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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8/5 Toxic algae, hooked orca, Lolita, port race, WA oil port, BC salmon, canoe journey, Calvert prints

Toxic algae pseudo-nitzchia (NOAA)

Toxic algae flourishes in warm water from California to Alaska, closing valuable fisheries
A vast bloom of toxic algae off the West Coast is denser, more widespread and deeper than scientists feared even weeks ago, according to surveyors aboard a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration research vessel. This coastal ribbon of microscopic algae, up to 40 miles wide and 650 feet deep in places, is flourishing amid unusually warm Pacific Ocean temperatures. It now stretches from at least California to Alaska and has shut down lucrative fisheries. Shellfish managers on Tuesday doubled the area off Washington’s coast that is closed to Dungeness crab fishing, after finding elevated levels of marine toxins in tested crab meat. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Feds monitoring orca with fishing lure hanging from mouth
Federal officials say they’re monitoring a killer whale near the San Juan Islands that appears to have a salmon lure hanging from its mouth. NOAA Fisheries says the orca, a 12-year-old male known as J-39, does not appear to be injured. The lure is a “flasher,” a shiny, oblong-shaped lure, and it may be attached to a barbless hook. The agency says it will provide additional money to the Center for Whale Research in Friday Harbor to further track the whale and assess its condition. (Associated Press)

Orca Network hosts event in honor of Lolita survival
Forty-five years ago, more than 100 orcas were herded into Penn Cove. The young ones were netted and hauled onto trucks for theme parks worldwide. All but one had died by 1987. Incredibly, one is still alive. They call her Lolita. August 2015 marks the 45th anniversary of Lolita’s capture from her family, the Southern Resident orcas, in Penn Cove off Whidbey Island. In memory of the nearly 40 Southern Resident orcas captured in Washington State, and the 13 orcas killed during the captures, and in honor of Lolita, also known as Tokitae, Orca Network is sponsoring several events to commemorate the 45th anniversary of the 1970 Penn Cove orca capture on Saturday, Aug. 8. (Whidbey News Times)

It’s a tight race for top 2 candidates for Port Commission’s Position 5
Fred Felleman and Marion Yoshino are leading in the race for the open Port of Seattle Commission seat currently held by Bill Bryant, who is stepping down to run for governor in 2016. Coral Garnick reports. (Seattle Times)

EPA: Withhold permit for oil-by-rail terminal in Vancouver
Environmentalists opposed to the construction of the nation’s largest oil-by-rail terminal on the Columbia River in Vancouver say it could be a “game-changer” that two federal agencies have recently expressed concerns about the project, but the companies behind the plan say they believe they can address them. In a letter last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the plans for the terminal do not comply with the federal Clean Water Act, and that a key permit for the project should be withheld until its risks are addressed, The Columbian newspaper reported. The National Park Service sent its own letter citing concerns just days earlier. (Associated Press)

Warm water puts B.C.’s Fraser River sockeye run at risk
The success of this year’s sockeye spawning season will depend on whether rain and cooler weather manage to lower water temperatures. Record low river levels and warm water temperatures could have a devastating effect on millions of sockeye salmon headed for the Fraser River to spawn, according to a UBC biologist. If this summer’s unusual weather conditions continue, few salmon will brave the stifling temperatures of the river, and many of those that do will die trying, Tony Farrell said. Bethany Lindsay reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Coho at risk on Sunshine Coast
Extremely dry conditions have put the lives of 54,000 juvenile coho at the Chapman Creek Hatchery on the Sunshine Coast at risk. The fish now depend on a plug-in pump sucking low-oxygen water from an old well. Matt Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Polluted retention pond mires Langley’s dredging plans
The discovery of pollutants in a Langley retention pond have put dredging plans in limbo and left city leaders with more questions than answers over their next step. The pond, which is located near Suzanne Court, was found to contain trace amounts of barium and diesel fuel in its soil, and the sheer volume of the polluted muck that needs to be removed is too much for Island County to handle. County officials stress the situation does not constitute a health hazard, but they simply lack the facilities to properly process the soupy mess. That’s left Langley with little choice but to scrap its dredging plans, at least for the time being. Ben Watanabe reports. (South Whidbey Record)

Canoes return to Suquamish
With paddles up as a welcome sign, 20 canoes pulled into Suquamish on Tuesday afternoon from a daylong paddling journey. It’s the time of year when tribes from the Pacific Northwest participate in the annual Tribal Canoe Journeys, with some canoes paddling from as far as Canada to a weeklong celebration put on by a host tribe with quicker stops along the way. But after last year’s journey to Bella Bella, British Columbia, tribes opted this year for a series of shorter journeys. They started in Birch Bay in Whatcom County on July 30. Most of the canoes pulling into Suquamish on Tuesday were traveling from Tulalip. Rachel Anne Seymour reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Footprints in the NW sand: Perhaps 13,000 years old
Fats Domino was famously “walking to New Orleans.” No one knows where the people who left footprints on British Columbia’s Calvert Island were walking. They may have been on their way from what is now Alaska to what is now Washington or points south. They may have stopped there during a journey by boat. Wherever and however they were going, at least three of them, possibly a large adult, a small adult and a child, left footprints of different sizes in the sand of the island, which lies west of Bella Coola and north of Vancouver Island, perhaps 13,000 years ago. If the date is confirmed, they have left the oldest human footprints in North America. Daniel Jack Chasan reports. (Crosscut)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED AUG 5 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING.
--
"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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6/26 BC pipe, oil export rules, train rules,BC oil, fish stress, algae blooms, beaver fight, flood study

Goldfinch (Laurie MacBride)

Enjoying the Weedy Buffet
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "I owe some thanks to a goldfinch for saving me some work the other day. I was taking a brief rest in the garden, planning to return to my weeding in a few moments. But then this natty little fellow came hopping along and caused me to change my plan. One item that had been on my to-do list was to clear away the many straggly patches of forget-me-not that were going to seed throughout our flower and veggie beds. But the goldfinch obviously viewed my messy weeds as a tasty opportunity, tucking into the seeds with gusto…."

