Northwest

Poll Finds NW Residents’ Support For Coal Eroding

Courtney Flatt — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 15:38:57 +0000

A new survey finds support for coal export terminals has dropped over the past year among Northwest residents. It also finds support for a region-wide approach to measuring the environmental impact of exporting coal.

A public opinion poll for EarthFix asked Northwest residents how they felt about transporting coal from Montana and Wyoming through the Northwest. That coal would then be exported to Asia. There are now three proposed export terminals in the region.

DHM Research surveyed 483 residents in Washington, Oregon and Idaho from Friday through Monday.

Low Cost Leases Electrify Plug-In Car Sales On West Coast

Tom Banse — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 14:07:53 +0000

A couple years ago, Democratic politicians at the state and national levels set heady goals for battery powered cars. For example, here's President Obama in his 2011 State of the Union speech.

"With more research and incentives, we can break our dependence on oil with biofuels, and become the first country to have a million electric vehicles on the road by 2015," he said.

Discovery Of Genetically Modified Wheat Could Jeopardize Northwest Exports

Amelia Templeton — Thu, 30 May 2013 14:44:35 +0000

The U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed Wednesday that an Oregon field is contaminated with a genetically modified strain of wheat. Northwest growers are concerned the finding could hurt this year’s export sales.

About ten years ago Monsanto field tested a wheat variety that was resident to the herbicide Roundup in 16 states. But it was never approved for commercial use.

Now the USDA is investigating why that genetically modified wheat appeared in Oregon this spring.

Super-Energy Efficient Homes Built To Inspire More Stringent Codes

Tom Banse — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:13:20 +0000

The homes of the future will come with remarkably low heating bills. At least that's the hope of a Portland-based non-profit showcasing 13 super energy efficient homes in four Northwest states. The question is, can you afford to buy one of these houses?

The model homes are scattered among many of the big cities in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana. The houses don't look unusual from the outside. But all have been designed to use at least 30 percent less energy.

Study: Grazing Helps Invasive Cheatgrass To Flourish

Courtney Flatt — Mon, 13 May 2013 14:53:07 +0000

A new study out of Oregon State University suggests that overgrazing could be helping an invasive grass to flourish. That differs from previous studies that have found grazing can better manage that plant — cheatgrass — which threatens rangeland habitat.

Study: Cheatgrass Severity Affected By Grazing

Courtney Flatt — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:05:00 +0000

A new study out of Oregon State University suggests that overgrazing could be helping an invasive grass to flourish. That differs from previous studies that have found grazing can better manage that plant -- cheatgrass -- which threatens rangeland habitat.

The invasive plant cheatgrass can increase the frequency and severity of rangeland fires.

How To Clean Up A Crude Oil Spill From Trains

Courtney Flatt — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:43:16 +0000

Pacific Northwest refineries have been getting their crude oil for years from tankers and pipelines. Last September, trains began shipping crude oil into the region by rail.

Hydropower Bills Open Gates Of Bipartisanship In Congress

Jessica Robinson — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:30:42 +0000

An effort to streamline the regulatory process for small hydropower dams is generating a rare moment of bipartisanship in Congress. Two bills sailed through a Senate committee Wednesday. They've already passed the House.

Whatever gridlock exists elsewhere, it didn't show up in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

No New Wind Farm Construction In The Northwest This Year

Courtney Flatt — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:24:03 +0000

You may have seen wind turbines springing up all over the Pacific Northwest in the past decade. So far this year, the region’s wind industry has faced a different story.

Not a single new wind farms is under construction in the Pacific Northwest. It’s been that way since 2013 began. Compare that to last year’s boom, which increased wind capacity in the region by about 20 percent.

Northwest Fire Season Predicted To Be A Scorcher This Year

Anna King — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:51:44 +0000

Several forest fires are already burning in Western Washington and crews are mopping up a big one in central Oregon. There were also two grass fires that burned near Middleton, Idaho just west of Boise, this past weekend.

Dry winds and above average temperatures predicted this summer and fall, have fire managers preparing for an earlier than usual season.

A high-pressure ridge since winter has dried the Northwest’s timberlands and big sage stands this spring.

