11/2 Galloping Gertie, whale-watch boat, Vic sewer, green chemicals, Triangle Cove, Hood Canal awards

Galloping Gertie (Tacoma Public Library/News Tribune)

The man blamed for the fall of Tacoma’s Galloping Gertie
On the day the first bridge over Puget Sound collapsed 75 years ago this week, a mixed-breed cocker spaniel named Tubby was the only life lost with the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in what now is known as one of history’s most spectacular engineering failures. Photos and film of the last moments of Galloping Gertie are iconic to this day. The bridge’s fall on the windy morning of Nov. 7, 1940, is still taught in schools. It is regarded as the birthing event of the field of wind engineering in building design. Derrick Nunnally reports. (Tacoma News Tribune) See also:  Video: Galloping Gertie's collapse is an enduring Tacoma narrative  (Tacoma News Tribune) And also: Black and blue and lucky to be alive, the last person to escape Galloping Gertie tells his story  Howard Clifford recalls. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Tofino whale-watching vessel had passed stability test: Transport Canada
The whale-watching ship that capsized off British Columbia’s coast, killing five people, passed a stability test after an observation deck was added when it was converted from a tugboat, Transport Canada said Thursday. MV Leviathan II, originally built in 1981, was once a forest-industry tug and was lengthened and had a deck added 15 years later for the whale-watching industry. “The owner prepared a stability assessment, including an incline experiment, at that time. Transport Canada approved this work and certified the vessel,” said a Transport Canada statement. The ship capsized on Sunday with 27 people on board, about 15 kilometres from the tourist community of Tofino, which is located on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)

Victoria mayor muses on combining casino, sewage plant
It could give a whole new meaning to a royal flush. Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps has mused publicly about the possibility of combining a casino with a new regional sewage treatment plant. The B.C. Lottery Corporation is considering a second casino closer to downtown Victoria than the existing one in View Royal and has asked six communities — Victoria, Esquimalt, Saanich, Oak Bay and the Esquimalt and Songhees First Nations — if they would host a casino smaller than View Royal’s. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

After 25 Years Of Pollution Prevention, Wash. State Working Toward Greener Chemicals
It has been 25 years since the federal government passed the Pollution Prevention Act. The 1990 law is credited with reducing industrial waste by as much as 60 percent since it was enacted, by getting companies and governments to look upstream at what goes into the manufacturing process and stopping pollution at the source. But the effectiveness of that approach appears to have limits. With many toxic chemicals remaining, especially in consumer products, additional strategies are needed. And that’s where states come in. Washington is considered a pioneer. Ken Zarker, a section manager for pollution prevention with the State Department of Ecology,  says Washington has 8 or 9 laws on the books that are looked to by experts as model legislation for the reduction of toxic chemicals. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Margaret Atwood's tweet 'spooks' Surrey truck parking lot proposal
Canadian literary icon Margaret Atwood has tweeted out a spooky warning to sign a petition against a semi-truck parking lot in Surrey or be haunted by her "in the form of a dead salmon." … The outspoken author is the latest critic of the 77-acre parking lot for big rigs that critics say jeopardizes a nearby salmon hatchery. (CBC)

Camano Island 3-year watershed improvement project a winner
A three-year project to clean up the Triangle Cove watershed brought hundreds of property owners together for lessons on protecting their water supply. As grant funding for the work comes to an end, organizers say results have exceeded expectations. The Snohomish Conservation District and Island County Public Health received a $400,000 Pollution and Identification Correction grant to improve water quality in Triangle Cove, specifically dealing with bacteria, oxygen levels and acidity. Work started in 2013 and the grant is up at the end of this year. Kari Bray reports. (Everett Herald)

Hood Canal council names winners of environmental awards
Beards Cove Community Organization and Newberry Hill Heritage Park Stewards are this year’s winners of the Hood Canal Environmental Achievement Awards. The awards, sponsored by the Hood Canal Coordinating Council, recognize people and groups that have taken actions and fostered relationships to improve the health of the Hood Canal environment. Chris Dunagan writes. (Watching Our Water Ways)