Environment lawyers challenge B.C.'s Kinder Morgan pipeline conditions
British Columbia’s five conditions for approval of the proposed $5.4 billion Kinder Morgan pipeline won’t be addressed if the province isn’t involved in the process, says a lawyer representing an environmental group. Ecojustice lawyer Karen Campbell said Thursday that the conditions set out by Premier Christy Clark are invisible during the ongoing National Energy Board process that is considering environmental approval of the pipeline. Ecojustice, on behalf of Living Oceans Society, filed a motion with the NEB requesting B.C. answer questions relating to the five conditions and the Kinder Morgan project. The province elected earlier not to file any evidence with the NEB. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)

Sightline Sues Obama Administration over Crude Oil Exports and Illegal Secrecy
If the oil industry gets its way, the US will soon begin exporting tankers full of American crude to overseas markets. Although such shipments are for the most part illegal today, the Obama Administration is quietly changing the rules to favor oil exporters. To shed some light on the government’s behavior, the environmental law firm Earthjustice filed a formal Freedom of Information Act request in February on Sightline’s behalf, but it was greeted only by stony silence. So today, Sightline Institute, represented again by Earthjustice, is suing the federal government. We are asking the Courts to force the Obama Administration to do what it was legally required to by March 11: release information about its secretive deals with oil exporters to the public. Eric de Place writes. (Sightline)

Railroads use new oil shipment rule to fight transparency
Railroads may have found a new weapon in their fight to keep information about oil train shipments from the public: a federal rule that was supposed to increase transparency. The U.S. Department of Transportation insists that its May 1 final rule on oil trains, which mostly addresses an outdated tank car design, does not support the railroads’ position, nor was it intended to leave anyone in the dark. But in recent court filings in Maryland, two major oil haulers have cited the department’s new rule to justify their argument that no one except emergency responders should know what routes the trains use or how many travel through each state during a given week. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Petroleum producers court B.C. with new sales pitch
In an era of collapsed oil prices and suspended projects in Alberta’s oilsands, the industry’s key lobby group argues new pipelines to the West Coast are needed more than ever. And in a renewed sales pitch to British Columbians, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers promises it will talk less and listen more, starting with opening an office in Vancouver, said the organization’s CEO Tim McMillan. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

If you dare to watch: Face of bizarre sea creature Hallucigenia revealed
Scientists finally have a complete picture of what one of nature's most bizarre animals looked like. The tiny sea creature - Hallucigenia - lived 500 million years ago, but all fossils appeared to be without heads. New specimens unearthed in Canada have revealed the missing part, revealing its strange face for the first time. Rebecca Morelle reports. (BBC)

Ban anglers from drought-stressed streams, groups urge
The provincial government is failing to protect B.C.’s prized game fish in the face of a drought crisis that threatens the survival of the very trout, steelhead and salmon upon which a billion-dollar freshwater fishing sector depends. First Nations, professional guides, angling associations and naturalists are all pleading with an apparently deaf province to close drought-stricken Vancouver Island streams to sport fishing until they can be replenished by winter rains. Stephen Hume reports. (Vancouver Sun)

UW researcher helping pinpoint massive harmful algal bloom
The bloom that began earlier this year and shut down several shellfish fisheries along the West Coast has grown into the largest and most severe in at least a decade. UW research analyst Anthony Odell left June 15 from Newport, Oregon, aboard the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s research vessel Bell M. Shimada. He is part of a NOAA-led team of harmful algae experts who are surveying the extent of the patch and searching for “hot spots” — swirling eddies where previous research from the UW and NOAA shows the algae can grow and become toxic to marine animals and humans. Hannah Kickey and Michelle Ma reports. (UW Today) See also: Dungeness Crabbers Hit Hard By Algae Bloom On Washington Coast  Ashley Ahearn reports. (KUOW)

Researchers study plumes of algae in Sequim, Discovery bays; biotoxins stand below hazard levels
An algae strain capable of producing a potentially deadly biotoxin rarely found on the North Olympic Peninsula has been found in large quantities in both Sequim and Discovery bays. The marine algae has produced biotoxins in Sequim Bay, but not to the level that represents a public health risk, researchers said. Chris McDaniel reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Mom fights Shoreline School District about beaver and wins
The maintenance crew at Brookside Elementary in Lake Forest Park had a wildlife-removal firm set up traps to catch and kill a beaver at a creek by the school. Then they heard from moms and kids. The traps are gone. Erik Lacitis reports. (Seattle Times)

Skagit County officially puts end to Skagit River flood study
Skagit County will not invest any more money into the Skagit River General Investigation study. Skagit County officials say taxpayer money will be better spent on small-scale flood risk management projects, rather than on a study that has been 18 years and $14.4 million in the making and remains in the second of five phases. The county has paid half that cost, with the money coming from county, dike district, city and state Department of Ecology sources. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT THU JUN 25 2015
FRI
NW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
FRI NIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SAT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING W IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 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.

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3/30 J50, oil trains, offshore orca, B'ham port, fish hatcheries, sea lions, algae energy, slave seafood, WA budget

J50 (Capt. Simon Pidcock Ocean EcoVentures/CBC)

If you like to watch: Baby orca J50 comes out to play
Once given only a 50 percent chance of survival, the newest additions to the endangered southern resident community of orcas appear to be thriving. The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) has observed two three-month old babies, J50 and J51, in the waters around the San Juan Islands breaching and frolicking — and just plain having fun. (CBC)

Lawmakers aim to toughen laws on oil trains
State lawmakers are trying to reach agreement on tougher rules for the transportation of oil in Washington, including a requirement that rail carriers give local firefighters advance notice of when oil trains are coming. Competing bills in the House and Senate could bring higher taxes for refiners, larger crew sizes on trains for railroads and more inspections of tracks and railroad crossings. Sponsors of the bills are trying to reconcile differences and avoid legislative derailment, but the chasm might be too great in the typically contentious final weeks of the legislative session. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

