11/24 Tides & weather, BC pipe wins, Ruckelshaus, state carbon, WA oil terminal, Shell drill

(PHOTO: Islands Sounder)

Giant octopus washes ashore in Eastsound
The bright red octopus found on Crescent Beach in early October was not the first, or the last. This giant Pacific Octopus lives in the Salish Sea, all around the San Juan Islands and the Puget Sound, and grows up to 150 pounds and 15 feet across. The life of the largest octopus happens to be a short one; they only live three to five years and they mate at the end of their life. The female octopus will care for her eggs that are hanging in her den for five to eight months and then she dies. Kat Barnard reports. (Islands Sounder)

King tides and snow headed to Seattle area
Snow showers are in the forecast as the highest tides of the fall come to Puget Sound. The highest “king tide” coming this year is scheduled to arrive in Seattle at 2:40 p.m. Tuesday. Similarly high water, driven by a seasonal alignment of the sun and moon, is expected at all of the state’s coastal communities. Those high tides come as the Weather Service warns of an oncoming storm that could bring snow to the lowlands. A cold front is expected to arrive Monday night over much of the Western Washington. High winds are forecast for Bellingham and the San Juan Islands. Levi Pulkkinen reports. (SeattlePI.Com) And: Chance of snow for southern B.C. rises as temperature drops  (Vancouver Sun) However: Forget the Lowland Snow or Frigid Temperatures West of the Cascade Crest  For those of you hoping for some snow near sea level, I am afraid I have some bad news...not this time.   I should note that a few media outlets are still hyping snow and cold. Cliff Mass writes. (Weather Blog)

Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline wins court battle against Burnaby
The City of Burnaby's bylaw battle against the Trans Mountain pipeline has been shut down by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who has declared that the National Energy Board rules take precedence over the city's. The Metro Vancouver city has tried to hamper preliminary planning in advance of laying the 1,100-kilometre-long pipeline between Alberta and coastal B.C. through two separate bylaws. (CBC)

Seattle's First EPA Chief Laments The Environment's Partisan Divide
Environmental elder statesman William Ruckelshaus may not have decided where to display the Presidential Medal of Honor he will be receiving at a White House ceremony Tuesday. But he has decided how to have a little fun with it. “Well I’ve threatened my wife to wear it outside my suit coat in the daytime and inside my pajamas at night so it wouldn’t hit her in the face when I turned over,” joked the 83-year-old Ruckelshaus before admitting he really doesn’t know what he’ll do with the medal, one of 17 being awarded. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

State has authority to regulate carbon emissions, judge rules
A King County Superior Court judge has found that the state Department of Ecology has both the authority and “mandatory duty” to move ahead with a proposal to regulate carbon emissions. Judge Hollis Hill’s decision, released Thursday, has been embraced by environmentalists who hope it sets a legal precedent that will help Ecology’s rule-making effort survive likely challenges. In her 10-page ruling, Hill wrote that the state had the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, which include carbon emissions from fossil fuels, both under the state Clean Air Act and the state Constitution. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Washington State To Issue Report On Vancouver Oil Terminal
Washington state is scheduled to release a detailed environmental assessment Tuesday of the proposed oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver. The report by the state’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council considers the oil-by-rail project’s possible impacts to air, land and water. It will examine possible impacts the project could have, like pollution, noise, earthquake hazards, and risks for fish and wildlife. The public will have until January to comment on the proposal. Conrad Wilson reports. (EarthFix)

A pyrrhic environmental victory in the Arctic
Environmentalist joy at the cessation of Alaskan offshore oil exploration is in fact the result of the overall striking intensification of global oil extraction. Andreas Kuersten opines. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 308 AM PST TUE NOV 24 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING NE 5 TO 15 KT THIS AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL
 10 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
--
"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.

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11/5 BC salmon, fish farms, Snydar Farm, clean water rule, Keystone, Beth Doglio

Wild BC sockeye (Olga N. Vasik/istockphoto)

Millions of B.C. salmon mysteriously ‘just disappear’ in troubling year
Although spawning salmon are still returning to British Columbia’s rivers – including some, surprisingly, to urban streams – early returns indicate another troubling year, despite some bright spots…. There were good sockeye salmon returns to the Great Central Lake system on Vancouver Island and to the Nass River on the North Coast, he said. But contrasting that were very poor returns on the Fraser River, where only about two million sockeye returned, far short of the more than six million predicted in preseason forecasts. Even more dramatic was the collapse of the pink salmon on the Fraser, with only about five million fish showing up when more than 14 million had been forecast. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Lawsuit Claims Commercial Salmon Farms Harm Native Fish In Puget Sound
The Wild Fish Conservancy is suing federal environmental and fisheries agencies for inadequately monitoring the impact of commercial salmon farms in Puget Sound. The lawsuit filed Wednesday says commercial farms pose many risks to wild salmon. In 2011 the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Marine Fisheries Service found the opposite. They concluded that commercial salmon farms are unlikely to harm wild salmon. Kate O'Connell Walters (KUOW)

Fecal matter pollution in public water: The case of Snydar Farm
The Snydar Farm had a real problem with “raw manure,” that mix of feces and urine produced by livestock. Namely, the farm’s cows were creating a lot of it – in excess of 5,000 pounds every day. According to the Department of Ecology, it was ending up in public waterways, where it could impact everything from drinking water to the shellfish industry. The farm is located in Ferndale, a town 10 miles north of Bellingham in Whatcom County. Recently, its owners – Jim and Victoria Snydar – received Ecology’s first livestock-related water pollution fine in over three years. But the Snydars’ alleged environmental crimes were not new. Drew Atkins reports. (Crosscut)

Senate blocks legislation to undercut EPA clean water rules
Democrats have blocked a Senate bill that would have forced the Obama administration to withdraw new federal rules to protect smaller streams, tributaries and wetlands from development and pollution. Supporters of the legislation — and opponents of the rules — did not get the 60 votes needed Tuesday to stop debate and consider the bill. The vote was 57-41, meaning Democrats have blocked the bill, for now. Most Democrats argue that the Obama administration rules will safeguard drinking water for 117 million Americans and say they should remain in place. The White House threatened a veto of the bill, saying the regulations are "essential to ensure clean water for future generations." Mary Clare Jalonick reports. (Associated Press)

