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A timeline of the Wasden/DOE negotiations, plus DOE’s response to the impasse
By Melissa Davlin and Aaron Kunz, Idaho Public Television Overwhelmed by the complexities of the INL negotiations? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered. Earlier this week, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden’s office released copies of the written communication between him and Department of Energy officials concerning a proposal to bring in 50 spent fuel rods for…
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The Life And Death of the INL Negotiations
By Melissa Davlin, Idaho Public Television At what point did negotiations between Attorney General Lawrence Wasden and the Department of Energy break down? Last week, the DOE informed Wasden that it would not send the first of two shipments of spent nuclear fuel rods to Idaho National Laboratory for research and development. The announcement is…
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INL not receiving first of two fuel rod shipments. So what now?
By Seth Ogilvie and Melissa Davlin Today, the Associated Press reports the Idaho National Laboratory will not receive the first of two scheduled shipments of spent nuclear fuel rods for research. The announcement is the latest in an ongoing saga involving waste clean-up and nuclear research and development at the eastern Idaho site. Last week, Idaho…
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Idaho Reports web extra: Full interview with DOE’s John Kotek, plus link to show
Idaho Reports initially planned to interview John Kotek for about 15 minutes for our October 16 show. But Kotek — Acting Assistant Deputy for the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy, and the Obama administration’s nominee to take over full time in that position — had more interesting things to say than we could…
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Idaho Reports web extras for Oct. 9: Extended Labrador interview, plus some punditry on taxes
Once again, we had too much content and not enough show for our Oct. 9 episode of Idaho Reports. Here is the extended interview with Congressman Raul Labrador, taped Sept. 9 in his Washington DC office. And here, pundits Bill Dentzer of the Idaho Statesman, Betsy Russell of the Spokesman-Review, and Dr. Jim Weatherby discuss…
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Clean Water Act rule on navigable waters put on hold nationwide
On Friday, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a nationwide stay on the controversial Environmental Protection Agency rule that redefined which waters need pollution discharge permits through the Clean Water Act. Read the ruling here. Last week, Idaho Reports covered the rule, why it’s controversial, and Idaho’s role in a lawsuit challenging its implementation. (You…
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No clear answer on whether racist robocalls violate Sunshine Laws
A racist robocall is hijacking the discussion surrounding Sandpoint’s mayoral race, but no one has publicly claimed responsibility for the ad — and that might be at odds with the state’s campaign finance laws. The Sandpoint Reader reports the robocall went out earlier this week. In the call, a voice mocks candidate Shelby Rognstad’s name…
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Clean Water Act lawsuit: Federal overreach, or clarification of the same old rule?
Idahoans can agree on one thing: Clean water and access to it are vitally important. But the details on how to maintain that clean water are causing disagreements, different interpretations, and multiple lawsuits involving a new rule through the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Water Act. The rule is complex, but in a nutshell, it’s an…
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A running tally of Idaho open meeting law violation accusations
There have been quite a few accusations of government entities big and small violating Idaho’s open meeting laws recently. That’s not a trend journalists like to see. So I’m keeping a running tally of such accusations throughout the state, starting retroactively in September. I’ll update with new stories when I see a link. Is there…
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Otter, legislature sue over sage grouse plan, land use restrictions
The sage grouse fight isn’t done. Governor Otter’s office announced today that it is joining with the Idaho Legislature to file a lawsuit challenging the federal government’s sage grouse plan and the new land use rules it implements. There are plenty of people on-board with the lawsuit: House Speaker Scott Bedke, Senate President Pro Tem…
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Labrador hinted at House Speaker change goal earlier this month; Simpson releases statement praising Boehner
Earlier this month, Idaho Reports spoke to Congressman Raul Labrador in his Washington DC office. On the list of topics: His thoughts on House leadership. In the interview, Labrador reiterated his displeasure with House Speaker John Boehner, and gave a hint at what was to to come. Labrador said while he voted for Boehner as…
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Otter, Risch, Crapo, Labrador, Simpson issue statements on sage grouse decision
Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter, Rep. Raul Labrador, Rep. Mike Simpson, Sen. Jim Risch and Sen. Mike Crapo have issued statements on today’s announcement that the sage grouse won’t be listed as an endangered species. The common thread: Skepticism. On a related note, we talked to all four members of Idaho’s congressional delegation about land management and more…