Offshore killer whales gain attention from Canadian government
The Canadian government is calling attention to the special needs of offshore killer whales in a new document, “Recovery Strategy for the Offshore Killer Whale in Canada ( PDF 3.8 mb).” Offshores are a mysterious, little-understood group of orcas that roam the West Coast. They are related to the more familiar resident and transient killer whales, but they are genetically, physically and socially distinct. The name “offshore” sort of tells the story; they often remain miles off the coast, out of sight and out of mind for most researchers as well as the public. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Port of Bellingham could sign waterfront agreement Tuesday
The Port of Bellingham Commission will hold two special meetings Tuesday, March 31, to consider signing an agreement with an Irish developer that wants to redevelop the first portion of the downtown waterfront. A 3 p.m. public meeting will include a presentation on the master development agreement the port worked out with Dublin-based Harcourt Developments over the last year…. The commission will then take a recess and reopen the public meeting at 6 p.m. so those who work during the day and want to comment or learn about the agreement will get the chance to see the presentation and speak before the commission votes on the proposal. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Fish hatcheries: A 19th century fix that won’t die
If you found yourself recently in Marblemount, say, or North Bend, it might have been a good idea to visit the cold waters of the Cascade River or Tokul Creek and wave goodbye to the early winter run of Chambers Creek hatchery steelhead struggling upstream to the concrete tanks in which they were spawned. This winter’s run, a smaller batch next winter, and poof! Except for those released from a hatchery on the Skykomish River, near Monroe, we may have seen the last of those Chambers Creek fish. Or not. Daniel Jack Chasan reports. (Crosscut)

Boom times on the Columbia for California sea lions
Record numbers of sea lions are gathering in the Lower Columbia river this spring, intensifying the long-running challenge to protect salmon runs. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Algae into energy: New process studied at Sequim lab could lead to mass production of fuel while lowering carbon dioxide from the air
Scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s Marine Sciences Laboratory are working to develop a new, low-cost process to draw carbon dioxide out of the air to grow algae that can be refined into alternative gasoline and jet fuel. The beauty of fuel derived from algae is that it is “carbon-neutral,” meaning that the amount of carbon dioxide, or CO2, released when it is burned is equivalent to the amount the algae consumes during growth.  If it were cheap enough to be in mass production, algae-derived fuel could, scientists say, put the brakes on emission into the atmosphere of CO2, which accounted for 82 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States in 2012, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Chris McDaniel reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

How Northwest Shoppers Can Avoid 'Slavery Seafood'
Marcie Sillman speaks with Tobias Aguirre, executive director of FishWise, about a recent AP report detailing slavery in Asian fisheries and what Pacific Northwest shoppers can do to avoid purchasing seafood that may have been caught by slaves. (KUOW)

Washington House Democrats Say 'Yes' To Capital Gains Tax, 'No' To Cap-And-Trade
Majority Democrats in the Washington state House have unveiled a proposed two-year, nearly $39 billion state budget and tax package. They embraced Governor Jay Inslee’s push for a state capital gains tax, but they’re not biting on the Democratic governor’s cap-and-trade proposal. The capital gains proposal House Democrats offered was slimmed down a bit -- a five percent tax rate instead of the governor’s seven percent. Austin Jenkins reports. (NW News Network)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON MAR 30 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN LIKELY IN
 THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 20 TO 30 KT...BECOMING W 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 10 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.

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9/5 Crab pots, toxic algae, mine spill, oil spill suit, BC pipes, sewage spills, blue whales, BP spill, Friendship Tour

Crab pot recovery (Elaine Thompson AP)

Divers seek lost crab pots in Washington waters
Over 12,000 crab pots are lost in Washington state's Puget Sound every year, costing an estimated $700,000 in lost harvest revenue, and more poignantly, damaging the sea floor environment. Using sonar to find the pots, divers and scientists venture into the waters to clean up and learn why pots are lost. Manuel Valdes reports. (Associated Press)

Predicting when toxic algae will reach Washington and Oregon coasts
….University of Washington oceanographers have created a tool to help predict when harmful algae might strike. A few days’ warning could prevent last-minute beach closures or shellfish harvest losses, and reduce the risk of eating a clam filled with a neurotoxin that can lead to permanent short-term memory loss, or even death. The researchers developed a computer model to track when harmful algae will get carried to Washington and Oregon beaches. A study published in April in the Journal of Geophysical Research shows the model, when fed the right data, could predict most of the toxic algae events recorded in field studies between 2004 and 2007. Hannah Hickey reports. (UW Today)

Mount Polley mine tailings spill nearly 70 per cent bigger than first estimated
Imperial Metals’ estimate of the size of the spill from its Mount Polley mine tailings dam collapse is nearly 70 per cent greater than the initial estimate. The B.C. government has estimated that 10 million cubic metres of water and 4.5 million cubic meters of finely ground rock containing potentially-toxic metals was released by the collapse of the dam on Aug. 4. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Conservation Groups Concerned Oil Spill Would Harm Wildlife
As more oil trains travel along the Columbia River and Puget Sound, conservation groups worry that cleanup plans could harm sensitive wildlife, like endangered salmon and shorebirds. That concern is prompting legal action. The Center for Biological Diversity and Friends of the Columbia Gorge Thursday filed a 60-day notice to sue the U.S. Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency. The conservation groups say the oil spill response plan needs to be updated to account for endangered species. Courtney Flatt reports. (EarthFix)

Northern Gateway pipeline unlikely to start up by 2018
The president of the Northern Gateway pipeline says the possibility of a 2018 start-up date is "quickly evaporating." John Carruthers says the company planning to build the project, Enbridge Inc., is focused on getting support from First Nations groups along the pipeline's route through British Columbia. He told a Calgary business audience that the process of "re-engagement" with First Nations will take time and he's not too fussed about keeping to a schedule. (Canadian Press) See also: Kinder Morgan pipeline crews to resume work on Burnaby Mountain

Treated but not chlorinated sewage released into Strait of Juan de Fuca; officials advise no recreational contact with Port Angeles Harbor water
The Port Angeles sewer treatment plant released sewage that had been treated but not chlorinated into the Strait of Juan de Fuca for nearly 20 hours beginning Tuesday afternoon, Clallam County health officials said Thursday. About 1 million gallons of “insufficiently disinfected effluent” was released from a discharge pipe at a depth of 60 feet between 1 p.m. Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, county Hydrologist Carol Creasey said. Although the risk of contamination is low, county health officials are advising the public to avoid recreational water contact in Port Angeles Harbor through next Wednesday. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News) See also: Sewage spill affects Cadboro Bay beach  (Times Colonist)

