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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nerves are frazzled as North Idaho begins the complicated and controversial task of identifying which landowners have rights to use what water.
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.
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.
Avista Corp. should do more to protect the Spokane River in return for harnessing its water for hydropower generation, two environmental groups say.
Spokane will lead the state this summer, banning high-phosphorus dishwasher detergents to improve water quality, particularly in the Spokane River and Lake Spokane.