environment Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

$1M National Science Foundation grant could help researchers plan for wildfire-related power outages

By Courtney Flatt May 20, 2025

A wildfire burns near power lines. Researchers at Washington State University hope a National Science Foundation Grant will help them better plan for power outages related to wildfires. (Credit: Curtis Gregory Perry / Flickr Creative Commons)

The grant will help researchers develop a wildfire simulator and a tool that predicts power outages. The tool will help them study Northwestern landscapes, characteristics of communities and ignition sources.Read More

New sensors could show your wildfire smoke exposure immediately

By Courtney Flatt May 16, 2025

Professor Annie Du, postdoctoral researcher Xinyi Li, and research scientist Zhansen Yang developed a paper sensor along with a smartphone-based reader that can rapidly provide information on a person’s personal smoke exposure. (Courtesy of Washington State University.)

Sensors developed in part by Washington State University could test your smoke exposure before health problems crop up.Read More

Washington’s draft report on pumped storage hydropower finds ways to do less harm

By Courtney Flatt May 12, 2025

An artist's rendering of the Goldendale Energy Storage Project. (Courtesy of Rye Development)

Pumped storage hydropower has been around for decades. It acts as a battery and stores energy for when it’s needed on the grid. But Washington lawmakers wanted to know more about it. So, they asked for an informational study.Read More

Springwood Ranch: First Washington land co-owned, managed by a tribe and the state

By Courtney Flatt May 7, 2025

Gerald Lewis, the chairman of the Yakama Nation Tribal Council, speaks at a celebration for the transfer of parts of Springwood Ranch to tribal and state co-ownership and co-management. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / NWPB)

For years, tribal and state leaders have wanted to build a new reservoir near Ellensburg. Now, the Yakama Nation will help manage this area – which is also part of their ancestral homelands.Read More

New process could help recycle wind turbine blades

By Courtney Flatt May 5, 2025

As wind turbines get too old, their blades often end up in landfills. Now, researchers at Washington State University have found a way to recycle the blades and create new plastics at the same time. (Credit: Dan Brekke, Flickr Creative Commons)

Old wind turbine blades often end up in landfills. That’s a problem some researchers are trying to solve.Read More

Bill to regulate, fine Washington landfills could soon become law

By Courtney Flatt April 30, 2025

While hiking, Nancy Lust, with Friends of Rocky Top, watches a truck dump waste into a landfill in Yakima County. Lust lives near the landfill and has fought to learn […]Read More

Idaho governor gives executive order to ramp up timber harvests on national forests within the state

By Lauren Paterson April 29, 2025

A machine loads a cut log onto a logging truck in the middle of an evergreen forest. There is bright blue sky.

A new executive order this month from Idaho Gov. Brad Little has been issued to ramp up timber harvests on national forests throughout the state.Read More

Kennewick finds ‘forever chemicals’ in its drinking water for the second spring in a row

By Courtney Flatt April 16, 2025

The city of Kennewick has found “forever chemicals” in its drinking water.

For the second spring in a row, Kennewick has found “forever chemicals” in its drinking water that are above Washington state’s standards.Read More

Ecologists help with burrowing owl ‘spring cleaning’ at Umatilla Chemical Depot

By Courtney Flatt April 10, 2025

A woman in a green hat is laying on the ground, which has green grass and yellow flowers. She is looking into a dirt hole and holds a blue bowl in her hand with dirt in it.

Lindsay Chiono, wildlife habitat ecologist for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), does some seasonal maintenance, or spring cleaning, on one of the 180 total artificial nesting […]Read More

US Forest Service employees return to work after mass terminations

By Reneé Diaz April 7, 2025

Katijo Maher, president of a local chapter National Federation of Federal Employees, stands next to a fire danger sign Tuesday in Leavenworth. Maher said she has 37 years of experience […]Read More

How does climate affect your life? Tri-Cities survey open now

By Courtney Flatt April 3, 2025

A white cable bridge is silhouetted by the sun. The sky is a pale blue. A river is under the bridge.

