skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

UAW strike continues: Officials say EPA standards must catch up; Mississippians urged to register to vote ahead of the Nov. 7 general election; NYers worry about impacts of government shutdown.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Senate leaders advance a plan to avoid a government shutdown, an elections official argues AI could be a threat to democracy and voting rights advocates look to states like Arizona to rally young Latino voters.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A small fire department in rural Indiana is determined not to fail new moms and babies, the growing election denial movement has caused voting districts to change procedures and autumn promises spectacular scenery along America's rural byways.

EPA Issues Water Protection Permits for Columbia River Dams

play audio
Play

author Mark Moran, Producer-Editor

 Contact

Wednesday, December 21, 2022   

The Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to stop oil and other toxic chemical discharges into the Columbia River in Washington and Oregon.

Recent spills have the issue back at the forefront. The group Columbia Riverkeeper sued the Corps last year, noting the pollutants harm fish and other wildlife in the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

Miles Johnson, senior attorney for the group, said the permits address four dams along the river identified as pollution sources, and the problem is bigger than petroleum and chemical pollution.

"In addition, the dams create big reservoirs that soak up the sun's energy and make the river too hot for salmon and Steelhead," Johnson explained. "The permits that EPA issued to the Army Corps are a directive to deal with some of those problems."

In operating the dams, the Corps will be required to use environmentally friendly lubricants, pay closer attention to water temperatures in those reservoirs and remove water from some if they get too hot for the fish to survive.

The issue was highlighted again recently when between 300 and 600 gallons of oil leaked into the Snake River from a turbine at Little Goose dam in Eastern Washington. Johnson pointed out such pollution has become a pattern with the Corps and has to be monitored and addressed constantly.

"Sometimes it's one gallon, sometimes it's five gallons, sometimes it's hundreds of gallons or even thousands of gallons," Johnson outlined. "And sometimes that oil contains toxic chemicals like PCBs. And after watching it happen over and over again, Columbia Riverkeeper took action, which is what we do when someone illegally discharges pollution into the river."

The EPA took the action under the Clean Water Act. Columbia Riverkeeper has sued federal and state agencies multiple times and continues to monitor Northwest waterways and the wildlife that depend on them.

Disclosure: Columbia Riverkeeper contributes to our fund for reporting on Endangered Species and Wildlife, Environment, and Water. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
A new poll showed Hispanic students who reported having occasional negative experiences on campus were about twice as likely to consider stopping out in the past six months. (Rocketclips/Adobestock)

play sound

In a new poll, about a quarter of Hispanic students in post-high school education and training programs report feeling discriminated against…


Social Issues

play sound

New Yorkers are preparing for an impending government shutdown. State officials are worried about how it could impact the work state agencies have …

Environment

play sound

Advocates are drawing attention to systemic racism in farming across North Carolina and the nation. The National Farm Worker Ministry is hosting its …


Measurements of electrical conductivity indicating elevated salinity is affecting the soil hundreds of meters from visible salt patches. (Rebecca Epanchin-Niell)

Environment

play sound

Researchers have found the amount of land affected by saltwater intrusion on the Delmarva Peninsula has dramatically increased in recent years…

Social Issues

play sound

This weekend marks the kickoff of National Bullying Prevention Month. Those raising awareness hope schools in South Dakota and elsewhere work toward …

Agrivoltaics is defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the use of land for both agriculture and solar-energy generation. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

The arrival of fall has farmers transitioning to the harvest season, but what if some gathered their crops with rows of solar panels right alongside …

Environment

play sound

A new report finds more than half of the sewage facilities in Idaho had pollution violations in 2022. The sixth annual analysis by the Idaho …

Environment

play sound

Amid the United Auto Workers strike, some advocates argued it is time to implement clean car standards. Gary Schlack, a city council member in Allen …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021