Resources compiled by Ruth Sechena, Director of the ERIS, and Crispin Stutzman, Research Associate for the PPRC. **** What's New on PPRC's Web Site? **** The PPRC's Web site has received more than 5,000 "hits" on the home page alone since it was placed on the Internet six months ago. Visitors hail from as far away as Italy, France, Morocco, Britain, Australia, Finland, Norway, Brazil and Chile. The Research Projects Database has a new crop of projects pertaining to sustainable agriculture. The 80 new projects focus on agricultural pollution prevention topics, including pesticide, herbicide and fungicide reduction; nonpoint source pollution prevention; nutrient management; and low-input farming. A sampling of project titles include: "Application of Low-Volume Water Systems to the Cultural and Biological Control of Root Diseases," "Water Management to Minimize Pesticide Inputs in Cranberry Production," and "Improving Nitrogen Utilization with Rotation and Crop Covers." The projects are grouped by geographic region, and are located at the URL http://pprc.pnl.gov/pprc/rpd/fedfund/usda/index.html. **** Roundtable for Shipyards Planned **** The PPRC is planning a roundtable for the Washington shipyards industry in the Seattle area in early 1997. The roundtable is intended for workers at shipyards and ship maintenance facilities who primarily work on ships with metal-based hulls, such as commercial fishing vessels or cargo vessels. The meeting will include both commercial- and government-operated shipyards, and will be a forum for information exchange on shipyards' pollution prevention needs and accomplishments. For more information, contact David Leviten at 206-223-1151 (dleviten@pprc.org). **** POLLUTION PREVENTION DIGEST **** Free 'Fill Ups' for Electric Vehicles The city of Portland, Ore. is offering free electric vehicle (EV) recharging to downtown visitors. Two electric vehicle charging stations have been installed in city-owned parking garages downtown, and the city will pay for the electricity to recharge EV's at these two locations. However, this program isn't a complete free ride -- drivers still must pay parking fees at these garages. The service is part of Portland's activities under the Department of Energy's Clean Cities program. For more information, contact Curt Nichols at 503-823-7418. Stream Restoration Grants Funding is available for stream restoration projects on Miller and Des Moines Creeks, which flow near the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. A total of $100,000 will be awarded to residents, community groups, business partnerships, fisheries organizations and local jurisdictions for projects in these watersheds. Projects should bring clear physical improvements to the streams, involve a variety of people and groups, be cost-effective, and use donated time and materials. Eligible projects could include tree plantings, bank stabilization projects, storm drain stenciling and fish habitat enhancement. The grant fund is jointly administered by the Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and King County Surface Water Management. For more information, contact B.J. Cummings at 206-286-1309. Nominations for Vision 2020 Awards The Puget Sound Regional Council is accepting nominations for the 1997 Vision 2020 Awards. Vision 2020 is the regional strategy in King, Kitsap, Pierce and Snohomish counties in Washington state that seeks to ensure healthy communities, open space, and a high-quality transportation system. The strategy calls for locating development in urban growth areas so services can be provided efficiently and natural resources conserved. Any individual, business, agency, organization or jurisdiction may nominate a project or program in the four-county region that promotes sustainable regional growth management, economic, and/or transportation strategies. Nominations are due December 31. For more information, contact Richard Milne at 206-587-5060. Video Examines Nonpoint Pollution Nonpoint source pollution comes from a variety of sources, including farms, forests, city streets, construction sites, mines and septic systems, and is one of the most serious threats to the quality of U.S. drinking-water supplies. As an educational tool, Oregon State University Extension Service recently produced a video about nonpoint source pollution, and the problems it creates for America's drinking water, surface water and ground-water. Filmed primarily in Oregon's Tualatin River Basin, "We All Live Downstream" explores how Oregon residents and government officials are trying to reduce nonpoint source pollution, and offers a variety of tips that can help protect drinking water sources. To order the half-hour video, which costs $30, call 541-737-2513. Resource Efficient Model Cities Corvallis, Milwaukie, and Cannon Beach, Ore. are improving their local environments and economies by participating in Model Cities -- a voluntary waste prevention program. The governments and chambers of commerce in these cities help small businesses and institutions consider ways to increase their resource efficiency and save money. Assistance is provided to interested businesses to evaluate their use of materials, energy and water, and to provide recommendations on how to cut costs and be more resource efficient. This public/private partnership receives support from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). DEQ provides a variety of "tool kits" for communities, businesses and teachers that include information, ideas, worksheets and a video about Model Cities. The tool kits may be purchased from DEQ, and cost from $5 to $40, depending on the tools ordered. For more information, contact Jan Whitworth at 503-229-6434. Alaska Recycled Paper Woods For the past three years, the Alaska Center for Appropriate Technology and the USDA Forest Products Laboratory have worked cooperatively to develop a formula for making a fiberboard product using scrap waste woods and mixed waste paper generated in Alaska. Prototype fiberboards of three different thicknesses have performed well in a variety of tests, including performance and fire tests, and do not use formaldehyde glues. This project has the potential to almost double mixed paper recycling rates in Southcentral Alaska from 7.5 percent to 14 percent. For more information, call Alaska Recycled PaperWoods at 907-376-2294. Automotive Environmental Compliance