Cities, towns and counties are starting to plan for a future with climate change. Now, the Tri-Cities area is asking people about regional hazards and historical trends. (Credit: Simon Foot […]Read More

Canadian leaders hope trade negotiations won’t derail Columbia River Treaty

By Courtney Flatt March 27, 2025

Green evergreen trees are on a hillside. A blue river stretches through the middle third of the photo, diagonally to the right. In the background is another hill. The sky is blue with white clouds.

A view of the Columbia River in British Columbia. The Columbia River Treaty is on “pause” while the Trump administration considers its policy options. However, recent comments by President Donald […]Read More

Searching for sage grouse: Looking for a chicken-sized needle in south-central WA

By Courtney Flatt March 21, 2025

A man in an orange and blue jacket with a tan baseball hat looks through a black spotting scope that's on a black tripod. There are bunch grasses in the background on the hills.

Seth Hulett, Audubon Washington’s senior program manager of the Columbia Plateau, searches through his spotting scope for sage grouse. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / NWPB) Listen (Runtime 4:12) Read In south-central […]Read More

Landfill neighbors worry about PFAs contamination seeping into drinking water

By Courtney Flatt March 19, 2025

A view of the landfill from Carole Degrave’s property line. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / NWPB) Listen (Runtime 0:54) Read For years, some people who live near a Central Washington landfill […]Read More

Dozens in Yakima rally to support science for national protest

By Courtney Flatt March 10, 2025

Around 50 people gathered in Yakima to Stand Up for Science. People around the country attended science protests at the same time. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / NWPB)

Around 50 people gathered for Yakima’s Stand Up for Science rally on Friday. People around the country attended science protests at the same time. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / NWPB) Listen […]Read More

Could the status of grizzly bears change in the lower 48 states?

By Courtney Flatt March 7, 2025

A large mother grizzly bear is standing next to a small brown cub. The cub is laying on the ground. The bears are on green grass.

Listen The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed an update to how grizzly bears are managed throughout the country (Credit: National Park Service) (Runtime 0:55) Read There could be […]Read More

Plans to produce sustainable aviation fuel at Wallula Gap get $1.5M boost

By Susan Shain February 27, 2025

A green map with industrial buildings on it

A mockup of SkyNRG’s plans for a sustainable aviation fuel facility at Wallula Gap Industrial Park. (Credit: SkyNRG) Listen (Runtime 1:00) Read SkyNRG wants to produce sustainable aviation fuel, or […]Read More

Finley residents hire attorneys to investigate cold storage warehouse fire

By Courtney Flatt February 26, 2025

Fire crews spray water on rubble at the Lineage Logistics fire in Finley, Washington. The fire started on April 21. (Credit: Benton County Fire District #1)

Fire crews spray water on rubble at the Lineage Logistics fire in Finley, Wash. The fire started on April 21. (Credit: Benton County Fire District #1) Listen (Runtime 1:06) Read […]Read More

Snake River water, recreation studies look at the river’s future

By Courtney Flatt February 20, 2025

Three people sit in chairs facing the front of a room. The room has white walls. In front of the three people is a projector screen and a projector. There is a blue slide on the projector.

People listen to an introductory presentation on the water supply study findings at an open house-style meeting in Pasco. After they listened to the presentation, they could look at posters […]Read More

This Yakima church is getting an upgrade to its energy infrastructure

By Courtney Flatt February 18, 2025

Two boys are sitting at a white table. They are in a room that has wood all over the walls. They are facing a projection screen that has a blue slide.

Brothers Sephen and Davante Martinez watch a presentation by nonprofit Spark Northwest project manager Haya Muñoz, center, at St. Michael’s Episcopal Mission in Yakima. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / NWPB) Listen […]Read More

What to do if your insurance company says your home has too much wildfire risk

By Courtney Flatt February 11, 2025

A white two-story house with a red roof is surrounded by black ground. There is a green pine tree to othe right of the photo. The sky appears to be a hazy blue-gray color.

