11/4 State of Puget Sound, climate change kids, rising rivers, algae bloom, tangled orca

(Matthew G. Hull/BirdNote)

The Oystercatcher's World
Black Oystercatchers prey on shellfish in the wave zone, especially mussels and limpets. The waves cause mussels to open often, making them easier to eat. The Black Oystercatcher nests on ledges just off shore, and its eggs and young suffer far less predation by mammals. Contrary to their name, oystercatchers rarely eat oysters. (BirdNote)

2015 State of the Sound report: Analysis of ecosystem recovery shows mixed progress
The 2015 State of the Sound, released [Nov. 3] by the Puget Sound Partnership, indicates that while the Puget Sound recovery community is making progress in effectively restoring habitat, measures for Chinook salmon, Southern Resident Killer Whales, herring, and other native species show a decline, and local improvements in water quality still don’t add up to improvements at the regional scale…. The State of the Sound presents the latest findings on Puget Sound recovery by evaluating the progress of several aspects of the ecosystem called Puget Sound Vital Signs. The report also shows how successful regional partners are in implementing Puget Sound Action Agenda, the shared plan for recovering the ecosystem. (Puget Sound Partnership News Release)

Kids Sue Over Climate Change And A Judge In Wash. State Is Listening
Kids packed a courtroom in Seattle on Tuesday to hear oral arguments in a case about their future. Eight young teenagers are the plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state Department of Ecology. They want to force action on climate change. “It just feels like there’s not enough people who care about, like, animals and other things that can’t talk for themselves – babies who haven’t been born yet, people from the future, basically,” said 13-year-old Lara Fain. She’s one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, which says the State Department of Ecology isn’t doing enough to limit the carbon pollution that causes global warming. 15-year-old Aji Piper agrees. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Skagit, Samish rivers rise with rain
The rains that dampened the Skagit Valley over the weekend sent the Skagit River surging over Young’s Bar in downtown Mount Vernon and caused a shellfish harvest closure in Samish Bay. The increased water level and river flow, however, did not cause the Skagit River to cross the flooding threshold. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Algae Bloom Off Pacific Coast Blamed For Marine Mammal Poisoning
Scientists have found dozens of poisoned dolphins, whales and sea lions off the coast of Washington, Oregon and California this year. They tested positive for a toxin caused by a massive algae bloom this summer in the Pacific Ocean.  Toxic domoic acid is produced by algae in the ocean, and this year the algae are thriving in the largest bloom ever recorded here. Marine mammals are poisoned when they eat fish that are contaminated. Jes Burns reports. (EarthFix)

Orca may be entangled in rope and buoy near Nanaimo
A killer whale that may be entangled with a rope and buoy has prompted Fisheries and Oceans Canada  to ask whale watchers in the South Salish Sea to alert them if they spot the orca. Transient killer whale 77A was spotted with the gear from the Thetis Island-Chemainus ferry in Stuart Channel near Nanaimo, B.C. on Sunday. Fisheries and Oceans Canada marine mammal coordinator Paul Cotrell told CBC said it has an expert team ready to go to the whale if it's still entangled. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 240 AM PST WED NOV 4 2015
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
E WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING W AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 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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3/24 Samish Bay poop, Surrey Docks coal, ocean acid, NEB free speech, Shell drill, oil spills, BC skiing

Blau Oyster Company

Samish Bay misses upgrade target, partners keep eye to the future
Despite the efforts of more than 20 groups and organizations working for years to clean the Samish watershed, it has again failed a state pollution evaluation. That means the bay cannot get an upgrade this year, but Clean Samish Initiative partners remain hopeful that the watershed will eventually make the mark. Last year, Samish Bay failed the state Department of Health’s eligibility test for a shellfish harvest upgrade within the first three weeks. This year it held out only a few days longer. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Fraser Surrey Docks seeks to pump coal waste water into Metro Vancouver’s sewer system
Fraser Surrey Docks is asking Metro Vancouver for a permit to discharge treated waste water from its planned coal transfer facility into the regional sewage system. The company’s permit application says it is proposing “comprehensive water-based dust suppression systems” that will generate run-off, as will washing down of machinery. Rain that falls on the coal piles would also be collected. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Ocean acidification: Research here will add to what we know
Mira Lutz of Anacoretes is an Extended Education faculty member for Western Washington University. She provides a short tutorial on ocean acidification: "We folk of Fidalgo are island dwellers. We look over bays and channels, straits and coves as a normal course of commutes. We take in the beauty and bounty of scenic vistas, a good day’s catch and life is as it should be. Yet we hear all is not as it should be under the surface. There are toxins from dumping and runoff accumulating in the food web from plankton to killer whales, and something even more fundamental. The pH level of the ocean — the entire ocean — is decreasing at geologically unprecedented rates…." (Anacortes American)

Environmental advocates take NEB fight to Supreme Court
An environmental organization and a group of concerned citizens are asking the Supreme Court of Canada to hear a complaint that the National Energy Board is violating their rights to free speech. ForestEthics Advocacy Association, and several individuals who live near the route of Kinder Morgan’s proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project, say the NEB is acting unfairly in limiting who can speak at the public hearings and in restricting the topics to be discussed. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Seattle worries Arctic drilling would impact its port
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell is poised to help Shell clear a major hurdle in its effort to resume drilling for oil in the Arctic Ocean, despite opposition from her hometown of Seattle, where the company’s drilling fleet would be moored at the city’s port. All nine members of the Seattle City Council signed a letter on Monday calling on Jewell to block the Arctic drilling, said Councilmember Mike O’Brien, who spearheaded the effort.,,, Jewell is expected, possibly as early as Wednesday, to sign off on the revised environmental impact statement for Shell’s Chukchi Sea lease, a major step toward the company’s goal of drilling in the Arctic Ocean this summer. Sean Cockerham reports. (McClatchy)

'Small' Oil Spills Can Add Up To Big Costs
State Fish and Wildlife Biologist Brian McDonald is careful not to raise his voice as he approaches a row of baby cribs in a warehouse in Pasco, Washington. Each one holds mallard ducks…. The ducks were hit by an oil spill in Sunnyside earlier this month. McDonald says oil coats the ducks’ feathers and breaks down their natural waterproofing, “so each time they go into the water, it’s like a scuba diver going in without a wetsuit.” Though they don’t always make headlines, 95 percent of oil spills in the U.S. are relatively small — less than the size of a tanker truck you might see on the highway. Washington State’s Department of Ecology responds to about 400 oil spills a year, nearly all of them a few thousand gallons or less. Rowan Moore Gerety reports. (Northwest Public Radio)

Mt. Seymour, Cypress Mountain close for ski season
Mt. Seymour and Cypress Mountain announced Monday that their ski resorts were closing early after a dismal season of meagre snowfall. "We made a huge amount of quality snow during the season but got virtually wiped out on four separate occasions with unearthly amounts of rain," Cypress said in an email to season passholders…. Mt. Seymour has been on standby and was operating its Mystery Peak Express and the Goldie Magic Carpet simultaneously for 12 days. It's now offering season passholders an 88 per cent credit towards the next season. Tamara Baluja reports. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAR 24 2015
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN RAIN 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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3/20 DMPs, tank car gas, leak reports, herring spawn, Samish shellfish, steep slope logging, weather ?

