PNS Daily News- February 15, 2019
Shutdown averted and a national emergency declaration; A push in Iowa for virtual caucus attendance for 2020 primaries; and concerns about legislation that could hide oil pipeline records. Those stories and more in today’s news.

Public News Service - WA: Environmental Justice

SEATTLE - The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), investigated 18 percent more potential violations of the state's pesticides laws in the fiscal year of 2015. In a few major cases, people were exposed to pesticide drift. That's according to an annual pesticide report to the legislatur

SEATTLE - The year is only a week old, and it's already a big one for opponents of the oil-shipping terminals proposed in the state. They're counting as a "win" the news that the Renewable Energy Group says its future plans won't include handling crude oil at the terminal it purchased in Grays Harb

OLYMPIA, Wash. - Gov. Jay Inslee is being asked to intervene in a dispute between the state Fish and Wildlife Commission and eight groups advocating for Washington's cougar population. The commission decided this spring to increase the percentage of cougars that can be hunted in some areas. The gr

SEATTLE - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing changes to the water quality standards for human health in Washington, after the state has spent years deciding how to create its own standards. At issue are two key components of water quality, the fish consumption rate and the canc

VANCOUVER, Wash. - Small businesses in Vancouver say the city is becoming its own economic powerhouse and doesn't need an oil-shipping terminal to create jobs. Members of the group "Vancouver 101" estimate that if only one in 30 businesses now in the area moves or closes because of a proposed Tesor

SEATTLE – It's back to court on Friday for the Port of Seattle, and conservation groups that contend the port commissioners didn't conduct an environmental assessment before signing a lease to allow repair of oil-drilling rigs at the port. The groups maintain the water pollution risks are ob

SEATTLE – About a dozen cities, water quality groups and conservation organizations have joined forces to challenge part of the new U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) safety rules for oil shipments by rail. At issue is how much, and when to tell cities and municipalities – and thei

SEATTLE - Port of Seattle commissioners will appeal a Seattle Department of Planning and Development finding against a Shell Oil contractor leasing Terminal 5 as its homeport for repairing oil rigs on their way to Alaska. But late Tuesday, port commissioners also voted to warn the contractor that it