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The Port of Walla Walla's project to install a sewer pipe 40 feet under the Snake River has hit unstable ground.

The contractor, Apex Directional Drilling of Portland, has struggled to get the soil to stabilize enough in the first part of the project, officials said.

But Jim Kuntz, the port's executive director, said the contractor and port are continuing to work on ways to get the casing pipe correctly installed in the first couple hundred feet, which contains cobbles and loose gravel.

The line under the Snake River is a critical part of the port's project to bring city of Pasco sewer to the Burbank Business Park and the Columbia School District's three schools in Burbank.

The 120-acre business park allows commercial and light industrial zoning, meaning distributors could have warehouse operations with easy access to Highway 12.

Port officials hope offering sewer service will help spur economic development in the business park and Burbank area. Currently, the entire community of Burbank relies on septic systems to handle its waste.

Once the pipe casing is through the first couple hundred feet, Kuntz said the contractor will drill through basalt, which should be easier.

So far, port commissioners have approved spending $26,500 to install additional casing pipe, Kuntz said.

The additional cost is on top of the $1.3 million contract port officials signed with Apex, Kuntz said. But because of contingencies, the project remains within the overall budget of $2.1 million.

Kuntz said the port hopes to have the piping under the Snake River finished this spring.

The rest is here:
Snake River project hits unstable ground

Just convicted of multiple violations of the federal Clean Water Act, Ray Caldwell now faces a $11,000 fine from the city of Longview for discharging bacteria-laden sludge into a stormwater ditch that leads into the Columbia River.

City stormwater manager Josh Johnson said he didnt know for sure where the sludge containing fecal coliform bacteria was coming from.

Its most likely a problem with their operation or their piping, Johnson said Wednesday.

The city served Caldwell, the owner of All Out Sewer and Drain, with a notice and order of violation Monday.

He was very accommodating. He immediately directed his staff to begin cleaning the lines like Id asked him to, Johnson said.

Under city code, its illegal to discharge anything into the storm drain system other than stormwater. During a city inspection last year, All-Out co-owner Randy Dingus told city staff that employees rinse the inside and outside of septic pumper trucks in the business wash area, which has a storm drain connected to the ditch.

The $11,000 fine may be the least of Caldwells worries, given his legal troubles. On Dec. 16, U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle found Caldwell guilty of 25 felony counts of violating the federal Clean Water Act, six counts of mail fraud and two counts of making false statements. He will be sentenced March 10 and faces big fines and prison time. He was accused of pumping septic waste from his collection trucks into the city sewer system to avoid disposal fees and vastly underreporting the amount of septage he collected from customers.

Caldwell did not return a call for comment Wednesday about the citys fine.

Caldwell was chairman of the citys Stormwater Advisory Committee until resigning last April after the city fined him $500 for allegedly pumping liquids from a basement sump pump into a stormwater drain. Caldwell was on the committee when the city created its stormwater pollution laws.

According to the notice the city issued to Caldwell this week, so much material had accumulated at the companys stormwater outfall last October that the discharge had to flow under a cake of dried sludge before reaching the water in the ditch. City employees observed a chocolate-colored, bubbly, thick soup or pudding-like material that covered a 100-square-foot area around All-Outs outfall. Also, the grass near the outfall was stained with a dried, black substance up to a foot above the water line.

Excerpt from:
All-Out Sewer owner facing $11,000 fine from city

Several new faces and a few familiar ones were sworn in at municipality reorganization meetings throughout the area Jan. 6.

The board room at the Abington Township building was packed with friends, family and community members as newly elected Court of Common Pleas Judge Gail Weilheimer swore in re-elected Commissioners Larry Jones, Ward 3; Stephen Kalinoski, Ward 6; Peggy Myers, Ward 8; Thomas Farren, Ward 12; and Lori Schreiber, Ward 14, in addition to newly elected Commissioners Michael Markman, Ward 2; Jimmy DiPlacido, Ward 4; Benjamin Sanchez, Ward 7; and Tom Hecker, Ward 10.

Many of the commissioners expressed their excitement to start a new year, work with one another and improve the township.

Also sworn in was re-elected tax collector Jay Blumenthal, who was named the townships treasurer.

There were numerous appointments made Jan. 6 as well.

Commissioner Wayne Luker was appointed the new board president and Commissioner Steven Kline was appointed vice president. Both men received applause after they accepted their new status on the board.

I want to personally thank my fellow commissioners for their vote for president of the board of commissioners of Abington Township, said Luker, who has served on the board for 22 years. This is an honor, and I consider it a vote of confidence that I will lead this board in a positive direction. My expectations are high that we all will use our talents, time and energy to further the success of this first-class township.

In addition, Rex Herder was reappointed township solicitor for a six-month term, Michael Powers was named township engineer for another two-year term and Township Manager Michael LeFevre was appointed to the office of secretary and Finance Director Susan Matiza was appointed assistant secretary.