UW Study: Despite Boat Strikes, California Blue Whales Have Rebounded
California blue whales have rebounded after decades of commercial whaling. New research from the University of Washington suggests their numbers are back to where they were before humans started hunting the species. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Ruling over Deepwater spill could cost BP $18B in fines
By finding that BP was, in legal parlance, grossly negligent in the disaster, not merely negligent, U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier opened the possibility of $18 billion in new civil penalties for BP. (NY Times)

Taiwanese students study Olympia’s ecosystem during Friendship Tour
A group of students from Taiwan are visiting the Olympia area this week to learn more about the Puget Sound region’s water and ecosystem. The Evergreen State College has been hosting 18 undergraduate students plus seven faculty from National Sun Yat-sen University since Tuesday. The group is part of the Taiwanese university’s Department of Marine Environment and Engineering. While in town, the group has seen local landmarks like the State Capitol Campus, but also environmental staples such as Tumwater Falls, the fish hatchery, and the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Andy Hobbs reports. (Olympian)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PDT FRI SEP 5 2014
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
SAT
E WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. NW SWELL 3 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

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8/11 Eagle nests, CG tech, advisory committee, BC pipe, LNG, Bainbridge sewage, fishers, porpoise, kelp, Arctic oil

Supermoon 8/10/14 (Michael Morgan)

Eagle nests in Campbell River chopped down despite wildlife laws
By law, it is illegal in B.C. to cut down the nest trees of bald eagles. In reality, however, if the nests get in the way of industrial development, the provincial government is prepared to see them sacrificed, even over the concerns of its own wildlife staff. That is what freedom-of-information documents show happened on the Campbell River waterfront this year when a company received government permission to cut down two eagle-nest trees on 13 hectares of industrial property to allow a coal-loading facility. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Cantwell says she wants Coast Guard technology beefed up during tour of Port Angeles station
U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell said the Coast Guard should be equipped with the technology it needs to handle the “complexity of Washington's waterways.” Cantwell on Friday toured Air Station/Sector Field Office Port Angeles, where she was briefed on a high-frequency radar system that measures surface currents over a large area. If implemented along the Washington coast and Strait of Juan de Fuca, the technology would enhance search-and-rescue operations and could help track oil spills and harmful algae blooms, proponents said. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

San Juan Islands National Monument Advisory Committee Announced
President Obama asked the Secretary of Interior to create an advisory committee to provide "information and advice" on the development of the San Juan National Monument's management plan.  While purely advisory, the committee forms an important channel to help ensure that the community's dreams for these lands are reflected in and supported by the management plan.

Burnaby launches constitutional challenge to Kinder Morgan’s pipeline plans
Kinder Morgan’s proposed twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline travels for 1,000 kilometres over mountains and around pristine parks, but the final five-kilometre stretch through Burnaby, B.C., may be the project’s toughest, as the company now faces a constitutional challenge to its plans. In a brief filed earlier this week with the National Energy Board, a lawyer for the City of Burnaby questions whether the board has the constitutional authority to override municipal bylaws that could prohibit Kinder Morgan from undertaking surveying activities in a conservation area. Justin Giovannetti reports. (Globe and Mail)

West Vancouver council to revisit call for tanker ban after vote confusion
Craig Cameron didn’t realize he’d voted to recommend a ban on LNG tanker traffic in Howe Sound until he read it in the newspaper. The article in the North Shore News reported that Cameron, a West Vancouver councillor, had been part of the unanimous vote on July 21, held after council heard a presentation on the environmental risks posed by tanker traffic heading to and from the proposed Woodfibre liquefied natural gas plant in Squamish. The decision to ask Ottawa for a ban on tankers was proposed by Coun. Nora Gambioli as part of a three-part motion that also called for council to express its concern about the LNG project and ask for West Vancouver to be part of any consultative bodies formed to discuss the proposal. Bethany Lindsay reports (Vancouver Sun)

Sewage spill closes Bainbridge Island beaches
Officials have closed the beaches at Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island to swimming and shellfish harvesting following a sewage spill. KIRO-TV reports that the spill began about 10:30 a.m. Sunday when there was a break in a sewer main on the Eagle Harbor shoreline near the state ferry terminal. The spill was stopped by 1:30 p.m. The amount of sewage spilled is unknown. Shellfish harvesting has been closed and swimming beaches are closed until further notice. (Associated Press)

Fishers making a comeback on North Olympic Peninsula
The weasel-like fisher, which was reintroduced onto the North Olympic Peninsula from 2008-10, appears to be getting around. Photos and hair samples of fishers caught in survey areas across the Peninsula show the small mammals are breeding and expanding to new territory after 90 fishers from British Columbia were released into Olympic National Park. Fishers, once native to the Peninsula, had disappeared from the state, wiped out by overhunting for their pelts, by the early 1900s. Jeremy Schwartz reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Puzzling story of harbor porpoises
Harbor porpoises are a good example of caution about statistics, otherwise known as jumping to conclusions. Sometimes researchers have to keep plugging away at solving a puzzle, one piece at a time. Washington’s harbor porpoises in inland waters were common in the 1940s in Puget Sound south of Admiralty Inlet. By the early 1970s, they were gone. “They completely disappeared and no one understands why that happened,” said Joe Gaydos, director and chief scientist of the SeaDoc Society. Sharon Wootton reports. (Everett Herald)

Bull kelp is a buoy of the ecosystem | Waterways
... One of the most amazing plants is the kelp. They are big, rubbery and amazing. They also tell an interesting story about the human effects on the Puget Sound ecosystem. Kelp is large macroalgae — seaweed — that grows along the coasts. Macroalgae are grouped generally by color: reds, greens, browns, and coraline. Kelp is brown algae. Betsy Cooper reports. (Kingston Community News)