TransCanada's request to pause Keystone XL review rejected by U.S.
he U.S. State Department has rejected TransCanada's request to put the review of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline on hold. Spokesman John Kirby said the department wrote to TransCanada on Wednesday and "communicated our decision to continue our review." Mark Cooper, a spokesman for TransCanada, said that the company respects the State Department's decision. (CBC)

Environmental advocate running for state House
Olympia environmental activist Beth Doglio has launched a campaign for the state House. Democrat Doglio made her 2016 bid official with an announcement Thursday that she’s running for the seat opened by Rep. Sam Hunt’s decision to run for Senate. Doglio has been involved in Washington environmental advocacy for decades. She is the campaign director for Climate Solutions and directs the Power Past Coal coalition opposing coal exports. She said she previously worked as the first executive director of Washington Conservation Voters. Jordan Schrader reports. (Olympian)

Editor’s Note: Salish Sea News and Weather will not be posted on Friday, November 6.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PST THU NOV 5 2015
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT THIS AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS. SCATTERED
 SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS.

--
"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.

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11/3 Elwha, Keystone, BC LNG, Qwuloolt Estuary, Still Cr., Snake salmon, pesticide ban, Bowman Bay, Vic bags

Elwha River 11/2/15 (Tom Roorda/CWI)

Elwha River November 2, 2015
Anne Shaffer at Coastal Watershed Institute writes: "The day after the weekend rain event during which the Elwha flows jumped from 2000 to over 12000 cfs in less than 8 hours. Flows then dropped back to pre-storm cfs overnight. Classic Elwha. The high flow combined with fall high tide and the entire Elwha west estuary (not blocked by a dike) was reactivated. The result? Juvenile steelhead, coho, and Chinook were abundant. Also, (for the first time in over a decade of sampling), we caught a number of large, powerful, adult chum in our sets. We’ve said it before: chum are absolutely critical for the restoration of the watershed ecosystem."

TransCanada asks US to suspend pipeline application review
TransCanada, the company behind the controversial Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the U.S Gulf Coast, has asked the U.S. State Department to pause its review of the project. The move comes as the Obama administration increasingly appears likely to reject the pipeline permit application before leaving office in January 2017. TransCanada said Monday it had sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry requesting that the State Department suspend its review of the pipeline application. The pipeline company said such a suspension would be appropriate while it works with Nebraska authorities to secure approval of its preferred route through the state that is facing legal challenges in state courts. TransCanada anticipated it would take seven to 12 months to get route approval from Nebraska authorities. Rob Gillies reports. (Associated Press)

Steelhead LNG must cross the Salish Sea before its proposed facilities can be built
The list of obstacles before liquefied natural gas project proponents in British Columbia is long and daunting. The laundry list includes the need to secure off-take agreements with Asian customers, to sign rights of way for pipelines through First Nations territory and to lock in financing for their multi-billion-dollar facilities in a capital-constrained energy market. But for Nigel Kuzemko, CEO of Steelhead LNG, there’s an additional obstacle: the Salish Sea.... Before Steelhead LNG sanctions the construction of either of its two proposed LNG facilities on the south end of Vancouver Island, which many observers say is an unlikely location for such a project, the company will need to build a pipeline across and under that sea. Geoffrey Morgan reports. (Financial Times)

After levee breach, marine life returns to Qwuloolt Estuary
It's been two months since the levee at the Qwuloolt Estuary was breached, letting the tides return to the lowlands for the first time in a century. There are early signs that the action is having its intended effect. “We're already seeing marine species like smelt come in,” said Morgan Ruff, the Snohomish Basin Capital Program Coordinator for the Tulalip Tribes. Biologists monitoring the changes to the landscape have also caught an adult coho salmon in the new estuary. Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)

Vancouver's Still Creek sees salmon for fourth year running
Chum salmon have returned to spawn in an urban creek in East Vancouver for the fourth year in a row, leaving biologists feeling "pretty excited" about the potential to return city landscapes to their natural states.  "It really indicates that if we can improve these systems more, if we can work on the watershed, if we can open up stream channels that are buried now, we can get these kinds of fish back into our city," said Vancouver Park Board biologist Nick Page. The city has been working since 2002 to restore the Still Creek corridor to its natural habitat, a process sometimes referred to as "rewilding." (CBC)

Feds Release Plan For Recovering Snake River Salmon
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released a draft plan Monday for recovering threatened Snake River fall chinook salmon – fish that have to pass eight Columbia and Snake River dams to reach their spawning grounds. In the past, nearly a half million of these fish returned to the Snake River each year. But with overfishing, dam construction and habitat loss, those numbers dropped to just a few hundred by 1992, when the fish were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The construction of the three Hells Canyon Complex dams wiped out one of only two populations of the species and blocked the fish from reaching about 80 percent of their historic spawning grounds in Idaho and Eastern Oregon. Cassandra Proffita reports. (EarthFix)

EPA may ban common pesticide used on fruits and vegetables
A common pesticide used on citrus fruits, almonds and other crops would be banned under a proposal announced Friday by the Environmental Protection Agency. The proposal would prohibit use of chlorpyrifos, a widely used insecticide that is sprayed on a variety of crops including oranges, apples, cherries, grapes, broccoli and asparagus. The pesticide, in use since 1965, has sickened dozens of farmworkers in recent years. Traces have been found in waterways, threatening fish, and regulators say overuse could make targeted insects immune to the pesticide. Matthew Daly reports. (Associated Press)

Bowman Bay project personal for park manager
 As Bowman Bay glittered under the sun Monday, massive orange machinery dug, dumped and distributed dirt along the shoreline. Trimaxx Construction Inc. of Sedro-Woolley is in the midst of a Northwest Straits Foundation beach restoration project, where about 1,300 cubic yards of rocks are being removed to improve fish habitat and open up the area to more recreation. The beach at Bowman Bay is part of Deception Pass State Park. It is on the south end of Fidalgo Island. For Deception Pass State Park Manager Jack Hartt, the project is something he dreamed up 40 years ago, and at a place he has known since he was 4 years old. Kimberley Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Victoria eyes ban on single-use plastic bags
Victoria councillors are considering whether to bring in a bylaw banning city retailers from providing single-use plastic bags. Councillors Ben Isitt and Jeremy Loveday are sponsoring a motion that calls on the city to implement the ban and on Mayor Lisa Helps to write to all the other municipalities and electoral areas in the Capital Regional District urging them to follow suit. If the city gave first reading to such a bylaw, it would be the first city on Vancouver Island and the first Canadian capital city to do so.  Bill Cleverely reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PST TUE NOV 3 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
--
"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.