Yellow Warbler(Daniella Theoret)

If you like to listen: Dawn Song - Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson: "The Birds begun at Four o'clock..." As the first rays of sunlight fill the trees on a spring morning, a symphony of birdsong erupts. As early morning light extinguishes the stars, male birds begin to belt out their songs. One of the magical gifts of spring is the dawn song. Early in the morning, sparrows, chickadees, thrushes, finches, wrens, blackbirds, and warblers - like this Yellow Warbler - all sing at once. (BirdNote)

Tiny particles delay study of coal port
They are so small you can’t see them in the air — but you inhale them, and they can go to your lungs and even your bloodstream. They come from many sources, but among them are diesel train engines and coal in trains or storage piles. Doctors worry about them, researchers study them, and now the microscopic critters — called Diesel Particulate Matter, or DPMs — are delaying the finish of a lengthy environmental assessment of a giant coal-export terminal proposed for Cherry Point in Whatcom County. Agencies handling the protracted Environmental Impact Statement process say the EIS process has been delayed — perhaps for a year or more — by disagreements over how to study particulates. BNSF Railway’s refusal to share documents and studies with consultants has also contributed to the delay, along with other factors. Floyd McKay reports. (Crosscut)

Gases in oil tank cars: How volatile, Cantwell wants to know
Three oil trains pass through Seattle each day, headed to north Puget Sound refineries, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., is prodding federal regulators to take a long, hard look at what will happen to their cargoes if a train derails. Cantwell wants something called the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) to probe the volatility of gases in tank cars hauling Bakken crude oil, and how that can contribute to the risk of explosions if cars derail. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

State rail regulators: Fine BNSF for not reporting leaks immediately
Washington state regulators have recommended BNSF Railway be fined up to $700,000 for failing to properly report more than a dozen hazardous materials spills in recent months despite the fact state staff had reminded the company how to do so last fall. On Thursday, March 19, the state Utilities and Transportation Commission staff announced it found BNSF had failed to report 14 releases of hazardous materials, including crude oil leaks, within a half hour of learning about the leaks, as required by state law. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Massive herring spawn on South Beach
Masses of herring spawn, up to 3 inches deep in spots, washed ashore on South Beach March 12, portents of a potential bumper crop of herring this year. Pacific herring deposit their eggs on subtidal eelgrass and algae, and a sharp eye can spot the tiny larval fish in each transparent egg. Point Roberts is a spawning ground for two distinct stocks of herring, the Semiahmoo Bay stock, which spawns from January through April, and the Cherry Point stock, which is unique in Washington, spawning from April through June. Meg Olson reports. (All Points Bulletin)

Samish Bay to reopen to shellfish harvesting
Samish Bay will open to shellfish harvesting this afternoon, according to the state Department of Health. The bay was closed to harvest activities Sunday due to river rise that exceeded the state’s threshold for conditionally approved areas. The bay is conditionally approved because of its history with recurring fecal coliform bacteria pollution funneled in from the Samish River. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

State tackles steep challenges to step up logging oversight
Mike Janicki has spent 40 years as a logger, and his work brings him to the unstable hillsides around this upper Skagit Valley town. During past decades, there have been large and small slides here, some on cut land and some on forested land. Those slides have damaged homes, dumped a hillside of silt into a reservoir and spilled onto roads. Again and again, Janicki and other loggers have returned to harvest fir, cedar and other trees. Since the Oso disaster in neighboring Snohomish County one year ago, there has been only one application to log nearby slopes behind Concrete. That compares with a half-dozen requests in the 15 months before the landslide in the same 11,520-acre area. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

The most asked weather question, answered.
"What is the difference between partly cloudy and partly sunny?" Cliff Mass answers. (Weather Blog)

Now, your first Spring weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI MAR 20 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING W. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING S. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 5 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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3/17 Rain, sewage overflow, rain gardens, eulachon, 'humane' fishing, Samish cleanup, Shell fumes, US-CA traffic

L121 and mother L94 (Candice Emmons,
NWFSC, NOAA Research Permit #16163)

2015 Killer Whale Research Survey, presentation by Brad Hanson
Last month NOAA researchers were the first to spot new orca calf L121 during a research cruise on the Northwest coast. Join The Whale Trail at 7 pm on March 26 at C&P Coffee in West Seattle to hear about the cruise from lead researcher Brad Hanson. Get tickets early - this will sell out!

Deluge and Divine Intervention
On Friday, Governor Inslee declared a drought emergency.   He is obviously a favorite of the weather gods...they have answered his plea.   Deluge. You can tell that divine intervention was involved because the actual weather deviated greatly from the consensus of many of our best forecast models.  This is very unusual at such a short range.   A relief to forecasters, such as myself, who had worried that they had missed something. Cliff Mass writes. (Weather Blog) See also: Sunday’s soaking sets rainfall records, stops train service  Lynn Thompson reports. (Seattle Times)

Rainfall pushes 7 million gallons of diluted sewage into Port Angeles Harbor; health officials urge that people stay out of water
Stay out of Port Angeles Harbor for the next week, Clallam County public health officials advised today after heavy rainfall on Sunday pushed 7 million gallons of diluted sewage into the water. The advisory will remain in effect until next Monday, March 23. The environmental health section of county Health and Human Services said that contact with fecal-contaminated water can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and other illnesses. The overflow contained heavily diluted raw sewage but was mostly rainwater, city Engineer Mike Puntenney said Monday. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Seattle helping pay for rain gardens
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and King County on Monday invited 14,000 more Seattle residents to get thousands in rebates for installing rain gardens in their yards. SPU said there are now a total of 55,000 homes eligible for the Rain Wise rebates. Contractors direct roof drains to the gardens, which are holes filled with drainage friendly plants and soils. Many residents use them as colorful features to their yards. SPU said currently there are 600 homes participating; combined they reduce annual runoff by 9 million gallons. Gary Chittim reports. (KING)