Canada launches mission to map Arctic seabed
Canada has launched a mission to map the Arctic seabed to support its bid to extend its territory up to the North Pole. The six-week mission comes in the face of competing claims from other countries, including Russia. Two ice-breakers are setting out from Newfoundland to collect data from an undersea ridge that starts near Ellesmere Island and runs to the Pole. The region is believed to include large oil and gas reserves. (BBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON AUG 11 2014
TODAY
E WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. 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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8/8 Mount Polley, Hydraulic Code, sea star wasting, PCBs, stormwater, purple algae, fruit trains, Cedar Grove odor

Mount Polly mine spill (Jonathan Hayward/Canadian Press)

No reason to be confident in environmental protection
Barbara Yaffe writes: "Could there be a worse time in B.C. to have a tailings pond disaster? Never mind that the salmon are spawning. A wee debate is taking place in this province about whether to sanction a pipeline to the coast and tanker transport of bitumen along B.C.’s coastline. Albertans, hoping to get their petroleum to the West Coast, must be as distressed as British Columbians at the Aug. 4 breach of the Mount Polley tailings pond. Or they should be. ... A slurry of metal-laden sand and waste water from that Imperial Metals tailings pond could well be mistaken for bitumen, with its greyish colour and ability to carry timber and other detritus along with it on its determined path...." (Vancouver Sun)

State seeks comment on proposed in-water rule changes
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is accepting public input through Friday, Aug. 15, on potential changes to the state’s rules for in-water construction that may affect fish habitat. The agency is accepting comments on both the proposed changes to the state’s Hydraulic Code and a Supplemental Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement weighing the costs and benefits of the proposal. Several local tribes and environment groups have commented in opposition to the proposed changes during the environmental review process under the State Environmental Policy Act. Kimblerly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Starfish wasting away in Barkley Sound
Just a little over a year since it was first spotted on B.C.’s coast, starfish wasting disease has come to Barkley Sound. “We’ve been keeping a close eye on it because we’d been expecting it to come here at some point [though] hoping it wouldn’t,” said Peter Mieras of Rendezvous Dive Adventures. Mieras, who runs Rendezvous Dive Adventures in Rainy Bay, located near the mouth of the Alberni Inlet, followed news of starfish wasting disease when it popped up in Howe Sound, Puget Sound and on the eastern side of Vancouver Island a little over a year ago. Katya Slepian reports. (Alberni Valley News) See also: Disease killing sea stars reaches local public aquariums Shelby Rowe reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Report: Banned Toxic PCB Still Showing Up In Everyday Products
New testing shows low levels of a banned toxic chemical are still showing up in a variety of everyday products including paints, newspapers, magazines and cardboard food packaging. The Washington Department of Ecology tested 68 different products for the chemical polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, which likely cause cancer and were banned in 1979. The tests found the compound at low levels in 49 different products, according to a report released Thursday. The chemical is apparently an inadvertent byproduct of manufacturing many dyes and pigments. Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

Western Washington municipal stormwater permits to be updated
Local governments in Western Washington, including Renton, will see changes to what’s required for managing polluted stormwater runoff, the top threat to the water quality of urban-area lakes, rivers and Puget Sound.... The Department of Ecology proposes modifications to the August 2012 municipal stormwater permits for Western Washington only, and has made the changes available for public review.... The public comment period ends Oct. 6. Ecology expects to finalize the permits in December 2014. (Renton Reporter)

Birch Bay's water quality unaffected by pungent purple algae
While the algae build-up and occasional rotten odors wafting off the waters of Birch Bay have some citizens concerned, county representatives claim that water in the bay is up to snuff....“We get a lot of complaints that it’s stinky and unpleasant from people who live near the Cottonwood neighborhood,” said Ingrid Enschede, program specialist with Whatcom County Public Works stormwater division. Enschede said locals have reported increased growth of the purple algae over the last five years, but there is currently no research at a scientific or collegiate level to determine how much the growth has increased or what’s causing it. It is known that the algae develop as a result of heat and certain nutrients found on the bay floor.  As for the smell, it is a result of hydrogen sulfide gas, which is produced from decomposing plants. The hydrogen sulfide is not inherently harmful to humans, but those with sensitivity to the smell may experience headaches and mild nausea. Steve Guntli reports. (Northern Light)

Trains boot Washington fruit crops to carry more coal, oil
One of the major shippers for Washington fruits and field crops has given up on express shipments to the Midwest and East Coast, blaming delays on the BNSF Railways’ increased shipment of coal and oil. Growers of Washington apples and other major crops have already been turning to long-haul trucking, as BNSF oil and coal train traffic began to take up an increasing share of overall traffic. An April scheduling decision by BNSF doubled the three-day delivery time from Quincy in Central Washington to Chicago to six days, company officials said. At six days, rail shipments are not competitive with long-haul trucks, which can deliver in three days. Cold Train Express, operating out of the Port of Quincy, was providing service six days a week to 24 states by the end of 2013, a Cold Train statement said Thursday. Floyd McKay reports. (Crosscut)

Owner gets jail time for boat that sank near Finley
A Portland man has been sentenced to 20 days in jail for abandoning a 41-foot-fishing boat that sank in the Columbia River near Finley and polluted the water. Brandon D. Traner, who owned the boat, also was given $540 in fines and assessments and two years of probation. He still faces a restitution hearing to determine the amount that he must repay to the state for its work to recover the boat that sank July 12, 2013, about two miles down the Columbia River from Two Rivers Park in Finley. Annette Cary reports. (Tri-City Herald)

Complaints about Cedar Grove odor return
When the dog days of summer set in, there's one thing residents in north Everett and Marysville have learned to anticipate: the stink. The smell, they say, originates from Cedar Grove Composting on Smith Island. Neighbors have complained for years about the smell, and filed their objections with the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI AUG 8 2014
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT...RISING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 7
 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 2 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
SAT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 2 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 2 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SUN
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 2 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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7/1 Canada Day, seastars, orcas, Samish poop, WA population, toxic algae, Tokitae, Haida Gwaii, plastics, Jetty Is.

