11/16 Tanker ban, BC pipe, storm poop, BC CG, Lummi life, toxic crab, KPLU sold, rail bridges, Tacoma LNG

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

Stone-Faced
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Over time, the sandstone shores of our region have been eroded by the elements, producing all manner of fascinating textures, patterns and visual oddities. I’ve written before about the natural art gallery you can find here and its strange shape-shifting tendency. When the tide is right, you can find some pretty interesting “faces” along many stretches of shoreline in the Gulf Islands. This one, off Portland Island, jumped out at me when I was rowing our dinghy there this summer – though I’m not sure whether its open mouth was welcoming me or warning me off."

Trudeau bans oil tankers on B.C.'s north coast, threatening pipeline plan; But Enbridge says it will proceed with Northern Gateway
Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway plan is, at least for now, dead in the water after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau released a letter of instruction Friday telling his transport minister to ban oil tanker traffic on British Columbia’s north coast. A ban would prevent hundreds of tankers each year from carrying diluted bitumen extracted from Alberta’s oilsands and piped to northern B.C. from being shipped for export overseas. Brian Morton reports. (Vancouver Sun)

100 groups urge Trudeau to end pipeline reviews
Environmental, community and business groups are pushing for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to shut down a pair of pipeline reviews before heading to Paris for climate talks. The City of Burnaby, the Georgia Strait Alliance, Greenpeace Canada and the Sierra Club B.C. are among 100 groups seeking a halt to National Energy Board reviews of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain expansion and TransCanada’s Energy East proposal. In a joint letter sent Thursday to Trudeau, the groups say the reviews should be put on hold until fundamental flaws in the process are fixed…. Trudeau has voiced his support for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, but has also said the approval system is broken and designed to support the previous government’s objectives. The Liberals have pledged to overhaul the federal environmental review process so future projects would have the public trust. Matt Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

B.C. storm causes sewage overflows in Greater Victoria
The heavy rains that hit B.C. on Thursday have caused the Capital Regional District to advise people to stay away from beaches on southern Vancouver Island, after storm water and sewage combined to create overflows. The waste water is pumped, raw, into the Strait of Juan de Fuca by the CRD municipalities, and now the CRD has advised the public not to wade along the shorelines or allow their pets into the water in the core area of Greater Victoria. (CBC) See also: Sewage flood forces Savary Island Pie Company to lay off 35 staff  Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Trudeau orders Kitsilano Coast Guard station re-opened
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has ordered Vancouver's Kitsilano Coast Guard station re-opened in a mandate letter to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Hunter Tootoo. The move was promised during Trudeau's election campaign, and is included in a list of initiatives the prime minister labeled "top priorities" in his letter. Max Haberstroh reports. (CBC) See also: Justin Trudeau makes Coast Guard fleet refresh 'top priority'  (CBC)

For Lummis, fishing is more than a living — it’s a way of life
Members of Lummi Nation say that for them, fishing is different. Tribal and nontribal fishers alike must keep to the seasons and mind their catch quotas. Still, for most Washington residents, fishing is a privilege granted by the state government, said Jay Julius, a Lummi member who has a seat on the tribe’s council. The tribe, on the other hand, has been fishing for 150 generations, Julius said. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Calif. boats sit idle as algae threatens Dungeness crab season
San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf typically bustles this time of year as workers prepare to haul millions of pounds of Dungeness crab that are a tradition at Thanksgiving and other holiday meals. But crab pots are sitting empty on docks, boats are idled and fishermen are anxiously waiting for California authorities to open the lucrative Dungeness crab season. California has delayed the Nov. 15 start of its commercial crab season after finding dangerous levels of a toxin in crabs. Officials in Oregon and Washington are testing crab samples and will decide soon whether to open its coastal season by Dec. 1 as planned. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Manchester stormwater project to help clean up Puget Sound
On a rainy day in Manchester Nov. 6, a cluster of people gathered to celebrate completion of Kitsap County’s stormwater retrofit project. The park has been named qaqad, which translated means “a place to dry clams,” and will serve as a stormwater purification area for runoff from more than 80 acres of surrounding land…. The project took shape in 2009 after the Stormwater Advisory Committee was established at the request of the Manchester community. Sara Miller reports. (Port Orchard Independent)

University of Washington will buy KPLU-FM, pull the plug on its news operation
Pacific Lutheran University announced Thursday that it will sell its broadcasting licenses to the University of Washington, in a plan that will turn the current KPLU at 88.5 FM into an all-music, all-jazz station while KUOW at 94.9 FM becomes the Seattle outlet for National Public Radio and Northwest news…. The sale is expected to close in 2016 when FCC approval is received. The purchase price for KPLU and its assets is $8 million, with $7 million in cash and $1 million of “underwriting announcements” over 10 years. Proceeds from the sale will go to Pacific Lutheran’s endowment, which currently totals $85 million. The sale, and change of formats, will deprive the Puget Sound area of a first-rate news operation. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.com)

Study adds 37 species to Salish Sea’s fish list, bringing total to 253
…. A new analysis published this fall puts the region’s total number of fish species at 253. That includes 37 species never before documented in the Salish Sea — the 6,500-square-mile expanse that includes Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands and the Strait of Georgia. And since the report, “Fishes of the Salish Sea: A Compilation and Distributional Analysis,” was finished, scientists have added another five to the list. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

Environment groups' study calls attention to rail bridge safety
Environment groups from throughout the country say government oversight, industry transparency and safety standards fall short when it comes to railroad bridges that in recent years have seen an increase in the number of oil trains that cross them. A study released Tuesday titled “Deadly Crossings: Neglected Bridges and Exploding Oil Trains,” urges government and industry officials to take action to prevent derailments such as the one that killed 47 in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, in July 2013 or the one that spilled burning oil into the James River in Lynchburg, Virginia, earlier this year. The study comes from RE Sources in Bellingham, which collaborated with international environment groups ForestEthics and the Waterkeeper Alliance to develop the report. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Tacoma Moves Ahead On Plans For A Liquefied Natural Gas Plant At The Port
Plans for a liquefied natural gas facility at the Port of Tacoma are one step closer to reality, after the Tacoma City Council passed a resolution to move ahead on an agreement with the port about the project. Puget Sound Energy says it needs a place to store natural gas and the way to do that is to chill it to a liquid form. So the company wants to spend $275 million to build the plant which would convert the gas to a liquid and then keep it on port property in a 140-foot-tall storage tank. Ashley Gross reports. (KPLU)