Eulachon fish run draws crowds along B.C.'s Skeena River
The eulachon fish —  not totally understood by science or capitalism — is suddenly a star, as spectators gather in droves to watch the oily, shiny fish make their run down B.C.'s Skeena River…. The run is drawing spectators, not fishermen, because of the show that comes with it — when sea lions, eagles and other wildlife chase after the fish. The eulachon — also known as the oolichan, hooligan, ooligan, candlefish or Pacific Smelt — has no market value and isn't eaten widely in Canada by non-aboriginal people. Due to the fact that Fisheries and Oceans Canada doesn't consider it economically viable, it's often ignored by scientific research. (CBC)

Blue North Fisheries CEO works towards a ‘humane harvest’
echnology to stun cod as they are brought out of the water could improve the fish’s last moments as well as its taste and shelf life, says CEO Kenny Down. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Samish River cleanup effort gets a 90-day jolt
In an effort to expedite a shellfish harvest upgrade for Samish Bay, Clean Samish Initiative partners have launched a new 90-day plan with ambitious goals for the watershed…. Due to high river flows Sunday, Samish Bay was closed to shellfish harvest. The Office of Shellfish and Water Protection expects water sampling results Tuesday afternoon, according to Scott Berbells, state Department of Health growing section supervisor. If bacteria levels are high, the bay will remain closed. Clean Samish Initiative partners hope to achieve an upgrade for Samish Bay from the state’s characterization as conditionally approved to approved. Under conditionally approved regulations, harvest is closed whenever river flow exceeds a certain threshold, whether bacteria is confirmed present or not. Under approved status, the bay is only closed if bacteria is actually found in water samples. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Study Finds Some Fish Can Live In Low-Oxygen Dead Zones
Concerned that low-oxygen dead zones in the Pacific off the West Coast are getting more common as the climate changes, scientists are looking at how commercially valuable fish are reacting. A study published in the journal Fisheries Oceanography found overall numbers and diversity of fish declined as oxygen levels dropped in deep waters, but some fish remained, able to ride it out. (Associated Press)

CSIS helped government prepare for expected Northern Gateway protests
Canada's spy agency helped senior federal officials figure out how to deal with protests expected last summer in response to resource and energy development issues — including a pivotal decision on the Northern Gateway pipeline. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service prepared advice and briefing material for two June meetings of the deputy ministers' committee on resources and energy, documents obtained under the Access to Information Act show. Jim Bronskill reports. (Canadian Press)

La Conner files fumes complaint about Shell emission
La Conner Mayor Ramon Hayes has filed a complaint with the Northwest Clean Air Agency against Shell Puget Sound Refinery for its Feb. 20 discharge of fumes. Several La Conner residents had headaches, coughs and watery eyes due to the fumes, and Hayes wants to get to the bottom of the cause of the odor, he said. The city wants a detailed investigation into what happened and why, as well as a breakdown of exactly what was released, said Town Administrator John Doyle. Shannen Kuest reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

New U.S., Canada border deal geared to improving traffic flow
A new preclearance agreement between the U.S. and Canada could make it easier for private companies to move people across the border. The agreement, signed Monday, March 16, by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Canadian Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney, would allow for some inspections to take place prior to arriving at the border, potentially reducing congestion and delays. Both countries must enact legislation for the agreement to be implemented. This should be good news for ferry, bus and small airplane companies that take people into either country, said Laurie Trautman, associate director at the Border Policy Research Institute at Western Washington University. Dave Gallagher reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAR 17 2015
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING E IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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2/27 Crow gifts, new orca!, oil trains, BC LNG, sinking ship, Mountain Slough, Samish review, L Whatcom, Tofino salmon, PS Stewrds, Navy pier

Crow gifts (PHOTO: Katy Sewall/BBC)

The girl who gets gifts from birds
Lots of people love the birds in their garden, but it's rare for that affection to be reciprocated. One young girl in Seattle is luckier than most. She feeds the crows in her garden - and they bring her gifts in return. Eight-year-old Gabi Mann sets a bead storage container on the dining room table, and clicks the lid open. This is her most precious collection. "You may take a few close looks," she says, "but don't touch." It's a warning she's most likely practised on her younger brother. She laughs after saying it though. She is happy for the audience. Katy Sewall reports. (BBC)

Feds Spot Third Baby Orca Born Recently to Imperiled Pods
U.S. scientists following endangered killer whales from a research vessel have spotted a newborn orca off the coast of Washington state. A biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says they spotted the calf on Wednesday with other whales in the "L'' pod, one of three families of southern resident killer whales that frequent inland Washington waters. It's the third baby born to the whale pods in recent months, bringing the Puget Sound's endangered population to 80, still dangerously low. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

The oil trains and the cities: How safe?
They gathered at dusk at the King Street Station with the words “No Exploding Oil Trains” projected on the station’s clock tower. Some held signs with four more words, “Not Under Our City.” The crowd wasn’t certain if any 100-car oil trains would enter the tunnel beneath them on the underground route past the Pike Place Market. But after two more oil train explosions this month, one in Ontario and another in West Virginia, the people gathered there Tuesday felt the time was ripe for another protest. Martha Baskin reports. (Crosscut)

Tax break a cash windfall for potential LNG developers in B.C.: UBC professor
The savings to LNG projects from a new federal tax measure introduced last week could be billions of dollars if three major export terminals were to be built on the B.C. coast. University of B.C. accounting professor Kin Lo has calculated that the tax measure would save LNG companies $75 million to $100 million over seven years for every $1 billion invested. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

HMCS Annapolis warship could sink accidentally off Gambier Island if not towed, says lawyer
A deteriorating former warship from the 1960s is on "borrowed time," and could sink accidentally within months, said a lawyer for the Artificial Reef Society of B.C. on Wednesday. Bryan Hicks told a Federal Court that HMCS Annapolis must be towed from Long Bay, also known as Port Graves, on Gambier Island, to nearby Halkett Bay Marine Park, so the society can finally sink it and create an artificial reef. Hicks is in court fighting an application from the Save Halkett Bay Marine Park group to stop the sinking of the ship, which was sold in 2008 to the society for sinking in the marine park for the benefit of divers and marine life. Laurie Kane reports. (Canadian Press)

Kent District delays plans to excavate endangered species hot spot in Fraser Valley
The province has granted the District of Kent authorization to dredge within Mountain Slough, habitat for endangered fish and frogs, to reduce the flood risk to local farms. Dredging, including here at the confluence with McCallum Slough, must be completed by March 15. An environmental expert must be present to monitor the flood works. The District of Kent says it is putting on hold a controversial plan to excavate within Mountain Slough — a hot spot for endangered species in the Fraser Valley. The excavation is intended to reduce flood risk for local farmers. Mayor John Van Laerhoven said in an interview Wednesday that farmers agreed to the delay after the Sto:lo First Nation said the work would carry less environmental risk if undertaken in the summer. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