Canada Day 2014: My Canada is...
Canada is many things: big, diverse, multilingual, beautiful, rich in resources, purveyor of outstanding maple syrup. On Tuesday, it's also 147 years old. But Canada is so much more than these things — and to celebrate Canada Day, we asked you to tell us about them. Andrea Lee-Greenberg reports. (CBC)

When the stars go out all along the coast
Sea stars, the original “keystone species,” are melting into mush even on local shores where they previously seemed safe, leaving scientists puzzled… and worried. Egic Scigliano reports. (Crosscut)

Resident orca whales suffer triple threat of pollution, noise and lack of food: U.S. study
Triple threats of pollution, vessel noise and the availability of food are making it hard for a group of orca whales that live along the continent's West Coast to increase beyond an estimated population of 80, says a decade-long U.S. study.... Lynne Barre, a spokesperson for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said Monday from Seattle, Wash., that experts don't consider the southern residents in recovery, so the animals will remain an endangered species.... There are estimates the southern resident population once numbered at least 140 animals, and was perhaps as high as 200, but that was before nearly 50 were removed from the population in the 1960s and '70s and placed into theme parks, Barre said. (CBC)

Sources of Samish pollution still a mystery
Skagit County Public Works’ use of Environmental Canine Services led county officials to several sites contaminated with human sewage, but did not provide conclusive results. The project was another Pollution Identification and Correction Program tool the county tried in an effort to locate sources of fecal coliform in the Samish watershed. Canine Services pup Crush and her handler, Aryn Hervel, visited Skagit County in late May. Over a two-day period, Crush detected human sewage in 12 of 33 water samples and at 11 of 22 sites at area streams and drainage ditches, according to a report the county released June 24. Crush sniffed out problems in parts of Willard, Thomas and Bob Smith creeks, Alice Bay ditches, the Samish River near Thomas Road and a drainage pipe near Swede Creek Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Washington population grows to nearly 7 million
The state says Washington’s population grew by almost 100,000 last year to nearly 7 million. The Office of Financial Management says the 85,800 increase in 2013 was the largest one-year gain since 2008, bringing the total to 6,968,200. The office says people migrating into the state accounted for 57 percent of the increase, with births (minus deaths) accounting for the other 43 percent. Nick Provenza reports. (Seattle Times)

Obama Signs Northwest Lawmaker’s Bill For Toxic Algae Research
A Northwest lawmaker’s battle against toxic algae blooms won the support of President Barack Obama Monday, when he signed into law a bill aimed at controlling such outbreaks. Oregon congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Florida Sen. Bill Nelson co-sponsored the bill, which authorizes $82 million dollars for new research meant to control toxic algae blooms nationwide.... Northwest waters have been hit by a number of these outbreaks in recent years. Toxic algae has contaminated Washington’s Puget Sound and several lakes in Oregon, including Fern Ridge and Lost Creek reservoirs. David Steves reports. (EarthFix)

Two state lawmakers raise concerns over new ferry's design
Washington's newest ferry went into service Monday amid the concerns of two lawmakers that a flawed design is causing some vehicles to bottom out as they transition from ramps onto upper parking decks. Under a blanket of blue sky, the Tokitae sailed on its maiden voyage at noon from Clinton to Mukilteo, with no fanfare.... Reps. Norma Smith, R-Clinton, and Larry Seaquist, D-Gig Harbor, said senior ferry system managers told them in March at the shipyard that their worries were unwarranted. But ferry workers contacted them last week to say part of their training on the vessel involved learning how to keep cars with low clearances from going up the ramps. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

Parks Canada researchers return from expedition off B.C.'s Haida Gwaii
Underwater archeologists with Parks Canada have returned from an expedition that took them below the surface off British Columbia's Haida Gwaii islands as they searched for remnants of life dating back hundreds of years. And while the researchers didn't find the bounty they were hoping for — a trio of ships that went down in the late 1700s and mid-1800s — they say the trip gave them a better idea of what other cultural artifacts might be waiting to be discovered on the ocean floor. James Keller reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Study: Plastic debris widespread on ocean surface
Plastic junk is floating widely on the world's oceans, but there's less of it than expected, a study says. Such ocean pollution has drawn attention in recent years because of its potential harm to fish and other wildlife. The new work drew on results from an around-the-world cruise by a research ship that towed a mesh net at 141 sites, as well as other studies. Researchers estimated the total amount of floating plastic debris in open ocean at 7,000 to 35,000 tons. Andres Cozar of the University of Cadiz in Spain, an author of the study, said that's a lot less than the 1 million tons he had extrapolated from data reaching back to the 1970s. Malcolm Ritter reports. (Associated Press)

Jetty Island, a true delight, opens July 5
Get ready for some fun in the sun – Jetty Island will officially open on July 5. Jetty Island, a manmade island located just west of the Port of Everett, features miles of shallow beaches and nature trails. It was created with sediment deposited by the Snohoimsh River. There is no plumbing or electricity on the island, making it seem untouched. Many birds roost on the island, and visitors enjoy learning about the local ecosystem and wildlife preservation. Natalie Covate reports. (Snohomish Tribune)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE JUL 1 2014
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING W AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

5/9 Minke, Hoyt, Frank Jr. funeral, fuel gateway, derelict vessels, coal mining, ESA amphibians, toxic algae

Newborn minke (Brooke McKinley, Island Adventures Whale Watching)

Unprecedented sighting of newborn minke whale
A once-in-a-lifetime sighting of a newborn minke whale, accompanied by its mother, was reported last weekend near San Juan Island. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways/Kitsap Sun)

New blog: Russian Killer Whales: Something More To Worry About
Orca expert and author Erich Hoyt who is on The Whale Trail’s Orca Tour 2014 gave me something more to worry about when he spoke Wednesday about killer whales of the North Pacific at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s annual meeting. Now I’m worried about Russian killer whales and the growing capture industry for zoos and aquariums in China, Japan and Russia....

