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Critics: Oil trains report underestimates risk
Posted by Spokesman-Review: Becky Kramer on December 19th, 2015
Spokesman-Review: The chance of an oil train derailing and dumping its cargo between Spokane and a new terminal proposed for Vancouver is extremely low, according to a risk assessment prepared for state officials.
Such a derailment would probably occur only once every 12 years, and in the most likely scenario, only half a tank car of oil would be spilled, according to the report.
But critics say the risk assessment - which includes work by three Texas consultants who are former BNSF Railway employees and count...
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Climate change affects Northwest snowpack, study says
Posted by Spokesman-Review: Becky Kramer on December 5th, 2013
Spokesman-Review: Last weekend’s doozy of a storm followed a classic Northwest weather script.
Winds gusting to 40 mph blew moisture-rich air from the ocean into the Cascades and Northern Rockies, dumping snow on the mountains while leaving lower elevations bare.
The winds – called “winter westerlies” – are vital to a region that depends on mountain snowpack for its water supply. But a new study suggests that climate change is disrupting the winds, with stark implications for future water availability.
“Those...
New issues prompt rethinking of Columbia River treaty
Posted by Spokesman-Review: Becky Kramer on July 6th, 2012
Spokesman-Review: Nearly 50 years ago, Canada and the United States shook hands over a groundbreaking accord that altered life in the Northwest.
The Columbia River Treaty turned the 1,200-mile-long river and its tributaries into an electrical powerhouse, producing more kilowatts than any other North American river system.
As a result of the treaty, three large storage dams in British Columbia and Montana’s Libby Dam were built to boost downstream hydropower production, fueling the Northwest’s supply of cheap...