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EPA penalizes two Yakima-based companies $194,000 for chemical release violations
(The Center Square) – Two companies based in Yakima agreed to pay $194,302 to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for violations of the Clean Air Act.
Congdon Packing Company, LLC, and D&H Properties Yakima, LLC failed to keep safety information up to date, adequately address process hazard analysis recommendations, perform a timely process hazard analysis every five years, provide initia
With Spokane County fires almost fully contained, state and federal assessments begin
(The Center Square) – There was some cautiously optimistic news from a series of updates on Spokane County's Oregon Road Fire and Gray Fire. The manpower brought to bear on the fires seems to be paying off in the form of the blazes getting closer to being brought under control.
R...
Range of questions posed on WA Ecology’s proposed refrigerant management program
(The Center Square) – Washington Department of Ecology officials faced a variety of questions during a public hearing last week regarding a pending state ban on certain refrigerant products and the agency’s related management program to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Not all qu...
Washington state receives $23M in grant funding to bolster energy grid resilience
(The Center Square) – Washington state has been allocated more than $23.4 million in federal grant funding to make its energy grid more resilient against wildfires and other natural disasters.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced the allocation in a Tuesday news release. The ...
WA AG advised utilities commission to conceal carbon tax impact on energy rates
(The Center Square) – Earlier this month, the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission approved a request by Puget Sound Energy to increase its natural gas rates to cover the costs of the state’s cap-and-trade program under the Climate Commitment Act.
However...
Three on Spokane City Council condemn mayor’s association ‘with extremists’
(The Center Square) – Three members of the Spokane City Council on Friday issued a statement denouncing Mayor Nadine Woodward’s appearance on stage over the weekend at a religious event with two individuals described with the phrases “extremist” and “domestic terrorist.”
Those individuals includ...
Former attorney who stole from clients now pleads guilty to COVID-19 fraud
(The Center Square) – A former attorney in Washington state who was sentenced last year for stealing from a deceased client’s estate and scamming a personal friend pled guilty on Friday to a separate illegal scheme in seeking federal COVID-19 relief benefits.
Darlene...
Seattle Human Services distributes $3.8M to support low-income families
(The Center Square) – The Seattle Human Services Department is awarding 22 agencies with a collective $3.8 million to support low-income families by providing them with culturally specific services.
The agencies will receive annual awards ranging from $86,000 to $300,000 starting in 2024 and continuing through 2028, according to the department. Afte...