• Boise Cascade Morphs Into Office Max
  
• Judge Orders Water Spilled Over Dams for Migrating Salmon
  
• Wildlife Service Ordered to Protect Beach Mouse Habitat
  
• Park Service Police Chief Denied Pre-Hearing Reinstatement
  
• Clean Water Activist Finishes Historic Hudson River Swim
  
• Texas Man Loses Both Legs to Bacteria
  
• New Techniques for Testing Human Exposure to Chemicals
  
• EPA Holds Meetings on Public Access to Federal Rulemaking
  

Boise Cascade Morphs Into Office Max

"By separating the company into two ongoing entities," said Boise chairman and chief executive officer George Harad, "we will successfully establish Boise Office Solutions, soon to be OfficeMax, as a strong independent company in the office products distribution business and place our paper and forest products assets in the hands of a management team that seeks to focus on those businesses."

Following the transaction, Boise Cascade Corporation will change its company and trade name to OfficeMax, Inc. It will continue to operate its office products distribution business, which had annualized first half 2004 sales of $8.6 billion, as its principal business. It will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol OMX, and its corporate headquarters will be in Itasca, Illinois.

The new timber and paper company, Boise Cascade, LLC, will be privately held and headquartered in Boise. Its chief executive officer will be W. Thomas Stephens, former president and chief executive officer of the Canadian timber company MacMillan Bloedel Ltd.

"In many respects, this transaction represents a return to Boise Cascade's traditional roots as a leader in the paper and forest products industry," said Stephens. "We will continue to operate under the Boise brand name, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, with a focus on operational excellence and delivering value to our customers."

Boise manufactures wood products at 22 facilities in the United States, Canada, and Brazil and operates 27 wholesale building materials distribution facilities in the United States.

The new company will also own Boise Paper Solutions, a manufacturer of office papers, value-added and recycled papers This division operates five pulp and paper mills, two paper converting facilities, six paper distribution centers, and five corrugated container plants in the United States.

Boise owns or controls about 2.3 million acres of timberland in the United States, 35,000 acres of eucalyptus plantation land in Brazil, and a 16,000 acre cottonwood fiber farm near Wallula, Washington.

As of January 1, Boise Cascade said it would stop using timber from endangered, or old-growth forests in the United States. The company said it would no longer purchase wood products from endangered forests in Chile, Indonesia, and Canada.

Boise said it would manage its forests sustainably tracking the source of wood products and giving preference to suppliers who use wood harvested from certified forests.

The transaction is expected to be completed by mid-November 2004.

Judge Orders Water Spilled Over Dams for Migrating Salmon

On Wednesday, Judge James Redden of the U.S. District Court for Oregon granted an injunction requested by American Rivers and other conservation and fishing organizations, stopping federal officials from retaining the water behind the dams for power generation.

Instead, the the Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must allow water to flow over the federal dams' spillways during all or part of August.

Called "spill," the water enables young salmon to avoid the turbines, and it is considered by scientists to be the safest way for young salmon to negotiate a gauntlet of up to eight large federal dams as they migrate downstream to the ocean.

Federal, state, and tribal biologists repeatedly advised against various versions of the plan by the Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to cut the spill. The biologists had also warned the federal agencies that their plans to offset the harm caused by eliminating spill were inadequate.

In past years, summer spill continued through August 31 at the four dams.

The federal plan would have ended spill operations at the Snake River's Bonneville dam and the Columbia River's The Dalles dam at the end of July. Spill operations at Ice Harbor and John Day dams - both on the Columbia River - would have ended on August 22.

The agencies estimate the spill reductions would have cut summer spill at the four dams some 39 percent, saving Northwest ratepayers at least $18 million this year.

Northwest Regional Director of American Rivers Rob Masonis said, "The court's decision should be welcomed by people who believe that strong salmon runs, healthy rivers, and a strong economy aren't mutually exclusive."

"Spilling water over the dams helps not only salmon listed under the Endangered Species Act, but also healthy Hanford Reach fish, which are the backbone of the Columbia River's commercial and recreational salmon fishery," Masonis said.

Judge Redden ruled in May 2003 the plan to cut summer spill violated the Endangered Species Act because there was no certainty that the mitigating actions in the plan would be carried out. He ordered the plan revised by June 2004. Then in May he gave the administration an extension until November, but called for a draft plan to be released by the end of August.

