Water Damage Restoration in Spokane, WA

A representative says the United States Department of Energy has approved the transportation route to travel through Spokane.

SPOKANE, Wash. — A spokesperson from the Hanford Nuclear Site said on Thursday morning that radioactive waste from the Hanford Nuclear Site will travel through Spokane in 2025.

The site communications representative did not confirm specific route information but said that the Washington Ecology Department wrote a letter to Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown confirming that the transportation route would go through Spokane.

In September, Mayor Brown wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Action and the State of Washington opposing the plan that "could send millions of gallons of hazardous waste through the City of Spokane."

The city said hazardous waste would be shipped through Spokane from the Hanford Nuclear Site to Andrews, Texas and Clive, Utah in liquid form inside government-regulated totes.

"It is the mayor’s understanding that should an initial transport of 2,000 gallons be successful, these agencies plan to transport millions more gallons of hazardous liquid waste through Spokane by rail or truck," the city said in a press release sent to KREM 2 in September.

The U.S. Department of Ecology sent a letter to Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown responding to the letter she sent to them a few weeks ago. In the letter the Department of Ecology explained the first 2000 gallons is the only waste that is set to be transported through Spokane. In the letter, the Department of Ecology said, "There has been a misunderstanding about the shipment of treated waste and a conflation between a research and development project and long-term cleanup plans, which have yet to be determined."

The extra waste that Mayor Brown was speaking of is also from the Hanford site. The Department of Ecology says the work to move the waste will start no earlier than 2028. The treated waste will be grouted, either at the Hanford site or another location, then ultimately disposed of offsite. The letter goes on to say, "At this time, Energy has not made a decision on where to grout the waste from the 22 tanks, nor has Energy determined potential routes to transport the waste from Washington to disposal sites in Texas and/or Utah."

The Hanford communications representative says the waste is treated, low-level waste and will be transported in Washington State Department of Transportation-approved containers in two 1,000-gallon shipments.

In a fact sheet provided by the Hanford site, they say more than 2 billion tons of hazardous waste is safely transported around the U.S. each year.

The sheet also says that in the case of a severe accident, the highest potential radiation exposure for an individual would be less than that received from a single abdominal x-ray.

The Spokane County Elections Office says voters can visit the centers to drop off their ballots, ask questions and resolve issues related to ballots.

SPOKANE, Wash. — With Election Day around the corner, the Spokane County Elections Office and Elections Auditor Vicky Dalton are making preparations by opening two Voter Service Centers.

"In the past, during general elections, we have seen people back into each other and nearly back over people," said Dalton.

Elections Manager Mike McLaughlin says the parking lot of the Elections Office poses several risks, thanks to its past as an old warehouse.

"Backing in and going forward is not like a traditional parking lot where it is easy to pull in and out," said McLaughlin.

With the expected crowds, the Spokane County Elections Office has opened two Voter Service Centers to provide additional support.

The centers are located at Eastern Washington University's Catalyst Building in downtown Spokane and at the CenterPlace Regional Event Center in Spokane Valley.

Voters can visit these sites in person to register to vote, obtain replacement ballots, cure signature challenges and drop off ballots.

"Both of these sites have great parking lots, great areas for the voters and for the staff to assist the voters," said Dalton.

Dalton says voters who want to drop off their ballots in person can bring the ballots that they received in the mail to these locations.

"It will be faster and less expensive. Because every time we have to reissue a ballot, that is taxpayer dollars," said Dalton.

But if voters need a replacement ballot, McLaughlin says there are still options.

"There's two options, you can go to one of the voter service centers, or you can go to our website and press print."

McLaughlin says the County Elections Office has already received hundreds of thousands of ballots and expects to continue to be busy in the final stretch of election season.

"200,00 ballots so far, and we expect another 100,000 in the next couple of days," said McLaughlin.

Both voting centers will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4, and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.

Dalton and McLaughlin encourage voters not to procrastinate and to plan for big crowds and long lines on Election Day.

There are two Voter Service Centers that voters can visit to drop off their ballots, ask questions and resolve any issues related to ballots.

SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane County Elections Office is asking voters to visit Voter Service Centers for any voter assistance and to cast ballots.

