Cleaning water before it reaches our taps often involves adding chlorine to kill harmful algae. But algae have a clever trick—they wrap themselves in sticky layers called extracellular polymeric substances, or EPS. These layers act like shields, protecting the algae from chlorine’s effects. Scientis
Portland’s latest council vote to extend paid parking hours has sparked a lively debate. Residents are split between those who see the change as a necessary step toward fairness and others worried about rising costs for diners. The city’s parking policy has long been a point of contention, especiall
Energy projects across the United States can move faster if the rules for getting permits are made simpler and more reliable. Even when politics is heated, many lawmakers agree that better permitting would help build new power plants and offshore wind farms. If the current Congress acts before its t
Energy companies are investing heavily in natural gas power plants, betting they’ll stay profitable for decades. But here’s the catch—renewable energy is getting cheaper by the year, and soon, running a new gas plant might cost more than powering it. Gas plants once looked like a smart upgrade from
Portland is famous for its parks, trees, and rivers, but a hidden problem lurks in the Willamette River. A 10‑mile stretch near the harbor has been listed as a Superfund site since 2000, meaning it is heavily polluted from past industrial use. The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set
Cleaning up polluted land isn’t just about digging and dumping. It’s about understanding what’s happening underground and making smart choices fast. For years, experts have relied on site models—basically educated guesses—to decide how to remove harmful vapors from soil and groundwater. These models
Portland still brags about being a city where art and small businesses thrive. But the places that once made it special are disappearing—not all at once, but one by one, like ice melting in spring. Rents are skyrocketing, forcing artists, writers, and shop owners to work extra jobs just to scrape by
Portland’s Mother’s Day weekend is shaping up to be a calm one. The forecast calls for soft breezes and partly sunny skies, with temperatures hovering around the low 70s during the day and dropping to near 50 at night. The air will feel gentle, moving at about 5 to 7 miles per hour from the north-no
Portland will enjoy a warm, mostly clear Saturday with temperatures climbing to 79 degrees and gentle breezes. The evening will stay partly cloudy, dropping to about 54 degrees. On Sunday, the holiday itself will bring a cloudier sky but still warm days. Highs hover near 74 degrees and the wind sta
Cleaning wastewater efficiently is tricky, especially when dealing with low levels of ammonia. Traditional methods struggle because harmful bacteria called nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) keep growing and messing up the process. This new approach flips the script by using a smarter loading strategy