In Cheltenham Township, newly elected Commissioner Ann Rappoport, Ward 4, and re-elected Commissioners Morton Simon, Ward 6, and Art Haywood, Ward 2, were sworn in, according to the township managers administrative assistant Anna Marie Felix.

Veteran commissioner Harvey Portner was appointed the new president of the board and fellow long-standing board member Morton Simon was appointed vice president, she said. Continued...

Read more here:
Board rooms across the area reorganize

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Steel Buildings. Metal Building Systems. Prefabricated Steel ...

Ive always been resistant to making New Year'sresolutions. Im not really sure why. Maybe it seems clich; maybe Im annoyed that my yoga classes are now swamped withpeople who have made resolutions to be more healthy, balanced and zen in the new year. But this year, I am making a new years resolution of a professional nature. Arecent studyfoundthat you are 42 percent more likely to achieve your goals by writing them down, so here...

USGBC has started exploring how to clearly link the market transformation that the green building movement has inspired to its opportunity to create an equallytransformationalimpact on human health. InHealth is a Human Right. Green Building Can Help, a report from USGBCs Green Building & Human Health Summit in early 2013, we examine ways to promote and protect human health in relation to the built environment. Additionally, we have put forth a set of...

In case you missed the Greenbuild excitement, AZURE magazine has you covered. Here were their biggest takeaways from the show: The Speakers Alongside the two big political stars who delivered keynote addresses former Secretary of StateHillary Clintonand statisticianNate Silver Greenbuilds Master Series of lectures featured architect Edward Mazria, who announced the official launch of2030palette.org. The new website provides a wealth of...

This fall, the Center for Green Schools received another wave of impressive applications from around the country for our Trailblazing Teacher Awards - a small grant that we give out to deserving teachers to use toward an environmental initiative in their classroom. The creativity and dedication that shows through each of the educators applications is humbling and inspiring (its no secret that our staff love to be picked as the review committee for these awards). For the second...

Heres our weekly collection of green building clips: Achieving sustainability, Grocery Headquarters. USGBC Vice President of Product Management Lisa Stanley discussed how grocery stores are finding value using LEED, but more work needs to be done. My Green Policy Wish List for 2014, Building Green. Enhanced building codes to heighten resilience in the built environment are high on Alex Wilsons list. Record-Breaking Land Deal Completed in Central L.A., Set to Become the Site of New...

January 1st quarterly addenda to the LEED rating systems and reference guides are now available. Use the credit library to access the new LEED Interpretations. Access LEED Interpretations INTERPRETATIONS There are 71 new LEED Interpretations (10292, 1029810367), including 65 for Homes and Multifamily Midrise (100310367). Here are some highlights: Demonstrating compliance for LEED O+M: Existing Buildings SSc8: Light Pollution Reduction by following values listed in LEED BD...

In regions where words like sustainable and green have difficulty gaining traction, supporters of green building look to alternative methods of getting the message out. TheUSGBC Georgia Chapters 2013High Performance Healthy Schools Summitlooked to a broad audience of parents, students, and educators to address a growing need for healthier learning spaces for the states children. The 2013 summit attracted well over 200...

I experienced my first Greenbuild this year and had no idea what to expect. As the manager of our international marketing and communication efforts, I found it to be an exhilarating experience. A whirlwind of passion, activity and commitment. At USGBC we often speak about how LEED is global language. A language that allows us to distribute intelligence throughout the world. A language that allows us to compare how a LEED-certified building in Beijing is performing with one in Dubai, or Chicago...

Greenbuild 2013 meets Greenbuild 2014 when the Philadelphia Eagles meet the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the NFL playoffs this weekend, and much of the green building community will be cheering for the team in green. Were not partial to the disruptive offense of rookie coach Chip Kelly. And we certainly have no gripes with the Saints, who had a strong presence at this years Green Sports Alliance Summit. Its that Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, home of...

With only a few short weeks before the New Year, the House and Senate completed a series of important legislative milestones including the bipartisan budget deal. With this budget deal in place, the House and Senate Appropriations Committeewill begin to formally negotiate over the holiday recess by dividing up some $498.1 billion in domestic discretionary spending. They will have until January 15th to negotiate aspendingpackage to replace the expiring continuing resolution...

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U.S. Green Building Council - Official Site

by Jaime Cerreta

azfamily.com

Posted on January 8, 2014 at 8:19 PM

Updated today at 8:28 PM

TEMPE, Ariz. -- For 24 years, Chili's restaurant has anchored the southeast corner of Mill Avenue and University Drive.

But Wednesday at 2 p.m., Chili's served its last meal and closed its doors for good.

"We used to get beers and have fantasy football stuff here," said Anthony Pappas, one of countless Arizona State University students who have dined at the restaurant.

One of the few remaining businesses in the once booming strip mall owned by ASU, Chili's closed to make way for the construction of a $350 million development.

The development will include a basketball arena where Olympic athletes will train, a conference center, and the city's first AAA Four Diamond hotel.

Nancy Hormann, Executive Director and President of the Downtown Tempe Community nonprofit organization, said the development is a much-needed addition to the Mill Avenue area.