If you like to watch: NASA's historic views of Seattle region (SeattlePI.Com)

Annual Samish water pollution review starts Sunday
Sunday marks the start of March, and a reminder for many that spring is on the horizon. In Samish Bay, Sunday marks the beginning of another four-month pollution evaluation. Last year the watershed failed the state Department of Health assessment within the first three weeks, much to the disappointment of Clean Samish Initiative partners. The initiative has been working since 2009 to reduce the amount of fecal coliform entering the waterway. Fecal coliform bacteria is an indicator that human or animal feces are present, which can cause illness if consumed. Historically, most Samish water pollution events have been documented between March and June. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Homeowner buy-in needed to meet Lake Whatcom cleanup goal
The next time a Lake Whatcom resident hears from the city or county, it may be to commit to some serious and probably expensive yard work. Bellingham and Whatcom County are funding the next phase of a program that pays homeowners up to $6,000 to partially cover the cost of systems that will capture stormwater from the property and filter out the phosphorus. The new program is part of a comprehensive five-year plan to clean up Lake Whatcom, for 2015-19. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Tofino salmon agency faces uncertain future
A small group of volunteers that has been working to restore some Vancouver Island salmon rivers that are so remote they can only be accessed by horseback may have reached the end of the road. Doug Palfrey, the driving force behind the Tofino Salmon Enhancement Society (TSES) for nearly 30 years, sent a short e-mail to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) this week announcing that his group can’t continue saving endangered Chinook stocks in Clayoquot Sound. Mr. Palfrey wrote that $7,000 annual funding under DFO’s Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP) simply isn’t enough. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

EarthCorps and Hazel Miller Foundation support Puget Sound Stewards
EarthCorps is becoming a common sight around town. EarthCorps crews, which are made up of young adult environmental leaders from around the US and the world, have been monitoring and restoring habitat at Edmonds Marsh for the past two years. Now, with support from the Hazel Miller Foundation, EarthCorps and the City of Edmonds are launching a Puget Sound Stewards Program in Edmonds. Puget Sound Stewards are committed volunteers trained in the management of habitat restoration sites and volunteer their time and effort to ensure long-term health of these natural areas. (Edmonds Beacon)

Port of Port Angeles offers alternative to Navy's plan for new pier at Ediz Hook Coast Guard station
The Port of Port Angeles has made a last-ditch, last-minute effort to convince the Navy to use existing port docking facilities instead of building a new pier for submarine-escort vessels at the Coast Guard station on Ediz Hook. Port commissioners approved a draft version of a one-page proposal at their meeting Tuesday. They directed Environmental Manager Jesse Waknitz to revise and send it to the Navy on Wednesday. Wednesday was the deadline for public comments on Naval Base Kitsap's “Description of Proposed Action and Alternatives” for the pier and support facilities. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 236 AM PST FRI FEB 27 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT LATE IN THE MORNING. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING.
SAT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
NE WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING W IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 2 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

1/20 Pipeline secrets, bird flu, Gorge spill, farm bill $, flame retardants, Taseko Mines, Jennifer Rumley

Shaka the Crab (PHOTO: Alan Berner/Seattle Times)

"Honu by the Sea" at the Seattle Aquarium
Bryce Irvine is Shaka the Crab in the environmental musical at the Seattle Aquarium this weekend. "Honu by the Sea" is about discovering the need to protect and guard reefs and oceans threatened by negligent human activity. For more information see: honubythesea.com Colin Diltz reports. (Seattle Times)

Kinder Morgan can keep plans secret: National Energy Board
Kinder Morgan has won the next round in the battle over the push to expand its oil pipeline through Burnaby. The province has lost a bid to force the company to detail its emergency response plan in case of an accident. Kinder Morgan says it needs to keep the plans secret in the interest of security. The National Energy Board (NEB) ruling came down Friday saying the oil company had justified their argument to keep much of the plan secret which perplexes John Foy with the Wilderness Committee. Simon Druker reports. (News1130)

Avian flu found on North Olympic Peninsula; domestic birds destroyed at Agnew farm
Avian flu has been found in a backyard flock of ducks, chickens and geese east of Port Angeles, and all the birds were destroyed. The H5N2 bird flu strain is not harmful to humans.  But the disease is very contagious and deadly among birds, and the fear is that it could spread into commercially raised chickens and turkeys. A ban on the movement of eggs, domestic poultry and poultry products within and outside of a 10 kilometer radius — 6.2 miles — likely will be placed today around the home at 92 Cosmos Lane in the Agnew area, state Department of Agriculture spokesman Hector Castro said. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Rain clears storm drains of fuel-oil spill near Gorge
The rain that pelted Victoria over the weekend helped clean out the storm-drain system feeding a heating-oil spill on the Gorge Waterway, virtually eliminating any pollution threat. B.C. Hazmat’s David Rogers said that absorptive booms replaced on Sunday night were “lily-white and clean” on Monday, meaning no oil had reached them. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

Farm Bill money will support continued Clean Samish efforts
Farms, shellfish, salmon and water quality in the Puget Sound Region will get a $9 million boost from a new federal conservation program included in the 2014 Farm Bill. Some of that money will go to Skagit County’s Samish watershed, which has been plagued with fecal coliform pollution for years. The grants come from the new Regional Conservation Partnership Program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. They are part of a $370 million package Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced last week that will support 115 projects across the U.S. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

House looking to pass a bill banning some flame retardants
A bill to ban two flame retardants from children's products and upholstered furniture is taking its third trip through the Washington Legislature. Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, introduced the bipartisan bill, which went to a House Environment Committee public hearing Monday. John Stang reports. (Crosscut)

Mining giant takes on B.C. environmental group in defamation court battle
Criticism of a proposed mine by an environmental group and allegations of defamation by the project's owner have landed both parties in B.C. Supreme Court. Taseko Mines Ltd. launched the lawsuit after the Wilderness Committee claimed during a 2012 public comment period that the New Prosperity mine could destroy Fish Lake. The proposed gold and copper mine, 125 kilometres southwest of Williams Lake, was undergoing a federal environmental assessment when the statements were made. Tasmyn Burgmann reports. (Canadian Press)

Green Beat - Intern nets endangered species
When Langley resident Jennifer Rumley graduated with a Trinity Western University Environmental Studies degree in 2014, she was hoping to get a paying job. Instead, this past fall she paid to get some experience with A Rocha Canada. “The internship with A Rocha was the next best thing to a paid position,” said Jennifer. “I got to do some meaningful work in my field, and have some exciting adventures working with endangered species and their habitat.” Rumley sought the elusive Salish sucker along the length of the Little Campbell River which begins in Aldergrove and runs to the ocean in White Rock. David Clements reports.  (Langley Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE JAN 20 2015
TODAY
SE WIND 10 KT...BECOMING E 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 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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1/12 Elwha ride, J50, drink poop, Jim Unsworth, native?, bird flu, Clean Samish, Keystone XL, Kitsap shores