State committee approves new geographic names
The Washington State Committee on Geographic Names has approved new names for geographic features in Grays Harbor, Jefferson and Pierce counties. At its regular semi-annual meeting this past week, the committee approved proposals from Washington residents to officially designate three previously unnamed geographic features in the state. Their selections will go before the Board of Natural Resources for a final decision at one of its regular public meetings. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON NOV 2 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 11 FT AT 13 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 9 FT AT 12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING N AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

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

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9/30 Pesticides, Erich Hoyt, fish waste, eco-bylaw, Chesapeake Bay, more vessels, BC LNG, citizen science

Little owl (Athene noctua)

Reader’s note: ‘A gathering of species of the Strigiformes order is commonly referred to as a "parliament of owls."’ (Tony Angell)

EPA Toughens Pesticide Rules To Protect Farmworkers
Stronger rules for pesticides sprayed on farms and in forests, greenhouses and nurseries can cut health risks for workers, the federal government said in rolling out new safety standards this week…. The Environmental Protection Agency announced the new rules on Monday. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy says the change are long overdue…. One major change is the setting of a federal age requirement for the first time. Workers who handle pesticides will need to be at least 18. Other states already have implemented a similar rule – in Washington, the minimum age is 18. EPA also will now require that workers get training on pesticide risks - every year. Currently workers have to be trained only every five years. Other changes include whistleblower protections, better notification around work sites and stricter enforcement of rules. The EPA expects to phase in the changes next year. Liz Jones reports. (KUOW)

Erich Hoyt returns to Puget Sound; whale sign goes up near Hansville
Chris Dunagan writes: "Erich Hoyt, who has spent most of his life studying whales, returns to Puget Sound in October for talks in Olympia, Tacoma and Seattle. I enjoyed interviewing Erich last year before he visited this region. (See Water Ways, May 3, 2014.) We talked about the ongoing capture of killer whales in Russia, where government officials refuse to learn a lesson from the Northwest about breaking up killer whale families and disrupting their social order. (Watching Our Water Ways)

What Americans do with fish is shocking
…. Of all the food that Americans waste — and Americans waste a lot of food — it's the seafood that never gets eaten that should trouble us most. Few sources of nutrition, after all, are as coveted as fish. They're high in protein, and low in fat. Eating them is associated with all sorts of beneficial health outcomes. And yet, few foods are discarded so frequently. Between 2009 and 2013, as much as 47 percent of all edible seafood in the United States went to waste, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF). Roberto A. Ferdman reports. (Washington Post)

Saanich mayor outvoted on ditching eco-bylaw
Saanich Mayor Richard Atwell has tried unsuccessfully to scrap the district’s controversial environmental bylaw with councillors solidly outvoting him. After a nearly four-hour torrent of negative comments about the Environmental Development Permit Area, Atwell said that “what I’m hearing tonight is that the burden is unbearable and overwhelming.”…. Coun. Vic Derman said scrapping the bylaw at this stage would be “beyond the pale” and Coun. Judy Brownoff said “chaos” would be the result. They said ditching the bylaw would fly in the face of an open house on the issue Saturday and a public meeting in October. “It’s a matter of a few months before we come back with our results, which is fair to everyone,” Brownoff said. The bylaw states that “alteration of land, subdivision and construction are prohibited within an environmental development permit area, according to the Local Government Act, unless an exemption applies or a development permit is issued.” It is meant to protect from development areas that the municipality calls “rare ecosystems and vital habitat.” Katherine Dedyna reports. (Times Colonist)

Tour shows journalists Chesapeake’s good, bad & plans for future
…. Many of the 14 other journalists on the Institute for Journalism and Natural Resources tour had much of the same reaction as the group embarked on the IJNR’s first Chesapeake Bay Institute in more than a decade…. Tristan Baurick, who covers the environment beat for the Kitsap Sun in Bremerton, WA, said he applied to the institute because he wanted to see the parallels between the Chesapeake Bay and the Puget Sound. The sound struggles with some of the same issues as the Bay: algae blooms, sewage spills and a combined stormwater and sewage system in Seattle and King County that often overflows. And yet, Baurick said, he was surprised to learn about swim advisories after rainfalls and about riverkeepers and counties that put out fecal coliform warnings. “Nobody ever says ‘you can’t swim.’ That was amazing to me,’” Baurick said…. “We’re dealing with some of these same problems,” Baurick said of the Puget Sound and the Bay. “I don’t think either of us have the solutions to those problems.” Rona Kobell reports. (Bay Journal)

