Rail safety team concludes Wallula derailment response

Rail safety inspectors from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) have concluded their investigation of a recent train derailment near Wallula involving five refrigerated railcars along the Columbia River. 

The derailment occurred at 3:20 a.m. Nov. 6. One of the five railcars derailed into the river, spilling an estimated 2,600 gallons of diesel fuel from an onboard tank used to operate the refrigeration system. 

Diesel fuel is not considered hazardous in this situation, and Union Pacific Railroad immediately deployed cleanup crews and containment measures, the UTC said. Barriers were used to contain the diesel spill and a cleanup contractor was used.

As of Nov. 8, all railcars were re-railed, and cleanup was completed.

Local Bounti reports year-to-year jump in sales

A Montana-based indoor agriculture company that opened a greenhouse facility in Pasco earlier this year is seeing increased demand for its products as it continues to ramp up operations.

Local Bounti’s third quarter financial report indicates sales increased 50% to $10.2 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $6.8 million in the prior year period, according to a company release. The increase was due to increased production and growth in sales, primarily from the company’s facilities in Georgia and Texas, with its Pasco facility also contributing.

The company also reported reduced expenses resulting from cost-saving measures taken in late 2023 and early 2024 and the complete transition of its research and development facility in Montana to commercial production.

Company officials say they anticipate fourth quarter revenues to be approximately $11 million, a 67% increase year-over-year.

New WSU Tri-Cities program to debut next fall

A new bachelor’s degree program at Washington State University Tri-Cities will welcome its first students in fall 2025. The school’s new Bachelor of Arts in social work program was created to meet the growing need for mental health providers in the area. 

The program, backed by $1.6 million per biennium from the Washington state Legislature, aims to address shortages of social work professionals, especially in rural areas. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that an estimated 67,300 additional jobs will be needed annually throughout the country over the next decade to meet behavioral health and social service demands.

Students will join the WSU Tri-Cities program in their junior year and complete it with a cohort. The program will prepare them for advanced study, such as Master of Social Work degree programs and a variety of roles in social service offices. The final year of the program will include a 400-hour field placement for hands-on experience.

Inslee orders freeze on state agency hiring and travel

Gov. Jay Inslee’s recent memo to state agencies under his jurisdiction notes that because the cost and need for services are increasing faster than revenue, the state is facing a significant operating budget deficit.  

He has directed a freeze on hiring not related to public safety, execution of non-essential services contracts, discretionary purchasing of goods and equipment, and travel. There are several exemptions to the freeze, such as hiring to fill vacancies in critical areas and essential services contracts, goods and equipment purchases, and travel. 

In the memo, Inslee called on non-cabinet agencies, higher education institutions, boards and commissions, and other separately elected officials to impose similar restrictions. 

Combined, 1,969 state employees work in Benton and Franklin counties, according to the Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business’ Largest Employers list.

Invasive Japanese beetles increase in lower Yakima Valley, Tri-Cities

The state Department of Agriculture Pest Program trappers caught more than 26,700 beetles throughout the year. The program sets traps for several invasive pests, including Japanese beetles and spongy moths.

Most of the Japanese beetles were caught in Grandview and surrounding areas. More than 400 were caught in the Pasco area, including one in Kennewick.

WSDA provides free beetle treatments to area residents to help eradicate the beetles, but only about half of residents have given permission to have their property treated. Consent forms for 2025 are already being accepted and can be found at agr.wa.gov/beetles.

The department is considering additional legal options, including seeking administrative warrants or an emergency proclamation, to increase the number of treated properties.

State boosts veteran-owned business spending

State agencies increased their purchasing from veteran-owned businesses by 152%, amounting to a $27.5 million increase in 2024, compared to the previous three-year average. 

Washington state is home to 517,447 veterans and 2,544 certified veteran-owned businesses. Washington Department of Veterans Affairs has increased its outreach efforts to find and certify more veteran-owned businesses, resulting in an almost 23% increase over the past three years.

WSU Tri-Cities chancellor’s contract extended

Washington State University Tri-Cities Chancellor Sandra Haynes’ contract has been extended for four more years.

Haynes’ tenure, which began in 2018, has seen research partnerships expand and new facilities constructed all while withstanding enrollment headwinds felt by universities nationwide. 

She saw her campus through the Covid-19 pandemic and has helped deepen its ties with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The university saw its second consecutive year of growth this fall with a 16% increase in new first-year students. 

The campus has also seen major additions under Haynes’ leadership, including the $30 million Collaboration Hall, funded by the Washington Legislature and featuring teaching laboratories and interactive classroom and study areas.  

Looking forward, she said she is excited by opportunities in nuclear research and workforce development, and WSU Tri-Cities will be an important part of decarbonization and environmental justice efforts.

Portland-based paint company acquires competitor

Rodda Paint Co., in partnership with the Cloverdale Group based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, has acquired fellow Portland-based company Miller Paint Co. after several months of negotiations. 

The acquisition will preserve the strengths of each company, said a press release, while improving operational efficiencies and geographic reach. Both companies’ teams are coming together to ensure a smooth transition, and the acquisition is in line with Rodda Paint’s vision for the future.

Both companies have stores in Kennewick.

Sales tax is going up in Kennewick

The sales tax in Kennewick will increase starting April 1 and will be used to maintain and preserve roads and other priority transportations projects of the city.   

The 0.1% tax would add one cent to a $10 purchase on taxable sales in Kennewick. It would raise an estimated $3 million per year. 

The projects supported by the tax will largely focus on pavement preservation and other priority transportation improvements.  

State seeks input on groundwater contamination near Pasco landfill

State officials are seeking feedback from residents about the recent contamination of groundwater during cleanup of the Pasco Landfill. 

The state Department of Ecology oversaw the removal of more than 35,000 drums of industrial waste from Zone A of the landfill in 2022. The contamination happened when chemicals being removed from the soil around where drums were buried were not fully captured by the thermal treatment system. Crews are working to clean up and monitor the contamination. 

Groundwater is not a source of drinking water for residents and businesses, and people are not currently at risk.

Ecology is asking for feedback on the amended enforcement order to address the contamination. The amended order requires the parties responsible for cleanup to increase groundwater monitoring, treat the recent contamination to contain it and protect air quality in nearby buildings. 

Comments will be accepted through Jan. 20, 2025. Go to: bit.ly/3OP0uI8.

Newhouse introduces bill to address BPA workforce retention

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, along with Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, introduced a bill Nov. 26 to address hiring and retention issues at the Bonneville Power Administration. 

The bill, called the Reliability to Ratepayers Act, would give the BPA more flexibility in determining pay so it can compete and retain high quality staff. 

Newhouse says hiring and retention challenges have contributed to a backlog of projects for the agency, potentially affecting the reliability and affordability of power.

Inslee: Washington leads on equitable, inclusive hiring

The outgoing governor recently signed two new executive orders to minimize degree requirements for state jobs and create opportunity for disabled workers. 

One order requires state recruiters to prioritize applicants’ professional work over degrees. Arbitrary degree requirements and experiential requirements that could act as degree requirements are discouraged to allow more capable applicants to apply for state jobs.

Degree requirements are still preserved where required by law, and other necessary requirements related to published state hiring standards.

The order also emphasizes the use of the online recruiting system to improve data collection, develop equity-related qualifications in position descriptions and help with equity training.

The second executive order asks that at least 5% of agencies’ workforce consist of people with disabilities. The order supersedes a previous order, renewing the state’s commitment to hiring people with disabilities after it fell short of the prior order’s goals.

The order also asks agencies to prepare for the accommodation, retention and promotion of these workers.