Pollution
Cedar Grove Composting's expansion plans stalled
EVERETT -- Cedar Grove Composting will have to undergo the most thorough type of environmental study required if it wants to continue to pursue building an anaerobic digester to generate electricity, the
Date: 05/23/2012 | Local News
Rescued seal dies, tangled in fishing line in Edmonds
EDMONDS -- A harbor seal nicknamed Sandy, originally rescued off a beach in West Seattle in August 2011 and rehabilitated at PAWS in Lynnwood, was found dead recently.
Date: 05/16/2012 | Local News
Public wants access to waterfront via mill site
EVERETT -- Public access to the waterfront should be a top concern for the redevelopment of the Kimberly-Clark mill site.That's one of the key findings of a city survey that asked the public what they think should happen to the prime waterfront land.
Date: 05/14/2012 | Local News
Port considers buying K-C mill site
EVERETT -- The Port of Everett is aggressively exploring whether it should buy the 66-acre Kimberly-Clark site, which is for sale after the waterfront pulp-paper mill closed last month.
Date: 05/13/2012 | Local News
Terrace park-and-ride adds electric car chargers
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE -- People with electric cars now will have the option of charging up while they ride the bus to work.
Date: 05/07/2012 | Local News
What mill left behind
Pollution, including dioxins in waterway, must be cleaned up
Date: 05/06/2012 | Local News
How long will the cleanup effort take?
EVERETT -- The time, money and effort required to clean up after former pulp-and-paper mills similar to Everett's Kimberly-Clark plant can vary, depending on conditions, officials with the state Department of Ecology say.An example of a successful cleanup can be found not far from Everett.
Date: 05/06/2012 | Local News
Cedar Grove under fire
Compost facility hasn’t fulfilled obligations, opponents say
Date: 05/04/2012 | Local News
How to control pests without harsh chemicals
The Snohomish County Fruit Society will host a presentation on managing pests from 7 to 9 p.m. May 10 at the Snohomish Library.
Date: 05/03/2012 | Home and Garden
Ore. garbage burner to get tougher emissions rules
SALEM, Ore. -- A garbage burner that produces electricity along I-5 in the Willamette Valley must meet new and stricter emissions requirements as it renews its air pollution permit.
Date: 04/23/2012 | Northwest
Puget Sound can't cure itself
Viewpoints: With commitment, we can restore our waters
Date: 04/21/2012 | Commentary
Everett looks into 'significant' sewage spill in North Creek
EVERETT -- City officials still don't know what caused a 20-inch sewer pipe to crack Thursday morning, sending hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw sewage directly through one man's yard and into North Creek.
Date: 04/14/2012 | Local News
Crews work to stop sewage leak into Everett creek
EVERETT -- City crews planned to work into the evening Thursday repairing a 20-inch iron sewer pipe that broke near the 11800 block of Silver Way, sending hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw sewage into nearby North Creek.
Date: 04/13/2012 | Local News
Coal exports surge to highest level since 1991
BILLINGS, Mont. -- U.S. coal exports reached their highest level in two decades last year as strong demand from Asia and Europe offered an outlet for a fuel that is falling from favor at home.
Date: 04/10/2012 | Business
Fed evaluation: 3 more pesticides may harm salmon
A draft federal evaluation has found that three more common pesticides used on home lawns and agricultural crops jeopardize the survival of West Coast salmon.
Date: 04/09/2012 | Nation & World
Rule could eliminate coal plant construction
The Obama administration's proposal last week to put the first limits on greenhouse gases from new power plants probably will mean that no new coal-fired U.S. plants will be built after this year, but that won't slash coal use anytime soon.
Date: 04/01/2012 | Nation & World
Wapato fined for excess pollution discharges
WAPATO -- The federal Environmental Protection Agency says the city of Wapato, has been fined $57,000 for excess pollution discharges from its sewage plant.
Date: 03/30/2012 | Northwest
Partly submerged tug refloated; minor spills cleaned up
EVERETT -- The tugboat Invader, which had been partly submerged in Port Gardner in Everett since March 18, was refloated on Monday, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Date: 03/28/2012 | Local News
State officials track Columbia River sewage spills
SPOKANE -- The Washington state Department of Ecology is tracking two sewage spills into the Columbia River.