Storms for Salish Sea
Royal Dutch Shell said it will end oil exploration in offshore Alaska “for the forseeable future’’ after an exploratory well in the Chukchi Sea failed to yield the hoped for oil and gas, but that doesn’t mean the impacts of energy expansion projects will end on the Salish Sea. Our region is targeted for export projects that could dwarf the XL Pipeline. If all the new and expanding terminal and refinery projects in the Salish Sea are permitted and developed, including projects that became operational in 2014, there would be a 43 percent increase in large, commercial marine vessel traffic. Tim Johnson reports. (Cascadia Weekly)

Metlakatla signs agreement in support of Prince Rupert Gas Transmission
The Metlakatla First Nation has become the eighth aboriginal group to support TransCanada Corp.’s Prince Rupert Gas Transmission, a B.C. pipeline project that would transport natural gas to a West Coast export terminal. TransCanada’s $5-billion pipeline venture aims to supply a proposed plant that would export liquefied natural gas from Lelu Island to customers in Asia. The Metlakatla, one of five Tsimshian First Nations consulted during a provincial environmental review last year of Pacific NorthWest LNG, signed a project agreement with TransCanada. The pact details financial, employment and other benefits for the Metlakatla. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Olympia middle school launches Citizen Science Institute
About 45 Marshall students spent three days at the YMCA’s camp on Case Inlet on the Puget Sound near Longbranch last week for its Outdoor Environmental Education Program. They’re part of the newly launched Citizen Science Institute, a grade 6-8 alternative program that combines science, research and community service activities…. During the next school year, CSI students will spend about a half day each week conducting field investigations for a variety of environmental and community organizations, such as the Pacific Shellfish Institute, Garden Raised Bounty and the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge. Projects include migratory bird counting, water quality testing in local streams and assisting a research project that’s measuring nitrogen levels found in mussels. Lisa Pemberton reports. (The Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 248 AM PDT WED SEP 30 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 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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9/14 Oil train suit, Cherry Point coal, BC LNG protest, LID rules, Fraser pinks, Victoria sewer

Tony Angell & Macaw (Tony Angell/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: Hello, Macaw - With Tony Angell
Artist and naturalist, Tony Angell, describes his communication with Macaw, a raven that came into his life and home. "I would say, 'Hello, Macaw,' and his communication to me was often to lean over for preening. Eventually, the arrangement became so routine to Macaw that something had gone on in his memory to refine my remarks to where he used my greeting to him - 'Hello, Macaw' - as a greeting to me. He was imitating me, but he used that term in the right context." (BirdNote)

Federal judge allows Swinomish tribal lawsuit over oil trains to proceed
A federal judge has allowed a lawsuit by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community to proceed against BNSF Railway over oil train shipments. The tribe sued BNSF in April, alleging the company is violating an agreement that restricts the number of trains that can cross its reservation on Fidalgo Island. U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik on Friday denied BNSF’s request to have the case dismissed or stayed. The railway argued the matter should go before the federal Surface Transportation Board. The judge wrote that referring the case is “neither efficient nor necessary.” (Q13 FOX/AP)

Lummi tribe says talk of Cherry Point land grab is a fabrication
A nonprofit with close ties to a proposed coal terminal at Cherry Point is telling local and federal agencies that Lummi Nation plans to take over part or all of Cherry Point in an effort to “de-industrialize” an area that already includes two oil refineries and an aluminum smelter. Lummi Chairman Tim Ballew called the claim a fabrication and a distraction from the tribe’s effort to halt Gateway Pacific Terminal through an exercise of its treaty rights to fish near Cherry Point and elsewhere in north Puget Sound…. Northwest Jobs Alliance wrote to the Whatcom County Planning Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last month, asking them to oppose a tribal takeover of Cherry Point. Ralph Scwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