Explosive tanks carried in unmarked cars
Every work day, a small fleet of vehicles travels the roads and highways of Western Washington carrying cargo that, if mishandled or damaged in an accident, can explode. The fleet is not comprised of SUVs or heavy trucks equipped to safely transport cargo that could explode if not handled properly. The cargo is compressed hydrogen gas, and it is transported into neighborhoods and business districts, near schools, playgrounds, coffee shops and senior centers -- in ordinary cars…. The company responsible is Puget Sound Energy, the big utility serving hundreds of thousands of customers. The hydrogen gas, ironically, is used to make sure PSE's network of natural gas pipes running under nearly community are not leaking. Chris Ingalls reports. (KING)

Cadboro Bay threatens to secede over Saanich’s ecological bylaw
The Cadboro Bay Residents Association is threatening to separate its neighbourhood from Saanich if a controversial Environmental Development Permit Area bylaw isn’t changed by next spring. The bylaw, introduced in 2012, affects about 2,000 residents. It kicks in with restrictions and requirements when someone tries to build on land that the bylaw deems to be a rare ecosystem or vital habitat…. In a heated four-hour townhall meeting at the Garth Homer Society on Thursday, the threat was cheered by the more than 300 people who packed the meeting space and spilled into the hallways. The majority of residents were angry and asked councillors to rip up the bylaw or remake it. Cindy Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

To save the orcas, do we need to demolish dams?
The show is over — at least it’s almost over. SeaWorld has announced that next year, it will phase out its killer whale performances in San Diego. The theme park has been under fire — and, perhaps more importantly, losing visitors — ever since the 2013 movie Blackfish documented its abusive treatment of captive killer whales. But the whales – endangered Puget Sound orcas, if you prefer – need more than just to be freed from captivity. Not surprisingly, they need to eat. Daniel Jack Chasan reports. (Crosscut)

Have a whale of a time at Langley’s new center dedicated to Puget Sound whales
The Langley Whale Center is drawing an increasing number of visitors to its new location in Langley... The move is next door to the previous location but provides far more visibility and double the space for educational displays, information and a gift shop. They also have a lending library for books and DVD’s relating to Puget Sound whales…. The Langley Whale Center is a project of Orca Network, which is based in Freeland, Washington, and is a non-profit started by Howard Garrett and his wife, Susan Berta, in the 1990’s. The organization is dedicated to raising awareness of the whales of the Pacific Northwest, and the importance of providing them healthy and safe habitats. Carolyn Tamler On reports. (Whidbey News Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 259 AM PST MON NOV 16 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
 GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 12 SECONDS...
 SUBSIDING TO 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 9 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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10/2 Land & Water fund, BC pipe, BC Conservancy, water regs, wetland farm, Snake flotilla, stink beach

Kelp greenling (Joe Tomelleri)

“Fishes of the Salish Sea: A compilation and distributional analysis”
(The new report) published online Tuesday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, includes a full taxonomic list as well as an analysis of geographic distribution and relative local abundance, along with common and scientific names and key references to learn more about each species. Some of the fishes are depicted in hand-drawn images by artist Joe Tomelleri, so accurate and life-like that they are easily mistaken for photographs. Michelle Ma reports. (UW Today)

Congress lets Land and Water Conservation Fund expire; it has protected Washington places low and high
The U.S. House of Representatives has put it all together this year, finding ways to hurt nature conservation as well as the country’s export industries. It allowed the U.S. Export-Import Bank to expire last summer, leaving hundreds of large and small businesses without export guarantees.  And this week, it has failed to reauthorize the 50-year-old Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has used a small chunk of federal oil leasing revenues to support land conservation projects. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Kinder Morgan pipeline suggestion from Rachel Notley 'completely inappropriate'
Elected officials in British Columbia say they were caught off-guard by a suggestion from Alberta Premier Rachel Notley to shift the Trans Mountain Pipeline terminal to Delta, B.C., instead of Burnaby. ​Notley made the comment at a Bloomberg Live conference in New York on Wednesday. She said Kinder Morgan, the company building the expanded pipeline, may need to move the proposed terminal to win support for the project…. Vicki Huntington, the independent MLA for Delta South, also rejected Notley's suggestion. "I'm sure the Premier of Alberta doesn't understand that the Fraser River delta is probably the most critical habitat in Canada," said Huntington. (CBC)

Land Conservancy transfers properties for $1.5 million
A major transfer of ecologically significant properties from The Land Conservancy — announced in July — has now become official. Twenty-six properties around B.C., including nine on Vancouver Island and Salt Spring Island, have been transferred to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, said Nature Conservancy spokesman Tom Swann. Included on the list are Kindwood in the Highlands, Lohbrunner Woods in Langford and the Clare Winnett Copeland property at Shawnigan Lake. The Land Conservancy, which at one point had 51 properties, now has fewer than 10. The organization went into creditor protection in 2013 as it dealt with debt and an array of mortgages. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

Gov. Inslee sounds off on federal water regulation
Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday he doesn’t want the federal government writing clean water rules for the state and will offer his own regulatory approach to “improve human health” in the near future. “We would lose control of our pollution control system,” he said. “I am very concerned about that because frankly I don’t think it would be the right thing for the state to lose control of our own fundamental destiny.” But Inslee didn’t elaborate on what he might offer in the way of tougher standards for the discharge of pollutants into the state’s waterways. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

Lynden wetlands cleared for blueberry farm to be restored
The Environmental Protection Agency has settled with the owner of a Lynden blueberry farm who will need to restore wetlands that were cleared on the property. Suellyn Rader Blymyer, on behalf of herself, her late husband Lyle Rader’s estate, and their company Uptrail Group LLC, will pay $210,000 in civil penalties for clearing and grading wetland on their property off Halverstick Road. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Free the Snake: A 150-Boat Flotilla Takes to the River on Oct. 3 to Advocate Against Dams
"People are coming from California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, and the San Juan Islands," said Sam Mace, the Inland Northwest Director for Save Our Wild Salmon. "It'll be the biggest gathering of various salmon and orca experts and constituencies that care about the Snake River in more than a decade." For more than a decade, environmental advocates have pushed to get the four lower Snake River dams removed, which would help salmon more easily navigate the river to get to their original spawning grounds. This year, only 45 sockeye salmon survived the 900-mile journey from the ocean to Redfish Lake, due to elevated water temperatures in the river. A news release on the event, called Free the Snake Flotilla, partially blames the dams for the hotter temperatures. When water just sits still instead of moving in a current, it heats up significantly faster.  Jessica Murri reports. (Boise Weekly)