Date: 03/27/2012 | Northwest
Drive and determination
Granite Falls students intend to win eco-car competitions
Date: 03/08/2012 | Local News
California rejects tainted BP gasoline from Washington state
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- Tens of millions of gallons of gasoline that did not meet California's clean fuel specifications were delivered to the city of Martinez and sold across the state by petroleum giant BP, state regulators said in a lawsuit filed Wednesday.
Date: 03/08/2012 | Nation & World
Bill modifying stormwater rules clears state Senate
OLYMPIA -- The Washington Senate has passed a bill that opponents say would weaken state rules aimed at curbing toxic pollution in state waters.
Date: 03/05/2012 | Northwest
Fight in Olympia over solutions for toxic runoff
SEATTLE -- Environmentalists in Washington state are fighting last-minute legislative proposals they say will weaken rules aimed at keeping toxic pollution out of state waters.
Date: 03/04/2012 | Northwest
Navy's target-practice disposal of warships raises pollution fears
In 2005, the USS America aircraft carrier was towed out to sea on her final voyage. Hundreds of miles off the Atlantic coast, U.S. Navy personnel then blasted the 40-year-old warship with missiles and bombs until it sank.
Date: 03/04/2012 | Nation & World
New study links diesel exhaust to lung cancer
WASHINGTON -- There's new evidence that exposure to exhaust from diesel engines increases the risk of lung cancer.
Date: 03/03/2012 | Nation & World
Crews work to clean up Snake River oil spill
BURBANK -- Crews are working to clean up an oil spill on the Snake River Tuesday following a leak of about 44 gallons of oil.
Date: 02/28/2012 | Northwest
Everett port’s new security lighting raises neighbors’ concerns over glare
EVERETT -- The Port of Everett plans to put up $1.3 million in lights this spring, just below a neighborhood along Rucker Hill.
Date: 02/25/2012 | Local News
3,000 gallon diesel spill in Seattle
SEATTLE -- Burlington Northern Santa Fe says most of a 3,000-gallon diesel spill was contained in a ditch at a Seattle switching yard.
Date: 02/23/2012 | Northwest
Minority partner to pay $90 million over BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill
NEW ORLEANS -- A minority partner in BP's blown-out well in the Gulf of Mexico agreed Friday to pay $90 million in a settlement with the federal government and Gulf states over the 2010 oil spill. It includes the largest civil penalty ever recovered under the federal Clean Water Act.
Date: 02/18/2012 | Business
Unused medicine a toxic dilemma
Rebecca Runyon thought she had taken ample precaution.The Granite Falls woman didn't know how to properly dispose of her stepfather's old unmarked medicines after he died. So she stored them in a wooden cabinet next to the fireplace.
Date: 02/05/2012 | Local News
Toppenish ordered to pay clean-air fees
YAKIMA -- A Yakima County judge has ordered the city of Toppenish to pay annual fees to the Yakima Regional Clean Air Agency.
Date: 02/04/2012 | Northwest
Mussels gauge sea's health
Volunteers gather samples for crucial testing
Date: 02/04/2012 | Local News
New California rules will require cleaner cars
LOS ANGELES -- California, long a national leader in cutting auto pollution, pushed the envelope further Friday as state regulators approved rules to cut greenhouse gas emissions from cars and put significantly more pollution-free vehicles on the road in coming years.
Date: 01/27/2012 | Nation & World
Marysville gives residents a chance to discuss marina cleanup
MARYSVILLE -- The city is giving residents a chance to learn more about a grant that could be used to help clean up the Geddes Marina.
Date: 01/25/2012 | Local News
China to step up reports on air polltion
BEIJING -- Caving to public pressure, Beijing environmental authorities started releasing more detailed air quality data Saturday that may better reflect how bad the Chinese capital's air pollution is. But one expert said measurements from the first day were...
Date: 01/22/2012 | Nation & World
Kimberly-Clark mill site likely to remain industrial land
EVERETT -- The Kimberly-Clark paper plant has been a fixture on the waterfront so long it's hard to imagine Everett without it.But at some point, it will be gone.And don't expect a new community park or high-end condos and shops to take its place.
