Articles by Grist staff

Putting Hanford Out of Reach

Pres. Clinton gave federal protection on Friday to the area around the last free-flowing stretch of the Columbia River, called the Hanford Reach, a move aimed at helping recovery of the Pacific salmon. Some 57,000 acres of land along the 47-mile stretch of river will be added to a national wildlife refuge in southern Washington […]

Breach of Trust

In a shift that could transform a fierce environmental debate in the Northwest, federal officials are now saying that endangered salmon could be saved even if four dams on the lower Snake River in Washington state remain in place. Seven months ago, the National Marine Fisheries Service, which directs salmon recovery, said breaching the dams […]

Ranch Undressing

More than $100 million in federal taxpayer subsidies were given last year to ranching operations, many of them run by wealthy hobby ranchers, agribusiness giants, and corporations, according to a nine-month investigation by the San Jose Mercury News. In 17 Western states, livestock grazing is allowed on a total of 254 million acres of national […]

Merchants of Venom

Liberalized international trade rules could make it harder for the U.S. to bar shipments of toxic waste from other countries, according to new reports released by the Asia Pacific Environmental Exchange and the Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund. Under World Trade Organization agreements that provide for the free movement of goods, toxic waste could be […]