Environment
Environment
Scientists Gather To Study Risks Of Microplastic Pollution In Northwest Waters
This week, a group of five-dozen microplastics researchers from major universities, government agencies, tribes, aquariums, environmental groups and even water sanitation districts across the U.S. West is gathering in Bremerton, Washington, to tackle the issue.
BLM Director Defends Agency’s Controversial Move From D.C. To Western U.S.
The Bureau of Land Management decides who gets to do what on some 250 million acres of public land in the country, or to put it another way roughly one-tenth of all the land in the U.S. Relocating its headquarters to the West, where most of its actual land is, has been floated for years. But now the Trump administration is actually making it happen.
Federal Watchdog Criticizes Energy Department For Hanford Cleanup, Tunnel Collapse
The report from the independent Government Accountability Office says the U.S. Department of Energy has not found the root causes of the partial collapse of the waste-storage tunnel, and that failures in DOE’s investigation, inspections and maintenance of other aging and contaminated facilities is concerning.
How Warming Winters Are Affecting Everything
Winters are warming faster than summers in many places, and colder parts of the U.S. are warming faster than hotter ones. The warming winter climate has year-round consequences across the country.
Jeff Bezos Pledges $10 Billion To Fight Climate Change
Amazon, the company Bezos founded and heads, has come under increasing scrutiny for its own carbon footprint.
Federal Land Managers Propose 11K Miles Of Fuel Breaks To Combat Wildfires In Western States
The Bureau of Land Management announced a proposal Friday that would fund up to 11,000 miles of strategic fuel breaks in Idaho, Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada and Utah in an effort to better control wildfires.
2.5 Million Pounds Of Radioactive Waste Illegally Dumped In Oregon Landfill Near Columbia River
The Oregon Department of Energy has issued a notice of violation to a hazardous waste facility for accepting more than 2 million pounds of radioactive materials east of the Columbia River Gorge.
Bringing Back Oregon’s Sea Otters Gets Federal Bucks For Feasibility Study
A group that wants to bring back wild sea otters to the Oregon Coast is taking a big step forward. The federal government has awarded them a grant to launch a feasibility study for a possible reintroduction effort.
Beer Waste Helps Montana Town Save Money On Water Treatment
In Bozeman, Mont., the Water Reclamation Facility treats more than 6 million gallons of water every day from sinks, showers, toilets — really anything that goes down a drain. That includes liquid waste from more than 10 breweries in this city of nearly 50,000.
The Mosquito And The Northwest Orchid: A Love Story. Sort Of.
Don’t feel bad for not noticing the blunt-leaf orchid. Native to bogs in the Pacific Northwest among other places, this unassuming little flower is easy to miss. It’s green all over like the moss it grows out of — right down to its green flowers.
Canadian Court Clears The Way For Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion; First Nations Opposed
The Trans Mountain expansion, which would add more than 600 miles to the pipeline and increase its capacity from 300,000 barrels per day to 890,000, has been mired in controversy and legal battles since Canada’s cabinet first approved the project in 2016.
‘You’re Scared To Go Out Without A Gun’: Another Mutilated Cow In Central Oregon Rattles Ranchers
A rancher is rattled by the recent slaying of one of his cows near Hampton, Oregon.
