9/3 B'ham Bay cleanup, Skagit climate, Qwuloolt estuary, sewage spills & treatment, Laura James

Snail on Echinacea (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: ‘Still on the theme of “little things“, I noticed this tiny snail – about the size of my little fingernail – when I stopped to photograph our Echinacea (purple coneflowers) the other day. Since the flower heads are two and a half feet off the ground, I had to wonder how that little snail dragged his shell all the way up there? Not to mention, why? It must have been quite the expedition!’  Slow but Adventurous  

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The cleanup strategy planned for an old city dump at the edge of Bellingham Bay should keep pollutants out of the water and away from people, if port and state officials are correct in their assessment of the situation. That assessment is supported by a 1,400-page analysis prepared by the port's consultants. The document summarizes the findings from extensive sampling of soil and water at the 16-acre site and adjacent tidelands, and estimates the costs and benefits of alternative cleanup strategies for making the property suitable for a new life as a city park.  It is no simple task. Among other things, the $9.1 million cleanup project will need to cover up about 100 feet of shoreline where erosion has exposed city rubbish dumped and buried there in the 1950s and 1960s. It also will need to cover and contain the accumulation of trash farther inland, sealing it off to prevent rainwater from seeping in and carrying pollutants to the surface or into the water. John Stark reports. Cleanup plan for waterfront dump designed to seal off toxins

As more carbon is pumped into the atmosphere, temperatures will rise, and the Pacific Northwest will feel the impact for generations. A diverse group of Skagit County policymakers met Thursday to talk with a White House official about how they are preparing for the effects of climate change. Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley is traveling around the country to hear community concerns about climate change. U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) joined her Thursday to hear local concerns. Kate Martin reports. White House official visits Mount Vernon to discuss climate change concerns

The effort to restore a large part of the original Snohomish River Delta estuary near Marysville has been slow and painstaking, but for those working on the project, the reward is in sight. Crews recently began building a new earthen dike along the western edge of 360 acres of former marshland. That new dike will allow another, older dike to be breached so saltwater can flood the area at high tide for the first time in decades. Bill Sheets reports. Fish, birds and native plants eventually will return to Qwuloolt estuary

Some Everett-area beaches have re-opened after new test results show water have returned to normal following Thursday's flooding of several sewage systems. Langus Park, Rotary Park and Jetty Island beaches are now open for swimming, but Howarth Park and Pigeon Creek Park continue to be closed. Water samples were taken Saturday and the results should be available Sunday. Thursday’s storms caused big problems for sewer systems around Western Washington.  In Everett, storm drains were overrun and potentially contaminated water ended up in the Snohomish River and, eventually, Puget Sound. Amy Moreno reports. Some Everett beaches re-open after bacteria closures  

A startup company based in Vancouver, Washington is looking to upend the sewage treatment business. There are literally dozens of small Northwest cities wringing their hands, trying to figure out how to add treatment capacity for growth, or simply update aging and failing infrastructure. This startup, named Blue Array, proposes to give interested cities and their ratepayers a treatment system for free with a service contract. You probably don't think much about what happens after you brush or flush until you're staring a huge sewer bill increase in the face. This happened to the small southwest Washington town of Vader. Tom Banse reports. Startup with New Business Model Pitches Cheaper Sewage Treatment

A Western Washington woman turns her passion for scuba diving into an opportunity to teach others about the environment. Laura James is a regular diver near Seattle's Alki beach and believes the waters of Puget Sound contain a dirty secret that most people aren’t aware of.  “You look on the beach and it doesn't look messy, so you don't think there would be trash under water,” she explained. Amy Moreno reports. Diver sheds light on Puget Sound's underwater trash

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE SEP 3 2013
TODAY
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 KT...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. N SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

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