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10/13 Shell drill, oil sands, marbled murrelet, WOTUS, Ludlow Bay sewage, rain gardens, Brit bags

B.C. Thanksgiving weekend double rainbow (Michele Empey/CBC)

Polar Pioneer oil rig set to make return to Port Angeles Harbor, though arrival date is uncertain
The Polar Pioneer oil rig will once again loom over the waters of Port Angeles Harbor. The 355-foot-tall rig was in Dutch Harbor, Alaska, on Monday for a brief stopover with the Noble Discoverer rig after exiting the Alaskan Arctic and before heading farther south, Shell Oil Co. spokeswoman Megan Baldino said Monday. The Noble Discoverer will make its way to the Port of Everett. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Alberta oil-sands boom dries up, taking thousands of jobs with it
At a camp for oil workers here, a collection of 16 three-story buildings that once housed 2,000 workers sits empty. A parking lot at a neighboring camp is now dotted with abandoned cars. With oil prices falling precipitously, capital-intensive projects rooted in the heavy crude mined from Alberta’s oil sands are losing money, contributing to the loss of about 35,000 energy-industry jobs across the province…. Despite a severe economic downturn in a region whose growth once seemed limitless, many energy companies have too much invested in the oil sands to slow down or turn off the taps. In addition to the continued operation of existing plants, construction persists on projects that began before the price fell, largely because billions of dollars have already been spent on them. Oil-sands projects are based on 40-year investment time frames, so their owners are being forced to wait out slumps. Ian Austen reports. (NY Times)

In the face of timber development, one more chance to save a remarkable seabird
The seabird at the center of the state’s 21st century timber wars manages an astonishing feat during breeding season. The marbled murrelet, its plumage a mix of brown, bisters and umbers, dines in deep coastal waters. It then flies inland, sometimes as much as 50 miles, to feed its young in a tall conifer. When it lands in the nest, says ornithologist Daniel Froelich, it has to “stick” its landing “like a gymnast, aiming for perfection with no wobble or bounce.”…. This week, after years of advocacy, lawsuits and scientific study, the DNR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold public hearings at a special murrelet board meeting on October 15. Four possible habitat conservation plans will be presented by an out-of-state murrelet expert. The plan adopted later in the year will form the basis for a new long-term conservation strategy. Martha Baskin reports. (Crosscut)

Appeals court puts the brakes on EPA's clean water rule
A US Court has temporarily blocked the a federal water rule that would fold temporary waterways into Clean Water Act protections, Friday. The US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit granted a temporary stay against the Water of the United States (WOTUS) rule. The stay is the latest of several attempts to derail many Obama administration environmental policies. The WOTUS rule was intended to clarify which bodies of water are under the supervision of the Clean Water Act. Corey Fedde reports. (Christian Science Monitor)

Sewage release closes waters of Port Ludlow Bay to recreation until Saturday
A sewage spill into Port Ludlow Bay caused by equipment failure at the wastewater treatment plant is not serious or life-threatening, but the area is now closed to recreation until Saturday. Jefferson County Public Health has issued a “no contact” health advisory that will remain in effect until then. The public is advised to avoid any contact with the water in Port Ludlow Bay, including swimming, kayaking, fishing and harvesting of shellfish and seaweed. (Peninsula Daily News)

Let It Rain
Water is a big topic these days—from droughts across the nation to keeping our oceans, rivers, and lakes clean and cool for fish and other species, there is a lot to think about. Here in the wet and wild Pacific Northwest we have the option of creating rain gardens to help protect our water sources—something the folks the Washington State University know a little something about. (KOMO)

Charge for Plastic Bags in Britain Draws Applause, Anger and Humor
Some warned of “bag rage” by irate shoppers. The Daily Mail predicted, “Plastic Bags Chaos Looms.” Chloe Metzger, a 21-year-old blogger and student, wrote on Twitter: “I understand the whole #plasticbags thing but it couldn’t be more annoying.” Nerves were rattled, jokes were made and the annoyance of it all was duly noted in Britain this week. Nevertheless, shoppers pulled off something that has also occurred in other cities, states and countries: They began weaning themselves off plastic shopping bags. Starting this week, the government introduced a 5 pence charge for plastic bags for most groceries, clothes and other purchased items. And while it did not lead to a nationwide mutiny, as some had warned, it did create some tension in cashier lines. Dan Bilefsky reports. (NY Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE OCT 13 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING
TODAY
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 12 SECONDS SUBSIDING TO 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND BECOMING E TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
--
"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.

