environment

Japanese Officials Visit Hanford For Nuclear Cleanup Strategies

Anna King — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:57:00 +0000

The people overseeing the cleanup of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster are learning some valuable lessons from the long-running cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. A Japanese government delegation recently toured some of the southeast Washington site.

In Japan, workers in gloves and masks are grinding down sidewalks and roads, wiping down rooftops and bagging contaminated soil.

Wash. Rated First In Renewable Energy, But Will State Meet Its 2020 Renewable Energy Goals?

the conversation with ross reynolds — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:38:21 +0000

Coming up on The Conversation, May 21 at noon.

Washington state ranks number one in the nation for our use of renewable energy sources according to an analysis by Slate Magazine. The ranking includes hydroelectric power but the state’s own 2020 renewable energy goals do not. Ross Reynolds speaks with Jessica Finn Coven, the director of Climate Solutions, about whether Washington’s on track to meet our 2020 renewable energy goals.

Vanquishing Zombie Fishing Nets In Puget Sound

Ashley Ahearn — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:06:55 +0000

Doug Monk has been a commercial diver on the Olympic Peninsula for some 20 years, harvesting shellfish and sea cucumbers. But for the past decade, he’s been after a different harvest: ghost nets.

Dipping Below The Surface Of Puget Sound

producer — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:42:17 +0000

Most of us walk around on the surface of the earth, thinking that's all there is. But divers know better. There's just as much going on under the water as there is on land. We hear how dipping below the surface completely changed one diver's perspective.

This unusual interview comes from the podcast Here Be Monsters. Its creator, Jeff Emtman, is one of the recipients of KUOW's Program Venture Fund. He'll be moving to Seattle to do some reporting for us this summer.

Full list of stories from KUOW Presents, May 20:

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.