402 Tacoma Avenue S., Suite 200 TACOMA, WA 98402 PHONE (253) 627-4853 FAX (253) 627-2253
TUESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2012
Vol. CXXIII, No. 152
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE CITY OF TACOMA Devoted to the Courts, Real Estate, Finance, Industrial Activities, and Publication of Legal Notices
Published Since 1890
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Pierce County seeks input on compost collection options
Posted online Mon., Aug. 6 Nearly one-third of Pierce County's waste is food, making it the largest category of material entering our landfill. In 2010, the county began exploring how to manage and reduce food waste, and is now asking for the community's input via a series of pub-
BNSF to invest $106M in Wash. rail infrastructure
Posted online Mon., Aug. 6 Photo Courtesy BNSF BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) has announced it plans to invest an estimated $106 million on maintenance and rail capacity improvement and expansion projects in Washington this year. BNSF's 2012 capacity enhancement projects in Washington include the construction of a new lead to access the Port of Longview, as well as significant signal upgrades for federally mandated positive train control. BNSF will also continue its track maintenance program in Washington, which will include 1,020 miles of track surfacing and undercutting work, and the replacement of 56 miles of rail and about 178,000 ties. "BNSF's investments will improve our ability to provide rail freight services to Washington businesses and communities, and will expand opportunities to create more jobs and growth for the Washington economy," said Matthew K. Rose, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. The planned capital investments in Washington are part of BNSF's total 2012 capital commitment of $3.9 billion. The largest component of the capital plan is spending $2.1 billion on BNSF's core network and related assets. BNSF also plans to spend approximately $1.1 billion on locomotive, freight car and other equipment acquisitions, many of which will serve Washington. The program also includes about $300 million for federally mandated positive train control and $400 million for terminal, line and intermodal expansion and efficiency projects. More information is online at bnsf.com.
lic workshops from August to October. "Whether it's someone cleaning out their refrigerator or a restaurant disposing of unfinished meals, we throw out tons of food every day," said Rick Johnston, Public Works and Utilities solid waste project coordinator. "We need to find an efficient and effective way to manage our food waste. We want your feedback on this issue, so we can develop a plan that fits the needs of our community." The public is invited to attend one of 15 workshops held across Pierce County to learn more about food waste and several options for managing it. Attendees will be asked to weigh in via a survey at the end of the workshop. The workshops will be held between Aug. 16 and Oct. 2. Find a workshop near you online at piercecountywa.org/foodwaste. A virtual workshop will also be available on Pierce County's Web site for those who can't attend in person. "We encourage you to come learn why food waste is a problem in the United States, what Pierce County is already doing about food waste, and which options are being considered to manage it," added Johnston. "Solid waste management is a local issue -- it's not one-size-fits-all. We want to use the data we have and feedback from our residents to create a reasonable program at a reasonable cost." Several options to manage and reduce food waste were developed for Pierce County by SAIC, a national consulting firm. They completed a comprehensive study of available practices, while considering the potential economic, environmental and carbon footprint impacts of the options. Pierce County and RW Beck, which is now part of SAIC, conducted a waste audit in 2010 to find out what is in the county's waste stream. The audit found that food waste makes up 28 percent. In 2011, SAIC was hired to develop the potential options to manage and reduce food waste in Pierce County. The firm looked at every available option for food waste management, reviewed potential impacts, and eliminated options that didn't have a proven track record. The options were then presented to stakeholders from local governments, the solid waste industry and citizen representatives from the Solid Waste Advisory Committee. The following options will be discussed at the workshops: (a.) Emphasize Waste Reduction -- In-
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Celebrate National Night Out in Tacoma Posted online Mon., Aug. 6 Tacoma and Pierce County residents are encouraged to join the Safe Streets Campaign to celebrate National Night Out on Tues., Aug. 7. The nationwide event aims to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. "National Night Out provides a perfect opportunity for people to get to know their neighbors and begin the important work of reducing crime and making the streets safer in their neighborhoods," said Priscilla Lisicich, executive director of Safe Streets Campaign. Throughout Pierce County, other unique celebrations will take place, including block parties, barbecues, picnics, safety fairs with representative from police and fire departments, and more. More than 9,000 communities across the country celebrate National Night Out to make a statement against crime. "National Night Out is an exciting way to give neighbors a chance to get to know each other and ultimately reach the same goal as Safe Streets - to create neighborhoods that are safe places to raise families," said Mike Wilson, Safe Streets' Youth Leading Change Program Manager. A list of local National Night Out parties is available online at safest.org.
crease public education programs to prevent food waste from being generated in the first place; (b.) Emphasize Energy Recovery -- Dispose some, or all, food waste in order to generate landfill gas and recover energy from that gas; and (c.) Emphasize Collection and Composting -- Collect food waste from homes and/or businesses to produce compost or fertilizer. The feedback from workshop participants will be reviewed and used to develop a plan that meets the needs of the county. This plan will then be presented to the Pierce County Council.