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10/9 Toxic runoff, water rule, climate, water rights, Navy training, carbon capture, grease, Riki Ott

Toxic road runoff kills coho salmon in hours, study finds
A new study shows that stormwater runoff from urban roadways is so toxic to coho salmon that it can kill adult fish in as little as 2½ hours. But the research by Seattle scientists also points to a relatively easy fix: Filtration through a simple, soil-based system. “It’s basically … letting the Earth do what it does so well, what it has done for eons: cleaning things up,” said Julann Spromberg, a toxicologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and co-author of the report published Thursday in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

Inslee Pushes Tighter Water Quality Rules To Match EPA Proposal
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday the state is pursuing clean water rules that match federal recommendations for protecting human health. Inslee said he would direct the Washington Department of Ecology to draft new rules that reduce pollution enough for people to safely eat more fish from Washington waters. The proposal rules are based on a fish consumption rate of 175 grams per person per day and an allowable cancer risk of one in one million. Those numbers come from a September proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency, which told the state it would issue federal rules on Washington’s water quality if the state did not act. Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix)

Gregor Robertson trashes Canada's record on climate change in Washington
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has trashed the Canadian government's record on climate change in front of a distinguished audience at the U.S. State Department. He is the only Canadian mayor invited to the "Our Cities, Our Climate" summit in Washington, D.C. His comments came during a conference on green cities, organized by former New York mayor and current UN climate envoy Michael Bloomberg and attended by top officials from the department. Robertson says Canada is an embarrassing laggard on climate change under the Harper government and hopes the Oct. 19 election produces a government that plays a more constructive role. (Canadian Press)

High court reverses decision granting water rights to Yelm
The Washington Supreme Court has overturned a decision by the state to grant new water rights to the city of Yelm to serve its growing population. The court on Thursday ruled 6-3 that the Department of Ecology exceeded its authority in approving Yelm’s water rights under a narrow exception in cases where water is limited. In the majority opinion, Justice Charles Johnson wrote that municipal water needs do not rise to the level of overriding public interest…. Ecology officials say the case has statewide implications and it will look at alternative criteria in making future water decisions. (Associated Press)

Petition with 110,000 signed hard copies against U.S. Navy plans delivered to Forest Service office
A petition opposing plans by the U.S. Navy for an $11.5 million expansion of electromagnetic warfare training in Olympic National Park has drawn widespread support. A Navy spokeswoman said the petition repeats “a number of misperceptions.” Hard copies of about 110,000 of the petition signatures were hand-delivered Sept. 23 to the office of Reta Laford, forest supervisor for Olympic National Forest, in Olympia. Chris McDaniel reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Carbon Engineering unveils groundbreaking carbon capture project in Squamish, B.C.
The mountain air in Squamish, B.C., could soon be even fresher with the launch of a groundbreaking carbon capture operation. The pilot project will suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, not from an industrial plant like other such operations, with the goal of turning the gas into fuel. Built and operated by Calgary-based Carbon Engineering, the $9-million plant will capture about one tonne of CO2 per day, which is the equivalent of taking about 100 cars off the road annually. Founded by Harvard climate scientist David Keith and backed by big-name investors including Bill Gates, Carbon Engineering has spent several years turning academic research into technology that could be commercialized. Gemma Karstens-Smith reports. (Canadian Press)

Metro Vancouver partners with Surrey to fight cooking grease buildup in sewer pipes
Metro Vancouver has targeted cooking grease in its latest bid to stop people from clogging up the region’s sewers. The regional district will partner with Surrey to run a pilot project next month that aims to encourage residents to wipe up their cooking grease, such as bacon fat, and toss it in the green bin rather than into the kitchen sink or toilet. Kelly Sinoski reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Oil Spills in Your Backyard
Riki Ott, who has spent the last two decades doing research and front-line community organizing in the wake of major US oil spills, will be in Victoria Oct. 15 to share lessons learned and facilitate a discussion about the need for stronger spill prevention and response in the Salish Sea. 7 pm, First Metropolitan United Church, Victoria. Hosted by Georgia Strait Alliance.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI OCT 9 2015
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 8 SECONDS...BUILDING TO SW 10 FT AT 8 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 13 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 13 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. SW SWELL 11 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING SE TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
--
"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.

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11/25 Stormy weather, Burnaby protest, geoducks, Growlers, tank trucks, Polley mine, John Dodge, Burke Museum

(PHOTO: Kent Landerholm/BirdNote)

The Thanksgiving Wishbone – and Dinosaurs
The anatomical structure we call the wishbone was long thought unique to birds. But fossil discoveries of recent decades have shown that some dinosaurs, including the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, and the Velociraptors of ”Jurassic Park,” also had wishbones. And there is now wide consensus among experts that this group of dinosaurs includes the direct ancestors of modern birds. Not only did they have wishbones but, like birds, they likely incubated their eggs, had hollow bones, and were clad in feathers! Bob Sundstrom explains. (BirdNote)

Heavy Precipitation, Flooding, and a Cascade Meltdown
Yes, a typical Thanksgiving in the Northwest. Cliff Mass forecasts.  Heavy rainfall warning issued for Fraser Valley Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

74-year-old protester arrested over Kinder Morgan pipeline
In 74 years, the biggest black mark Della Glendenning had against her was a library fine. But on Monday, she was arrested and jailed after she deliberately stepped over police lines on Burnaby Mountain to protest Kinder Morgan's exploratory drilling on site. Glendenning, supported by about two dozen protesters who marched with her to the drilling site on Centennial Way, was the 76th protester to be taken into custody since the protests began on Burnaby Mountain last Thursday. Most have been arrested under civil contempt charges for violation of a court injunction that allows Kinder Morgan to drill under the mountain. Kelly Sinoski and Mike Hager report. (Vancouver Sun) See also: Protesters rally against Trans Mountain pipeline, but drilling continues  Ian Bailey reports. (Globe and Mail)

Tsartlip members cite environment in opposing Trans Mountain pipeline
Members of the Tsartlip First Nation in Central Saanich voiced their opposition to the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion at National Energy Board hearings in Victoria Monday, saying the project would increase tanker traffic along the West Coast, threatening sensitive marine life on which First Nations people rely. Katie Derosa reports. (Times Colonist)

Geoduck farm proposed for Dungeness Bay
The largest producer of farmed shellfish in the United States, Taylor Shellfish Farms, recently began the permitting process to establish a 30-acre geoduck farm in Dungeness Bay. Although the world renown shellfish farm includes 11,000 acres of tidelands along the Washington coast and British Columbia, with numerous farms around the Puget Sound, the proposed geoduck farm would be the first shellfish farm operated by the company in Clallam County. Alana Linderoth reports. (Sequim Gazette)

