11/30 KM pipe ok'd, tanker traffic up'd, oil battle lines drawn, clammer study

Loligo opalescens (David R. Andrews/WDFW)

Puget Sound Squid
Between late May and the following February, adult squid can be found in almost all waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. Squid feed mainly at night and are attracted to light, which is why public piers are good locations for anglers. Hungry squid lurk in the dark fringes near patches of lighted water and then dart into the bright area in pursuit of food such as young herring and other small fishes. Because a boat isn’t needed and jigging equipment is reasonable, squid-jigging is one of the most inexpensive ways to catch squid. Anglers should take a camping lantern or flashlight of significant size for unlit locations. [From Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, "How to Fish for Squid"]

Kinder Morgan pipeline approved by Canada’s Trudeau government
In what is likely to be one of the landmark decisions of his first term in office, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the conditional approval of one oil pipeline megaproject to B.C. — and put the brakes on the other. Kinder Morgan has won cabinet approval for its $6.8 billion plan to triple the capacity of its northern Alberta-to-Burnaby pipeline system to 895,000 barrels a day. The company, if it can overcome court challenges and threatened civil disobedience, says it will start construction in September of 2017 and have the new line up and running by December of 2019. The decision is expected to quickly evolve into a political football in the upcoming B.C. election next spring. Meanwhile, Enbridge Inc.’s $7.9 billion plan to build a new 525,000-barrel-a-day line from Bruderheim, near Edmonton, to remote Kitimat was nixed. Peter O'Neil, Rob Shaw, Gordon Hoekstra and Matt Robinson report. (Vancouver Sun)

Kinder Morgan expansion approval means more tanker traffic in Salish Sea
More crude oil tanker traffic may traverse the Salish Sea off Whatcom County’s coast, as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced approval for the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project Tuesday. The project will nearly triple capacity along an existing 1953-built line from Edmonton, Alberta to Burnaby, B.C., from about 300,000 barrels per day to about 890,000 barrels per day. That’s more than the Keystone XL pipeline, which would have carried 830,000 barrels per day. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

First Nations, environmentalists vow 'long battle' on approved Kinder Morgan pipeline
The Trudeau government's approval of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion is meeting fierce opposition in B.C., including a vow from the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation that this is "the beginning of a long battle" to stop the project. Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC) B.C. government still on the Kinder Morgan fence  The British Columbia government is still waiting for the federal government to support its five conditions before approving Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline construction project. Richard Zussman reports. (CBC)

Study: Most clammers stick to single beach
Close down a clammer's favorite beach, you're likely closing down the clammer. A new study looking at the behavior of Puget Sound's recreational shellfish harvesters indicates that the increasingly frequent pollution and marine biotoxin closures are having a bigger impact on clammers than previously thought. About two-thirds of the sound's shellfish harvesters say they gather all their clams and oysters from a single beach, according to surveys administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. If a "Toxic Shellfish" sign pops up at a favorite spot, most harvesters simply quit. They don't seek out alternatives. Tristan Baurick reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  250 AM PST WED NOV 30 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT  
TODAY  W WIND 20 TO 30 KT...EASING TO 15 TO 25 KT THIS AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 12 SECONDS...BUILDING TO  14 FT AT 11 SECONDS THIS AFTERNOON. SHOWERS LIKELY.
TONIGHT  W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 15 FT  AT 13 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 13 FT AT 13 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. A  CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

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