Billy Frank Jr. funeral scheduled for Sunday
A public funeral service for Nisqually tribal elder Billy Frank Jr. will be at 10 a.m. Sunday in the Squaxin Island Tribe’s event center at the Little Creek Casino Resort, 91 W. state Route 108, Shelton. Frank, 83, died at his Olympia area home Monday. Burial will follow at the Chief Leschi Cemetery, 2249 Reservation Road, which is just north of the ball fields on the Nisqually Indian Reservation. A dinner will follow back at the Squaxin tribal event center. John Dodge reports. (Olympian)

Pacific Northwest's Salish Sea Eyed as Fossil Fuel Gateway
Trains loaded with crude oil from North Dakota's Bakken shale formation rumble past the outfield bleachers of the Seattle Mariners' baseball stadium several times a week. From there, the trains head north, their cargo destined for multiple refineries in Washington State. The traffic is new: Just three years ago, no oil trains were coming to Washington. Bakken crude is filling a void created by dwindling shipments from aging oil fields on Alaska's North Slope, and the petroleum industry wants to bring in more. But the push to build more rail and shipping capacity in the Pacific Northwest is spurring debate over how that oil flow will affect the region—and where it should ultimately go. John Roach reports. (National Geographic)

Vancouver finds flaws in Kinder Morgan pipeline application process
The City of Vancouver wants the National Energy Board to put on hold Kinder Morgan’s application for a new Trans Mountain pipeline, saying the current process is deeply flawed. In a wide-ranging complaint about the entire application process, the city, whose Vision Vancouver council ardently opposes the fossil fuel industry and has brought in a range of climate change-related policies, said it has severe reservations about the completeness of the pipeline application. It has also extended that criticism to the NEB itself, saying the three-member panel is stacked with pro-energy appointees. Jeff Lee reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Sunken boat and hazardous waste: Owner heads to court
Rory Westmoreland said little in a courtroom in King County Thursday afternoon, but prosecutors say his trail of destruction across Puget Sound says enough to put him in prison. Westmoreland denied wrongdoing in connection to the sinking of a retired crab boat and storage of dozens of drums filled with waste on his property in Renton. The state says flammable and corrosive waste was stored in a number of the 41 drums on the property. Westmoreland faces a felony and misdemeanor charges for that, which is just part of years of pollution according to neighbors. Jon Humbert reports. (KOMO) See also: Victoria pushes to clear out derelict boats in Gorge  Bill Cleverly reports. (Times Colonist)

Anderson Lake closed because of high levels of toxin created by blue-green algae http://peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140509/NEWS/305099972/anderson-lake-closed-because-of-high-levels-of-toxin-created-by-blue
Anderson Lake was closed Thursday to fishing and all other water recreation because of high levels of toxin created by blue-green algae... The park remains open to recreation; only the lake is closed. The most recent tests of water samples found an unsafe level of anatoxin-a, a nerve poison that can kill within four minutes of ingestion. (Peninsula Daily News)

Coal mining, blasting returns to King County
The Pacific Coal Company has applied for permits to resume mining operations for the first time since 1999 at its John Henry Mine in Black Diamond.... Documents filed with the Federal Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement show the comment period on a new Environmental Assessment of the project ends May 13. Documents also show the coal would be sold to concrete manufacturing companies in the Seattle area to be burned to generate power for the cement making process. The company estimates the mining would produce some 700,000 tons of coal over a period of a few years. Coal mining and burning has all but ceased in Washington state and this would mark the first operation to resume in the last 15 years. Gary Chittim reports. (KING)

Group Seeks Protection For Rare Salamanders, Frog
A conservation group is threatening to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to force action on petitions to give Endangered Species Act protection to four kinds of salamanders and a frog found in the Northwest. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice Wednesday of intent to sue, a prerequisite for actually suing the federal agency. The notice says the service is more than a year late in deciding on petitions to protect the Cascades frog, the Oregon slender salamander and three species of torrent salamander. More than 200 scientists also called for a reviewing the amphibians’ status. (Associated Press)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI MAY 9 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM PDT EARLY THIS MORNING
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT EARLY...BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9
 SECONDS. SHOWERS. CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY AND A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...THEN A
 CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING W 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 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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12/26 Eagles, steelhead, Bangor dock, NZ snails, Xmas wraps, development rights, pollock, toxic algae

Brackendale eagles (CBC News)

High hopes for Brackendale bald eagles
The bald eagle population in Brackendale near Squamish, B.C., has been dwindling recently, but some are hoping this will be a banner year for the annual count.  Many attribute the diminishing population to shrinking salmon runs. But with a few strong salmon runs this year, eagle watchers hope to see the birds return. Tim Weekes reports.

Why You Won’t See Wild Steelhead On Many Plates This Season
It’s prime time for wild steelhead, but you likely won’t see it on a plate, not even at the Steelhead Diner in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. “I don’t kill wild steelhead. I don’t eat them and I don’t serve them at my restaurant, and I never have,” said Kevin Davis, the restaurant’s chef who likes the Washington state fish so much that he named his first restaurant after it. Many share Davis’ passion for the steelhead, which is a type of rainbow trout. Some restaurants and most vendors in Pike Place Market have informally banned selling or serving wild steelhead. Bellamy Pailthorp reports.

Navy maneuver on Bangor wharf’s safety is key to lawsuit
A U.S. District Court judge in Tacoma is preparing to rule on a lawsuit by anti-nuclear activists that the Navy withheld crucial information on safety hazards posed by a new explosives-handling wharf at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor. Kyung M. Song reports.

Cold estimated to have killed half of snails in Capitol Lake
The heavy cold snap earlier in December proved to be a big help to state officials trying to limit an unwelcome New Zealand mudsnail population that has infested Olympia’s Capitol Lake. Officials lowered the lake during a weeklong subfreezing spell that saw temperatures fall into the teens five nights during the Dec. 4-9 period, and state scientists estimated that 40 percent to 60 percent of the tiny rice-sized snails were killed lakewide. In a summary report on the drawdown experiment, the state Department of Enterprise Services called it “the most effective treatment of New Zealand mudsnails since the pest was first found there in 2009.” Brad Shannon reports.

For Recyclers, Holiday Gift Wrap Is A Mine Field Of ‘Contaminants’
The same shiny gift wrap and bright bows that make Christmas presents so enticing are exactly what give recycling centers headaches the day after Christmas. At the Kootenai County Solid Waste Department in north Idaho, the day after Christmas has two distinctions. It’s one of the busiest days of the year by volume. And one of the lightest days by weight. Jessica Robinson reports.