From Macklemore To Chief Seattle’s Descendent, Many Are Eager For Duwamish River Cleanup
The EPA will soon announce a final plan for spending hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up Seattle’s polluted Duwamish River. How clean is clean? That question is at the crux of the debate over spending and strategy. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Navy to hold a public meeting on Lopez to discuss Growlers
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen last week announced that the Navy will hold a public meeting on Dec. 3 on Lopez Island to listen to citizens’ comments about EA-18G Growler operations at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. This announcement about a date and time for the meeting follows Larsen’s previous announcement about the Navy’s decision to hold an additional public meeting. The Navy had indicated it likely would hold the meeting on Friday Harbor, but selected Lopez Island instead. The meeting is Wednesday, Dec. 3, 3–6 p.m. at the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts. (San Juan Journal)

Tesoro builds fuel rack to fill tanker trucks
A $23 million construction project will soon give the Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes the capability to fill fuel tanker trucks. The truck rack south of the refinery’s main gate on March’s Point Road is under construction and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2015. Tesoro currently sends finished unleaded gasoline and diesel via pipeline to a nearby Shell rack…. The new facility is expected to increase fuel sales by loading fuel faster than Tesoro does now; 600 gallons a minute.... Mark Stayton reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Mount Polley mine spill cleanup requires pressing action, says B.C. environment ministry
Four months after a torrent of mine water and waste gushed into two south-central B.C. lakes, the province says the mine's owner is only at the forefront of a clean-up that is expected to take years. The B.C. environment ministry released its first progress report Monday into the Mount Polley tailings pond breach, identifying a number of pressing actions that are required to restore the water and land. Returning the outdoor surroundings to their original state will take years, not months, said Environment Minister Mary Polak as she laid out the long-term goal the government has set for Imperial Metals Corp. (CBC)

Reflecting on a long career in journalism
I always get a little anxious when I’m on the answering end of an interview. Journalists are trained to ask the questions, not be the one pressed for answers. But there I was Monday, serving as the guest speaker at the Olympia Rotary Club luncheon, asked to reflect on my 38-year career in journalism. Has it really been that long? John Dodge reflects. (Olympian)

Burke Museum’s New Map Shows Seattle’s Original Shoreline
If you walk through Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood with Peter Lape, he can show you the things that used to be. Standing at the corner of First Avenue and Washington Street on a recent day, he gestured downhill. "About half a block down is probably where that shoreline was ... when non-Native settlers moved here," Lape said. Ed Ronco reports. (KPLU)

Peru investigates deaths of 500 sea lions on north coast
Peru is investigating the deaths of some 500 sea lions found on a beach on its northern coastline. The local governor has accused fishermen of poisoning the mammals, which usually come close to the shore looking for food. But Peruvian environmental police are looking into other possible causes for the deaths, including disease and the accidental ingestion of plastic. (BBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 212 AM PST TUE NOV 25 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 AM PST THIS MORNING
TODAY
NW WIND 10 KT...BECOMING E 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 10 FT AT 13 SECONDS SUBSIDING TO 7
 FT. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. NW SWELL 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 8 FT AT
 12 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN.
--
"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

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11/5 WA Senate, Big BC Oil, 'soil burritos,' resident orca research, Super Natural BC, BC ferries

Liquid Light (Laurie MacBride)

Liquid Light in the Forest
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "The bracket fungus in this photo grows on the side of a fir tree on our property. Usually it looks rather unprepossessing, but the other day, after one of our many recent downpours, a network of raindrops clung to its edge and that ordinary bracket fungus became something very special…."

Democrats trailing in state Senate races
Despite record spending on both sides in the contest for control of the state Senate, incumbent Republicans were winning re-election in Tuesday’s returns, retaining a narrow working majority. Republicans leaders praised the resulting 26-23 majority, saying state voters want balance and bipartisanship in the legislature where Democrats control the House and the Governor’s office…. The results mean it will be harder for Gov. Jay Inslee to act on an aggressive plan to reduce carbon emissions in the state, or to pass legislation that’s been a priority for Democrats including education and transportation funding. Lynn Thompson reports. (Seattle Times)

Pete McMartin: When Big Oil acts like a big bully
You would think that, in the name of public relations, somebody at Kinder Morgan might take a clue from the company’s name to work on its image. It could do with some “kinder.” But no. Quite the opposite. In its clumsy handling of its proposed pipeline expansion to bring diluted Alberta bitumen to Vancouver, Kinder Morgan — through its pipeline subsidiary Trans Mountain Pipeline — has alienated the city of Burnaby, the city of Vancouver and, well, me, for one. As part of its survey work, it took down trees in a public park. Pete McMartin reports. (Vancouver Sun)

‘Soil Burritos’ Hold Together Northwest River Banks More Like Nature Does
The Environmental Protection Agency is testing out a new technique for keeping heavily-used river banks from eroding into the water. The EPA wants to see if these living retainer walls can contain lead pollution at a Superfund site in north Idaho. To make these “soil burritos,” a construction crew pours a layer of dirt into what looks like a car-sized piece of burlap. Then they put down willow branches. If all goes according to plan, those willows will start taking root in the dirt next spring. Jessica Robinson reports. (EarthFix)

"Endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales: 10 Years of Research and Recovery Efforts" is a talk by Dawn Noren, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, on Nov. 11 at 7 PM at C&P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave. SW, in Seattle. Dawn discusses results from research on risk factors and data gaps associated with the Southern Resident Killer Whale population as well as how the results are critical to informing management actions. Sponsored by The Whale Trail. Tickets: $5 suggested donation, kids free, Brown Paper Tickets

If you like to watch: Video: Exciting new look to showcase Super, Natural British Columbia
Destination BC (formerly Tourism BC) has revitalized the Super, Natural British Columbia® brand to focus on the power of B.C.’s natural wilderness and beauty to entice tourists from around the world. The first of a continuing series of campaigns will be used to market the ski season this month through a number of social media, advertising and PR initiatives. Watch “The Wild Within: British Columbia, Canada”  (Vancouver Sun)

B.C. Ferries considers closing Nanaimo terminal, axing Horseshoe Bay route
B.C. Ferries is considering major changes to service between Vancouver Island and the mainland, including closing one Nanaimo terminal and funnelling mainland-bound traffic through Tsawwassen instead of Horseshoe Bay. The proposals are part of a massive rethink of B.C. Ferries’ mid-Island service, in an attempt to drive down billions in new capital costs and slow the rise of ticket prices. Rob Shaw reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED NOV 5 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON PST TODAY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
 GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.
--
"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.