Wildlife Service Ordered to Protect Beach Mouse Habitat

But the Fish and Wildlife Service has failed to designate critical habitat or develop a recovery plan for the species as required by the Act.

Of the more than 1,300 species listed under the ESA, only about one-third have designated critical habitat and only 25 percent have recovery plans.

Wednesday’s ruling comes in response to an Earthjustice lawsuit filed on behalf of the Center for Biological Diversity.

"The beach mouse has waited too long for habitat protection and its population has suffered as a result," said Earthjustice attorney Monica Reimer. "We are happy finally to have a due date for the safeguards this ecosystem and its resident wildlife so desperately need."

Due largely to unregulated coastal development, erosion, and vehicular damage to its sand dune habitat, the St. Andrew beach mouse now survives in only a small portion of the St. Joseph Peninsula in the Florida panhandle. Its dwindling population indicates the poor health of the entire coastal ecosystem.

The mouse's population is estimated at as few as 500 individuals – the Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that the minimum population necessary to sustain the species is several thousand.

"The decline of the St. Andrew beach mouse has paralleled the destruction of the beach and dune habitat of Florida's Gulf coast," said Peter Galvin, conservation director for the Center for Biological Diversity.

"Urgent action needs to be taken to prevent the further loss of coastal habitat to development and degradation," he said. "We are hopeful that by protecting the habitat of this denizen of the Gulf coast, we can help preserve an important part of our precious natural heritage for future generations."

Park Service Police Chief Denied Pre-Hearing Reinstatement

Clean Water Activist Finishes Historic Hudson River Swim

On July 28, Swain stroked under the Verrazano-Narrows bridge and out into the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the first person in history to swim the entire 315 mile length of the Hudson.

A 36 year old father of two from Colchester, Vermont, Swain swam through everything from Class IV+ rapids to PCBs to raw sewage in his 55 days on the river.

Swain says that the Hudson is polluted by a combination of industrial discharges, commercial and residential activities, agricultural and urban runoff, leachate from contaminated sites, and dirty air.

His goal is a Hudson River that is drinkable from the headwaters "all the way to Troy, and swimmable all the way to the Atlantic.”

Christopher Swain swims under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge at the mouth of the Hudson River Wednesday. (Photo courtesy Christopher Swain)

Swain and his team worked toward his goal along the way by educating the public about the challenges facing the Hudson River, and participating in local activities to protect and restore the Hudson.

“If we want clean water, we have to make it personal. If I don't want to swim through pesticides and herbicides in the Hudson, then I should be eating organic food for breakfast,” says Swain.

“If I’m serious about cleaning up the river, I should walk or bike instead of taking my car to work. In the end, it will be the every day decisions that make the difference.”

Swain developed a list of suggestions for local citizens looking to help the Hudson, summarized in a plan entitled “Clean Water By 9 AM.”

Greeting Swain as he emerged from the river at the end of his swim was Theresa Marquez, Public Affairs Director of Organic Valley, the nation’s leading cooperative of organic farmers and the presenting sponsor of Swain’s Hudson River Swim For Clean Water, representing family farmers throughout the Hudson River watershed.

Marquez said, “The farmers of Organic Valley are proud to support the Swim for Clean Water. By using planet-friendly practices and avoiding the use of pesticides, herbicides and other polluting chemicals, we are working for the health of the Hudson and for all waterways. Clean water starts on the farm.”

Alex Matthiessen of Riverkeeper, an environmental organization that works to protect the Hudson, was in New York to greet Swain, saying the river "unites us all. It brings together rural and urban, farmer and office worker, old and young, past and present," Matthiessen said.

While we have made "enormous progress in reclaiming and restoring" the river, said Matthiessen, "only when we can swim its entire length safely and take and eat fish from the river as our grandparents once did, can we declare the Hudson fully restored.”

Also joining Swain at the finish were representatives from the United Nations, the New York State Comptrollers office, the Earth Society Foundation, and Clearwater, the organization that folk singer Pete Seeger founded decades ago to help restore the Hudson.

This is not Swain's first long swim for a cause. In 2003, he became the first person in history to swim the entire 1,243 mile length of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest, where he visited communities and schools in an effort gather support for a clean, free-flowing Columbia River.