Northern coal project gets B.C. government approval
A Chinese-owned mine in northeastern British Columbia has passed another hurdle toward opening its controversial coal project. British Columbia’s government has granted an environmental assessment certificate to HD Mining International Ltd. for the Murray River Coal project, near Tumbler Ridge. (Canadian Press)

Neighbors plagued by stinky beach have few options
Waterfront living is hard to fully enjoy when a sunny day is marred by a stench that smells nothing like the sea…. Complaints to the King County Wastewater Treatment Division over the past few weeks led to an investigation that just concluded. County experts have determined the odor is not coming from the sewer system. The odor is coming from rotting sea lettuce, a type of seaweed that commonly washes on shore. This year's unusually warm weather is believed to be contributing to much more sea lettuce than usual and the odor when it rots in the hot sun. Mark Miller reports. (KOMO)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 425 AM PDT FRI OCT 2 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 8 FT AT
 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT
SE WIND TO 10 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SE TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT. W SWELL 3 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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3/2 Gulls, March weather, BC CG, Raven song, BC pipe Qs, tribes & fish, more salmon, WA pols, Navy range, mining rules

Gloucous-winged gull (Louise Blight/phys.org)

Salish Sea seagull populations halved since 1980s
The number of seagulls in the Strait of Georgia is down by 50 per cent from the 1980s and University of British Columbia researchers say the decline reflects changes in the availability of food. Researchers collected 100 years of data on population numbers of Glaucous-winged Gulls, the most common seagull species found in the Lower Mainland, Victoria, Nanaimo and elsewhere in the region. They found that the population increased rapidly beginning in the early 1900s, but started to drop after the mid-1980s, with their work pointing to diet as one factor in the decline of the bird's health. (Phys.Org) Then see: Barn owls surge with early spring  (CBC)

Lions, Lambs and March Weather
There is the old saying that March comes in like a lion and goes out as a lamb. In other words, March starts out cold and stormy, but by the end of the month the weather has warmed and moderated considerably. But is that true here in the Northwest?   Is it true anywhere in the U.S.? Cliff Mass answers the questions.

Coast guard closures to go ahead, raising fears for safety
The Canadian Coast Guard is pressing ahead with plans to close three of five marine communications centres in B.C. and run everything out of Victoria and Prince Rupert. Despite union warnings that the moves will undermine safety, the federal agency intends to shut the Ucluelet and the Vancouver centres by the end of April and close a third station at Comox later this year or early in 2016. The centres broadcast weather and navigational warnings, regulate marine traffic and monitor distress and safety calls. Lindsay Kines reports. (Times Colonist)

If you like to listen: Raven's Love Song
Ravens are seen as tricksters in many traditions. But Common Ravens have a softer side. During courtship, a pair will often sit side by side, sometimes preening each other's feathers. And during that ritual, one or both may make soft warbling sounds. Raven nestlings sometimes make this same sound after they've been fed. Compared to the usual raucous raven calls, this one is soothing. It's called a comfort sound. You can hear more raven songs at macaulaylibrary.org. (BirdNote) Also: If you liked the story Friday about how crows give gifts (The girl who gets gifts from birds) check out Gifts of the Crow by John Marzluff and Tony Angell for more stories.

Without diversity, do enviros risk becoming marginalized?
The environmental movement has been described as one of the most segregated sectors of American society.... Despite years of talk, mainstream environmental groups still have not achieved much diversity in their ranks. And head out into nature, and the picture is still overwhelmingly white. Alison Hawkes reports. (Bay Nature)

Kinder Morgan leaves half of Vancouver, Burnaby's pipeline questions unanswered
Kinder Morgan has failed to answer almost half of the questions posed by the cities of Vancouver and Burnaby on the company's proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion into B.C. In a statement issued Friday, the City of Vancouver states that Kinder Morgan has failed to answer 291 of nearly 600 questions submitted by them through the National Energy Board (NEB), and 315 of the 688 questions submitted by Burnaby. The more than 1200 questions submitted by the two municipalities covered a broad range of issues connected to Kinder Morgan's 15,000-page proposal, including those covering job creation levels, climate change and emergency response plans. (CBC)

Fishing Rights Between Olympic Peninsula Tribes At Stake in U.S Court
A federal court will hear oral arguments Monday in Seattle, in a case that pits the United States against the State of Washington. It has to do with who gets to take how much fish. U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez has set aside 3 weeks in his calendar to hear issues involved. Three tribes are mentioned in the current litigation: the Makah, the Quileute and the Quinault Indian Nations. They’re fighting with each other. The dispute is about their treaty rights with the state of Washington and how much fish they get to take from the waters off the west coast. Bellamy Pailthorp report. (KPLU)

Good news: more salmon, and even more wanted
From deep in my college memories, I recall one definition of politics as “the exercise of power, influence and authority.” In the Northwest, salmon are politicians. They are power for the metaphorical machine that drives decisions on billions of dollars of public spending. They influence our outlook, our actions and plans for the future. They supply political leverage and motivation for countless government actions, programs and appropriations. All salmon politics are based on scarcity. There are not enough salmon, and we all work for their future abundance. We may see change when the great day comes. Tracy Warner writes. (Wenatchee World)

Video: Orca Advocates Want Snake River Dams Breached
A call to action from a group of killer-whale advocates is dramatic: breach the four Lower Snake River Dams. The dams provide electricity to the Pacific Northwest, but members of the Southern Resident Killer Whale Chinook Salmon Initiative insist that whales in the Puget Sound are dying as a result of dwindling numbers of salmon making their way from the Lower Snake River to the ocean. The SRKWCSI is petitioning to have the dams removed. George Prentice reports. (Boise Weekly)

State Senate doing its oily best to ignore us on transportation
The state Senate is doing its best to ignore a plan that would tax big polluters to pay for transportation. But it’s catching on with a group that used to matter in democracy: the people. Danny Westneat reports. (Seattle Times) See Puget Sound Regional Council Transportation Public Opinion Survey February 26, 2015.