A home and outbuildings didn’t burn during a fast-moving fire. Some people are worrying more about homeowners policy cancellations in Washington state, as wildfire risk grows. (Credit: Bryan Flint / […]Read More

Aquifer discovered in the Cascades could be one of the largest in the world

By Lauren Paterson February 5, 2025

A large mountain spring flows through dark forest greenery. People stand at the top of the spring, all dressed in hiking gear.

Scientists examine a large volume spring in young volcanic rocks of the McKenzie River watershed on the west side of the Cascade crest in the Willamette National Forest. It was […]Read More

Inspectors find 21 gallons of invasive mussels on tugboat outside of Spokane

By Courtney Flatt February 3, 2025

Brown mussels cover a white surface. The mussels are clumped together all over the surface.

A close-up of the thumbnail-sized invasive quagga and zebra mussels found on a tugboat in January. (Credit: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) Read It was a close call along […]Read More

Yakama Power looks to alternative energy storage projects

By Courtney Flatt January 31, 2025

A gray transmission line is in front of a blue sky.

A transmission line silhouetted by blue sky. The Yakama Nation is planning a new sort of battery, called advanced rail energy storage. (Credit: Austin Taylor / Flickr Creative Commons) Listen […]Read More

This bill could give Washington tribes, communities more say in wind, solar development

By Courtney Flatt January 23, 2025

A field of solar panels is in the bottom third of the picture. The solar panels sit on top of green-ish, brown-ish grass. There is a single, white wind turbine behind the solar panels. The sky is a light blue.

A new bill making its way through the Washington Legislature would require county and tribal approval for new wind and solar projects that go through the state’s Energy Facility Site […]Read More

Fish hatchery transferred to Yakama Nation, upgrades underway

By Courtney Flatt January 10, 2025

A fisherman stands on a wooden platform above a river with lots of rapids. The fisherman is holding a net. In the net, there is a very large salmon.

Yakama Nation tribal members fish in the Klickitat River for fall chinook salmon. The Yakama Nation recently gained ownership of a fish hatchery on the river. (Credit: USFWS – Pacific […]Read More

Whale, ship collisions around the globe could be helped by slower speeds, study shows

By Courtney Flatt January 9, 2025

A humpback whale with white fins is jumping out of blue water. In the background of the photo are very blurry hills.

A humpback whale breeches off Half Moon Bay, Calif., in 2017. (Credit: Eric Risberg / AP) Listen (Runtime 1:06) Read Giant ships that transport everything from coffee cups to clothes […]Read More

Hazardous chemicals leak into groundwater below Pasco Sanitary Landfill

By Courtney Flatt December 5, 2024

Gold pipes are attached to silver pipes that are sticking into the ground. The rows of pipes go on as far as the picture. There are buildings in the very background. The sky is gray.

The thermal treatment system for soil contamination in Zone A of the Pasco Sanitary Landfill. (Credit: Washington Department of Ecology) Listen (Runtime 1:07) Read A closed landfill just outside Pasco, […]Read More

Inslee approves controversial wind farm near Tri-Cities

By Courtney Flatt November 5, 2024

A field of sage brush with a canyon and farmland in the distance.

Horse Heaven Hills, in southeastern Washington, with Webber Canyon in the distance. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee approved a large-scale renewable energy project along 24 miles of ridgelines in the area. […]Read More

What is Initiative 2117?

By Susan Shain November 2, 2024

A woman in a red shirt sits on her porch and holds a small dog.

Phuong Brown, a retiree in Walla Walla, received a free heat pump through the Climate Commitment Act. Initiative 2117 aims to repeal the act. (Credit: Susan Shain / NWPB) Listen […]Read More

To help salmon on the Yakima River, causeway to be removed at Bateman Island

By Courtney Flatt November 1, 2024

A man is silhouetted holding a fishing pole. There is water in front of him and tall grass behind him. A hill is in the distance. The sun is refelcted on the water.

