"BILLINGS, Mont. -- Opponents of a railroad that would open Montana's coal fields to new mining have asked federal officials to halt their review of the proposal, alleging it would be much larger than disclosed with impacts stretching to the West Coast."

"A mysterious new virus on the West Coast is believed to be causing fatal brain cancer in raccoons -- an alarming sign given the animals' frequent interactions with humans and the fact that tumors of any type were previously rarely found in the animals."

"Any food sold in Washington state and made with genetically engineered crops would have to be labeled under a ballot initiative submitted Thursday."

"GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- A companion agreement to a historic deal to remove four dams from the Klamath River has been renewed, giving supporters another two years to try to get Congress to pay for the work, officials said Monday."

"PASCO, Wash. -- While proposals to turn green-leaning Washington state into a major exporter of coal to China have caused an uproar in coastal communities, the heated debate is largely absent from other places along the industry's expected trade route to Asia."

"SEATTLE — As regulators in the region weigh the potential impacts of trains full of coal moving along the Columbia River and the shores of Puget Sound, trainloads of oil are quietly on the move."

Shell Oil and federal regulators have been tight-lipped about a failed test of the energy giant's Arctic oil-spill equipment, currently under construction in Washington state. But a freedom-of-information request by KUOW reveals what went wrong beneath the surface of Puget Sound. [29]

"HAPPY CAMP, Calif. -- Weather officials are issuing flood warnings for much of Northern California as the second in a series of wet storms hits the state."

"A series of drenching, powerful storms is lining up from the Pacific Ocean and will roll onshore in the West Coast through the weekend."

"Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) ordered state agencies on Tuesday to take steps to address the ocean’s increasing acidity, making it the first state to adopt a policy to take on what scientists describe as a growing environmental concern."