(F2V/Peninsula Daily News)

If you like to watch: Here's how you can take a virtual ride down the newly freed Elwha River — right now!
Anyone with a computer or mobile device can take a virtual ride on the Elwha River from the former Lake Mills to the mouth as the river empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Users of the Google Street View-style project by Flying Fish Views, a Seattle-based startup also known as F2V, can see rapids and even dive underwater to see the “fish view” version of the trip. The “travel” is via 30,000 individual photographs stitched together to create a 360-degree view of the lower third of the river and valley around a river raft. Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

If you like to watch: Newborn orca J50 spotted swimming with JPod family in Puget Sound
U.S. whale watcher Alisa Lemire Brookes captures encounter in three-minute YouTube video. Newborn female orca calf J50 was captured on video Saturday swimming with her JPod family in Puget Sound, Washington. (CBC)

If you like to watch: Bill Gates Raises A Glass To (And Of) Water Made From Poop
In places where fresh water is hard to come by, how do you come up with clean drinking water? Easy — get the water from poop. It's a scientifically sound idea, and Bill Gates has a video to prove it. In the video, released this week, he stands in front of the Janicki Omniprocessor, a giant new machine that can turn human waste into clean drinking water in minutes. He waits patiently as Peter Janicki — the engineer who invented the contraption — fills his glass with crystal-clear water from the machine. Linda Poon reports. (NPR)

Idaho official picked to lead Washington wildlife agency
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has a new director Jim Unsworth will lead the agency of more than 1,600 employees and a two-year operating budget of $376 million. The 57-year-old recently served as deputy director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. He will replace Phil Anderson. (Associated Press)

If you weren’t born in Seattle or the Northwest, you’ll never be one of us
Northwest native and Pacific NW writer Ron Judd offers up a primer for figuring out the Northwest native. (Seattle Times)

Swabs taken from 500 birds in Whatcom County to test for bird flu
Swabs were taken from about 500 wild birds in Whatcom County by officials who want to know how widespread a highly pathogenic bird flu is among the region’s wild birds. They were among more than 1,000 samples taken within the past month from birds killed by hunters, with most of those coming from Whatcom, Skagit and Clark counties, according to Don Kraege, waterfowl section manager for the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Initiative to clean the Samish continues
Reflecting on a year of challenges and successes, Skagit County staff with the Clean Samish Initiative say they will try new strategies in the years ahead while remaining focused on the target. Challenges included a failed state pollution evaluation, but use of a sewage-detecting dog in collecting data provided useful information. This year, Skagit County staff will continue to work toward developing new pollution identification and correction methods. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Shoreline program for Kitsap County approved
The Washington Department of Ecology has approved Kitsap County's updated shoreline master program which will result in significant improvements in the protection, use, development and restoration of over 290 miles of lake, stream and marine shorelines throughout the county. (Central Kitsap Reporter)

House OKs Keystone XL Pipeline Despite Obama Veto Threat
The GOP-controlled House of Representatives has voted 266-153 to approve the Keystone XL pipeline despite a presidential veto threat, just hours after Nebraska's Supreme Court, in a split decision, cleared the way for the controversial project. The Senate, which also has a Republican majority, is considering similar legislation. Krishnadev Calamur reports. (NPR)  See also: Nebraska court upholds Keystone XL pipeline. It's all up to Obama now.  Brad Plumer reports. (Vox)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 245 AM PST MON JAN 12 2015
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 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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10/13 Oil trains, oil cost, quakes, Samish watershed, Cadboro sewage, e-warfare, dam snafu, Hood Canal bridge, breeding ban

BP Cherry Point will allow only newer-model train cars at its crude oil terminal
BP Cherry Point has announced its rail terminal will no longer accept or unload any Bakken region crude oil from pre-2011 standard tank cars. By the first week in October, the facility had stopped using older DOT-111 cars for crude, BP spokesman Bill Kidd said. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Oil price at $85 costing provinces and economy billions
The sudden new reality of oil at $85 US a barrel is a jarring wake-up for the three oil-rich provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador. Oil prices touched new lows Friday, down almost $1 to $84.90 a barrel. That's the lowest price seen since April 2013. The price for the main North American oil benchmark, known as West Texas Intermediate, is now down more than 20 per cent from recent highs — which means oil has met the technical definition of a price correction. Peter Evans reports. (CBC)

Pacific Northwest rocked by two earthquakes
A pair of strong late night earthquakes hit the Pacific Northwest Thanksgiving Weekend. The first quake registered a magnitude of 3.5 and was centred about 15 kilometres to the northeast of Olympia, Washington, roughly 60 kilometres below the surface. The shaking began at around 11:25 p.m. The second earthquake, centred due west of Nanaimo about 180 kilometres off shore was far more powerful, registering a magnitude of four. It came about four hours after the first quake at about 3 a.m. Matt Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Officials tour Samish watershed, note progress and next steps
Skagit County’s rich soils, expansive pastures and marine shorelines support a variety of agricultural industries, from dairies, beef and shellfish to berries, potatoes and corn. In the Samish Watershed, shellfish harvest in the bay hinges on clean water in the river, which has been contaminated for years by upstream livestock manure and sewage from failing septic systems, particularly during heavy rain. Although a soggy spring resulted in high measurements of fecal coliform in Samish Bay this year, county officials and community members say that does not indicate failure on behalf of the Clean Samish Initiative. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Cadboro Bay Beach closed after sewage overflows in rain
The Capital Regional District issued the advisory and erected warning signs after discharges lasting about 30 minutes at a pair of outfalls. About 2,600 cubic metres of sewage was spilled. The public is advised to avoid contact with the water. (Times Colonist)

Navy to face public next week on proposed West End electronic warfare program; deadline extended for public comment
The deadline has been extended to Oct. 31 for public comment on the U.S. Navy's environmental assessment for an electronic warfare training proposal. The development comes as the U.S. Forest Service considers issuing a special-use permit for the Navy to use its roads during the exercises. Michael J. Foster reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

If you like to listen: Legos Wash Ashore The Cornish Coast After 17 Years In The Atlantic
Marcie Sillman speaks with retired oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer, publisher of the newsletter Beachcombers' Alert!, about the afterlife of nearly 5 million maritime-themed Lego pieces. (KUOW)

