PCB Problems
If a power pole falls in the parking lot of a Coeur d’Alene restaurant, how many fish sticks can you eat on the Spokane Indian Reservation? As the Inlander reports, PCBs in the Spokane River creates a daunting challenge.
Regulatory
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Law extends time limit for Spokane River cleanup
A new law will relax the deadline for cleaning up the Spokane River and other waterways, allowing more time for some measures to take effect. Without the change, wastewater dischargers would have to meet stringent new limits on pollutants within a decade. The change, signed into law Monday by Gov. Chris Gregoire, says the standards must be met “as soon as possible” and within 20 years at most. The Spokesman Review reports.
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Spokane Falls will flow full time
Avista Utilities and the Sierra Club have worked out an agreement for year-round flows of Spokane Falls. Even after sunset, when most of the tourists have left Riverfront Park, water will spill over a series of descending basalt columns. The Spokesman Review reports.
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New Gonzaga Environmental Law Clinic to Support Spokane River Keepers
Mike Chappell finds himself in the right place at the right time to help Gonzaga convene a new environmental law clinic devoted to the Spokane River and other regional waterways. The Center for Justice Reports.
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New dish soap regs reduce phosphate choking of the Spokane River
The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) reports that the 10-month-old ban on high-phosphate dishwasher detergents is beginning to pay off for the Spokane River. Read more about results and tips for cleaning dishes with phosphate free detergents. Ecology reports.
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City of Spokane Shoreline plan goes public
A comprehensive review of Spokane City’s shoreline master plan is no ready for review. A Planning Commission Public Hearing will be held on September 10th. See calendar for details. The Spokesman Review reports.
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Many leery as North Idaho adjudication begins
Nerves are frazzled as North Idaho begins the complicated and controversial task of identifying which landowners have rights to use what water.
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Water rights process nears
North Idaho residents with questions about the controversial process of sorting out who owns what water rights are invited to a series of town hall meetings.
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Spokane River and Waterfalls headed to Court
Sierra Club and Center for Environment Law and Policy (CELP) announced that they have appealed the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) 401 Certification for Spokane River dams as favoring Avista Corporation over the Spokane River.
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Avista’s river-use conditions challenged
Avista Corp. should do more to protect the Spokane River in return for harnessing its water for hydropower generation, two environmental groups say.