The Elections Office says parking and lobby space at the Elections Office building is insufficient to handle the expected crowds on Monday, Nov. 4, and on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5. The office warns that wait times will be excessive and busy parking lots may increase risks for car damage for those choosing to visit.

As an alternative, the Elections Office will have two additional service sites.

The Voter Service Centers are located at the Eastern Washington University Catalyst Building in Room 309 in the downtown area and at the CenterPlace Regional Event Center in the Spokane Valley.

Voters can visit these sites in person to register to vote, obtain replacement ballots, cure signature challenges, and drop off ballots.

Both voting centers will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 4, and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.

The CenterPlace Regional Event Center will also be open on Saturday, Nov. 2, and Sunday, Nov. 3 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Drop Boxes:

Official white drop boxes are open 24 hours a day until Election Day. Boxes will close and lock promptly at 8 p.m. Anyone in line at 8 p.m. will have their ballot accepted but ballots after that time cannot be counted.

Ballot replacement:

Replacement ballots can no longer be received by mail.

Beginning on Saturday, Nov. 2, the Elections Office recommends that if a voter has not received a ballot and cannot visit a Voter Service Center in person to receive a replacement ballot, they can sign into VoteWA.gov to print a replacement ballot.

Voters must use their own envelope and the full ballot packet must be postmarked by Election Day if mailed or dropped off in an official ballot drop box by 8 p.m.

Phone:

Voters can call the County Elections Office at 509-477-2320 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday through Monday and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.

The Elections Office says they expect phone lines to be busy throughout the days leading up to Election Day and on Election Day. Calls will be answered in the order received.

What is the best internet provider in Spokane?

CNET's top option for the best internet service provider in Spokane is Quantum Fiber. There are plenty of fiber internet options in Spokane, but Quantum Fiber is the top choice thanks to of speed, fair prices, and a bill that won't automatically shoot up in a year or two. Although there are only three plans on offer, the lack of data caps, contracts and equipment costs makes Quantum Fiber the best pick.

If you want the cheapest internet in Spokane, it'll be Xfinity, which offers 150Mbps for just $20 a month. All Xfinity plans increase in price after one or two years, but they offer great value during the promotional period. If you don't want to worry about your bill dramatically increasing, T-Mobile Home Internet offers a price-lock guarantee on its single $50 monthly plan. Most households will be able to get by fine with the speed it offers.

Best internet in Spokane, Washington

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Spokane

The best internet deals and the top promotions in Spokane depend on what discounts are available during that time. Most deals are short-lived, but we look frequently for the latest offers.

Spokane internet providers such as Xfinity may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming add-ons for a limited time. Many, including Quantum Fiber, T-Mobile and Verizon, run the same standard pricing year-round.

For a more extensive list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What’s a good internet speed?

Most internet connection plans can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you're looking for an internet plan that can accommodate videoconferencing, streaming video or gaming, you'll have a better experience with a more robust connection. Here's an overview of the recommended minimum download speeds for various applications, according to the Federal Communications Commission. Note that these are only guidelines and that internet speed, service and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, refer to our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

How CNET chose the best internet providers in Spokane

Internet service providers are numerous and regional. Unlike the latest smartphone, laptop, router or kitchen tool, it’s impractical to personally test every ISP in a given city. What’s our approach? We start by researching the pricing, availability and speed information drawing on our own historical ISP data, the provider sites and mapping information from the Federal Communications Commission at FCC.gov.

It doesn’t end there: We go to the FCC’s website to check our data and ensure we consider every ISP that provides service in an area. We also input local addresses on provider websites to find specific options for residents. We look at sources, including the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power, to evaluate how happy customers are with an ISP’s service. ISP plans and prices are subject to frequent changes; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once we have this localized information, we ask three main questions:

The answer to those questions is often layered and complex, the providers who come closest to “yes” on all three are the ones we recommend. When selecting the cheapest internet service, we look for the plans with the lowest monthly fee, although we also factor in things like price increases, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively straightforward. We look at advertised upload and download speeds and consider real-world speed data from sources like Ookla and FCC reports. (Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET, Ziff Davis.)

Internet providers in Spokane FAQs