Date: 01/13/2012 | Local News
EPA says power plants main global warming culprits
WASHINGTON -- The most detailed data yet on emissions of heat-trapping gases show that U.S. power plants are responsible for the bulk of the pollution blamed for global warming.
Date: 01/11/2012 | Business
Ban plastic bags?
Edmonds lawmaker wants to see a statewide prohibition
Date: 01/11/2012 | Local News
Everett allowed raw sewage into river, bay to prevent bigger mess
EVERETT -- Around the time most people were thinking cranberries and stuffing, city workers in Everett were worried about sewage.A heavy rainstorm in the days leading up to Thanksgiving threatened to overwhelm a storage lagoon at the city's water pollution control facility.
Date: 01/05/2012 | Local News
Royal City dairy contaminated water, judge rules
YAKIMA -- A federal judge has ruled that an Eastern Washington industrial dairy that has been the subject of air and water pollution complaints for years consistently applied excessive amounts of manure to neighboring fields, causing or contributing to groundwater contamination in the area.
Date: 01/05/2012 | Northwest
Tissue from sick seals in Alaska to be tested for radiation
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Tissue samples from Alaska's sickened ringed seals will be analyzed for evidence of radiation, but the scientist preparing to do so says he doubts there's a connection to the Japanese nuclear plant damaged by a tsunami last year.
Date: 01/03/2012 | Northwest
Rule caps mercury output from power plants
WASHINGTON _ The Obama administration has adopted tough new limits on mercury and other toxic emissions from power plants, winning praise from environmentalists and public health advocates but sparking warnings from industry groups that contend the new regulations are too expensive and will place...
Date: 12/22/2011 | Nation & World
Yards cleared of arsenic
Homes in north Everett are part of a large-scale cleanup
Date: 12/22/2011 | Local News
Mexico City closes vast trash dump
MEXICO CITY -- Mexico City will close one of the world's largest dumps by Dec. 31 and will instead turn the garbage from millions of people into reusable materials and energy, Mayor Marcelo Ebrard announced Monday.
Date: 12/20/2011 | Nation & World
Gregoire weighs changes to state clean-energy law
SEATTLE -- Large utilities in Washington state will soon have to get at least part of their power from new renewable sources like wind and solar. But with a voter-mandated 2012 deadline looming, Gov. Chris Gregoire is weighing a package of changes that could expand the definition of what clean...
Date: 12/14/2011 | Northwest
Mukilteo makes 'large statement' with bag ban
MUKILTEO -- Shoppers and retailers alike now have a year to get used to the fact they'll no longer be able to use plastic bags for groceries or convenience-store goodies.The City Council voted 7-0 on Monday to make plastic grocery bags illegal beginning Jan. 1, 2013.
Date: 12/13/2011 | Local News
Mukilteo could decide Monday to ban plastic grocery bags
MUKILTEO - By Monday night, Mukilteo could follow Edmonds' lead and ban plastic grocery bags. The City Council could vote on the plan at its meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. at City Hall, 11930 Cyrus Way. The public will have a chance to speak on the plan.
Date: 12/12/2011 | Local News
Europe berates U.S., China for blocking climate talks
DURBAN, South Africa — Tempers flared Wednesday over the glacial pace of progress in climate talks taking place in Durban, with the European Union berating the United States and China for blocking the way forward.
Date: 12/07/2011 | Nation & World
Burn ban lifted in Snohomish County
The burn ban is over.The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency on Wednesday lifted the burn bans issued last week for Snohomish and Pierce counties.
Date: 12/06/2011 | Local News
Ecology Department approves money to address groundwater nitrate contamination in Yakima County
YAKIMA -- The Washington state Department of Ecology has approved about $300,000 to help Yakima County develop a groundwater management program to address nitrate contamination.
Date: 11/21/2011 | Northwest
Chevron takes blame for ongoing oil spill off Brazilian coast
SAO PAULO -- An ongoing oil spill off the Brazilian coast occurred because Chevron underestimated the pressure in an underwater reservoir, the head of the company's Brazil operations said Sunday.
