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Articles written by Bill Lucia


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  • Judge rules BNSF owes Swinomish Tribe $395M

    Bill Lucia, Washington State Standard|Jun 19, 2024

    BNSF Railway Co. must pay the Swinomish tribe $395 million for violating the terms of an agreement that allowed the railroad to run trains across a strip of the tribe's land in northwest Washington, a federal judge ruled Monday. U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik ruled last year against the railroad for trespassing between 2012 and 2021 as it sent trains carrying crude oil from North Dakota through the Swinomish Reservation, en route to refineries near Anacortes. Determining what amount of money...

  • Ban on foam takeout containers in Washington starts June 1

    Bill Lucia, Washington State Standard|Apr 24, 2024

    Those foam clamshell containers long used by restaurants for takeout food will soon be illegal statewide in Washington. Coffee cups, plates, trays and other food and drink carriers made from the same material – known as expanded polystyrene – will also be outlawed. Single-use foam coolers, too. The prohibition on the sale and distribution of these products will take effect June 1 under a law the Legislature approved in 2021. “It’s a big deal,” Heather Trim, executive director of Zero Waste Washington said of the restrictions. “We have had, over...