A fisherman stands on Bateman Island in the Tri-Cities. (Credit: Melindaa91 / Wikimedia Commons) Listen (Runtime 0:56) Read Removing a small causeway in the Tri-Cities could have big impacts for […]Read More

Thousands of salmon eggs arrive at southeast Washington schools

By Susan Shain October 16, 2024

A woman pours salmon eggs into a tank. Several students watch her.

Sarah Moffitt, education coordinator for Tri-State Steelheaders, pours salmon eggs into a tank at Davis Elementary School. (Credit: Susan Shain / NWPB) Listen (Runtime :59) Read It’s “egg day” at […]Read More

This transfer will help Grand Coulee Dam run more efficiently, save money

By Courtney Flatt October 9, 2024

Large electrical transmission equipment is in a brown square. Shrub-steppe habitat surrounds the equipment.

One of the electrical switchyards at Grand Coulee Dam. (Credit: Bureau of Reclamation) Listen (Runtime 0:56) Read There’s a transfer happening at Grand Coulee Dam. After years of planning, the […]Read More

To help cool the Tri-Cities, kids plant hundreds of trees for cooler parks, playgrounds

By Courtney Flatt October 2, 2024

A girl in a green shirt and a girl in a white shirt are holding yellow shovels. They are scooping dirt into a hole where a man in a blue shirt is holding onto a tree they are planting. In the background, there is a school building.

Elena Woodford and Alexis Nicholson help plant one of seven trees at Tapteal Elementary School. Alexis co-founded the Kids for Urban Trees club to plant trees in the community. (Credit: […]Read More

Training center in Oregon teaches wind technicians from around the US

By Courtney Flatt September 27, 2024

Ten men wearing hard hats stand in front of the top part of a turbine that is lying on its side on the ground. There is a sign on the equipment that says "Avangrid." They are standing on cement. The sky is blue in the background.

The first new wind technicians to pass through Avangrid’s National Training Center in Sherman County, Oregon. (Credit: Avangrid) Listen (Runtime 1:02) Read When Juan Flores started his first job fixing […]Read More

Art exhibit showcases Washington’s shrub-steppe ecosystem

By Courtney Flatt September 24, 2024

A vast expanse of shrub-steppe habitat is pictured. A blue sky with clouds is pictured above it.

Shrub-steppe habitats are threatened in Washington state. (Credit: Richard Droker / Flickr Creative Commons) watch Listen (Runtime 0:58) Read Driving through central Washington might look like scrubland from the highway. […]Read More

Council approves less restrictive limits for Tri-Cities wind farm

By Courtney Flatt September 17, 2024

A state council recommended less restrictive limits on turbines and solar arrays for the Horse Heaven Hills Clean Energy Center, which would be built near the Tri-Cities. (Credit: Roberta Schonborg […]Read More

Bonneville Power Administration could be losing money because of contract handling, federal audit says

By Courtney Flatt September 10, 2024

The McNary Dam in Umatilla, Oregon. The Bonneville Power Administration’s Fish and Wildlife program works to lessen the impact of Columbia River Basin dams on wildlife. (Credit: Pacific Northwest National […]Read More

Washington to study pumped storage benefits, concerns

By Courtney Flatt August 28, 2024

A diagram shows how pumped storage hydropower works with an upper and lower reservoir.

How pumped storage hydropower works with an upper and lower reservoir. (Credit: Tennessee Valley Authority) Listen (Runtime 1:00) Read Washington state wants to learn more about an old type of […]Read More

American shad clog fish ladders, causing trouble for salmon

By Courtney Flatt August 21, 2024

A close-up of an American shad against a black background.