Cause of Capitol Lake dam malfunction identified and fixed
A degraded electrical connection on the Capitol Lake dam in Olympia is the reason the barrier malfunctioned a week ago, causing an accidental draw down of the man-made waterway. Department of Enterprise Services spokesman Jim Erskine said Friday the electrical connection had been fixed and "the dam is fully operational. No further repairs are needed.’’ Brad Shannon reports. (Olympian)

Climate change forcing fish stocks north: study
A study has produced the strongest evidence yet that climate change is forcing hundreds of valuable fish species toward the poles. The paper, published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science on Friday, concludes that Canadian and Arctic waters may end up with more species and greater abundance. But fisheries in the tropics, where people depend more heavily on seafood, may become hollowed out. (Canadian Press)

Hood Canal bridge may be death trap for steelhead
While 16,000 cars a day travel swiftly across the Hood Canal bridge, young steelhead trout swimming in the waters below seem to encounter a deadly barrier when they arrive at the floating structure. New research suggests that in some years more than a third of the migrating steelhead never make it past the bridge and into the more expansive waters of Admiralty Inlet. Chris Dunagan reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Vancouver Park Board defends breeding ban at city aquarium
The Vancouver Park Board acted reasonably and within its authority when it banned the breeding of captive cetaceans at the city aquarium, it says in court documents. In its response to a lawsuit filed by the aquarium in B.C. Supreme Court, the board says it made a reasonable decision with a valid municipal purpose. It calls the aquarium’s suit premature, because the resolution and clauses that were passed have not been finalized. Sunny Dhillon reports. (Globe and Mail)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 250 AM PDT MON OCT 13 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 8 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING... THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 9 FT AT
 12 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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8/5 Velella, Samish closure, hydraulic code, dam pollutants, oil train disaster, Inslee's climate, GBH

Velella velella

Thousands of tiny jellyfish wash up on shore near Tofino, B.C.
Tofino beachgoers got a big surprise Monday morning when they discovered thousands of tiny jelly fish, known as Velella, velella. washed up on city beaches.... Last month, thousands of  Velella, velella also washed ashore in Oregon. (CBC) See also: Mysterious Velella Washing Up on California Coast Richard Farrell reports. (Discovery News)

Illness closes Samish Bay shellfish harvest through Sept. 30
With an increasing number of illnesses caused by shellfish infected with Vibrio bacteria, harvest will be halted in Samish Bay for the rest of the summer, the State Department of Health announced Monday. The number of reported illnesses has risen from nine t0 13 over the last week. All but one were traced back to commercial growers in Puget Sound. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

News Release: State Allows Limited Opportunity For Public Input On Push For Major Changes In Nearshore Protection Code
The Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the state Fish and Wildlife Commission are moving forward with plans for major revisions to the only state law specifically protecting critical nearshore habitats and at-risk fish species. The department and commission have allowed for a minimal public comment period and a single, middle-of-summer, late Friday afternoon public hearing in Olympia on August 8....

Army Corps of Engineers agrees to disclose dam pollutants
For the first time in its history, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have to disclose the amount of pollutants its dams are sending into waterways in a groundbreaking legal settlement that could have broad implications for the Corps’ hundreds of dams nationwide. The Corps announced in a settlement on Monday that it will immediately notify the conservation group that filed the lawsuit of any oil spills among its eight dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers in Oregon and Washington. Nigel Duara reports. (Associated Press)

King County To Lead Rehearsal Of Oil Train Disaster Response
Local and federal responders plan to rehearse how they’d handle the fiery crash of an oil train in Seattle – a hypothetical disaster that will play out around a table in King County. King County’s Emergency Management Department is coordinating with about a dozen different agencies in what they call a “tabletop exercise.” Staff will present the scenario, and responders around the table or on the phone then go through the motions of what happens next. Gabriel Spitzer reports. (KPLU)

As Oysters Die, Climate Policy Goes on the Stump
Billions of baby oysters in the Pacific inlets here are dying and Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington is busy spreading the bad news.... The Democratic governor, aided by what is expected to be millions of dollars from his billionaire friend Tom Steyer, is using the story of Washington’s oysters — scientists say a rise in carbon levels has spiked the acidity of the Pacific and is killing off shellfish — to make the case for passing the most far-reaching climate change policies in the nation. Coral Davenportaug reports. (NY Times)

Olympia residents oppose townhome project near great blue herons
A proposed townhome development’s effect on great blue herons drew nearly a dozen citizens to voice their concerns to the Olympia City Council on Monday. The crane-like birds live in a colony located at the end of Dickinson Avenue in west Olympia. Local architect Glenn Wells wants to build six townhomes in a wooded area next to the colony — also known as a rookery or heronry — where about 15 nests are perched high in the trees. The development will disturb the birds and cause them to leave their nests behind, the residents say. The birds have nested in that location for at least three decades, according to residents, and the site is believed to be the last remaining heronry inside Olympia city limits. Andy Hobbs reports. (Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE AUG 5 2014
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG THIS MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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5/29 Poop dog, Kinder Morgan, oil trains, flame retardants, WQ, Thornton Cr., SEA Whidbey

Crush the Poop Dog (Scott Terrell/Skagit Valley Herald)

Sewage-sniffing dog finds trouble in Samish watershed
Plastic buckets, murky water, action: a terrier-cattle dog mix in a neon yellow harness took off through a parking lot behind the Skagit County offices Wednesday. She charged from one water-filled bucket to another, passing most quickly, but stopping to lie down at a few... “It’s all a game to her. She thinks it’s pretty fun,” Environmental Canine Services co-founder Karen Reynolds said... Skagit County turned to the dog training company, which employs Crush and her handler, Aryn Hervel, out of California, as a way to locate sources of human fecal coliform pollution in the Samish River watershed. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Kinder Morgan bombarded with 10,000-plus questions on Trans Mountain expansion
Kinder Morgan is asking for more time to respond to over 10,000 questions submitted to the National Energy Board about the proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline. The company has until June 4 to respond to information requests from 117 of the 398 groups and individuals granted intervener status by the board for the application. The company says it cannot meet that deadline with such a large number of requests, and it has asked for a delay until June 27.

We'll soon know how many oil shipments pass through county
By the end of next week, Washington will learn how often tank cars of oil siphoned from North Dakota's Bakken Shale are getting shipped by rail through Snohomish County and the rest of the state. An emergency order from the U.S. Transportation Department requires railroads to tell the state how many trains carrying this highly flammable varietal of black gold are expected to travel through Washington each week, and on which routes. Railroads are not required to reveal exactly what days and times the trains are coming or how much crude oil is getting transported. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

If you like to watch: Turning the Tide with the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team
DERT advocates for clean water, public access, ecological stewardship, and a renewed economy through the restoration of South Puget Sound. Check out this cool video and crowdsource some change, real change.