County plans new transfer of development rights program  
Skagit County could soon see more natural resource lands conserved if a program to relocate growth from such lands to more urban areas is implemented. The county is studying a market-based transfer of development rights program, which would allow individuals to purchase development rights on natural resource lands in exchange for development incentives in areas where growth better fits. A developer would be able to buy a development right from a county-designated “sending area,” which would most likely be made up of forest lands, ag lands, timber lands and scenic lands. A conservation easement would then be placed on the natural resource land, meaning it would be preserved and could never be developed. The developer who purchased the right could then use it in a designated “receiving area,” where growth is desirable, for a building incentive, often to build to a higher density. Rachel Lerman reports.

The Story Behind Pollock Fishing, The Northwest's Other Big Catch
Pollock — it’s not something you put on your grocery list or order at a restaurant. But you’ve probably eaten a lot of pollock, which makes up the largest fishery for human consumption. Fake crabmeat in sushi rolls, McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish Sandwich and Burger King’s Premium Alaskan Fish Sandwich are all made up of pollock. And the same goes for just about every fish stick. Jennifer Wing reports.

Potentially toxic algae bloom reported in Elk/Beaver Lake park
Visitors to Elk and Beaver lakes are warned to beware of a seasonal slime that can be poisonous. Blue-green algae blooms have been detected at the Brookleigh boat launch in Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park, according to the Capital Regional District... Blue-green algae produce a variety of toxins that may attack the liver and nervous system or simply irritate the skin. However, scientists estimate that between 30 to 50 per cent of blooms are harmless... The warning is in effect until Jan. 2, but may be extended if the algae is still present, said CRD spokeswoman Danielle Desharnais.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU DEC 26 2013
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 18 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 17 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF 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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10/25 BC orca behavior, Victoria sewage, coal money, 'Blackfish,' toxic algae, Bill Taylor

Snow Geese, Skagit Valley (PRISM)

If you like to listen: From BirdNote-- Paying Attention to Climate Change
While watching a flock of Snow Geese, Kurt Hoelting wondered if they were ever going to move; they seemed so content. Then, one by one, their heads began to bob. And after awhile, small groups started to fly away. Then suddenly, the entire flock peeled off the field. Kurt says, “When I think about something like climate change, maybe the whole flock doesn’t have to get it. Maybe just a few us have to notice that it’s time to move and start moving." In response to climate change, Kurt Hoelting gave up car and air travel for a year, relying mostly on his bike, boots, and kayak.
You can read about his experiences in The Circumference of Home: One Man's Yearlong Quest for a Radically Local Life.

Researcher: High death rate, 'puzzling' behavior in B.C. orcas
A Vancouver Aquarium researcher is sounding the alarm over "puzzling" changes he's observed in the killer whale pods that live off the southern British Columbia coast. Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard says he fears changes in the ocean environment are prompting odd behaviour and an unusually high mortality rate. Barrett-Lennard says the southern resident orca pod, which is found in the Salish Sea between Vancouver Island and the B.C. mainland, has lost seven matriarchs over the past two years, and he's noticed a lack of vocalizations from the normally chatty mammals. The Vancouver Aquarium's cetacean research team says the whales were also seen the past two summers travelling in small groups, further offshore to find food - behaviour more typical in winter than summer. At the same time, the researcher says the number of normally transient killer whales has been increasing over the past 25 years.

Opponents of CRD sewage plan offer a proposal of their own
Opponents of Greater Victoria’s sewage treatment plan have pitched yet another alternative, this time involving a system of 15 smaller plants with a higher level of treatment, and gasification technology that could also handle the region’s garbage and kitchen scraps. The proposal, which advocates say could save the region millions over the long term, would replace the Capital Regional District’s current plan for a single treatment facility at McLoughlin Point in Esquimalt and a biosolid sludge centre at Hartland landfill in Saanich. However, it would also need the backing of politicians on the CRD’s sewage committee, where a majority of directors have consistently voted to reject delays and proceed with the current plan. Rob Shaw reports.

Coal issue dominates Whatcom County election, but nobody’s talking about it
More than $1 million has flowed into races for four Whatcom County Council seats that could help determine whether a controversial coal-export terminal is built near Bellingham. Brian Rosenthal reports.

"Deplorable" condition of captive Puget Sound orcas in renewed spotlight
When a killer whale killed its trainer at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida back in 2010, it sent shockwaves through an industry dependent on the regal mammals. But orca expert Howard Garrett tells the Ron and Don Show it shouldn't have been a surprise. "Tilikum hit the peak of frustration at that point and you can see it ," says Garrett, the co-founder of the Whidbey Island-based Orca Network. "He's been isolated and kicked around his whole life. It's no wonder. At some point he just cracked." The attack is the focus of "Blackfish," a new CNN documentary that traces the 39-year history of killer whales in captivity leading up to the 2010 killing of Sea World trainer Dawn Brancheau by the 12,000-pound. Josh Kerns reports.

NW Researcher Says Toxic Algae Have A Competitive Edge
Pollution and climate change may be making freshwater algae blooms more toxic, according to a Northwest scientist’s newly published analysis. Oregon State University researcher Tim Otten’s article in the journal Science concludes that fertilizer pollution, wastewater, and a warming climate are fueling the growth of huge mats of green scum in lakes and reservoirs... Algae can pose a risk to drinking water because some species, notably cyanobacteria or blue-green algae, release powerful liver toxins and nerve toxins. A toxin called microsystin is particularly common. Amelia Templeton reports.

Bill Taylor of Taylor Shellfish enters Hall of Fame
Taylor Shellfish's Bill Taylor was inducted into the Hall of Fame this month -- Shaw's Crab House Oyster Hall of Fame in Chicago. Every year Shaw's Crab House honors an individual who has made a "significant or enduring contribution to Chicago's or America's oyster culture," according to a news release. Taylor was recognized during a multi-course induction dinner on Oct. 17, a dinner which featured Taylor Shellfish. Rolf Boone reports.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI OCT 25 2013
TODAY
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS. AREAS OF DRIZZLE THIS MORNING. AREAS OF FOG THIS
 MORNING...THEN PATCHY FOG IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG...THEN  FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS. FOG IN THE MORNING...THEN PATCHY FOG IN THE AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SUN
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. 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.

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