11/26 Coal spill, ocean acid, Cherry Pt., humpback!, transients!, BC LNG, maritime $s, WSF LNG

PHOTO: Laurie MacBride

If you like to watch: Moving Forward in the Fog
Laurie MacBride in Eye On Environment writes: "Travelling along on a foggy fall morning, the closest reference points are clear enough. But naturally, as you cast your eyes further ahead, the sharpness diminishes and the landmarks get less and less visible. It’s not unlike how one’s own life can feel at times. So perhaps it’s helpful to remember that as you move forward through the fog, those distant points that are eluding you right now will each, slowly and in turn, come into focus: one tree, one fence post, one morning at a time."

No coal spilled following train derailment in B.C.: TSB
The Transportation Safety Board says there were no spills when a train loaded with coal derailed Monday near Windermere. TSB spokeswoman Julie Leroux said Tuesday that an investigator remains at the site, but at this point there are no reports of spills or injuries. She said northbound Canadian Pacific Railway train derailed Monday morning sending 19 cars carrying coal off the track. She said all the cars were upright, and the agency was not concerned about environmental damage. Rail safety has come into question in recent months after 47 people died this summer when a train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded in Quebec.

If you like to listen: Report from the Climate Change Front – State Senator Kevin Ranker at the NW Straits Conference
From the Northwest Straits Initiative annual conference, an edifying earful from the state senator from the San Juan Islands who has been instrumental in providing support with funding and legislation to scientific research and policy guidance on ocean acidification. Shared by Al Bergstein at Olympic Peninsula Environmental News.

Coal Ships And Tribal Fishing Grounds
SSA Marine says Cherry Point is an excellent location to build a terminal because it’s surrounded by deep water with quick access to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean. If the company has its way, up to 48 million tons of coal could move through these waters each year aboard more than 450 large ships bound for the Asian market. But if the Lummi and other tribes exercise their treaty fishing rights, there may not be any coal ships servicing American terminals in these waters. Ashley Ahearn reports.

If you like to watch: Photos: An ‘epic’ humpback encounter in the NW
The whale-watchers became the whaled-watched on Monday when a humpback whale spent an hour checking them out aboard Captain James Maya’s boat just across the boarder of B.C. about a mile south of Kelp Reef at Darcy Island, Maya said. Jake Ellison reports.

November Transient Orcas
Orca Watcher Monika Wieland shares fine pictures and a report from the weekend: "Yesterday I had just gotten home from work when I heard that a group of marine mammal eating transient orcas was in Spieden Channel, just down the road from where I live. I hurried down there and got there just in time to see the seven whales heading east in front of a Washington State Ferry...”

Climate takes back seat as fledgling B.C. LNG industry courts China
The causeway extends 11 kilometres into the Yellow Sea, a horizon-bending energy bridge to China situated not far up the coast from Shanghai. Seven or eight times a month, a giant ship filled with liquefied natural gas docks here, and gas from Qatar, Yemen, Nigeria or Russia flows into the mainland. One day, Christy Clark hopes, Canadian gas will arrive here, too – delivering, in turn, new jobs and plentiful government revenues to the West Coast. China is, by the numbers, an odd place for the Premier of British Columbia to come. Last year, Japan and South Korea imported more than half the world’s LNG. They together bought nearly 10 times more gas than China. But as Ms. Clark dons a bright red safety overcoat for a blustery tour of the Jiangsu LNG Terminal, it’s clear that for B.C., China also holds promise. Nathan Vanderlippe reports.

Washington still hooked on fishing
Water, water everywhere and lots of jobs to boot. That’s the gist of a new report on the economic impact of the maritime industry in Washington State. The report spotlights the important role the maritime industry plays in the state’s economy, estimating that the sector generates $30 billion in total revenues and about 148,000 jobs. Stephen Dunphy reports.

State Ferry System Sets Course to Convert to Cheaper LNG Fuel
The nation's biggest ferry system is setting a course to convert some of its fleet from diesel to natural gas propulsion. This month, Washington State Ferries formally asked the U.S. Coast Guard to review the proposed changeover. The latest move is another example of fleet operators in the Northwest taking a hard look at cheaper fuel. After three years of study, the Washington State Department of Transportation has determined it is technically and financially feasible to convert six mid-sized car ferries to run on cleaner-burning liquefied natural gas, or LNG. Assistant Secretary David Moseley told lawmakers that moving away from diesel could save 40 to 50 percent at today’s pricing. Tom Banse reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE NOV 26 2013
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 15 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
--
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