8/31 BP penalty, Kitsap restoration, stormwater rules, BC First Nations vs Kinder Morgan, Shell drilling

Blunden Harbor (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride writes in Eye on Environment: Blunden Harbour forms a welcome haven on a long stretch of open, exposed coastline on the east side of Queen Charlotte Strait. Inside are extensive intertidal mudflats along with a huge tidal lagoon, a number of streams and miles of protected shoreline..." Blunden Harbour: So Little Remains  

Thoughts at the end of August-- Salish Sea Communications blog: "The Republican presidential nominee asked me last night whether I was better off now than I was four years ago. Here’s my answer:..." Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago?  

The Washington Department of Labor & Industries has cited the BP Cherry Point refinery for six safety violations stemming from the agency's inspection of the facility after a Feb. 17 fire. The state agency is proposing fines totaling $81,500 for the alleged violations, including one that the agency characterized as a "willful violation."  State safety agency fines BP in wake of refinery fire  

Work began Monday on the Powel Shoreline Restoration Project, a joint effort of the family, the Puget Sound Partnership and the Bainbridge Island Land Trust, aimed at improving nearshore habitat for salmon, forage fish and other marine species. Beyond its immediate ecological impact, environmental groups see the Powel project as an example of landowners taking the lead on habitat restoration. Tad Sooter reports.
Bainbridge project seen as model for shoreline restoration    See also: Bulkhead removal at CK park will test habitat change  

State environmental officials will start enforcing stricter rules to protect Western Washington's waters, and some municipalities are resisting the change. The chairwoman of Birch Bay's Steering Committee was troubled to learn that the community had just been added to the permit list, but county officials said they will not appeal the decision. The new rules, including more water-quality monitoring and more reporting, add a cost burden, Ferndale officials said. The city might join a coalition appealing the new stormwater permit.  Whatcom communities brace for tighter, costlier stormwater regulations  

Keep your eyes on the Burrard Inlet this weekend. The Tsleil-Waututh Nation, which has traditional territory in Burnaby, is co-hosting a historic canoe journey with the Squamish Nation to protect the Salish Sea and stand against Kinder Morgan's pipeline expansion project. Jennifer Moreau reports. First Nations band together against Kinder Morgan  

U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on Thursday made a surprise announcement that the government will allow Shell Oil Co. to begin well work in the Chukchi Sea this year even before its oil spill containment barge is ready.  Salazar told reporters in a news briefing that the newly approved work will involve drilling 1,400 feet or more into the sea floor but that the hole will not reach any oil-bearing zones. So the chance of a spill is virtually nonexistent at this stage, he said.  Shell gets OK to start drilling preparations in Alaska's Chukchi Sea

Now, your Labor/Labour Day weekend weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI AUG 31 2012
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
SAT
SW WIND 10 KT BECOMING NW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 20 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 3 FT.
SUN AND SUN NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. SW SWELL 3 FT.
MON AND TUE
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to: msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.  

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told