New blog: What Kind of God Creates Tent Caterpillars?
‘Tis the season to ask the ultimate questions about divine design when the tent caterpillars swarm, the carpenter ants emerge, the mosquitoes buzz and the slugs begin chomping down in the garden....

SFU study finds lower IQ in kids linked to mom's exposure to flame retardants in pregnancy
Exposure to flame retardants while in utero can lead to a lower IQ and hyperactivity in children, according to a new study involving Simon Fraser University researchers. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Water inspections impacting recreation and food supply
Summer means more people getting out on the water and hitting the beach for shellfish harvesting. Behind-the-scene, state and local health inspectors are out testing water quality around the Puget Sound to make sure the waters are clean and safe. During the summer, health inspectors concentrate on taking samples in areas people like to play, swim and fish. Teresa Yuan reports. (KING)

Currently A Ditch, Seattle's Longest Creek Soon To Be A Stream Again
Utility crews are about to take a busy northeast Seattle thoroughfare out of commission for six months. But in exchange for shutting down five blocks of 35th Avenue Northeast, utilities officials say the neighborhood will get relief from chronic flooding and a very new look for the city's longest creek. Gabriel Spitzer reports. (KPLU)

SEA the future with South Whidbey park, group partnership
A public/private partnership that some say is the future of state park stewardship was commemorated at South Whidbey State Park on Sunday. A crowd numbering more than 50 people attended Celebrate the Water, an event marking the one-year anniversary of the partnership among SEA, — Service, Education, Adventure — Calyx Community Arts School, Friends of South State Park and Washington State Parks. Although autonomous of each other and with different missions, the organizations have for the past year worked for a similar objective: to maintain, bring attention to and use South Whidbey State Park as a teaching tool for future generations. Justin Burnett reports. (South Whidbey Record)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU MAY 29 2014
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 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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3/18 Samish Bay Lake Serene, oil spills, oil trains, radiation, Big Bang, best bee, SJ Monument

Samish Bay fails state evaluation
Samish Bay closed to shellfish harvest for the fourth time this month Sunday, due to high river flow. But it was the second time fecal coliform bacteria was confirmed to exceed state standards in water samples, which means it failed the state’s annual evaluation that had Clean Samish Initiative members holding their breath.... During this year’s testing period, the first closure occurred just four days in. The two times fecal coliform bacteria was found to exceed the state’s limit of 4.7 trillion units it was between 6 and 6.4 trillion. Skagit County water quality analyst Rick Haley said that’s a significant improvement compared to the shocking spike of 170 times the state standard that triggered the Clean Samish movement in 2008. “In 2008 we routinely got loadings over 50 and sometimes 100 trillion,” Haley said. “So we’re down below 6 and we need to be down below 4.7.” (Skagit Valley Herald)

Rains turn Lake Serene drainage woes into headache for county
Homeowners on the shores of Lake Serene have watched nervously this month as water covered entire back yards and inundated crawl spaces. It’s not just the heavy rains contributing to the problems at this lake north of Lynnwood, in unincorporated Snohomish County. A major factor, county officials concede, is a blocked drainage system. The county over the weekend started emergency efforts to pump water out of the lake and around some blockages, as planners look into long-term fixes. Some homeowners are worried it may be too late. They’re critical of what they see as the county’s inaction over both the short and long term. Private ownership of some of the drainage areas, however, could complicate any solution. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

You need to watch: Black Wave: The Legacy of the Exxon Valdez
See the award-winning documentary at the San Juan Island Grange, 7 pm, 3/18; Orcas Island Senior Center, 3 pm, 3/23; and Lopez Library, 7 pm, 3/24.

Washington Legislature Fails To Pass Any Oil Train Legislation
The Washington Legislature’s Republicans and Democrats couldn’t get together to pass a single piece of legislation specifically relating to oil trains or vessels, despite the introduction of several bills from both sides of the aisle. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Concerns Over Measurement of Fukushima Fallout
University researchers in Japan say that even now, three years after the triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, they feel under pressure to play down the impact of the disaster. Some say they cannot get funds or university support for their work. In several cases, the professors say, they have been obstructed or told to steer clear of data that might cause public “concern.” David McNeill reports. (NY Times)

The San Juan Islands National Monument Advisory Committee (RAC) Application Period Ends March 24
The Bureau of Land Management seeks applicants for its advisory committee to provide information and advice regarding the development of the San Juan Islands National Monument's resource management plan. Information and application form are found here.

Landmark find: Scientists detect waves from Big Bang
On Monday, radio astronomers reported that they had seen the beginning of the Big Bang, and that physicist Alan Guth’s hypothesis that the universe had swelled faster than the speed of light for a prodigiously violent instant, known undramatically as inflation, was right. Dennis Overbye reports. (NY Times)

If you like to listen and watch: Fight of the Bumblebee
On the 170th anniversary of composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's birth, CBC Music presents this track and video of flutist Mark McGregor and rapper Kia Kadiri battling the bumble — may the best bee win. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAR 18 2014
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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3/5 Coal dust, oil trains, Delta crash, Samish test, Vic sewer, Snookbrook poop, murrelet logging, Oly sea rise, gray whales, BC orcas, Seattle natives, Skagit flood $

The Twinnies (PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

If you like to watch: With Weather Like This…
Laurie MacBride in Eye On Environment  writes: "Ironically, right after I published my post about the little yellow messengers of spring, we had a huge (by west coast standards) dump of snow, more than a foot in all. That was followed by – no surprise – a multi-day power outage. Snow is still covering most of our garden and patches of our lawn, though it’s been melting a bit more each day. While the crocuses haven’t yet emerged from under their white blanket, I’ve been happy to see our weather heading back to “normal”. But today, to my dismay, it’s been snowing again. I think “the Twinnies” are also rather dismayed by it all..."

Are Coal Trains Degrading the Air We Breathe? The Answer is Yes.
Cliff Mass blogs: "During the past week, a paper describing the air quality effects of coal trains lumbering through the Pacific Northwest was accepted for publication and finally I can tell you about it.  This work was completed by Professor Dan Jaffe of the University of Washington in Bothell and several UW students, and relates the results of an extended observational study above the tracks in north Seattle and in the Columbia Gorge...."

