Cantwell holds fentanyl roundtable as WA becomes overdose epicenter
Why is Washington the epicenter of the fentanyl crisis? U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell posed the question at a Seattle roundtable she convened Monday about the deadly drug, where speakers talked about innovations happening locally and the challenges that lay ahead. The senator pointed to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers showing the state had the biggest increase in the nation — more than 21% — in fatal overdoses reported between February 2022 and February 2023. It might seem obvious that a crisis is at hand, but Congress has not yet officially labeled fentanyl’s carnage that way. “Let’s get that done,” Cantwell told roundtable participants, including Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, the city’s police and fire chiefs, Evergreen Treatment Services CEO Steve Woolworth, University of Washington researcher Caleb Banta-Green, and a mother who lost her 20-year-old son after he bought what he thought was a painkiller that turned out to contain fentanyl. A congressionally declared crisis would help get support from federal agencies, including needed leeway on Medicaid reimbursement for treatment, Cantwell said after the roundtable, one of a series held around the state. She is working on a bill with two of her colleagues to that effect. Continue reading at Seattle Times. (Ellen M. Banner)

Washington declares drought emergency in 12 counties
With much of Washington parched from a warm and dry spring, state officials on Monday announced a drought emergency for watersheds in a dozen counties. Farmers, fish, and household water customers are all facing difficulties, according to the Department of Ecology. This follows a May and June that Ecology says were the fourth warmest and 11th driest since 1895. The conditions left the mountain snowpack diminished as summer arrived. Counties with watersheds affected by the drought emergency are spread around the state. They include: Benton, Clallam, Columbia, Jefferson, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Skagit, Snohomish, Walla Walla, Whatcom, and Yakima. “Climate change is making warm, dry summers more frequent, and droughts more severe,” Ria Berns, manager of Ecology’s Water Resources program, said in a statement. “What we’re seeing this year is likely a sign of things to come.” Continue reading at WA State Standard. (Creative Commons Attribution)

Groups plan to sue to remove Snake River dams over hot water troubles for salmon
Several conservation and fishing groups say the Snake River dams are making the river too hot for sockeye salmon. Now, they’re planning to sue the federal government to remove the dams. But dam advocates say the move will make climate change – and hot waters – worse. When water temperatures spike above 68 degrees, adult salmon start to run into real trouble. In 2015, extremely high water temperatures and low river flows became a disastrous combination for adult salmon migrating to spawning grounds. That summer was supposed to be a banner year for salmon. Instead, nearly 99% of the run died before reaching Idaho’s Sawtooth Valley. Salmon advocates worried the year was a harbinger of the future with climate change. Continue reading at KUOW.