environment

Underwater Earthquake Recordings Reveal Mysterious Whale Calls

Ashley Ahearn — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:45:15 +0000

The blue whale is believed to be the largest animal ever to exist. But nobody remembers number two. Fin whales are the second-largest animals on the planet, weighing in at around 80 tons.

Nissan Electric Car Sales Booming In Pacific Northwest

Tom Banse — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:53:26 +0000

The automaker Nissan says sales of its fully electric Leaf compact surpassed all other Nissan models at dealers in the Seattle and Portland areas this spring. The announcement Wednesday runs counter to the prevailing wisdom that adoption of plug-in cars has been sluggish.

At Nissan USA headquarters, electric vehicle marketing & sales director Erik Gottfried says he's scrambling to ship enough Leafs to meet demand in the Pacific Northwest.

Northwest Nuclear Plant Scores Higher Safety Rating

Anna King — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:53:20 +0000

Federal regulators say the Northwest’s only commercial nuclear power plant is now back on course after an 11-year safety miscalculation. The new designation means the Columbia Generating Station in southeast Washington gets a more relaxed inspection and oversight status.

Between 2000 and 2011, workers at the nuclear plant used faulty estimates for how much radiation could escape during a crisis.

Some Hanford Water Cleanup Exceeds Expectations

Anna King — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:26:25 +0000

Cleanup of a hazardous chemical called hexavalent chromium in the groundwater at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeast Washington is going faster than expected.

Hexavalent chromium is the nasty stuff that made Erin Brockovich famous down in California. The chemical was used to inhibit rust in coolant water in Hanford’s reactors.

Time To Speak Is Now On $305 Million Duwamish Cleanup Plan

Ashley Ahearn — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:44:54 +0000

A century’s worth of contamination in Seattle's only river is about to get a $305 million cleanup. Before finalizing a decision on the proposed plan, the Environmental Protection Agency is asking the public to weigh in.

In Largest Dam Removal In US History, Which Fish Get To Recolonize?

Ashley Ahearn — Thu, 09 May 2013 14:25:15 +0000

From where Mike McHenry stands he can see several gray, torpedo-shaped bodies moving slowly through the brown water of this side channel of the Elwha River, not too far from the site of the largest dam removal project in US history.

Elwha River: Recovery Proceeds Despite Sediment Setbacks

Ashley Ahearn — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:12:45 +0000

One of the two dams on the Elwha River has been completely removed and there are about 50 feet of the remaining Glines Canyon dam left. Already so much sediment has been released that it's clogged up and shut down one of the water treatment plants in nearby Port Angeles, temporarily halting the largest dam removal project in US history.

Making Seattle Carbon Neutral By 2050

The Conversation with Ross Reynolds — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:12:33 +0000

Seattle City Councilmember Mike O’Brien wants Seattle carbon neutral by 2050. The plan to make Seattle carbon neutral is bound to be expensive, but O’Brien says carbon neutrality has benefits beyond just reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Mike O’Brien joins Ross Reynolds today to talk about this proposal.

Lake Managers Get New Tool To Combat Algae

Tom Banse — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:57:13 +0000

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

Found A Dead Bird? Science Could Use It

Sarah Waller — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 01:57:47 +0000

THUD. It’s the sickening sound of a bird hitting your window. You hope it’s just stunned; that it will fly off. But there it is: A motionless lump of feathers on the ground. Before you bury it or toss it in the trash, consider an alternative. Some Seattle residents are donating these avian casualties to science.