First Nation protesters seek to stop test drilling at proposed LNG site
Northern B.C. First Nation members say they stopped Malaysian state- controlled Petronas, the company behind an $11.4-billion liquefied natural gas terminal, from starting test ocean drilling in northwest B.C. this weekend. The 33-metre Quin Delta drill ship, owned by Gregg Marine in California, and a barge were moved into the waters off Lelu Island near Prince Rupert by Pacific NorthWest LNG early Saturday morning. Some equipment was set up before First Nations went out to the ship and asked the workers to stop, said Joey Wesley, a Lax Kw’alaams First Nation member. The activity ceased, but the workers appeared to have trouble removing equipment from the ocean floor, including heavy concrete blocks with surface markers, he said. The ship and barge remained in their location on Sunday just off Lelu Island, said Wesley. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Cleaner water the focus of coming development rules
In an effort to cut down on the leading source of pollution in Puget Sound, development rules will soon change in Skagit County and other areas throughout the state. Low impact development, or LID, which has been optional for years, has been touted for its ability to stop dirty water in its tracks. Now, it will become a requirement for some kinds of construction. The state Department of Ecology hopes the change will reduce the amount of stormwater, which is often laced with oil, fertilizer and animal feces, that gets into the region’s streams — and eventually into Puget Sound. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Fraser River pink salmon run a poor haul for U.S. fishermen
The fishery for Fraser River pink salmon has ended for local U.S. fishermen — one marked by low catches here but another record run in parts of Alaska that helped push down prices…. Fraser River pink runs occur in odd years, and commercial fishermen who went out this year thought they would have a good season, given the Pacific Salmon Commission preseason forecast of 14.4 million. That estimate was based on the abundance of fry that went into the ocean two years ago. Then during the season, the commission downgraded the run size to 6.2 million pinks. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Blame it on Rio. Victoria smells like future Olympics contender
Everybody smell it? There’s a hint of something in the air from the north, suggesting that the forces of history are lining up and pointing to a future gathering of the world just off our shores. To wit:
• The Associated Press, issuing the latest in a string of such reports, further documented the truly “medieval” lack of sewage treatment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which nevertheless will host the 2016 Summer Olympics next summer.
• Emboldened by another large municipality’s defiant refusal to enter the 16th century, residents of Victoria, B.C., (motto: “We’re Offal-ly Proud Of Those Baby Orcas!”) continued to enthusiastically flush their daily 20 million gallons of raw sewage into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, God’s Own Toilet, in what can only be construed as a bold bid for the city’s own future Summer Games.
Inevitable opening-ceremonies motto: “Swifter! Higher! Browner!” Are we the only ones who see a glimmering future for Mr. Floatie as history’s greatest longest, most-fragrant Olympic Mascot? Ron Judd muses. (Seattle Times)

McLoughlin Point sewage plant ruled out, Helps confirms
A final, $750,000 nail has been driven in the coffin of plans to put a sewage treatment plant at McLoughlin Point. Lisa Helps, chairwoman of the Capital Regional District’s sewage committee, confirmed Saturday that the Esquimalt site has now been formally ruled out. The three firms that presented formal proposals to build a sewage treatment plant there will each be paid $250,000, as previously agreed by contract…. The CRD was forced last year to abandon plans to put a $230-million sewage treatment plant at McLoughlin Point after Esquimalt refused to rezone the former gasoline tank farm. About $60 million — and nine years — had already been spent on the project, mandated by the provincial government, by that point. The entire project, initially budgeted at $788 million, was to be in operation by 2018. Richard Watts reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 208 PM PDT SUN SEP 13 2015
MON
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
MON NIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A
 SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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9/9 Toxic oil, BC pipe redo, Pete Haase, NW glaciers, Seattle hills, counting fish

Purple Martin and meal (Laurie MacBride)

If you like to watch: Here be Dragons Delish!
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "I love dragonflies – and so, apparently, do Purple Martins. But not in quite the same way as me. At each marina we visited this summer we saw and heard Purple Martins, busy raising their next generation. From the early hours until almost dark, we’d hear the melodious voices of these oversized swallows – their lovely, almost metallic song that reminds me of the twang of halyards against aluminum masts (appropriate for birds that spend their summers hanging around boats)….

