Pollution

91 Stories

Seattle says 'Belltown Hellcat' driver ignored order to quiet ear-splitting car

Seattle is suing the so-called “Belltown Hellcat” driver for allegedly continuing to rev his souped-up racecar’s engine at high volume more than a month after the city ordered him to stop.
Ann Dornfeld
A professor worried no one would read an algae study. So she had it put to music

Professors and students at the University of South Florida mapped pitch, rhythm and duration to data about algae blooms and depletion of coral reefs to create an original composition.
Neda Ulaby
Pollution is problematic for pollinators — and perhaps your produce

Air pollution is making it hard for some Washington state flowers to get pollinated, according to a new study in the journal Science.
John Ryan
Can AI solve Seattle's traffic woes? Google thinks so

The city of Seattle is the first in the U-S to work with Google on a new traffic light system. The effort incorporates
Natalie Akane Newcomb
Rush-hour traffic in Seattle increases blood pressure, but not for the reason you think

It will come as no surprise to anyone who braves I-5 on a weekday at either 8 a.m. or 5 p.m. (or practically any time in between) that your blood pressure tends to increase during sudden slowdowns and bumper-to-bumper backups. But a new study from University of Washington researchers suggests that it’s not just the Tesla changing lanes without using a directional that is causing your heart to pound. Ultrafine particles circulating on and near congested freeways — a toxic mixture of exhaust from tailpipes, brake and tire wear, and road dust — could increase blood pressure and lead to other health problems.
Stephen Howie

John O'Brien
New culverts in Washington state cost $20 million each. The DOT needs to replace 400 of them by 2030

The Washington State Department of Transportation has a lot of very expensive projects it has to manage in order to keep people moving around, and legislators recently got some pretty massive sticker shock for a different project — one that’s aimed at improving the way salmon move around.
Libby Denkmann

Noel Gasca
Want some good news? King County streams are getting healthier

Several 20-year long studies show that King County streams have fewer pollutants compared to previous samples, despite a population boom. In one study, a quarter of sites improved in water quality while only 3% declined in health.
Natalie Akane Newcomb
Tacoma Rail to buy Northwest’s first electric locomotives

Tacoma Rail is replacing two diesel locomotives with battery-powered ones, a first in the Northwest.
John Ryan
Major Walla Walla gas station leak fouling the ground beneath historic Marcus Whitman hotel, federal

The spill’s source isn’t yet known, and more buildings are becoming involved downtown
Anna King
To lid or not to lid: Should I-5 be covered through the heart of Seattle?

Soundside host Libby Denkmann speaks with Seattle's Office of Planning and Community Development urban planner Lyle Bicknell about the proposal to create a lid on top of I-5.
Libby Denkmann

Jason Burrows

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