Questions raised about Sequim City Council at closed-door Navy-Jamestown S'Klallam meeting
The Sequim City Council apparently sailed into a gray area when a quorum of the council attended the Navy's Feb. 20 briefing to the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe. If council members simply sat and did nothing, they probably complied with state law that requires them to meet and act in public, according to Nancy Krier, assistant state attorney general for open government. However, if they took “testimony” — depending on how the term is defined — or acted — which could be construed to include forming opinions — they may have tripped over Washington's Open Public Meetings Act, according to Krier. Ron Richards, a former Clallam County commissioner and a critic of the Navy's Pacific Northwest Electronic Warfare Range proposal, said the meeting was illegal. Sequim's city attorney said it was legal. And Krier said she's uncertain which man is right. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News) See also: Department of Natural Resources says 'not interested' in participating with Navy  Leah Leach reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

New Whatcom rules would consider environmental impacts of mining sooner
In a move favored by environmentalists and the neighbors of Whatcom County mines, the County Council is finalizing rules that would require an earlier review of the impacts of mining on the site itself and the surrounding area. The rules come to a public hearing before the council at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 3, at the county courthouse, 311 Grand Ave, Bellingham. Getting approval to mine in the county is a two-step process. The review of environmental impacts, which includes possible groundwater contamination, noise and added truck traffic, would move from the second to the first step under a proposal put forward in 2014 by council members Barbara Brenner and Carl Weimer. Instead of waiting until a mineral company applies to mine the land, the environmental review would come when the company takes the preliminary step of applying to designate the site for mining — what’s called a mineral resource land designation. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald) See also: Concrete Nor’West loses appeal on Acme mine  The County Council’s decision to block Concrete Nor’West from expanding its Acme mine survived in Appeals Court. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 240 AM PST MON MAR 2 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 3 TO 4 FT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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1/28 Climate bill, train bill, oil drill, Vic sewage, wolf cull, Snake dams, canoe journeys

D & D Duck (Disney/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: The Duck in the Sailor Suit
Today, we celebrate Donald Fauntleroy Duck, first sighted in Hollywood in 1934. Despite nearly 80 years on the big screen and more than 150 films and countless comic books to his credit, Donald's plumage has never changed. Donald doesn't migrate, but resides year round in Duckburg. To our knowledge, longtime sweetheart Daisy has never made Donald a father. But he does show a strong paternal instinct for a trio of unruly nephews. While he means well, he tends to get in over his head, but he somehow overcomes the odds. And that perhaps is why Donald Duck is still loved after all these years. (BirdNote)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee's Climate Legislation Gets A Hearing
Gov. Jay Inslee has been pushing for a “polluters pay” carbon reduction plan for the majority of his time in office. Tuesday marked the first time that plan went before the state legislature, when the House Environment Committee held a hearing of HB 1314. The bill, which was drafted by the governor’s office, has 37 sponsors, all Democrats.  It would set a cap on statewide emissions that would be gradually ratcheted down over the coming years. Facilities, fuel suppliers and electricity importers whose annual greenhouse gas emissions exceed 25,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent would have to buy emissions allowances, or credits, beginning July 1, 2016. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Ericksen’s oil train bill moves one step closer to floor vote
Sen. Doug Ericksen’s oil train safety bill was approved by the committee he chairs on Tuesday, Jan. 27. It will now move to the Senate Rules Committee before possibly getting a vote on the floor. The Senate Energy, Environment and Telecommunications Committee amended Senate Bill 5057 Tuesday, to include provisions that would expand state authority to inspect rail crossings and form a workgroup that would look to see if more regulations are necessary for marine oil transport on the Columbia River and in Grays Harbor, according to an announcement from Ericksen’s office. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Obama opens Atlantic Coast to oil drilling, puts Alaskan Alaskan waters off limits
The Obama administration is opening up waters off the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico to oil and gas drilling, while putting big swaths of the Arctic waters of Alaska’s Chukchi and Beaufort Seas off-limits to oil development. A new five-year program for offshore oil and gas leasing, announced Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Interior, includes 10 sales in the Gulf of Mexico and proposes one big sale in the South Atlantic off the coastlines of Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia. U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, former CEO at Recreational Equipment Inc., wants to put Arctic Refuge lands and offshore waters off limits to oil and gas drilling. The “regionally tailored approach” offers a big victory for the oil industry off the East Coast and a major win for environmentalists in Alaska waters. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Victoria mayor to chair east-side sewage group
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps will guide east-side municipalities in development of sewage treatment options. Helps was acclaimed Tuesday as chairwoman of the newly formed east-side wastewater treatment and resource recovery select committee. Saanich Coun. Vic Derman was elected vice-chairman, beating out Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell for the position in a secret ballot. The committee was formed to allow Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay to explore wastewater treatment options together.

Wolf cull supported by conservation group Wildsight
Kootenay-based conservation group Wildsight is backing a controversial wolf cull in the South Peace and South Selkirks that would kill 184 wolves….. [C]onservation director John Bergenske told The Early Edition's Rick Cluff…"we've run into a situation with mountain caribou in specific places." He said in the South Selkirks the population has dropped to only 18 caribou down from 49 animals in 2009. Other conservation groups have criticized the cull saying loss of habitat is at the root of the caribou's decline — and the government needs to protect land rather than kill the wolves. (CBC) See also: Oregon Wolf Population Meets Level To Consider Delisting

Local dam removal initiative finds footing in Washington D.C.
What started as a petition to be submitted to Washington state congressional representatives will soon find its way to the nation’s capital. Southern Resident Killer Whale Chinook Salmon Initiative, an organization formed recently by San Juan islanders, is petitioning for removal of the lower four Snake River dams. The group wants the dams removed to help recover the beleaguered southern resident orca population that rely heavily on Chinook salmon for food. The dams are located in Southeast Washington. The population of the southern residents sits at 78 whales, a 30-year low. “The orcas are starving,” said Sharon Grace, organizer of Salmon Initiative. “Breaching the Snake River dams is the most effective means to provide food to the orcas.” Emily Greenberg reports. (San Juan Journal)

Introducing this year’s Canoe ‘Journeys’
The 2015 Canoe Journey will actually consist of several regional Canoe Journeys. When no indigenous nation stepped forward and offered to host in 2015 after the 2014 Canoe Journey/Paddle to Bella Bella, the annual gathering of Northwest canoe cultures appeared to be headed toward a hiatus. But canoe skippers wanted to see the Journey continue without skipping a beat, and so a new approach emerged: Instead of one large Canoe Journey, there will be several Journeys hosted in various regions of the Salish Sea. Richard Walker reports. (Kingston Community News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED JAN 28 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING SE 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SPRINKLES.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 18 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SPRINKLES.
--
"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