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8/15 Vic sewer, election money, oil train resolution, Gina McCarthy, marina dredge, Boardman papers

Western gull (Alex Kerfoot/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: How Birds Drink
How do birds drink? A robin takes a mouthful of water and then tips its head way back to send the water down its gullet. Pigeons are among the few birds that can suck in water with their heads down. Swallows and swifts skim a beakful of water on the wing. Gulls like this Western Gull can even drink salt water. (BirdNote)

Is McLoughlin sewage plant dead? Politicians all over the map
Esquimalt has spurned a sewage plant at McLoughlin Point, the provincial government has refused to overrule Esquimalt, and the Capital Regional District has rejected going directly to Esquimalt voters to get them to change their minds. So is the sewage plant at McLoughlin Point officially dead? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends whom you ask. Lindsay Kines (Times Colonist)

Oil, railroad, coal port money gushes into races for Legislature
Oil refiners, railroads and would-be coal port developers have quietly poured thousands of dollars into Republicans’ coffers in this year’s mid-election battle for control of the Washington Legislature. The biggest giver is Tesoro, which operates a refinery in Anacortes and is proposing to locate a large oil-train terminal and shipment facility at Vancouver along the Columbia River. The oil company has given $22,500 contributions to a pair of committees doing soft money and independent expenditures on behalf of Republican candidates — the Leadership Council and Enterprise Washington — plus $1,900 contributions to GOP candidates in five hotly contested Washington State Senate races. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Bainbridge city council passes oil train resolution
The city of Bainbridge Island joined 11 Washington jurisdictions Monday after the council passed an anti-oil train resolution. During Monday’s meeting, the Bainbridge city council voted unanimously to approve a resolution that calls for stronger regulations, more impact studies and a request that federal and state officials prevent the expansion of oil shipments by railroads. Cecilia Garza reports. (Bainbridge Review)

Head Of EPA Tours Puget Sound, Supports Congressional Cleanup Caucus
She’s been called President Obama’s “green quarterback.” Gina McCarthy is the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, and she's known for tackling sources of climate change. And now she’s shining a light on efforts to clean up Puget Sound. McCarthy met with government officials and community groups in Tacoma on Wednesday and toured Commencement Bay by boat to learn more about what still needs to be done. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Kingston marina dredge project begins
The sediment dredge project that was put on hold and delayed for years will begin Aug. 18. The Port of Kingston will close its marina to all vessels during select hours Aug. 18-22. The closure will allow divers to swim safely in the water as work on the marina dredging project begins. The first step is transplanting eelgrass from the sediment near the marina, to an eelgrass nursery immediately outside of the breakwater. The nursery will be between the Washington State Ferry dock and the entrance to the marina, on the south side of the breakwater. Kipp Robertson reports. (North Kitsap Herald)

Judge orders release of Oregon coal terminal documents
A federal judge has ordered the Corps of Engineers to release documents about a planned coal terminal on the Columbia River at Boardman. Columbia Riverkeeper wanted to know why the corps agreed to an easier environmental review for Ambre Energy’s terminal than two others in Washington state. The Oregonian reports the corps withheld more than 300 pages and Riverkeeper sued to get them. (Associated Press)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 242 AM PDT FRI AUG 15 2014
  TODAY
 LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
 TONIGHT
 W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
 SAT
 LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
 SAT NIGHT
 W WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
 SUN
 LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.

--
"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

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8/14 Stormy weather, stream buffers, stormwater, Vic sewer, Bainbridge sewer, fault lines, Polley mine, 'street view'

Factoria Blvd., Bellevue WA (KOMO)

Heavy August rains wreak havoc across Puget Sound region
Heavy rainfall swamped much of the Puget Sound region overnight, flooding many streets and homes and triggering crashes during the early morning commute. In the 24-hour period ending at 5 a.m. Wednesday, Sea-Tac Airport received a whopping 1.33 inches of rain - most of it falling in a six-hour period from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday. The 0.86" that had fallen officially on Wednesday was already more than double the record amount for Aug. 13 (0.33"). (KOMO) See also: Severe thunderstorm alert issued for Fraser Canyon, southern B.C.  Kim Pemberton reports. (Vancouver Sun)

New blog: Beating The Oil and Tanker Combine By Eating Chocolate (Ship) Brownies
Good folks at the San Juan County Fair Safe Shipping booth are selling brownies in four flavors, including Bakken Shale Brownies with Caramel Crude.  Funds raised this week and weekend go to spreading the message of Safe Shipping in the Salish Sea….

County adds conditions for Shell rail project permits
Skagit County planners announced Wednesday that they will require Shell Puget Sound Refinery to meet some conditions to bolster public and environmental safety as part of its quest to move forward on a proposed rail offloading facility. Planners modified an earlier mitigated determination of non-significance under the State Environmental Policy Act, according to a news release. The changes come after the county reviewed public input and obtained additional information from the refinery in Anacortes. But Skagit County Planning and Development Services said it still will not require a full environmental review. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

