public class DatabaseEnvironmentAccess  implements Runnable
{
boolean done;
private Thread t;

DatabaseEnvironmentAccess()
{
//set up boring stuff.
}

public start()
{
done = false;
t = new Thread(this);
t.start();
}

public stop()
{
done = true;
}

public boolean isRunning()
{
return !done;
}

public run()
{
while (!done)
{
// do stuff
}
}

}