1/16 Warming, Snake dams, free Lolita, Grace Islet, safe trains, BC wolf hunt, Blyn sewer line, bird flu, Icicle farms

Overall, last year was very warm in Washington state 
Last year, Washington state experienced its fifth-hottest year in 120 years of records maintained by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways) See also: Scientists: Human activity has pushed Earth beyond four of nine ‘planetary boundaries’  At the rate things are going, the Earth in the coming decades could cease to be a “safe operating space” for human beings. That is the conclusion of a new paper published Thursday in the journal Science by 18 researchers trying to gauge the breaking points in the natural world. Joel Achenbach reports. (Washington Post)

Send a message to the "other" Washington: Remove The Four Lower Snake River Dams To Save The Southern Resident Killer Whale From Being Dammed To Extinction
Patagonia, Save Our Wild Salmon and the folks who made the film "DamNation" are in Washington DC the last week of January lobbying Administration officials, agencies like the Army Corps, and our NW delegation. It would be great to show the “other” Washington that the petition to save our endangered orcas by removing the damn dams had at least 10,000 supporters. Sign the petition and keep in touch on Facebook.

New blog: Having A Drink With Bill Gates
“Starting out a new year writing with a blank sheet of paper requires examining the kinds of things I’d enjoy writing about. Oh, there’s the obligatory flogging of elected officials and regulators, black-hatted oil and coal and railroad guys, obscene profit-taking developers and bankers. But we’ll save that for another time because today, at the end of the first week of our national Congressional session and our state legislative session, here are three stories I’d rather tell you about:...”

March for Orcas: Free a Whale From Solitary Confinement
Brenda Peterson writes: "This Saturday there are worldwide marches for the wild-born Lolita, the orca who has spent 44 years in captivity in a Miami Seaquarium, performing three shows a day for us -- as if we have not grown up…. Join the Miracle March to Free Lolita, including one on Alki Beach, in Seattle. [March for about a mile along Alki, starting at 1:15 pm at Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza, 61st/Alki] (Huffington Post)

Grace Islet controversy ends as B.C. steps in to buy land
A controversial development on Grace Islet, the site of a a First Nations burial ground, has been stopped after the province stepped in with a plan to purchase the land. The islet, which is located just off Saltspring Island, B.C., drew attention last year as the private owner began building a house on land that contains at least 16 ancient burial cairns. According to a government statement, the province has partnered with local First Nations and the Nature Conservancy of Canada to create a "framework agreement" to purchase the land from the current owner. (CBC)

Oil train safety draws quick attention in Olympia
Two competing oil-train safety bills have come into quick play in the Washington Senate. A Republican measure, proposed by Sen. Doug Ericksen of Ferndale, received a hearing on Thursday before the Senate Environment, Energy & Telecommunications Committee, which he chairs. Also on Thursday, Democratic Sens. Christine Rolfes of Bainbridge Island and Kevin Ranker of Orcas Island introduced a bill to cover what Gov. Jay Inslee wants to do. John Stang reports. (Crosscut)

People warned to avoid water at Titlow Beach after sewage spill
Health officials suggested Thursday that people stay out of the water at Tacoma’s Titlow Beach after a sewage spill there. It wasn’t immediately clear where the sewage came from, or when the spill happened. Alex Krell reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

B.C. to hunt wolves by helicopter in order to save endangered mountain caribou herds
Government-contracted hunters were in helicopters over two regions of British Columbia on Thursday as the province launched a controversial culling program that will sacrifice as many as 184 wolves this year alone in an attempt to save endangered caribou. The province announced a plan to immediately start killing wolves during the next four years in the South Peace region, located in northern B.C., and in the South Selkirk region along the border with Washington state and Idaho. (Vancouver Sun)

New wastewater line may fuel resort plans near Blyn casino
A humble wastewater main line could pour revenue into the coffers of both the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe and the city of Sequim. Building the 6.5-mile-long pipe may pump new life into the tribe’s dream of a resort near 7 Cedars Casino and drain off some of the city’s excess sewage-treatment capacity. The project will cost the tribe $8.3 million, according to the city. The resort was estimated to cost $7.5 million in 2010, when the tribe temporarily shelved the idea. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Avian Flu Detected In Oregon Wild Duck
Wildlife officials in Oregon say a mallard duck shot by a hunter near Eugene has tested positive for avian flu.   The strain of influenza (H5N2) is relatively common in Europe and Asia and has not caused any human sickness.  The flu does not appear to cause illness in wild waterfowl, which have evolved with the virus.  But it could kill falcons and hawks.   The real concern, though, is an outbreak in domesticated birds. Jes Burns reports. (EarthFix) See also: Backyard poultry owners in Whatcom County urged to get their flocks tested for bird flu

Cooke likely to look at Icicle salmon farms
The acquisitive Canadian salmon, seabass and seabream farmer and processor Cooke Aquaculture is likely to be interested in up-for-grabs Icicle Seafoods’ salmon farms, located on the West Coast of the US, where the Canadian firm is not present, sources said. With private equity group Paine & Partners looking to sell US harvester and processor Icicle, which it acquired in 2007, the seafood sector is rife with speculation as to whether Icicle will be sold as a whole or broken up into its various pieces…. The business produces over 6,000 metric tons of salmon a year in Puget Sound, with farms at Bainbridge Island, Cypress Island, Port Angeles and Hope Island, Washington. Tom Seaman reports. (Undercurrent News)

Lynden-based fishing boat owner fined $11,000 for spill
The Lynden-based owner of a fishing vessel has been fined $11,000 because one of its boats spilled diesel into Elliott Bay in Seattle, the Washington state Department of Ecology announced Thursday, Jan. 15. The Sept. 13, 2013, spill occurred while the Bristol Leader was refueling from a tank truck at Terminal 91. The spill totaled 181 gallons. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 244 AM PST FRI JAN 16 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS IN THE AFTERNOON.
 W SWELL 12 FT AT 12 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
S WIND 10 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. W
 SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
SAT
SE 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 7 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
SUN
SW WIND 20 TO 25 KT...BECOMING 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS...BUILDING TO
 11 FT AT 11 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON.
--
"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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12/18 Carbon cap, Vancouver soil, tropical species, Sequim water, Saanich sewer, Black Press, sage grouse

Southern Resident Killer Whale Salmon Initiative
Want to make a difference in restoring the health of the endangered Southern Resident killer whales? Over 2,624 people have signed an online petition asking Washington Governor Jay Inslee to support removing the four lower Snake River dams to save the Southern Resident killer Whales from being dammed to extinction. No dams, more fish, healthy whales. Sign on!


