Anna King

Federal Protection For Bladderpod Plant Pushed Back

Anna King — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:34:20 +0000

The federal government has pushed back the possible threatened listing of two rare plants that could affect farmers in southeast Washington. Umtanum desert buckwheat and the White Bluffs bladderpod have become very controversial, because part of the plants’ habitat spans valuable crop ground.

It’s a big topic of conversation at the Country Mercantile restaurant where many Franklin County farmers lunch. Ami MacHugh is an area cherry and horse farmer whose land could be affected by the possible federal protections.

She says even with the delayed decision she’s still upset.

New Energy Secretary: Nuclear Waste Cleanup Among Top Priorities

Anna King — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:42:12 +0000

The Obama administration’s new secretary of energy says his top priorities are responding to climate change, safely managing the nation’s nuclear stockpile and fostering scientific research. Ernest Moniz made the comments at his swearing-in ceremony Tuesday.

He also mentioned the need to clean up the nation’s Cold War legacy waste.

Japanese Officials Visit Hanford For Nuclear Cleanup Strategies

Anna King — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:26:04 +0000

The people overseeing the cleanup of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster are learning some valuable lessons from the long-running cleanup at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. A Japanese government delegation recently toured some of the southeast Washington site.

In Japan, workers in gloves and masks are grinding down sidewalks and roads, wiping down rooftops and bagging contaminated soil.

Washington Florist Sues State, Says She 'Will Not Wilt'

Anna King — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:30:08 +0000

There’s a new development in the case of a Richland, Wash. florist who refused to sell flowers for a same sex couple’s wedding. The business owner’s lawyers announced a counter suit Thursday saying the florist “will not wilt.”

The owner of Arlene’s Flowers argues there are plenty of other shops in the Tri-Cities that could cater to a gay or lesbian wedding.

Northwest Nuclear Plant Scores Higher Safety Rating

Anna King — Wed, 15 May 2013 23:30:15 +0000

Federal regulators say the Northwest’s only commercial nuclear power plant is now back on course after an 11-year safety miscalculation. The new designation means the Columbia Generating Station in southeast Washington gets a more relaxed inspection and oversight status.

Between 2000 and 2011, workers at the nuclear plant used faulty estimates for how much radiation could escape during a crisis.

Dozens Of Farmers Fight Threatened Designation Of Bladderpod

Anna King — Tue, 14 May 2013 22:59:52 +0000

Farmers in southeast Washington packed a County Commission hearing Tuesday morning in Pasco. They’re angry because a flowering desert plant called the White Bluffs bladderpod may be designated as a federally threatened species by next week.

It likes to live on high desert bluffs near the Columbia River.

Oregon Onion Farm Settles In Sexual Harassment Case

Anna King — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:27:13 +0000

A northeast Oregon onion producer has settled a sexual harassment suit for $150,000. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, also known as the EEOC, brought the case on the behalf of a female seasonal farm worker at River Point Farms of Hermiston.

She says she faced verbal abuse from her male supervisor from 2005 to 2010.

Some Hanford Water Cleanup Exceeds Expectations

Anna King — Tue, 14 May 2013 00:04:40 +0000

Cleanup of a hazardous chemical called hexavalent chromium in the groundwater at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeast Washington is going faster than expected.

Hexavalent chromium is the nasty stuff that made Erin Brockovich famous down in California. The chemical was used to inhibit rust in coolant water in Hanford’s reactors.

Fire Season Predicted To Be A Scorcher This Year

Anna King — Tue, 07 May 2013 00:13:46 +0000

Several forest fires are already burning in Western Washington and crews are mopping up a big one in central Oregon. There were also two grass fires that burned near Middleton, Idaho just west of Boise, this past weekend.

Dry winds and above average temperatures predicted this summer and fall, have fire managers preparing for an earlier than usual season.

A high-pressure ridge since winter has dried the Northwest’s timberlands and big sage stands this spring.

Arlene's Flowers Stirs Back-And-Forth On Social Media

Anna King — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:42:31 +0000

Business is bustling at the Richland florist who faces a lawsuit over same-sex marriage. The shop's owner says she was standing up for her Christian values when she refused to sell flowers for a gay couple’s wedding. Now, the case has become a focal point of intense debate on social media across the globe.

On Arlene’s Flower’s Facebook page, right alongside advertisements for corsages and boutonnieres, there are hundreds of posts for and against same-sex marriage.