Low levels of oil pollution harm herring, salmon, study finds
Federal scientists based in Seattle and Alaska have found that oil — by impairing heart functions — can cause serious harm to herring and pink salmon at far lower concentrations than previously documented. The research, published Tuesday online in Nature’s Scientific Reports, could help unravel the mystery of why herring stocks in Prince William Sound collapsed after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Their work also has implications about the effects of low levels of chronic oil pollution in Puget Sound and elsewhere in the world. “What this study shows is that in very, very low concentration of oil, embryonic fish … get born with a mild heart defect,” said John Incardona, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration toxicologist at a Seattle fisheries science center. He is one of 10 co-authors of the study. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

First Nation, Burnaby seek complete redo on Trans Mountain pipeline review
The Squamish First Nation and the City of Burnaby are urging the federal regulator reviewing Kinder Morgan’s proposed $5.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline to strike a new panel. They made the request to the National Energy Board last week, shortly after the panel heading up an environmental and economic assessment halted the review because a consultant who prepared evidence in favour of the pipeline had been appointed to work for the regulator. While the consultant’s evidence has been struck from the review and Kinder Morgan will provide new evidence on the project’s economic benefits, that does not erase that evidence from the minds of the panel members or cure the perception that the impartiality of the board has been compromised, said lawyer Aaron Bruce in a letter to the NEB on behalf of the Squamish Nation. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Avid volunteer from Bow gets regional recognition
Avid volunteer and citizen scientist Pete Haase sees himself as just one of many, something like a soldier in an army working for a healthier Puget Sound. The Bow resident wouldn’t call himself a hero, but RE Sources for Sustainable Communities does. The Bellingham-based nonprofit has chosen Haase as one of its five environmental heroes of the year. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

‘Disastrous’: Low snow, heat eat away at Northwest glaciers
Glaciers across the North Cascades could lose 5 to 10 percent of their volume this year, accelerating decades of steady decline. One scientist estimates the region’s glaciers are smaller than they have been in at least 4,000 years. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

‘Too High & Too Steep’: When Seattle’s hills came falling down
David B. Williams’ new book, “Too High & Too Steep,” chronicles the massive changes wrought on the Seattle landscape in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Williams will discuss his book Sept. 9 at the University Book Store, and at other locations around Seattle. Michael Upchurch reviews. (Seattle Times)

In California's Protected Waters, Counting Fish Without Getting Wet
Using divers to monitor whether life is returning to the 100 or so marine protected areas is pricey. Now, advances in DNA sequencing mean scientists just need a seawater sample to do a marine census. (KQED/NPR)

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED SEP 9 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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8/3 Toxin rule, Vibrio, drought, Navy deal, BC spill, Shell drill, BC derailment, North Cr., Kayak Pt., Duwamish

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

Summer School for Seals
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Perhaps we resembled kindly grandparents. Or perhaps the distance around our boat was just right to safely challenge a young harbour seal. Whatever the reason, we were delighted that out of half a dozen boats anchored in the bay that day, Momma Seal chose ours for her pup’s swimming lesson…."

Water quality rules might be up to feds after Inslee drops rewrite
Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday scrapped a major rewrite of the state's clean water rules, opening the door for the federal government to impose its standard on the state. Inslee, in a much- anticipated decision, directed the state Department of Ecology to not proceed with a stricter water quality standard based in part on how much fish people consume. He explained in a press release that updating this standard was part of his two-prong approach to cleaning up the state's water ways. The other prong — a bill aimed at keeping toxins from being released into rivers by regulating the source of the pollutants — failed to pass in the Legislature this year. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald) See also: Inslee backs off water-quality standards; his next move is unclear  Christopher Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