News release: Obama Administration Finalizes Stronger Steam Buffers to Protect Imperiled Salmon from Pesticides  
The Environmental Protection Agency today finalized an agreement to restore no-spray buffer zones around waterways to protect imperiled salmon and steelhead from five toxic pesticides. A coalition of conservation organizations, advocates for alternatives to pesticides, and fishing groups cheered the victory. These groups brought a lawsuit to demand reasonable fish protections from the insecticides, some of which are derived from nerve toxins developed during World War II…. The buffers apply to salmon habitat throughout California, Oregon, and Washington to prohibit aerial spraying of broad-spectrum pesticides diazinon, chlorpyrifos, malathion, carbaryl, and methomyl within 300 feet of salmon habitat and prohibit ground-based applications within 60 feet. The agreement provides detailed notice to state regulators, pesticide applicators, farmers, and the public about the required no-spray buffer zones. These buffers will remain in place until the National Marine Fisheries Service completes analyses of the impacts of these five pesticides on the fish. Then, the EPA must implement permanent protections grounded in the Fisheries Service’s findings. (Indymedia)

Bellingham, Sumas businesses fined for failing to file pollution reports
The state fined two Whatcom County businesses $3,000 each for failing to file routine reports on possible pollution in the stormwater that runs off their sites. EPL Feed in Sumas and Hunnicutt's Inc. of Bellingham failed to provide stormwater reports for at least three straight quarters as required by a state permit, according to the Department of Ecology. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald) See also: News release: 14 firms fined for failing to submit stormwater reports

CRD trashes sewage flyer campaign targeting Esquimalt residents
The Capital Regional District has abandoned a controversial plan to send a flyer directly to Esquimalt residents offering them $19 million in exchange for putting a sewage treatment plant at McLoughlin Point. The strategy has been denounced by critics as a “bribe” and an attempt to undercut Esquimalt council’s decision to reject the proposed plant. CRD directors approved the mail-out last month, but backed down Wednesday after several municipalities indicated they were unlikely to support it. Lindsay Kines reports. (Times Colonist)

Sewage woes crimp Bainbridge businesses
Winslow’s routine fouling of its most vaunted waterway is hurting business and tarnishing Bainbridge Island’s reputation for outdoor recreation. The town’s ailing sewer system has dumped untreated human waste into Eagle Harbor nine times over the past decade. Four of the sewage spills occurred this year. The latest, which spewed 67,000 gallons of effluent Sunday, closed the harbor to swimming, shut down two popular park beaches, forced the cancellation of several kayaking and sailing camps and cut deeply into the bottom lines of boat rental shops that depend on summer business to get them through the year. Tristan Barrick reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Geologist details fault lines' possible impacts on North Olympic Peninsula
The Cascadia Subduction Zone's huge fault isn't the only mover and shaker residents need to worry about, according to geologist Dann May. The North Olympic Peninsula is riddled with earthquake faults, he said. May, who spends summers in Port Angeles, told about 30 people at the Port Angeles Business Association on Tuesday morning that he began studying the Peninsula's geology after he purchased property in Port Angeles, where he eventually hopes to live, and wanted to know more about its stability. Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

First Nation set to evict mining company at centre of B.C. tailings pond breach
A British Columbia First Nation plans to issue an eviction notice to Imperial Metals Corp., the company behind a massive tailings pond breach at a gold and copper mine last week – over a separate project in the band’s territory. The declaration from the Neskonlith Indian Band is the latest sign that last week’s tailings spill at the Mount Polley Mine in central B.C. could ripple across the company’s other projects and possibly the province’s entire mining industry. James Keller reports. (Globe and Mail)

'Street View' Goes Undersea to Map Reefs, Wonders
It's easy to go online and get a 360-degree, ground-level view of almost any street in the United States and throughout the world. Soon, scientists hope people will be able to do the same with coral reefs and other underwater wonders. U.S. government scientists are learning to use specialized fisheye lenses underwater in the Florida Keys this week in hopes of applying "street view" mapping to research and management plans in marine sanctuaries nationwide. Some of the rotating and panoramic images will be available online this week, including a selection on Google Maps, giving the public a window into ecosystems still difficult and costly to explore for long stretches of time. It will be like scuba diving from your computer. Jennifer Kay reports. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 254 AM PDT THU AUG 14 2014
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 TO 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG WITH
 VISIBILITIES OF 1 NM OR LESS THIS MORNING. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"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.

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7/9 Hood Canal easement, toxic fish, BC LNG, Vic sewage, Springer's calf, low tides, guillemots, BC hedgehogs

Trident sub in Hood Canal

Wash., Navy sign Hood Canal conservation easement
The Navy and Washington state's public lands commissioner have signed a conservation easement that's designed to block future industrial development on Hood Canal. The Kitsap Sun reports that the easement covers about 4,800 acres, from the Hood Canal bridge to just south of the Jefferson-Mason County line. The Navy is paying $720,000 for the easement, which precludes commercial projects that extend out into the water. In a statement, Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark said Monday that the agreement "will buffer important military operating areas in Hood Canal and ensure the long-term stability of the Navy's presence at Naval Base Kitsap." Goldmark says the agreement "will also provide new protections for sensitive marine ecosystems and safeguard public access to Hood Canal." Capt. Tom Zwolfer is the commanding officer of Naval Base Kitsap. He says the agreement will help protect the Navy's operating areas for the next 55 years. (Associated Press) See also: COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC LANDS PETER GOLDMARK SIGNS CONSERVATION EASEMENT WITH U.S. NAVY  (WDNR News Release)

Inslee to outline fish consumption plan
....Inslee spokesman David Postman was unwilling in a recent interview to reveal the direction Inslee plans to head – but he gave a hint. “The task in front of us was not to just propose a new fish-consumption rule, but what can we do to keep the water clean and prevent pollutants and toxics from getting into the water,” Postman said. That portends a long-rumored wild card in Inslee’s announcement today, one that apparently will seek to reduce the burden on industry by pledging public funds for some kind of broad pollution-reduction strategy. Robert McClure and Kim Drury report. (Investigate West)