Swain has received an International Earth Day Award at the United Nations, and an e-chievement award on National Public Radio's e-town.

Texas Man Loses Both Legs to Bacteria

The Houston Chronicle reports that the men were infected with the vibrio vulnificus bacteria when they waded into the water with their fishing gear.

They had open cuts through which the bacteria entered, said a spokesperson for Citizens Medical Center in Victoria who declined to release the victims' names at their families' request.

In a separate incident, a Bay City fishing boat captain is in stable condition at Matagorda General Hospital in Bay City with what his doctors suspect is the same bacteria.

The vibrio vulnificus bacterium has been isolated from water, sediment, and plankton as well as oysters, clams and crabs located in the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Coast as far north as Cape Cod and the entire U.S. West Coast. Cases of illness have also been associated with brackish lakes in New Mexico and Oklahoma.

Vibrio vulnificus is also found in raw oysters and shellfish and can cause illness or death if the shellfish is not cooked enough.

The presence of vibrio vulnificus is not associated with pollution. The bacteria is a naturally occurring marine organism that thrives in shallow, coastal waters in temperate climates throughout most of the world, according to the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) states that an average of 50 culture-confirmed cases, 45 hospitalizations, and 16 deaths are reported each year from the Gulf Coast region - Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.

Nationwide, there are as many as 95 cases - half of which are culture confirmed - 85 hospitalizations, and 35 deaths, the CDC reports.

Infections are seasonal. Over 85 percent occur between May and October. According to the CDC, environmental factors, such as warm water and moderate salinity, can increase the number of vibrio vulnificus organisms in shellfish.

The vibrio vulnificus infection is fatal in 50 percent of cases after it enters the bloodstream, experts say.

New Techniques for Testing Human Exposure to Chemicals

The 15 journal articles will serve as a preview of new techniques and methods that have been developed and are used by the National Biomonitoring Program (NBP), which is part of CDC's Environmental Health Laboratory.

The program specializes in measuring toxic substances or their metabolites in human specimens, such as blood or urine. The NBP has developed methods to measure about 300 environmental chemicals from two to three tubes of blood and a regular urine sample.

"Exposure to chemical agents is a relatively modern concern and the literature base describing methods for detecting exposure is scant," said Dr. John Barr, a CDC research chemist and guest editor of the journal. "This research is the most complete compilation of methods and data related to biomonitoring for chemical agents."

The articles highlight new methods using state-of-the-art instruments to measure low-level exposure to chemicals, including, those that might be used by terrorists, such as nerve agents, sulfur mustard agents, and cyanide compounds. Detailed animal exposure information and reference values for assessing potential human exposure is provided.

In a chemical event, biomonitoring data provides information about the extent of exposure in a given individual and the proportion of a population affected by the exposure.

The methods described in the journal will be used to identify people who need treatment, those at risk of developing long-term health effects or delayed health effects, and those who are worried that they may have been exposed to a chemical agent. The methods also will be used to assist in other disciplines like forensics.

Abstracts for the special issue can be found at http://www.jatox.com/current.htm

EPA Holds Meetings on Public Access to Federal Rulemaking

EPA is the managing partner for E- Rulemaking, an E-Government Initiative to foster greater participation in federal rulemaking by the public and regulated entities with a better, easier way to read and comment on rules electronically.

The EPA will hold four public meetings seeking input on this cross-agency initiative established under the President's Management Agenda.

The first component, Regulations.gov, was launched in January 2003, consolidating into a single, user friendly website government rules from over 160 agencies that are opened for public comment.

When a rulemaking is announced in the Federal Register, a docket is also created on Regulations.gov to hold related documents, such as reports and public comments.

The second component now being developed is E-Dockets, a government wide centralized docket management system. E-Dockets will allow the public to access and search all publicly available regulatory material.

During these meetings, EPA will ask for feedback on the usability, features, and capabilities of the existing Regulations.gov and the planned E-Dockets. The public meetings are scheduled for:

• Aug. 2, 9:30 am to 12:30 am at EPA Region 9 Offices, San Francisco, California
  
• Aug. 3, 9:30 am to 12:30 am at EPA Region 5 Offices, Chicago, Illinois
  
• Aug. 9, 1 am to 4 am at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
  
• Aug. 12, 9:30 am to 12:30 am at the Department of Labor, Washington, DC