Monthly Archives: September 2015

U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell announced that South Seattle College and the Washington Department of Labor and Industry have received nearly $10 million in grants through the American Apprenticeship Initiative Grant Program

In an effort to protect Washington’s lakes, rivers, groundwater and Puget Sound, updates are proposed for the water quality permit that regulates discharges from sand and gravel operations. Untreated discharge water from sand and gravel operations may harm fish, aquatic life and water quality

While the rain has been falling off and on recently, Everett, Seattle and Tacoma continue to ask people to reduce water use by 10 percent. The recent rain helped, but it was not enough to return water supplies to normal levels. More rain and continued water reductions by customers are needed to replenish regional water supplies for people and fish.

Council's Select Committee on Affordable Housing will host a Public Hearing Wednesday evening to hear public feedback regarding the proposals recommended by the Housing Affordability and Livability Agenda Advisory Committee. The recommendations include a Commercial Linkage Fee program, a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing program, Housing Levy expansion, backyard cottage regulations, tenant relocation assistance adjustments, and more.

A private contractor working for Clark Public Utilities will replace a 12-inch water line within a section of trail along Salmon Creek Greenway. Construction is expected to begin Tuesday, Sept. 8 and last for up to three weeks

US. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, applauded the U.S. Department of Transportation’s announcement that Felts Field in Spokane will receive a $3.6 million federal grant to construct and rehabilitate taxiways at the airport.

EPA has proposed a rule that revises the current federal Clean Water Act human health water quality criteria applicable to waters under the state of Washington’s jurisdiction. The proposed rule would ensure that the criteria are set at levels that will adequately protect fish consumers in Washington from exposure to toxic pollutants. To protect fish consumers in Washington, including tribes with treaty protected rights, EPA proposes to derive the criteria using a Fish Consumption Rate of 175 g/day. The cancer risk level remains at the currently established 10-6 or one-in-one-million benchmark

People displaced by the wildfires in the 11 counties and four tribal areas noted below, and who earn less than 60% of area median income, can now skip several time-consuming steps when applying for emergency housing in taxcredit apartments in Washington State. They can remain in the housing through December 21 before having to reapply and meet the normal requirements.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded an announcement from the Health Resources and Services Administration that it has awarded nearly $1.9 million in grants to community centers throughout Washington state, including sites in Spokane, Wenatchee, Tacoma, Longview, Yakima, and Seattle. Health centers will use these funds to expand current quality improvement systems and infrastructure, and improve primary care service delivery in the communities they serve. The funding was made possible by the Affordable Care Act