History for Chron

Four Northwest utilities asked a federal judge to issue an order to resume work on Washington Public Power Supply System’s stalled nuclear power plant.

Lawyers representing the utilities, which included Washington Water Power Co., warned that unless work resumed on the No. 3 plant at Satsop, the project could be terminated that the project faced termination.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Bilby said the resumption of work depended on whether public utility rate payers, or their private counterparts, would be hurt the most.

Work halted earlier this year on the plant, which was three-quarters complete at the time. The stoppage came after the WPPSS failed to obtain a $1 billion loan to finish the work.

Protesters picketed outside the Spokane County Courthouse against a ruling by Superior Court Judge John J. Ripple, who ruled against a divorced man who suffered a broken leg.

Ripple earlier ruled for the ex-wife of 35-year-old Bill Gardella, saying: He “is the horse we all have to beat on because he’s the one that’s going to provide the money for this situation.”