RockyBarker's blog

More than 250 people show up to testify about nuclear plant in Payette

Rocky Barker — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:43:23 -0500

Don Gillispie and his quest to build a nuclear power somewhere in Idaho or the West got a couple of boosts this week.

More than 250 people showed up for the second time in two years in Payette to speak about a nuclear power plant in their county. Both Gillispie and nuclear opponent Andrea Shipley, executive director of the Snake River Alliance, agreed that he had more supporters than opponents in the room.

Redden asks federal attorneys why they withhold documents that support their science case

Rocky Barker — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:50:48 -0500

U.S. District Judge James Redden has choreographed his Portland hearing Monday on the Obama administration’s salmon and dam plan right down to the introductions.

You might remember that Redden changed the date of the hearing so Jane Lubchenco, administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration could be there. Hearings like this don’t have testimony so there is no obvious way for her to interact with the judge. But

Fight over mine and salmon gives me indigestion

Rocky Barker — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:18:39 -0500

Would you like some whine with that salmon?

That’s what you will get from both sides of a debate over the building of a copper, gold and molybdenum mine in the mountains of Alaska above Bristol Bay’s rich, productive salmon fisheries. Several Seattle restaurants are serving up a warning about the Pebble Mine along with their wild salmon dinners in a program offered up by Trout Unlimited.

Politics and science in the slickspot peppergrass decision

Rocky Barker — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:33:48 -0500

The fight over the slickspot peppergrass underscores the challenge for managing the Endangered Species Act in the 21st Century.

Scientists concluded that grazing on public lands is low on the list of threats to the annual flowering bush that grows in wet areas of Southwest Idaho’s sagebrush steppe desert. Yet its listing will have more impact on ranchers on public lands than any other group.

Redden raises new concern in salmon-dam case

Rocky Barker — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:52:21 -0500

U.S. District Judge James Redden wrote a letter Thursday that set the stage for his hearing Nov. 23 on the federal government’s biological opinion on the Columbia and Snake River dams.

The opinion is the federal government’s 10-year plan for operating the federal dams an the other measures it plans to take to offset the dams’ impact on 13 stocks of endangered salmon and steelhead in the Columbia watershed, a area larger than France. Oregon, environmentalists, fishermen, fishing businesses and the Nez Perce tribe have challenged the plan and earlier plans since 2001 in court.

New fish tissue study shows widespread mercury contamination

Rocky Barker — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:07:57 -0500

Mercury contamination in lakes is not just an Idaho problem, it’s a national and probably an international problem.

That’s not news but a new report underscores how the pervasive pollutant, which Nevada gold mines and an Oregon concrete plant are sending to Idaho through the sky, is presenting a threat to the health of children.

New Boise venture capital firm focuses on renewable energy

Rocky Barker — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:56:25 -0500

The Obama Administration’s stimulus package has pumped millions of dollars into Idaho’s struggling economy and energy development is one of the areas that has benefited.

Micron Technology got $5 million to help jump start its efforts to move into light emitting diode manufacturing, which may get it in on the ground floor of a huge new energy efficient lighting technology. Amalgamated Sugar and Simplot got feasibility studies dollars to look into co-generation and energy efficiency programs that will improve their bottom lines.

Jarvis taps Idaho's Machlis to serve as parks science director

Rocky Barker — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:10:39 -0500

National Park Service director Jon Jarvis didn’t wait long to reach into his Idaho roots.

Jarvis, who served as superintendent of Craters of the Moon National Monument, picked the University of Idaho’s Gary Machlis to serve as the first National Park Service science advisor. Machlis, a professor of conservation at the university has a distinguished career of research and teaching that has already had a major influence on conservation nationwide.

Jarvis taps Idaho's Machlis to serve as parks science director

Rocky Barker — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:49:16 -0500

National Park Service director Jon Jarvis didn’t wait long to reach into his Idaho roots.

Will Idaho Power shut down some of its coal plants in the next 20 years?

Rocky Barker — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:43:53 -0500

I sat through Idaho Power’s Integrated Resource Planning meeting last week. That is where the utility lays out its future plans to a group of customers, environmental advocates and Idaho Public Utility Commission staff for their comments. The idea is the company gets feedback for its plans to build or buy power generation for the next 20 years.