Date: 11/20/2011 | Nation & World
Marysville would be hurt by coal exports in Bellingham, panel says during forum
MARYSVILLE -- A proposed coal-export terminal near Bellingham is likely to affect residents in Marysville and in other cities throughout Snohomish County.
Date: 11/18/2011 | Local News
Ammonia tank washed up on Tulalip beach is removed
TULALIP -- A large, ammonia-filled
Date: 11/17/2011 | Local News
Pipelines at risk of failure in Montana, Wyoming
HELENA, Mont. -- Federal safety regulators disclosed problems Tuesday with oil and other hazardous liquid pipelines at seven major river crossings and hundreds of smaller crossings in Montana and northern Wyoming -- problems that could put the lines at increased risk of failure.
Date: 11/14/2011 | Nation & World
Despite cleanup, creosote toxins common in our waters
EVERETT -- Perhaps the biggest surprise in a recent study of pollution in Puget Sound and other waterways was the amount of toxic material from wood soaked with creosote, a state official said.
Date: 11/08/2011 | Local News
State Department to review Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline
WASHINGTON -- The State Department's inspector general will review the Obama administration's handling of a Canadian company's request to pipe oil from western Canada to Texas, following complaints from 13 Democratic lawmakers and one independent.
Date: 11/08/2011 | Nation & World
Thousands gather outside White House to protest planned Canada-to-Texas oil pipeline
WASHINGTON -- Thousands of protesters encircled the White House on Sunday in a show of numbers intended to persuade President Barack Obama to stop a proposed oil pipeline from being built.
Date: 11/06/2011 | Nation & World
U.S. monitors dangerous air quality in China
BEIJING -- Perched atop the U.S. Embassy in Beijing is a device about the size of a microwave oven that spits out hourly rebukes to the Chinese government.
Date: 11/06/2011 | Nation & World
Study tracks pollutants in waterways
OLYMPIA -- There's more information now than ever about how pollution gets into Puget Sound and other waterways of Western Washington, thanks to a recently completed five-year study.
Date: 11/04/2011 | Local News
Fuel spilled at military base; no damage
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD -- A state Ecology Department spokesman says nearly 1,000 gallons of jet fuel spilled onto a tarmac at Joint Base Lewis-McChord but crews cleaned it up before the fuel could contaminate nearby soil or water.
Date: 10/29/2011 | Northwest
Charging into the future
PUD workshop shows growing potential for electric cars
Date: 10/29/2011 | Local News
Workshops focus on the Sound
EVERETT -- People interested in learning more about protecting Puget Sound can sign up for a one-day event at Everett Community College next month."Sound Living" offers a full day of workshops on Nov. 5. Organizers have dubbed the event a "communiversity."
Date: 10/03/2011 | Local News
Early cleanup of Seattle's only river moving ahead
SEATTLE -- Ten years after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency listed the lower five miles of Seattle's only river as a Superfund site, cleanup work on some of the most toxic sections of the Duwamish River is moving forward.
Date: 10/02/2011 | Northwest
Perry to Obama: Halt new air rules
AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Monday asked President Barack Obama to use his executive authority to prevent or delay implementation of stricter pollution standards, saying they will have an "immediate and devastating" effect on the state.
Date: 09/26/2011 | Nation & World
Ooh, la, la: Gardening guru Ciscoe Morris to pitch rain gardens at Everett show on Saturday
EVERETT -- A garden personality famous for ooh-la-la-ing his way through fabulous landscapes plans to broadcast his show live from Everett back yards this Saturday.Gardening guru Ciscoe Morris will do his show, "Gardening with Ciscoe," live from north Everett.
Date: 09/21/2011 | Local News
Snohomish adds pipelines to help keep sewage out of river
SNOHOMISH -- The city had a problem keeping sewage from spilling out of the only pipeline downtown. When rain came, millions of gallons of untreated water polluted the Snohomish River, violating national standards for clean water.
Date: 09/03/2011 | Local News
Obama bows to GOP demands on controversial EPA regulation
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama is sacking a controversial proposed regulation tightening government smog standards, bowing to the demands of congressional Republicans and some business leaders.