B.C. weather linked to 'unprecedented' rates of illness from raw oysters
n unprecedented number of people in British Columbia reported raw shellfish-related illnesses in June and July, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) said Friday. The majority of the 35 cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus-related infections reported were traced to B.C. oysters served raw in restaurants, the BCCDC said…. Warmer ocean temperatures in the summer mean higher concentrations of the naturally-occurring bacteria are generally found at this time, and this year's unseasonably high temperatures could be contributing to the rise in contamination levels, the BCCDC notes. (CBC)

B.C. drought restrictions expanded for fishing, agriculture
Drought conditions are forcing the provincial government to ban fishing and impose water restrictions for farms in parts of southern British Columbia in a bid to help fish stocks through a hot, dry summer. The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations is suspending fishing in streams for most of Vancouver Island because of low flows and high water temperatures. Beginning on Aug. 4, the only rivers or streams where people will be allowed to fish are the Campbell, Qualicum and Quinsam rivers. The ministry has also restricted water use on farms in B.C.'s Interior in a bid to help salmon that are expected to begin spawning soon on the Coldwater River south of Merritt, where water levels are low because of dry weather. (Canadian Press)

State senators want investigation of Commissioner Goldmark over ‘low’ lease deal
Two Washington state senators have asked the acting state auditor to investigate Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark for an “artificially low” deal with the Navy restricting shoreline development in the Hood Canal. State Sen. Tim Sheldon, D-Potlatch, in a letter to Acting State Auditor Jan Jutte Thursday, wrote: “As reported by The Times, Commissioner Goldmark agreed to an artificially low price on a lease of state aquatic bedlands in the Hood Canal.” State Sen. Mark Miloscia, R-Federal Way, also signed the letter. Will Drabold reports. (Seattle Times)

'Confusion', 'miscommunication' slowed Vancouver fuel spill response: report
Misunderstandings, uncertainty and technical difficulties slowed the emergency response to a toxic fuel spill in Vancouver's English Bay by nearly two hours, a review has found. The review released Friday also found that Canadian Coast Guard staff were unsure of their roles and a faulty provincial alert system meant the city was not notified until 12 hours later. "The MV Marathassa incident was an operational discharge of a persistent fuel oil with high consequences," said report author John Butler. "The response was delayed by one hour and 49 minutes due to confusion of roles and responsibilities, miscommunications and technology issues." Laura Kane reports. (Canadian Press)

Judge says Port of Seattle free to host Shell rigs
The much-disputed lease of Port of Seattle property as a base for Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet was affirmed Friday by a King County Superior Court judge who ruled that the Port didn’t need to conduct an environmental review to use Terminal 5 for that purpose. Coral Garnick reports. (Seattle Times)

Refineries face more liability for wastewater permit violations
A Court of Appeals decision filed at the end of July will increase liability for refineries that fail a wastewater discharge test. In 2012, three environmental organizations appealed language in state Department of Ecology permits for the BP oil refinery at Cherry Point that allowed the refinery to fail whole effluent toxicity tests (WET) without it being a permit violation. WET tests measure the impact of all pollutants in a sample of wastewater on living aquatic animals and are an important component of water quality standards, according to a news release. Shelby Rowe reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Greenhouse gas: Obama to order steeper cuts for power plants
 President Barack Obama will impose even steeper cuts on greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants than previously expected, senior administration officials said Sunday, in what the president called the most significant step the U.S. has ever taken to fight global warming. A year after proposing unprecedented carbon dioxide limits, Obama was poised to finalize the rule at a White House event on Monday…. Opponents vowed to sue immediately, and planned to ask the courts to put the rule on hold while legal challenges play out. Many states have threatened not to comply. (Associated Press)

CP crews dealing with coal train derailment near Sparwood, B.C.
A Canadian Pacific Railway freight train carrying coal has derailed near the southeastern British Columbia community of Sparwood. Eighteen cars went off the tracks in the accident at about 3:30 p.m. Friday. (Canadian Press)

Environmental concerns void Bothell development ordinance
A Bothell ordinance to allow increased residential development in the environmentally sensitive North Creek watershed has been rejected by a state Growth Management Hearings Board…. Longtime environmental activists in the city challenged the council’s approval of a November 2014 ordinance that reduced standards for preserving forest cover, eliminated limits on impervious surfaces and allowed for more extensive site excavation. They argued the new ordinance would irreparably harm the watershed, about 220 acres that include streams as well as North Creek, which support spawning runs of coho salmon and steelhead. Lynn Thompson reports. (Seattle Times)

