While our city, county, and state governments are trying to curb the abuse of prescription drugs and the illicit drug markets, environmentalists are waging a different war.

Painkillers, antidepressants, high-blood pressure, and countless of other types of medications are continually being prescribed and used throughout the country. While many of these medications are legally prescribed, they are also often disposed in an improper manner by the general public.

TRAINS MOVED OVER 140,000 BARRELS OF OIL DAILY THROUGH WASHINGTON THIS WINTER

New Department of Ecology report details crude-by-rail movement for the first quarter of 2017.

The Northwest public recently saw the second publication of quarterly oil train data for Washington. Although much about the industry is still not widely known, the Department of Ecology reports add considerably to our understanding of oil-by-rail in the region.

If Sightline could only do one thing for a sustainable Northwest, we’d put a price on carbon pollution—on the emissions of climate-changing greenhouse gases. Doing so would speed the entire regional economy through the transition from coal, oil, and other dirty fossil fuels to clean, efficient, renewable energy. It would also help stem or reverse sprawl, breathe life into alternatives to the automobile, clean the air and water, and keep local dollars circulating locally.

On Thursday, President Trump outlined his plans to slash 31% of the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget. The specifics on exactly what programs will be slashed in that included 31% reduction is still hazy, with no real detailed plan released by the White House. But, the bold statement beckons back to the Trump campaign theme to significantly reduce government spending in environmental and social services.

In the wake of the King County Wastewater Treatment plant operating at less than full capacity after heavy rainfall resulted in flooding and insurmountable damage to the plant, Bainbridge Island residents are concerned about the water quality and safety on their beaches. 

The plant has been continually releasing excess sewage from the plant since early February, with no time frame available of when they will be able to fix all of their equipment. The wastewater treatment plant is located 4 miles from Bainbridge Island, which is raising concerns for Bainbridge residents.

In 2001, the lower part of the Duwamish River, also known as the Lower Duwamish Waterway (LDW) in Seattle, WA, was put on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Priorities List. This list puts priority to cleanup toxic contaminated sites throughout the nation. These are known as Superfund sites and the agencies responsible for overseeing the LDW cleanup are the EPA and the Washington State Department of Ecology.

King County’s West Point wastewater treatment plant is finally seeing a reprieve after several weeks of heavy rainfall. As of Friday, King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division reported that due to light expected precipitation, they are not anticipating any need for emergency wastewater bypasses of the diluted stormwater in the near term.

On Thursday Myron Ebell, former head of President Trump's transition team at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said in an interview with The Associated Press that he expects to see massive cuts in the agency's budget. The results of a cut in budget allocation would result in significant staffing reductions.