Date: 09/02/2011 | Nation & World
Streams of conscience
Groups work to lessen impacts from stormwater pollution
Date: 08/29/2011 | Local News
County Council hears testimony on relaxing stormwater rules
EVERETT -- A hearing Wednesday about relaxing stormwater rules for rural Snohomish County's trails, including those in off-road-vehicle areas in the Reiter Foothills, has been continued until next...
Date: 08/25/2011 | Local News
Arlington dedicates new wastewater treatment plant
ARLINGTON -- More than 100 people showed up for tours and a ceremony Wednesday marking the grand opening of the city's $35 million new-and-improved wastewater treatment plant, the biggest public works project ever undertaken by the city.
Date: 08/25/2011 | Local News
Study finds bacteria from dog feces in Detroit's sky
DETROIT -- Move over, smog. When it comes to stuff in the air over Detroit, a team of researchers has found that in winter, it's bacteria from dog poop that hovers over the city.
Date: 08/21/2011 | Nation & World
Monroe students learn about impacts from the street to the sea
MONROE -- You may live in Monroe, but your actions still affect local bays and waterways.That's what middle school and high school students learned earlier this month during a science camp at Monroe High School.
Date: 08/18/2011 | Local News
Brightwater tunnel completed
The digging for the Brightwater tunnel is done.The latest section being dug met up on Tuesday with a section already drilled, completing the 13-mile tunnel.
Date: 08/18/2011 | Local News
Brightwater work nearly done
Wastewater plant took 14 years, $1.8 billion to finish (video)
Date: 08/14/2011 | Local News
Marysville, Tulalips seek Seattle’s help in odor debate with Cedar Grove Composting
In the ongoing war of words over who's to blame for odor problems at Cedar Grove Composting, the city of Marysville and the Tulalip Tribes now are asking Seattle to step in.
Date: 08/04/2011 | Local News
President announces deal to boost fuel economy
WASHINGTON — Ushering in the largest decrease in auto fuel consumption since the 1970s, President Barack Obama and automobile manufacturers Friday announced a deal that will save drivers money at the pump and dramatically cut heat-trapping gases coming from tailpipes.
Date: 07/29/2011 | Nation & World
Cedar Grove fine stands
Composter ordered to pay $119,000 for odor violations
Date: 07/18/2011 | Local News
Years of eating seafood from county waters could raise health concerns, state report says
EVERETT -- You'd have to eat an awful lot of fish and shellfish from Everett waterways over many years for it to hurt you, according to the state Department of Health.
Date: 07/16/2011 | Local News
GOP cites jobs in attacking environmental rules
WASHINGTON -- Republicans in the House of Representatives are waging an all-out war to block federal regulations that protect the environment.
Date: 07/15/2011 | Nation & World
Environmental mettle
Whidbey boat builder scrubs stormwater clean, winning fans
Date: 07/11/2011 | Local News
Group works to keep Port Susan scenic, healthy
STANWOOD -- You might consider them Port Susan's future guardians.
Date: 07/06/2011 | Local News
Stevens Pass volunteers get to work for their BBQ
Enjoy a free barbecue lunch at Stevens Pass, take in the scenery and maybe get a prize.Now that we have your attention, volunteers are needed to help remove trash from the slopes of the Stevens Pass ski area 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 12.
Date: 06/25/2011 | Life
Salvage crew, volunteers, state team to remove derelict barge from Camano Island beach
CAMANO ISLAND -- Tyee Beach is clean again after living with an unwanted visitor since Christmas.
Date: 06/24/2011 | Local News
Pollution in county lake led state to ban asphalt sealant
MOUNTLAKE TERRACE -- Pollution in a Snohomish County lake is a big reason why Washington recently became the first state in the nation to ban coal-based pavement sealants.
Date: 06/23/2011 | Business
Cleanup set for arsenic-contaminated property in Everett
EVERETT -- Cleanup is about to begin on the last vestiges of pollution left behind more than a century ago by a smelter in north Everett.
Date: 06/13/2011 | Local News
More Longview Fibre wood waste burning OK'd
LONGVIEW -- The state Ecology Department has approved an expansion of the wood waste burning power plant at the Longview Fibre mill in Longview.
Date: 06/03/2011 | Northwest
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