In recent years, non-native American shad migrating past Bonneville Dam greatly outnumbered the total salmon and steelhead. (Credit: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center / Flickr Creative Commons) Listen (Runtime 1:10) Read […]Read More

Toxic algal bloom found on the Snake River for second year in a row

By Courtney Flatt August 17, 2024

Blue-green algae seen behind Lower Granite dam on the Snake River. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / Northwest News Network)

Blue-green algae seen behind Lower Granite dam on the Snake River in 2023. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / NWPB) Watch Listen Toxic algae is turning up once again on the Snake […]Read More

Grid storage research facility in Richland paves the way for better energy storage

By Courtney Flatt August 14, 2024

A group of people in suits stand in front of a building, where people are on a balcony. One woman in pink is holding giant scissors to cut a ribbon.

State and federal leaders cut the ribbon to open the Grid Storage Launchpad at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. (Credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Listen (Runtime 1:02) Read Scientists hope there’s […]Read More

Fatal deer disease found in Washington for the first time

By Courtney Flatt August 2, 2024

A brown deer is hidden in tall green grass. All you can see are its ears, black nose, and black eyes. The grass has yellow flowers at the ends.

Mule deer in tall grasses and forbs, Iwetemlaykin Heritage Site, Wallowa Valley, Oregon. (Credit: Leon Werdinger / Alamy Stock Photo) watch Listen (Runtime 0:59) Read A fatal disease for deer […]Read More

Biologists truck Snake River sockeye to cooler Idaho waters

By Courtney Flatt July 31, 2024

Two people in gray shirts stand in font of a pool. A woman is holding a net and is about to dip it into the water.

Darren Ogden, a biologist with NOAA, watches as technician Riley Krieg nets sockeye salmon to put them into a tank on a truck. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / NWPB) Watch Listen […]Read More

Elkton Community Education Center aids regional monarch research

By NWPB July 23, 2024

A woman stands in a structure filled with foliage and butterflies.

Barbara Slott stands near some flowering plants that will provide nectar for monarch butterflies. (Credit: Karen Richards / KLCC) KLCC | By Karen Richards A small nonprofit in rural Douglas […]Read More

Wolves remain endangered in Washington state

By Courtney Flatt July 22, 2024

Washington state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission voted to keep gray wolves’ endangered status. (Credit: William Campbell) Listen (Runtime 0:54) Read Gray wolves will keep their endangered status in Washington state. […]Read More

‘Tastes like hard work:’ Inside a foraging hike on the Kitsap Peninsula

By Courtney Flatt July 17, 2024

A man in a gray button down shirt, black hat and carrying a black backpack is in the middle of tall green leaves and bright fuchsia flowers. He is reaching toward one of the plant's leaves.

Andrew Pogue, co-founder of Fair Isle Brewing in Seattle, reaches for fireweed leaves on a foraging trip. (Credit: Courtney Flatt / NWPB) Listen (Runtime 3:46) Read One craft brewery in […]Read More

Preliminary agreement reached for a modernized Columbia River Treaty

By Courtney Flatt July 12, 2024

The Columbia River west of the Gorge as it heads toward Portland and out to the Pacific Ocean. (Credit: Amelia Templeton / OPB) WATCH Listen (Runtime 1:01) Read After more […]Read More

High steaks plate: Chronic wasting disease transmissibility to humans

By Mary Ellen Pitney June 18, 2024

Mule deer in tall grasses and forbs, Iwetemlaykin Heritage Site, Wallowa Valley, Oregon. Listen (Runtime 4:46) Read Chris Rau — a home chef, hunter, and student in the College of […]Read More

Clay mixture could help prevent algal blooms in Moses Lake

By Courtney Flatt June 10, 2024

A blue sky over Moses Lake reflects making the entire lake look blue from the lakeside.

Crews are treating Moses Lake so that it has a smaller chance of harmful algal blooms this summer. (Credit: EutroPHIX) Listen (Runtime 1:08) Read In 2018 and 2019, toxic algae […]Read More