$2.6M Skagit River levee repair project starts Monday
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will start work Monday to repair 4,050 feet of the Skagit River levee system at nine sites. The $2.6 million project, which includes levees within four diking districts, is expected to be complete in mid-September. The corps and dike districts cost-share the project, paying 80 and 20 percent respectively. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

State regulators break precedent with OK of Island County net pen ban
Washington’s Department of Ecology is willing to let Island County ban fish farming from its waters, but only temporarily. In a reversal of position, the Ecology Department said in June that the county’s Shoreline Master Program (SMP) can continue its ban on so-called net pen aquaculture, but added that the prohibition will likely not be permanent. Dan Richman reports. (South Whidbey Record)

Study at Kayak Point Park will determine if clamming can return
Biologists and volunteers took to the beach last week to dig up, identify, measure and weigh clams at Kayak Point Park. The Pacific Shellfish Institute and Stillaguamish River Clean Water District have partnered to study clam populations along that stretch of shoreline. Research biologists with the shellfish institute are investigating whether Kayak Point could be seeded with clam larvae and eventually reopened for public digging. They plan to have a feasibility study done by the end of the year. Kari Bray reports. (Everett Herald)

$500,000 send-off for Greater Victoria sewage program boss  
The head of the Seaterra sewage program will walk away with almost $500,000 in severance pay at the end of September. Despite the payout, the decision to terminate Seaterra’s remaining project staff — including Albert Sweetnam — was made to cut losses, said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps…. Sweetnam was hired on a five-year contract in 2013 to manage a staff of more than 20 people. His $290,000 annual salary put him at the top of the Capital Regional District’s salary list for 2014. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist)

‘Duwamish Revealed’ project means to inspire river’s revitalization
An eclectic series of public-art installations and performances along Seattle’s Duwamish River this summer is meant to draw attention to clean up efforts and the value of the city’s waterway. Andie Waterman reports. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON AUG 3 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 6 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 6 SECONDS...BUILDING TO W
 5 FT AT 6 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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

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7/23 Shell drill, orcas, humpbacks, oil trains, culverts, Port Gamble, instream flow, Chimacum ridge, drought

Deer in town (Vancouver Sun)

Deer wanders through downtown Vancouver (with photos and video)  Joanne Lee-Young and Larry Pynn report. (Vancouver Sun) And: CRD directors vote to leave deer management to municipalities  Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonnist)

Shell gets permits for limited oil drilling in Arctic waters
The Obama administration has given Royal Dutch Shell PLC approval to begin limited exploratory oil drilling off Alaska’s northwest coast. The two permits issued Wednesday clear the way for drilling in Chukchi Sea, but with conditions. Shell can only drill the top sections of wells because the company doesn’t have critical emergency response equipment on site to cap a well in case of a leak. That equipment is aboard a ship headed to Portland, Oregon, for repairs. Kevin Freking and Dan Joling report. (Associated Press)

SeaWorld orcas live as long as whales in the wild, new study says
The debate over the treatment of killer whales at SeaWorld has turned into a battle over scientific studies now that a new report has concluded that whales showcased at the marine-themed parks live just as long as whales in the wild. The peer-reviewed study, which appears in the July edition of the Journal of Mammalogy, concluded that the life expectancy of a SeaWorld killer whale is 41.6 years, compared with 29 years for killer whales in a southern community of the waters of the Pacific Northwest and 42.3 for whales in a northern community. Hugo Martin reports. (LA Times) See also: Official orca census: 81 whales, including 4 babies (Associated Press)

How emissions threaten humpback whales
A new study finds ocean acidification can dramatically change the structure of marine ecosystems by affecting the ocean's smallest organisms. Shontee Pant reports. (Christian Science Monitor)