Air Force Says New Air Refueling Tanker Program On Track

Tom Banse — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:24:56 +0000

Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane is planning a public memorial service for three of its airmen killed in a mid-air explosion over central Asia. The cause of the air refueling tanker accident last Friday remains under investigation. The crash renews attention on a Boeing Company contract to replace the Air Force's aging tanker fleet.

The doomed Fairchild Air Force Base crewmates were flying a KC-135 Stratotanker built by Boeing in the early 1960s.

Lake Managers Get New Tool To Combat Algae

Tom Banse — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:18:33 +0000

Nothing spoils a summer swim in your favorite lake like an algae bloom.

Northwest Beekeepers Impatient With Cautious EPA

Tom Banse — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:24:25 +0000

A swarm of factors is causing heavy losses in honey bee colonies. That's the bottom line of a report issued jointly Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture. The report identifies a parasitic mite as a leading culprit in combination with diseases, poor nutrition, genetics and pesticide exposure.

Washington Flower Shop Stirs Back-And-Forth On Social Media

Anna King — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:24:05 +0000

Business is bustling at the Richland florist who faces a lawsuit over same-sex marriage. The shop's owner says she was standing up for her Christian values when she refused to sell flowers for a gay couple’s wedding. Now, the case has become a focal point of intense debate on social media across the globe.

On Arlene’s Flower’s Facebook page, right alongside advertisements for corsages and boutonnieres, there are hundreds of posts for and against same-sex marriage.

Gonzaga University Gives Club Status To Knights Of Columbus

Jessica Robinson — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:49:57 +0000

The president of Gonzaga University has reversed an earlier decision and now says a campus chapter of the Knights of Columbus can receive official club status. The Catholic university in Spokane first denied that recognition because the Knights do not admit women or non-Catholics.

President Thayne McCulloh's decision allows the Knights of Columbus council to use the university's name in its title, use school facilities and fundraise on campus. Official club status also makes the group eligible for money from the university and student fees.

Federal Government May Seek Blanket Delisting Of Gray Wolf

Aaron Kunz — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:06:52 +0000

The federal government is preparing to stop protecting gray wolves in the lower 48 states, according to a draft document. The plan is drawing criticism from environmental groups.

The impending decision isn’t a complete surprise. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had announced its intentions earlier this year to propose a blanket delisting of wolves as a ‘threatened’ or ‘endangered’ species.

Sediment Woes For Port Angeles Water Treatment Facility Put Elwha Dam Removal On Hold

Ashley Ahearn — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:32:17 +0000

Dam removal on the Elwha River in Washington has been temporarily halted because massive amounts of sediment released from above the dams have clogged one of the city’s water treatment facilities.

One of the two dams on the Elwha has been completely removed. That’s released about 20 percent of the 34 million cubic yards of sediment stored up behind both dams.

Columbia River Treaty Public Meetings Begin in Spokane

Courtney Flatt — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:31:29 +0000

A decades-long treaty between the United States and Canada will soon be up for renewal. It governs power management and flood control in the Columbia River Basin. Next year is the first time in 50 years either country can end or revise the treaty.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bonneville Power Administration kicked off a series of public meetings in Spokane Wednesday. The agencies are gathering public input about the treaty’s future.

Another Piece Of Wooden Arch Possibly From Japan Found On Oregon Beach

Rachael McDonald — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:36:00 +0000

Another piece of possible tsunami debris that appears to be part of a painted wooden arch has washed up on a beach in Florence. The artifact is similar to one found on the north coast near Oceanside, Oregon last month.

Chris Havel with Oregon Parks and Recreation says the piece of wood is 14 feet long and 3 feet wide. "Painted red and black and its this long sort of graceful, curving arch that is found as the top part of these Torii, these arches that were used to mark sacred sites, not only in Japan but in many countries in the western Pacific."

What Do Antibiotics Have To Do With Organic Apples, Pears?

Courtney Flatt — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:40:09 +0000

Not all organic food is created equally. Unlike beef or chicken, apples and pears can be certified as organic, even if they’re treated with antibiotics to prevent disease. Food safety groups are meeting this week in Portland to petition against the practice.

Organic apple and pear growers can use two kinds of antibiotics. You may have taken them to treat acne or tuberculosis.

For apple and pear trees, the antibiotics can cure a disease called fire blight. Fire blight can devastate an orchard.