Seattle Mulls Resolution Calling For Closer Scrutiny Of Oil Trains  
Seattle is on its way to joining Spokane and Bellingham in demanding tougher scrutiny of oil trains traveling through the city. A resolution that would restrict oil shipments until further review has passed out of a city council committee, and is scheduled for a vote before the full council on Monday. Council member Mike O’Brien, who chairs Seattle's Planning, Land Use and Sustainability Committee, says he’s been shocked by recent headlines about fiery explosions of increasingly volatile petroleum products like Bakken crude. And he recently learned a new statistic about how quickly the number of such shipments has been increasing. “Just in the last four years, the volume of oil being transported by rail in this country has gone up 57-fold, which is a massive increase,” O'Brien said, referring to a study released last week by the Seattle think-tank Sightline. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

State: Columbia River oil terminal violated permit
A Columbia River industrial plant converted from making ethanol to shipping volatile North Dakota crude oil has been operating improperly by moving six times the volume its permit allowed, Oregon regulators say. The company that runs the Clatskanie industrial plant disputes the allegation, saying its permit covers what it's been doing. It is, however, seeking the new permit the Department of Environmental Quality demands, The Oregonian reported. In June 2012, the agency quickly signed off on an air pollution permit change that allowed the plant to move crude from trains onto barges bound for West Coast oil refineries, saying the shift had an incidental effect on air emissions. (Associated Press)

Poor communication led to collision at Delta coal terminal: safety report
An investigation into an accident that saw a coal ship crash into a terminal near Vancouver, significantly damaging the facility, has concluded poor communication and inadequate safety planning contributed to the accident. The Transportation Safety Board released a report Tuesday examining what happened when the Japanese-owned bulk coal carrier Cape Apricot hit a conveyor belt at Westshore Terminals, south of Vancouver at Roberts Bank, in December 2012. The collision caused extensive damage to the terminal, rendering one of its berths inoperable, and sent 30 tonnes of coal into the water. No one was injured. (Vancouver Sun)

Strike one against Samish Bay in testing period
In the first four days of a four-month evaluation period for fecal coliform bacteria in Samish Bay, pollution was found to exceed state standards. “It’s obviously disappointing,” Taylor Shellfish spokesman Bill Dewey said Tuesday. “Four days into the evaluation period, and we’ve gotten our one closure. Chances of going another four months without another one are pretty slim.” If no more than one pollution closure occurs during the evaluation, the bay may be upgraded, which would mean it would no longer be subject to precautionary closures when the Samish River rises. Skagit County water quality specialist Rick Haley was also disappointed. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Esquimalt presents long list of sewage questions to CRD
Esquimalt, already accused of dragging its feet on the Capital Regional District’s sewage treatment proposal, is now asking for a raft of new documentation on everything from tsunami walls to super bugs in secondary treatment plants. Mayor Barb Desjardins says the municipality is simply looking for answers to questions raised at the municipality’s public hearings into the CRD’s proposed sewage treatment plant at McLoughlin Point. “We’re just looking for more information, and a lot of it is because members of the public have brought forward concerns that we don’t have the information about,” she said. But Victoria Coun. Geoff Young, chairman of the CRD core area liquid waste management committee, says it’s becoming apparent that the municipality may very well turn down the CRD’s application. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Snookbrook Farms likely main source of fecal contamination in Terrell Creek
Snookbrook Farms is probably the main source of fecal coliform bacteria that contaminated part of Terrell Creek and caused the beach closure near where the creek empties into the south end of Birch Bay. The beach has been closed since Jan. 31, after routine sampling Jan. 30 showed very high counts of fecal coliform in the creek from the Kickerville Road bridge down to the creek's mouth. Fecal coliform bacteria come from human and animal feces. The dairy's manure storage is at capacity - leading to overflows that eventually reached Terrell Creek, according to Hector Castro, spokesman for the Washington Department of Agriculture. Kie Reylea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Kitsap Public Health Releases 2013 Water Quality Report
The Kitsap Public Health District, in partnership with the Kitsap County Storm Water Management Program, today released its 2013 Water Quality Report for Kitsap County. This report summarizes bacteria levels in 57 Kitsap County streams, five marine embayments, 10 marine shoreline areas, and 12 lakes... Some highlights from the 2013 water quality report include... (Central Kitsap Reporter)

Controversial Olympic Peninsula Timber Sale Pits Environment Against Education
The Washington Board of Natural Resources voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the sale of 200 acres of the Olympic Peninsula that are home to the endangered marbled murrelet. The money from the timber sale will go to the University of Washington. 200 acres might not seem like that big of a deal, but not if you ask Peter Goldman, director of the Washington Forest Law Center. “These 200 acres are extremely important,” he said. “These lands around these timber sales are heavily used and officially mapped as occupied by the marbled murrelet.” Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Rising sea level a big concern for Olympia
Government leaders are sitting down Tuesday night for a first ever discussion of their common threat…rising seas. Olympia City, Thurston County and Port of Olympia planners acknowledge they are in a precarious position for even modest rising tides. Record tides just over a year ago backed up street sewer outfalls and caused minor flooding through street drains in low parts of Olympia. Storm surges send Puget Sound waters over bulkheads and swamp downtown city streets during even moderate events. Gary Chittim reports. (KING-TV)

Small group of gray whales return to Puget Sound
A male gray whale that feasts on shrimp in the Puget Sound every year was spotted this past weekend, marking the start of an annual stay in Washington state inland waters by a small but peculiar group of these big marine mammals, whale watchers reported Tuesday. The intrepid male - nicknamed "Little Patch" and identified with the number 53 by researchers - has been the first whale to be spotted and identified in north Puget Sound waters for two years in a row. He's part of a small group of about a dozen, primarily male, gray whales that feed on ghost shrimp in the Puget Sound for about three months during spring. Around May, the whales continue their migration to the Bering and Chukchi seas off Alaska. Manuel Valdes reports. (Associated Press)

Regional Consultation on the Draft Action Plan for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales in Canada
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) would like your feedback on the draft Action Plan for the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in Canada. The Species at Risk Act (SARA) requires that an action plan be developed for Threatened and Endangered species. The Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales were listed as Threatened and Endangered respectively under SARA in June 2003. This draft Action Plan was developed by DFO in cooperation with Parks Canada Agency. This document will form a key component in the recovery of the Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales in Canada... The deadline for submitting comments on the draft Action Plan is April 16, 2014. If you are prepared to submit comments, please use the online comment form.

The Invisibles: Seattle’s Native Americans
They’re rarely seen or heard, but the statistics on the population’s health, education, and happiness speak loud and clear. Matt Driscoll reports. (The Stranger)

House OKs $400K for Skagit River flood study
The Skagit River General Investigation has secured $400,000 in additional federal funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, an increase of $100,000 over last year. President Barack Obama’s proposed fiscal year 2015 budget also includes an additional $250,000 for the project, if the budget is approved. The federal funding should be enough to finish out the project, along with the local match, said Dan Berentson, Skagit County interim director of public works.... The study, which has been ongoing for more than 16 years, aims to produce study results that Skagit communities can use to apply for federal funding for flood-control projects. Rachel Lerman reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED MAR 5 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN THIS MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S 20 TO 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN.

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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.

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