Port Alberni, B.C., site of proposed First Nations, LNG export plant
A Vancouver-based company and a Vancouver Island First Nation announced plans Tuesday to work together to build a liquefied natural gas plant on aboriginal-owned land on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Steelhead LNG Corp., and the Huu-ay-aht First Nations signed a development agreement to build the LNG plant on treaty land located near Bamfield at the southern end of Alberni Inlet about 90 kilometres west of Port Alberni. Dirk Meissner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Kilmer urges EPA to seek end to Victoria dumping untreated sewage into Strait of Juan de Fuca
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer has urged the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to stress with the Canadian government the importance of a quick solution to the continued dumping of untreated sewage near Victoria into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Kilmer, a Port Angeles native and Gig Harbor Democrat whose 6th Congressional District includes Clallam and Jefferson counties, sent a July 3 letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy asking that she raise with the Canadian government the need for “a speedy resolution” to Victoria dumping about 34 million gallons of raw sewage per day into the Strait directly across from the North Olympic Peninsula. Jeremy Schwartz reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Vancouver Aquarium seeks name for killer whale Springer’s calf
Whale researchers are asking for help in naming the recently spotted one-year-old calf of Springer, a northern resident killer whale who was rescued, rehabilitated and reunited with her pod a decade ago. Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

For your use and reference: Washington Sea Grant writes: "We are pleased to share with you a new Ocean Acidification fact sheet, Ocean Acidification in the Pacific Northwest, that summarizes our growing understanding of the causes and consequences of ocean acidification in Pacific Northwest marine waters." Available online.

Lowest tides of summer coming up this week leading to prime shellfish gathering
The next upcoming low tide series in Puget Sound and Hood Canal for gathering clams and oysters begins Wednesday, and this will be some of the most extreme leading to widespread beach exposure of the summer even for the elusive geoduck. Mark Yuasa reports. (Seattle Times)

Guillemot surveys are important reminders
Summer time and the living is easy, well at least for us humans. It’s the most demanding month for our avian friends. Eggs have hatched, babies are begging for food and their predators are looking for their own dinner. While we lounge on the beach, pigeon guillemots are busy finding and delivering small fish to their young, sequestered in burrows high up on our steep erosional bluffs. Frances Wood reports. (South Whidbey Record)

Tiny hedgehogs roamed B.C. 50 million years ago
Tiny, ancient hedgehogs and prehistoric tapirs once roamed the Bulkley Valley in northern British Columbia, many millennia ago when the area was a temperate oasis from the surrounding tropics, a new study says. An expedition of scientists found fossils of the estimated 50-million-year-old mammals in Driftwood Canyon near Smithers, B.C. – the first mammal remains found preserved in the well-known fossil beds of the provincial park. Dene Moore reports. (Globe and Mail)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 839 PM PDT TUE JUL 8 2014
WED
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT...THEN 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. NW SWELL
 6 FT AT 7 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
WED NIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 7 FT AT 8 SECONDS.

--
"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.

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6/24 EPA rule, Oso slide, BC pollution, oil train info, ship bell, Wild Olympics

Supreme Court upholds rules curbing greenhouse gases from power plants
The Supreme Court in a split decision Monday upheld most of the Obama administration’s environmental rules designed to limit greenhouse gases from power plants. The outcome is likely to be welcomed by environmentalists because it confirms the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to restrict greenhouse gases. The justices handed down two separate rulings in a dispute over permits for new or modified power plants and factories. In a 7-2 vote, the justices agreed the Environmental Protection Agency could force major polluters to use new and better technology to limit their emissions of carbon dioxide.... But in a separate 5-4 vote, the court struck down an EPA regulation that could have extended the required greenhouse gas permits to millions of other facilities. Scalia said EPA had stretched the law to cover new facilities that were not major polluters. While most of the court’s opinion dealt with the rejected permitting rules, the court said EPA had won more than it had lost. David Savage reports. (LA Times)

County Council to take up land use in slide areas
Homebuilders and conservationists are honing arguments to sway the Snohomish County Council's policy decisions about building near landslide zones. They'll get to put their powers of persuasion to the test during a hearing scheduled Wednesday. That's when county lawmakers plan to take up proposed land-use changes reacting to the catastrophic Oso mudslide. They could vote to pass some into law, after two months of back-and-forth. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald) See also: Mudslide geological data to be released soon  Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)

Polluters now face fines of up to $75,000
Polluters could face stiff new fines of up to $75,000 under administrative penalties announced by the government on Monday. The new penalties fill “a gap” between warnings, violation tickets and criminal prosecutions for such offences as dumping waste, the government said in a statement. Those violations include releasing too much of a regulated substance into the environment, and not following other regulatory rules under the Environmental Management Act and Integrated Pest Management Act. Fines would fall into categories of $2,000, $10,000, $40,000 and $75,000 depending on the offence, the Ministry of Environment said in a statement. (Vancouver Sun)

BNSF Won’t Seek Injunction To Stop Release Of Oil Train Info In Washington
BNSF Railway says it’s not going to court before Monday’s deadline to block Washington state from releasing oil train notification information under its public records law. “BNSF does not intend to file an injunction regarding prospective handling of the information provided,” spokeswoman Courtney Wallace wrote in an email Monday. “The determination about how such information is controlled or communicated is ultimately a decision for the federal government and subsequently the Washington State Emergency Response Commission.” Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix) See also: Wash. state senators say public has right to know about oil trains

Original Adventuress bell to be reunited with schooner in Port Townsend
A belle of the seas is getting her bell back. Lost for 99 years, the schooner Adventuress’ original ship’s bell arrived in Washington state Sunday after being retrieved from a Belmont, Calif., family by cinematographer John Leben and Catherine Collins, executive director of Sound Experience, the Port Townsend-based nonprofit that owns and operates the vessel for youth education programs. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Wild Olympics legislation an investment in environmental, economic future, proponent tells Jefferson County chamber
The Wild Olympics bill represents an investment in the future that makes good economic and environmental sense, a speaker told the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce on Monday. “Business owners willingly tell you what they do, but they won’t always tell you why,” said Roy Nott, president of Surfactor Americas LLC in Centralia, a manufacturer of surfaces for the woodworking industry. “In this case, my ‘why’ has to do with my 6-year-old granddaughter Mariam and her peers and their future.” Nott addressed about 45 people at the chamber’s weekly meeting at the Port Townsend Elks Club. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE JUN 24 2014
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY...
 MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

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"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