Environment
Environment
Court Rules Dakota Access Pipeline Must Be Emptied Temporarily For Environmental Review
A federal judge has ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to produce a full environmental review. Until then, oil must stop flowing through the controversial pipeline.
Washington Has Seen A Significant Rise In Wildfire Starts So Far This Year
Washington fire managers say they’ve seen a significant number of wildfires in “every corner of the state.” So far this year, the state Department of Natural Resources says it has responded to more than 468 wildfires of varying sizes – nearly double the 10-year average for an entire fire season. But this year’s unprecedented uptick in the number of fires has an unforeseen culprit: people cleaning their yards during the pandemic.
Monsanto To Pay Washington State $95M Over PCB Pollution And Dangers From Weedkiller Roundup
The announcement Wednesday from Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson came as Bayer, which acquired Monsanto two years ago, said it would pay $820 million to resolve PCB pollution claims and up to $10.9 billion to resolve many claims, both current and future, over contamination from or exposure to Monsanto’s Roundup weedkiller.
In Toppenish, A Trail Cam Zooms In On Unique Learning Opportunity For Yakama Nation Students
Historically, the Yakama Nation Tribal School was a school “of last resort,” says principal Adam Strom, where students came after they could no longer attend other area schools. That’s changing. He says courses like this one in environmental science and natural resources are a big reason why.
Does Cuteness Count? A Cost-Benefit Analysis Encourages Backers Of A Northwest Sea Otter Return
A study of sea otter restoration in British Columbia is giving encouragement to a group that wants to bring sea otters back to the Oregon Coast. The research team led by the University of British Columbia analyzed the rebound in sea otters off the coast of Vancouver Island.
U.S. Senate Passes Big Funding Boost To Conservation Fund, Help For National Parks Maintenance
The Great American Outdoors Act would permanently allocate $900 million to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which finally lapsed almost two years ago.
Absent From Stimulus Packages: Overhauling Energy And Climate Programs, As Past Ones Have
Climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions are not part of the $3 trillion in U.S. relief packages passed so far — despite a long history of funding energy programs after economic crises.
As EPA Steps Back, States Face Wave Of Requests For Environmental Leniency
The EPA does not require companies to notify federal regulators if the pandemic interferes with pollution monitoring or reporting. That leaves states alone on the front lines of pollution control.
Washington And Oregon Join Multi-State Lawsuit Over Federal Fuel Emissions Rollback
Oregon and Washington have joined 26 states and cities in suing the Trump administration over a new rule that weakens emission standards for cars and trucks.
Research From Northwest Scientists Shows Negative Climate Change Effects On Old Growth Forests
Deforestation, climate change and the disturbances it can exacerbate – like wildfires, extreme droughts and insect outbreaks – are decimating old growth forests across the globe. That means forests worldwide are filling in with younger and shorter trees, according to a new study.
Federal Rollback Of Environmental Rules Continue Despite Pandemic. Opponents Cry Foul
The Trump administration is rushing to finalize some of its biggest environmental rollbacks ahead of November’s election. Some affected groups say they’re too distracted by the pandemic to engage.
Herd Of Fuzzy Green ‘Glacier Mice’ Baffles Northwest Scientists Studying Them
Moss balls seem to roll around glaciers in a coordinated way, and researchers can’t explain why the whole group moves at about the same speed and in the same direction.
