"SPOKANE — Three environmental groups sued a state agency Thursday over the effects of the Northwest’s only commercial nuclear power plant on the water quality of the Columbia River.

The Northwest Environmental Defense Center, Northwest Environmental Advocates and Columbia Riverkeeper filed the lawsuit in Thurston County Superior Court against the Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council.

The council in 2006 issued the water pollution permit for Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station, which is on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. The station uses 20 million gallons of water from the river every day to cool the nuclear reactor."

Nicholas K. Geranios reports for the Associated Press October 30, 2014. [2]