See the article here:
Tempe Chili's closes doors after 24 years

Courtesy Madison Water Utility

Plumbers say now is the time to be on the lookout for frozen pipes that will start to thaw and might cause problems.

Korey Ace has been working in plumbing for about 17 years. He and other plumbing repair technicians with Sheldon Plumbing, in Verona, had a busy Wednesday.

News 3 followed along as Ace tackled a job at a condo on Madison's west side.

He said the job started off as a complaint of no hot water. The pipes in the home's utility room were cold to the touch -- something he said is a bad sign.

"This type of weather is not only hard on the plumbers but the plumbing," Ace said.

Ace said now is the time for homeowners to be on the lookout for frozen pipes.

"When things thaw out, then sooner or later that chunk of ice is going to come flying out and water is going to follow it, and that's when the flood damage occurs -- when things warm back up," Ace said.

If you have pipes on an outside wall, try to push some warm air on them, Ace said. If they are frozen, the heat could help residents avoid a break.

"If you have an opportunity to open up the service door to the area and let some heat out in there, it doesn't take very long to thaw things back out if they haven't gone to the extent of freezing so hard the pipes burst," Ace said.

Here is the original post:
Plumber: Warm-up is time to watch for frozen pipe issues

EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - The deep freeze had plumbers all over West Michigan busy with calls of burst pipes and frozen water lines -- but the coming rising temperatures could mean the calls will continue to rise. Before Saturday, it had been years since Sommerdyke Plumbing's Darrin Ackerman fixed a pipe that had burst due to the cold. Starting this past weekend, he said he has fixed about a dozen. "This is just, what is it, a thousand year freeze or something," said Ackerman."I haven't had any in a couple years now -- two or three years -- so this is actually pretty nice 'cause we're busy.But it's kind of nice to be home, [too]." At one East Grand Rapids home Tuesday, there was no water coming to the bathroom faucets. The problem was a burst pipe in the bathroom.

Though it had never burst in the 27 years the homeowner lived there, the water had leaked through the floor and frozen down the outside of the house.The large amount of water created a small ice rink on the porch under the bathroom. When the thaw comes, the plumber told 24 Hour News 8, he may get even busier. Frozen pipes will then thaw, and previously undetected breaks will become clear. When and if that happens to you, Ackerman said it's important to make sure you call a reputable plumber -- not just an unknown person off Craigslist who claims to have plumbing expertise.

The plumber should be licensed with the state, have a history in the area, experience and insurance for the worst-case scenarios. "If we did something wrong, we're insured," he said. "But hopefully that wouldn't happen."

You can check to see if your plumber is licensed here on the State of Michigan website.

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Inside woodtv.com:

Tips to keep your pipes from freezing

Here is the original post:
Make sure your plumber is licensed

If your pipes should freeze, would you know how to defrost them the safe way?

One Northampton County couple said their home caught fire when a plumber went about it the wrong way, using a torch and a heater, but the couple wouldn't go into more detail because of possible litigation.

Firefighters responded to the home on Ahern Drive in Upper Mount Bethel Township on Tuesday.

For the last week, R.J. Walker Plumbing Supply has been selling a lot of material to plumbers fixing frozen pipes, said Luis Acevado, the branch manager.

Weve been getting plumbers throughout the day, especially in the morning," said Acevado. "Many of them coming in looking for fittings and pipe. A lot of frozen pipe out there.

There are preventative measures homeowners can take, like wrapping pipes, but if the pipe does freeze, the American Red Cross has a few tips.

Apply heat to the frozen pipe using an electric heating pad, a hair dryer, a portable space heater, or towels soaked in hot water.

Do not try to correct the problem with a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater. Also don't use a charcoal stove or any other open-flame device.

Another item flying off the shelves is a pipe warming system.

You want this before it freezes, added Acevado.

Read the original:
Red Cross urges people to thaw frozen water pipes the right way

Frozen water pipes are popping as Southwestern Ontario climbs out of the deep freeze, swamping area plumbers.

Weve had 50 calls in the last 24 hours from homeowners needing help with frozen or fractured pipes, said Perry Smink, a co-owner of Best Plumbing and Drainage in London,

Last winter, the company fielded only a few such emergency calls.

There are people whose whole houses have no water, Smink said.

But the next few days temperatures are forecast to climb to 1C on Friday will either be a relief, or a headache, to area residents battling frozen pipes, he said.

After pipes begin to thaw, any cracks caused by freezing might turn into ruptures and send water cascading through the house.

Frozen pipes shouldnt be put off as a problem that will solve itself, Smink said.

The worst thing would be knowing your pipes are frozen and walking away and saying, Oh, theyll thaw out eventually.

Thats when people return home to basements with half a metre of water in them and drywall sagging off the studs.

It doesnt take much to tip the balance between flowing and frozen, said Bill Salmon, president of Salmon Plumbing in London.

See original here:
Don’t just leave it, plumber warns