12/5 Salish Sea News and Weather: Refinery air, Joan Thomas, bag ban, oiled fish, salmon virus, Gateway pipeline, coal port, sea rise plans, state tax talk, B.C. Ferries, buying Birch Bay, LOTT, critical-areas reviews, Ediz Hook, Lofall Creek, nixing holly, Asian ladybugs

Asian Ladybeetle (Scott Terrell)

Skagit Leeks speaks: Clean Samish Initiative Boondoggle Continues to Fleece Taxpayers

North Sound Baykeeper speaks: November Storms and Derelict Fishing Nets
 
U.S. District Judge Marsha Pechman speaks: Washington must restrict greenhouse-gas emissions from the state's five oil refineries and possibly other industries under a federal judge's ruling Friday. State told to cut oil refineries' harmful emissions
 
I’m sad to learn that Joan Thomas, my Puget Sound hero, has died. Joan said to me on the launch of People For Puget Sound 20 years ago: “You need to be everywhere for everyone. That’s impossible but that’s what you have to measure yourself by.” And that was always the measure for me. A gathering will be held at 1 p.m. Dec. 17 in the gymnasium at Saint Edwards State Park, 14445 Juanita Drive N.E., in Kenmore. Joan Thomas, 80, steward of environment

The Seattle City Council holds a public hearing tonight on a proposal to ban plastic carryout bags from grocery and retail stores.  Ban plastic bags in Seattle? Fight heats up

Ashley Ahearn at EarthFix talks to scientist Jim West and Alan Mearns about how petroleum in our marine waters affects fish.  Puget Sound Petroleum Poses Harm To Fish

According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, you can relax. “The government of Canada in collaboration with the province of British Columbia has completed testing all samples related to the suspected infectious-salmon-anemia investigation in B.C. Based on the final results, there are no confirmed cases of the disease in wild or farmed salmon in B.C.,” Con Kiley of CFIA said.  No lethal virus in Pacific salmon, CFIA says

First day’s news: The Gitxsan First Nation announced that it expects to earn at least $7 million in net profits from the equity agreement, which includes financing from Enbridge, proponents of the Northern Gateway pipeline in B.C. Gitxsan First Nation take ownership stake in Northern Gateway   Then, second day’s news: Gitxsan First Nation communities held emergency meetings over the weekend to figure out how to scuttle a Northern Gateway pipeline deal with Enbridge Inc. announced Friday. “There are people here who are very upset. We’re trying to get to the bottom of who gave the go-ahead,” chief Marjorie McRae, the elected leader of a community of about 2,000, said Sunday. Gitxsan First Nation in uproar in wake of support for Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline

Lummi Nation’s Natural Resources Director Merle Jefferson describes how the tribe will pursue a “knowledge-based decision-making process” in reviewing the proposed coal export terminal at Cherry Point. Lummi Nation reviewing proposed deep-water port terminal
 
200-year planning: City engineers and developers are beginning to revise building plans to allow for new projections for higher sea-level rises on the B.C. coast. In Vancouver, the company building a significant development along the Fraser River in the southeast part of the city is planning to raise its land about two-thirds of a metre. Dikes along the river in Richmond are also being planned to go higher. Builders revise plans as higher sea levels predicted
 
Don’t hold your breath: State tax compromise a long way away

Sad celebration of 50th anniversary of B.C. Ferries serving the city of Nanaimo. Deep financial troubles for the ferries leave little goodwill in the city.  B.C. Ferries still struggling

A 231-acre Whatcom County tract near Birch Point has been sold to the same Richmond, B.C.-based investors who bought Birch Bay Water Slides earlier this year. According to realtor Mike Kent, the Birch Point sale demonstrates the recent interest in Whatcom County real estate by Chinese and Chinese-Canadian investors.  B.C. investors buy Birch Bay land

The Lacey-Olympia-Thurston-Tumwater Clean Water Alliance wants to put highly treated wastewater back into the region’s groundwater supply and the Thurston County draft critical-areas ordinance is attempting to address how and where that can be done.  Tough path for LOTT Clean Water Alliance

Right-wing poster child case of man vs. pocket gopher proves to be exception rather than the rule of government and environmental tyranny.  Critical-areas reviews uncommon but costly

Wave erosion and a lack of new sediment feeding the Ediz Hook spit caused bank failure on several hundred feet of the side facing the Strait, so gravel and cobble is being dumped to counteract the erosion. Rocks, gravel spread to slow erosion on Ediz Hook in Port Angeles

Recent water sampling suggests that Lofall Creek may finally be on the mend, along with nearby Jump Off, Vinland and Kinman creeks, thanks to correcting septic tank failures in the watershed.  Waters in Lofall Creek may be on the mend

Bainbridge Weed Warriors take the ax to the red berries and rich green leaves of a holiday favorite. "Holly is one of what we call the despicable six on Bainbridge," said Jeannette Franks, coordinator of the Weed Warriors, referring to a list that includes English ivy and Scotch broom. Bainbridge group hacks holly for the holidays – and for the environment

Have you seen the Asian ladybug? Llody Eighme writes: The Asian ladybeetle (Harmonia axyridis) is imported by the timber industry to help control aphids and other insect pests of trees. They come from China and Japan and were imported and released many times from as early as 1916 in California and later from 1978-85 in Washington state, but apparently did not survive in the new environment. Suddenly, large populations of Asian ladybeetles appeared in Western Washington in 1993. Invasion of the Asian ladybeetles

Now, your tug weather:
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 901 AM PST MON DEC 5 2011
  TODAY
 E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
 TONIGHT
 E WIND 5 TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT IN THE EVENING...THEN SUBSIDING. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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