Balancing Power Costs and Fisheries Values Under the Northwest Power Act

In addressing the anadromous fisheries resource affected by hydroelectric facilities in the Columbia River Basin, Congress directed that the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council (Council) balance the values of this resource with the need for an economical electric power supply. The central thesis of this Article is that Congress, in the Northwest Power Act, required that appropriate mitigation measures for the fisheries resource shall be determined by balancing the fisheries values that would be achieved against the costs that would be incurred by electric power consumers. While some commentators have urged that an appropriate balancing does not require such weighing of values and costs, in our view, it is mandatory as a matter of law under the Northwest Power Act. This is clear from the plain language of the statute and from the only reasonable interpretation of the relevant legislative history. Moreover, the Pacific Northwest\u27s declining energy surplus and a generally stabilized fishery in the Columbia River system dictate, as a matter of prudent public policy, a more careful and objective evaluation of the fisheries values to be achieved with the region\u27s increasingly scarce ratepayer dollars. The historical background of the Northwest Power Act places the relevant power and fish interests in the proper context

Regional Planning and Local Autonomy in Washington Zoning Law

The rapid urbanization of large areas of Washington call for effective land use planning and zoning. At present, regional and state land use plans are implemented, if at all, only by the grace of local zoning officials. This comment discusses the means available for adjusting the relationships between local zoning officials and extra-municipal planners so as to preserve local autonomy without destroying the effectiveness of state and regional plans. The authors conclude that the adoption of portions of the Model Land Development Code would accomplish this result

Balancing Power Costs and Fisheries Values Under the Northwest Power Act

In addressing the anadromous fisheries resource affected by hydroelectric facilities in the Columbia River Basin, Congress directed that the Pacific Northwest Electric Power and Conservation Planning Council (Council) balance the values of this resource with the need for an economical electric power supply. The central thesis of this Article is that Congress, in the Northwest Power Act, required that appropriate mitigation measures for the fisheries resource shall be determined by balancing the fisheries values that would be achieved against the costs that would be incurred by electric power consumers. While some commentators have urged that an appropriate balancing does not require such weighing of values and costs, in our view, it is mandatory as a matter of law under the Northwest Power Act. This is clear from the plain language of the statute and from the only reasonable interpretation of the relevant legislative history. Moreover, the Pacific Northwest\u27s declining energy surplus and a generally stabilized fishery in the Columbia River system dictate, as a matter of prudent public policy, a more careful and objective evaluation of the fisheries values to be achieved with the region\u27s increasingly scarce ratepayer dollars. The historical background of the Northwest Power Act places the relevant power and fish interests in the proper context

Outbreak of tularaemia in central Norway, January to March 2011

From January to March 2011, 39 cases of tularaemia were diagnosed in three counties in central Norway: 21 cases of oropharyngeal type, 10 cases of glandular/ulceroglandular type, two of respiratory and two of typhoid type. Three cases were asymptomatic and clinical information was unavailable for one case. The mean age was 40.3 years (range 2-89 years). Thirty-four reported use of drinking water from private wells. An increased rodent (lemming) population and snow melting may have led to contamination of the wells with infected rodents or rodent excreta

Clinical Features of and Risk Factors for Fatal Ebola Virus Disease, Moyamba District, Sierra Leone, December 2014–February 2015

The 2013–2016 outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa infected >28,000 people, including >11,000 who died, and disrupted social life in the region. We retrospectively studied clinical signs and symptoms and risk factors for fatal outcome among 31 Ebola virus–positive patients admitted to the Ebola Treatment Center in Moyamba District, Sierra Leone. We found a higher rate of bleeding manifestations than reported elsewhere during the outbreak. Significant predictors for death were shorter time from symptom onset to admission, male sex, high viral load on initial laboratory testing, severe pain, diarrhea, bloody feces, and development of other bleeding manifestations during hospitalization. These risk factors for death could be used to identify patients in need of more intensive medical support. The lack of fever in as many as one third of EVD cases may have implications for temperature-screening practices and case definitions