Inslee Reveals Plan For Curbing Washington’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee rolled out an aggressive plan Wednesday to cap carbon emissions and fight climate change. The centerpiece of the governor’s strategy would set a statewide limit for greenhouse gas emissions. Big emitters would pay for credits to cover their emissions if they exceed that cap. In later years, these carbon polluters would have the ability to trade those credits on a regional carbon market, potentially joining California, British Columbia and Oregon. Inslee said the plan will generate up to $1 billion for the state, which would pay for transportation, education and community aid. Inslee is expecting his plan to be met with opposition. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix) See also: Whatcom senator stands in the way of Gov. Inslee’s cap-and-trade climate proposal  Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Vancouver’s native soil ‘too contaminated to grow in,’ SoleFood founder warns
The native soil in Vancouver’s community gardens may be no worse than soils used in rural areas for commercial agriculture, but SoleFood founder Michael Ableman still wouldn’t grow food in it. People’s “romantic perception” that rural areas are somehow pristine environments where all is clean and pure is misplaced. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Turn of the Tides Festival celebrates marine life, winter solstice
The South Sound Estuary Association will hold its second annual Turn of the Tides Festival, a celebration of the winter solstice, Saturday. The free event will include marine life displays, environment education, arts and crafts, chowder and hot chocolate…. The event will run from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the South Sound Estuarium, 309 State Ave. NE, Olympia. For more information, go to sseacenter.org. (Olympian)

Scientists Report Rare Sightings Of Tropical Species Off West Coast
Scientists surveying whales and dolphins on the West Coast have discovered unusual species of birds and marine mammals far north of their normal ranges. Experts say fish and wildlife are being drawn northward by unusually warm ocean water. Every few years, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration take a head count of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the ocean off California, Oregon and Washington. Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

County leads effort for cleaner water
Bringing an 18-month project to a close, those involved with creating a Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) Plan for the Sequim Bay-Dungeness Watershed Clean Water District have completed the draft plan and soon will begin a pilot project near Dungeness Bay. The PIC plan provides the skeleton for how water pollution problems will be identified and corrected with the intention to improve local water quality and health of Sequim and Dungeness bays. Alana Linderoth reports. (Sequim Gazette)

Saanich sewer and water fees going up
Saanich councillors have approved an increase of 11.9 per cent in the sewer charge, which translates into the average homeowner’s bill increasing to $405 from $362. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Black Press purchases Island newspapers in deal with Glacier Media
Glacier Media Inc. has sold its Vancouver Island Newspaper Group to Victoria-based Black Press. Black Press takes operational control of that group on March 2. That includes Cowichan Valley Citizen, Nanaimo Daily News and Alberni Valley Times. The sale does not include the Times Colonist. Carla Wilson reports. (Times Colonist)

Protections blocked, but sage grouse work goes on
U.S. wildlife officials will decide next year whether a wide-ranging Western bird species needs protections even though Congress has blocked such protections from taking effect, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said Wednesday. They could determine the greater sage grouse is heading toward possible extinction, but they would be unable to intervene under the Endangered Species Act. The bird's fate instead remains largely in the hands of the 11 individual states where they are found. President Barack Obama signed a $1.1 trillion spending bill late Tuesday with a provision that barred money from being spent on rules to protect the chicken-sized bird and three related types of grouse. Matthew Brown reports. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PST THU DEC 18 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. NW SWELL 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 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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12/17 Port Angeles toxins, Rhapsody, Site C dam, Skagit water, pollution fee, bird flu, Bristol Bay, citizen science

Port Angeles Rayonier mill site (Keith Thorpe/PDN)

Toxins abound off old Port Angeles pulp mill site, state Ecology says
Mercury, arsenic, dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are among the ingredients of the toxic brew in the eastern side of Port Angeles Harbor near the site of the former Rayonier mill. A draft Marine Data Summary Report released Tuesday by the state Department of Ecology in Olympia summarized the amount and types of marine contamination in the 1,300 acres of water and sediment. The poisons are concentrated most highly in water in the eastern part of the former log pond and near the mill dock, the report said, but “are spread throughout the marine environment.” James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Infection from fetus death killed orca off Vancouver Island
An endangered orca found dead off Vancouver Island in Canada earlier this month died after a failed pregnancy caused a bacterial infection, officials said Tuesday. Preliminary necropsy results show the 19-year-old killer whale known as J-32 was pregnant with a nearly full-term female calf that died, Fisheries and Oceans Canada said. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Finding Light In The Dark For Whales
The Whale Trail hosts a seasonal gathering in the wake of the loss of J-32 tonight in West Seattle at 6:30 at C&P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave SW. Researcher Mark Sears shares photos from recent encounters with J, K and L pods. Join in discussing your concerns fro and connection with these beloved pods. $5, kids free, Brown Paper Tickets.

Site C dam approved by B.C. government
B.C. has approved the $8 billion Site C dam — a massive hydroelectric project that would flood a large area of the Peace River Valley in northeastern B.C. In making the announcement, Premier Christy Clark said the Site C Clean Energy Project will provide B.C. residents with a reliable source of power for the next 100 years for the least cost to the taxpayer. (CBC)

Washington Court Rules Against Landowners In Skagit Water Rights Case
A judge ruled against a couple Tuesday after they sued for the right to drill a well and build a new home on their property in Skagit County. The case marks the latest battle in the ongoing fight over water rights in Washington’s Skagit River valley. Snohomish County Superior Court Judge George Appel dismissed the case brought by property owners Richard and Marnie Fox. He told the couple that they can’t build a home on their property because they don’t have legal access to water. That’s because of a 2001 rule that basically says there has to be enough water left in the Skagit River to protect spawning salmon. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Inslee wants a pollution fee to pay for transportation
Sound Transit would be able to ask big new tax increases for light rail, but improvements to the state’s highways and bridges would get paid by a “market-based carbon pollution fee” under Gov. Jay Inslee’s sure-to-be controversial transportation plan. The $12.2 billion, 12-year plan was unveiled by Inslee at the east end of the 520 floating bridge, a project that the governor’s plan pledges to complete.  The “Let’s Move Forward” plan would also finish expansion of Interstate 405 in the Renton-to-Bellevue corridor. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePi.com) See also: Polling shows some public support for taxing carbon pollution in Washington  Brad Shannon reports. (Olympian)