Information Center The Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR) sponsors the Automotive Environmental Compliance Information Center to provide quick access to a range of environmental and safety information for all sectors of the automotive community. The center provides information about how to handle federal environmental requirements, such as chemical spills or how to dispose of used oil or used batteries. It can also provide referrals for sources of state and local compliance information. Users of the service can call a menu-driven recorded database or speak directly to an individual to get answers to their questions. CCAR also maintains a Web site that includes a series of automotive-related fact sheets, reference information and links to related Web sites. Currently, CCAR is constructing an online vendor list. The center may be reached by calling 1-888-GRN-LINK or by visiting its Web site (http://www.ccar-greenlink.org). Solid Waste Policy Reports The Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies recently published two reports that address how landfilling, recycling and world markets can work together for waste reduction. "Less Waste on the Loading Dock - Competitive Strategy and the Reduction of Logistical Packaging Waste" examines how packaging waste reduction may be enhanced by the competitive relationships between the industries that make, use and dispose of this packaging. The author discusses transportation, new distribution methods, government mandates, rising disposal costs, materials substitution, and how these factors can encourage more environmentally-sound policy decisions. "What Won't Get Harvested and When - The Effects of Increased Paper Recycling on Timber Harvest" examines the question of whether paper recycling reduces the demand for virgin fiber for paper. The report compares regional trends in timber harvest, pulp and paper production, waste paper recovery and waste paper utilization. The author concludes that given the rate of growth in production and consumption of paper and paperboard, even accounting for the dramatic growth of recycling, it is unlikely that the global demand for virgin fiber will decrease. However, regional differences will exist and some areas may experience a slower rate of growth of timber harvest than in the past decade. These reports cost $10 and $15 respectively, and can be ordering by calling 203-432-3253 or sending an e-mail message to pswp@yale.edu. Building Operator Certification Utility costs at buildings and facilities can be reduced by 5 to 15 percent by a trained and motivated staff who know basic procedures to improve energy efficiency and equipment reliability, and how to perform preventive maintenance on heating, cooling and lighting systems. The Northwest Energy Efficiency Council (NEEC) offers more than 20 different courses on topics ranging from Energy Conservation Techniques to Maintenance & Troubleshooting for Indoor Air Quality. Training courses are intended for building operators, human resource staff, utilities seeking to improve customer service programs, and building operator associations. Certification is awarded to people who submit an application, complete training courses and successfully demonstrate skills in several technical areas. For more information, including a list of courses and how to receive certification, contact Cynthia Putnam at 206-726-9397. Environmental Report and Proposal Writing Training A new writing skills course has been developed for people in environmental fields. "Report and Proposal Writing for Environmental Professionals" consists of a self-paced workbook with examples, practice exercises and assignments to provide practical techniques that help streamline the writing process. The lessons are designed to help people write field reports, site assessments, hazardous waste reports, funding requests and proposals, and other environmental documents more quickly and with less need for extensive rewriting and editing. Writers learn a step-by-step process for getting started, identifying what information needs to be included and how it should be organized, and presenting information so readers can easily follow points and find details. The training manual costs $69, plus $4.50 for shipping, and can be ordered by calling 415-459-3563 or sending an e-mail message to Adcom@linex.com. **** ABOUT THE PPRC **** Pollution Prevention Northwest is published by the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center (PPRC). The PPRC is a nonprofit organization formed to identify and overcome obstacles to pollution prevention in the Pacific Northwest. Headquartered in Seattle, Wash., the PPRC serves Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Financial support for the PPRC is broad-based, with contributions from organizations such as the US EPA, the US Department of Energy , US Department of Defense's Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program, the Northwest states and British Columbia, The Boeing Company, Hewlett-Packard, Intel Corporation, Battelle Memorial Institute, Westinghouse Hanford Company, Weyerhaeuser Company, American Electronics Association, British Petroleum, Conoco, Ross & Associates Environmental Consulting, the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable, the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation, and the Washington Corporate Council for the Environment. The PPRC accepts environmental settlement moneys to further its work on pollution prevention. Significant in-kind support has been provided by the American Electronics Association, Arvay Finlay, Battelle/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Battelle Seattle Research Center, EMCON Alaska, Inc., Environmental Technologies and Educational Services Company, Fluke Corporation, Forrest Paint Company, Hewlett- Packard Company, the Idaho Council on Industry and the Environment, J.R. Simplot Company, Landau Associates, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Marten & Brown, LLP, On Point Communication Strategists, Perkins Coie, Ross & Associates Environmental Consulting, Stoel Rives, LLP, The Boeing Company, The Waste Minimization Company, and U.S. West Communications. Created by the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Resource Center phone: (206) 223-1151, fax: (206) 223-1165, e-mail: office@pprc.org WWW address: http://www.pprc.org