China’s stranglehold on the world’s rare earth mineral supply has re-ignited interest in Idaho. Some of the state’s rare earth minerals run through environmentally sensitive lands.
RICHLAND, Wash. — The Washington state Department of Ecology released for public comment a draft permit for regulating hazardous and radioactive waste left from decades of plutonium production at the Hanford nuclear reservation.
SPOKANE, Wash. — A major wind power farm will be built in the Palouse this summer. Boston-based First Wind announced Tuesday that it will build 58 giant windmills between the town of Oakesdale and US 195. Each can produce 1.8 megawatts of electricity, for a total of 105 megawatts of power.
A new federal ruling ties layoffs at SolarWorld to competition from imported Chinese solar panels. The U.S. Department of Labor has decided that laid-off SolarWorld workers can receive federal aid for job searches, relocation and retraining.
PORTLAND - If you thought the great dam-building era of the Northwest was long over, you might be mistaken. But we're not talking about damming rivers here. This is about building long earthen dams to make new off-stream hydropower reservoirs. They're being designed to act as giant batteries and shock absorbers for the electric grid.
Winnie the Pooh’s not alone in wanting the honey without the work. Urban beekeeping companies will bring bee hives to your house and leave them there for a while. You get a cut of the honey, and the chance to learn how to manage bees yourself. And if you want the bees to stick around, there’s an option to buy. UPDATE: video added 5/3/12.
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Bonneville Power Administration has ordered Pacific Northwest wind farms to cut production twice in recent days because it has a surplus of power from hydroelectric dams.
PORT ANGELES, Wash. — Backed up for decades, murky sediment from the newly liberated Elwha River has begun to form a plume as it empties into the blue waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Oregon's first recycling plant for plastic bottles held its grand opening Friday. OREPET built its $10 million recycling facility at the Port of St. Helens northwest of Portland. The company says a major change in Oregon's bottle deposit law made the project possible.
PORTLAND -- Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber signed an executive order Friday intended to shift the state toward cleaner alternatives to toxic products.
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