Bird flu confirmed in wild birds in Whatcom County
Two separate strains of bird flu have been confirmed in wild birds in Whatcom County, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday, Dec. 16. Tests identified H5N2 in a northern pintail duck and H5N8 in a gyrfalcon fed wild birds killed by hunters, agriculture officials said…. The cases were quickly reported and identified given the increased surveillance and testing of birds in Whatcom County after the outbreak of the H5N2 strain in commercial poultry in British Columbia. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Obama makes Alaska’s Bristol Bay permanently off-limits to drilling
President Obama announced Tuesday that he’s removing more than 52,000 square miles of waters off Alaska’s coast from consideration for oil and gas exploration or drilling. The president said in a video announcement that Bristol Bay and nearby waters, covering an area roughly the size of Florida, would be withdrawn from consideration for petroleum leases. He called Bristol Bay one of the country’s great natural resources and a massive economic engine. Dan Joling reports. (Associated Press)

Here's How You Can Help Scientists Study Sex, Whales, and Distant Galaxies
Sharman Apt Russell, author of Diary of a Citizen Scientist, describes her involvement in scientific research without ever pursuing a scientific degree-- and how you can, too. Indre Viskontas reports. (Mother Jones)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED DEC 17 2014
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. NW SWELL 7 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN LIKELY IN
 THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. NW SWELL 7 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

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12/16 Lemon shark, Vic sewer, Rhapsody, Illabot Cr., ocean acid, Site C dam, Inslee's ed budget

“Spineless” Susan Middleton

The Oceans’ Depths, Saturated With Life and Color
As we stand on the thin crust of this watery planet, our gaze tends to roam from horizon to heavens. We often neglect the riot of life that seethes and thrives below us, especially in the still mysterious depths of our oceans. When we focus on sea life at all, our fancies turn to the vertebrate exhibitionists — whales, sharks, dolphins — or the delicious fish on our plates. But as the photographer and writer Susan Middleton tells us in her ravishing new book, “Spineless,” marine invertebrates make up more than 98 percent of the oceans’ known animal species. As she writes, “Beneath the ocean waves, hidden from our view, a spectacular profusion of life flourishes.” Dana Jennings reports. (NY Times)

Lemon shark dies at Point Defiance Zoo
A lemon shark believed to be the oldest in any North American aquarium died over the weekend at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. Lizzie, 30, developed lesions three weeks ago on her gill slits, around her pectoral fins and in her mouth, zoo officials said Monday. Veterinarians have been monitoring the 450-pound shark and noticed she changed her swimming patterns and was having trouble breathing Thursday. Stacia Glenn reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Victoria eyes back-to-basics approach on sewage treatment
….Victoria has hired consultants and begun working with Saanich and Oak Bay staff to explore local or sub-regional treatment options since the collapse last summer of the Capital Regional District’s plan to locate a plant at Esquimalt’s McLoughlin Point. In a report going to councillors Thursday, municipal staff present a strategy to begin in January to outline to the public:… Bill Cleverley and Amy Smart report. (Times Colonist)

Pregnant killer whale J-32 was starving, necropsy reveals
Questions remain after a necropsy revealed a young female orca in the endangered southern resident population was malnourished when she died before giving birth to a full-term calf. Preliminary necropsy results released by the Center for Whale Research indicate that J-32 had a thin layer of blubber and had not been feeding adequately for an extended period of time. But the report also concluded the 19-year-old female likely died because she could not expel a nearly full-term fetus from her body, and that the fetus might have been dead for some time. "The question is why did the fetus die, and why are we having so much trouble with reproductive success in this population?" said Kenneth Balcomb, the executive director of the center. (CBC)

Illabot Creek awaits president’s pen to become wild and scenic
After a half-dozen years of trying, Skagit County’s Illabot Creek is a pen-stroke away from being designated a Wild and Scenic River. Congress passed a National Defense Authorization Act Friday that includes the designation. All that remains is President Obama’s signature. The designation has been a goal for conservation groups, local and state officials for many years, but efforts to pass it as separate legislation have previously failed. This time, it was added to the $585 billion Defense bill. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Ocean acidification a culprit in commercial shellfish hatcheries' failures
The mortality of larval Pacific oysters in Northwest hatcheries has been linked to ocean acidification. Yet the rate of increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the decrease of pH in near-shore waters have been questioned as being severe enough to cause the die-offs. Now, a new study of Pacific oyster and Mediterranean mussel larvae found that the earliest larval stages are sensitive to saturation state, rather than carbon dioxide (CO2) or pH (acidity) per se. Saturation state is a measure of how corrosive seawater is to the calcium carbonate shells made by bivalve larvae, and how easy it is for larvae to produce their shells. A lower saturation rate is associated with more corrosive seawater. Cheryl Dybas reports. (PHYS.ORG)

B.C. government decision on Site C dam expected
The province is expected to announce a decision on the controversial Site C dam on Tuesday. Provincial Energy and Mines Minister Bill Bennett has called a news conference in Victoria on Tuesday to make what his ministry said is a major announcement. If given the go-ahead, the $8.5-billion project would dramatically alter a large chunk of northeastern B.C. by putting it underwater for the hydroelectric project. (CBC)

Inslee outlines plan to pump $2.3 billion into education
Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee on Monday said he wants to give public schools and colleges a $2.3 billion boost in the next budget. He’s proposing to put in enough money to amply fund basic education as ordered by the Supreme Court, prevent a tuition hike for college students and give teachers a nearly 5 percent pay hike over the next two years. But he’s not sticking in enough to cover the cost of the smaller class size initiative passed by voters last month. And on Monday he wasn’t saying how he will pay for his proposal. That answer won’t come until Thursday when he issues his proposed spending plan for the biennium that begins July 1, 2015. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE DEC 16 2014
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT THIS MORNING. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 6 FT AT 13
 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. NW SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A 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

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12/3 Duwamish, climate, toxic soil, Shell air, Dodge Cove, BC LNG, dam safety, Dabob Bay shellfish

(1997 Mountaineer Books)*

(*There are a bunch of these stored in the garage; if you’d like one, let me know.)

