A recent federal ruling that sets how much water must spill from and stay behind the lower Snake and some Columbia River dams is garnering mixed reactions from advocates for the infrastructure that supports agriculture, energy and transportation needs across the Pacific Northwest. 

Federal officials are pushing to have more of the hazardous waste at the Hanford site treated by a cheaper and faster method than solidifying it in a glass form at the now operating Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant. 

The Yakima Valley hasn’t experienced four consecutive years of drought since record-keeping began in the late 19th century. That could change this year, as the window closes for snowpack to build across the Cascades.

Bonneville Power Administration officials are feeling more optimistic about the power provider’s finances for 2026 than at this time last year, but still anticipate challenges ahead. 

Nearly $111.8 million in funding from the state’s Climate Commitment Act was spent in Benton and Franklin counties during the 2025 fiscal year, according to state-provided data. 

A recycler of everything from construction and demolition materials to organic and electronic waste will avoid millions of dollars in penalties by improving tracking of its operations and taking efforts to avoid collecting non-recyclable trash via its collection sites. 

The federal government may have pulled out of an agreement that could have led to removal of the four Lower Snake River dams, but the state continues to evaluate how their removal in the future could impact transportation networks. 

The Washington State Public Works Board will provide the city of Richland $500,000 to pay for a portion of the cost of essential upgrades at the city’s wastewater treatment plant. 

Federal energy regulators on Jan. 29 greenlit a roughly $2 billion renewable energy megaproject on a Yakama Nation sacred site overlooking the Columbia River in Klickitat County.

Residents in the Lower Yakima Valley whose wells may have been polluted by nitrates have access to free testing and water filters, thanks to a Washington nonprofit.