Mammoth $342 million cleanup ahead for fouled Duwamish River
After 14 years of work, the Environmental Protection Agency shares a plan for cleaning up Seattle’s polluted waterway. But when cleanup is complete, how much fish and shellfish from their home waters will South Park residents be able to eat? Craig Welch reports. (Seattle Times) See also: EPA Releases Cleanup Plan For Seattle’s Polluted Duwamish River  Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix) EPA's Final Plan Just A Start For Seattle Groups Watchdogging Duwamish Cleanup  Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Hotter, weirder: How climate has changed Earth
In the more than two decades since world leaders first got together to try to solve global warming, life on Earth has changed, not just the climate. It's gotten hotter, more polluted with heat-trapping gases, more crowded and just downright wilder. The numbers are stark. Carbon dioxide emissions: up 60 percent. Global temperature: up six-tenths of a degree. Population: up 1.7 billion people. Sea level: up 3 inches. U.S. extreme weather: up 30 percent. Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica: down 4.9 trillion tons of ice. "Simply put, we are rapidly remaking the planet and beginning to suffer the consequences," says Michael Oppenheimer, professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University. Seth Broenstein reports. (Associated Press)

Metal contamination found in Vancouver community garden, brownfield sites
An eight-month study of Vancouver garden and agricultural soils has found levels of lead and other metals above the most stringent Canadian standards for human health. Samples taken from the 16 Oaks community garden averaged 219 parts per million of lead, which exceeds the standard of 70 to 140 ppm for agricultural, residential and park land set by the Canadian Council of Environment Ministers. Levels of lead — a potent neurotoxin — are five times higher than those measured at UBC Farm, a site remote from urban activity just a few kilometres away. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Agency renews Shell refinery's air operating permit
The Northwest Clean Air Agency has renewed Shell Puget Sound Refinery’s air operating permit. The agency issued the renewal for the Anacortes refinery after receiving no comments from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during a 45-day review period…. Most of the permits do not get public attention. But because of a crude-by-rail proposal for the same facility, Shell’s permit renewal drew more than 70 people to a public hearing. (Skagit Valley Herald)

LNG terminal proposal could turn Dodge Cove, B.C. into ghost town
A small village on B.C.'s North Coast is on the verge of becoming a ghost town with news that a massive liquefied natural gas terminal will be built next door. Dodge Cove is situated on Digby Island, which is a short boat ride from Prince Rupert. About 40 people live in the community, and there are no paved roads, no cars and no stores. The international energy company Nexen Energy has picked Digby Island for a proposed $20 billion LNG terminal with the goal of shipping 10 to 20 million tons of LNG from B.C. to Asia each year. George Baker reports. (CBC)

B.C. in ‘good shape’ to close $10-billion LNG deal: Premier
B.C. is in “good shape” to lure Malaysia’s state-owned energy company into a final investment decision for a proposed $10-billion liquefied natural gas plant, says Premier Christy Clark. Clark said she would not publicly disclose the substance of negotiations Monday between her government and Petronas CEO Shamsul Azhar Abbas, who was in Vancouver for high-level meetings over his company’s proposed Pacific Northwest LNG export facility near Prince Rupert. Rob Shaw reports. (Vancouver Sun)

B.C. takes steps to post dam safety reports online
The B.C. government is taking steps to create a web-based system where dam safety inspection reports and other documents can be publicly posted. The government has awarded global engineering firm Hatch Ltd. a contract to review expedited dam safety inspections and third-party reviews of B.C.’s 60 mines ordered by the provincial government as a result of the Mount Polley tailings dam collapse. The $305,000 contract also requires Hatch to create a public webpage where the reports can be posted. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Jefferson's Dabob Bay opens for harvesting of some shellfish species
Dabob Bay has partially reopened to recreational shellfishing, although butter and varnish clamming remains closed because of the danger of potentially deadly paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), Jefferson County Public Health said Tuesday. The closure zone includes Tarboo Bay, the western shore of the Toandos Peninsula south to Zelatched Point and the eastern shore of the Bolton Peninsula to its southern tip near Red Bluff. Quilcene Bay, including Point Whitney, remains closed for all species. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED DEC 3 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT...EASING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 14 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

10/17 Gorst Cr. Dump, Site C dam, Meadowdale Beach salmon, BC fracking

(Kitsap Sun)

EPA to Navy: Fix issues at former dump
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the Navy to fix problems associated with a former hazardous waste dump near Port Orchard The EPA says its records show that a substantial amount of the waste in Gorst Creek Ravine is from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The landfill was the main dumping ground for shipyard waste between 1969 and 1970, when the site was not permitted by local authorities to take waste, the agency said. It later took waste from local residents before closing in 1989. (Associated Press)

Industry group urges B.C. to invest in 'clean energy' instead of Site C
With the clock ticking on a government decision on Site C, an industry group has released a study that claims the province could save up to $1-billion by investing in multiple, small “clean energy” facilities instead of one, massive dam. Along with saving money, a stable of smaller energy projects would provide other advantages, including more opportunities for First Nations involvement and more flexibility to adapt to changing technology or markets, the study concludes. The report, prepared by London Economics International, a Boston-based consulting firm, and released Thursday by Clean Energy B.C., adds to a continuing debate around Site C, which BC Hydro bills as the cleanest and most cost-effective way to meet future energy needs and opponents decry as an environmental and social disaster in the making. Wendy Stueck reports. (Globe and Mail)

Meadowdale Beach Park makes way for salmon
To make life a little easier for salmon, Snohomish County Parks and Recreation has removed the pedestrian metal grate walkway at Meadowdale Beach Park under the railroad tracks that are on top of the stream during low flow conditions. “Now, foot traffic access to Meadowdale beach is closed,” says Parks Director Tom Teigen. “While that is going to be an inconvenience for park visitors, it is critical, that we make way for returning salmon.” Lunds Gulch Creek supports resident and sea-run cutthroat trout, as well as Coho and Chum salmon. (Edmonds Beacon)

Natural gas fracking: repeated short-term water permits legal, judge rules
A judge will not stop the flow of fresh water from British Columbia's lakes and rivers to hydraulic fracking operations, but did recognize the issue as a growing public concern. The Western Canada Wilderness Committee and the Sierra Club filed a petition against the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission and energy company EnCana Corp. over the commission's decision to grant repeat short-term water approvals to the company. (CBC)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI OCT 17 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT...RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT DURING THE MORNING. SEAS 11 OR 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS IN
 THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SW SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT
S WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS IN THE MORNING.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING S 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

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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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