Feds warn railroads to comply with oil train notification requirement
The U.S. Department of Transportation warned railroads that they must continue to notify states of large crude oil shipments after several states reported not getting updated information for as long as a year…. In spite of increased public concern about the derailments, railroads have opposed the public release of the oil train information by numerous states. Two companies sued Maryland in July 2014 to prevent the state from releasing the oil train data to McClatchy. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy) See also: Oil train counts trend upward in Clark County   BNSF says 11 to 15 carry crude through the area each week  Eric Florip reports. (Columbian)

Salmon to spawn traffic tie-ups for years
Washington's DOT is completely closing the section of Highway 9 just north of mile post 42 for two entire months. Crews are ripping up the road and tying up traffic to make the commute easier for fish. They are tearing out an old culvert and replacing it with a brand new bridge so that salmon have an easier time spawning. Culverts often get clogged with debris, making it difficult for fish to move up and downstream. The closure is expected aThe Highway 9 project is the very first of nearly 900 similar projects all around the Puget Sound region that will last for the next 15 years…. The fish crossing projects are expected to cost taxpayers about $150 million per year. WSDOT says it still isn't sure how it will pay for all of them.dd about 30 minutes to commute times…. Eric Wilkinson reports. (KING)

Port Gamble sewage plant to protect shellfish, recharge groundwater
The historic town of Port Gamble is about to get a new-fangled sewage-treatment plant, one that will allow highly treated effluent to recharge the groundwater in North Kitsap. The old treatment plant discharges its effluent into Hood Canal, causing the closure of about 90 acres of shellfish beds. After the new plant is in operation, those shellfish beds are likely to be reopened, officials say. The new facility will be built and operated by Kitsap Public Utility District, which owns and manages small water systems throughout the county. The Port Gamble plant will be the first wastewater operation to be managed by the KPUD, which views the project as a step toward reclaiming more of Kitsap County’s wastewater by putting it to beneficial use, said manager Bob Hunter. Christopher Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Landowners express anger over water rights issue that blocks their ability to build
Frustrated landowners complained bitterly at a meeting Tuesday about government decisions that have denied them access to water and full use of their land, with some suggesting property owners should build without county permits as acts of civil disobedience. The meeting was called by the Skagit chapter of the Citizens’ Alliance for Property Rights…. Water issues have been a hot topic in Skagit County for decades. The state Department of Ecology contends the instream flow rule is meant to protect aquatic habitat for salmon and other species. Shannen Kuest reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Land trust, others acquire ridge top Chimacum forest to avoid clearcut
An 850-acre parcel that was slated for clearcutting is now protected in a partnership that includes the Jefferson Land Trust, which plans to explore its recreational and economic potential.  Chimacum Ridge, a forested area located between Center and Beaver valleys in sight of the Chimacum Crossroads, will be developed as a community forest where timber is selectively harvested and then used in local projects, according to Sarah Spaeth, Jefferson Land Trust’s director of conservation and strategic partnerships. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Metro Vancouver’s water use now at ‘manageable levels’
Metro Vancouver expects it should have enough water in its three reservoirs to carry the region through to November without further restrictions, following a revised modelling forecast based on a rainless summer and more stringent enforcement. The regional district, which issued level three water restrictions this week, said it’s unlikely to move to level four if the weather cools off and residents continue to conserve water. Kelly Sinoski reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU JUL 23 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT...RISING TO 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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5/11 Fish shift, clam garden, BC LNG, Pt Ruston, forage fish, BC salmon, Elwha pix, Shell drill, train rules

View from Rescue Bay (Laurie MacBride)

Detours and Delights
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "It was July, and we were heading north from BC’s Central Coast. We had planned to take Mathieson Channel that day, to explore the inlets of the Fiordland Recreational Area, which looked gorgeous in our cruising guidebooks…."

Populated Puget Sound sees stark shifts in marine fish species
The most populated areas of Puget Sound have experienced striking shifts in marine species, with declines in herring and smelt that have long provided food for other marine life and big increases in the catch of jellyfish, which contribute far less to the food chain, according to new research that tracks species over the last 40 years. The parallel trends of rising human population and declining forage fish such as herring and smelt indicate that human influences such as pollution and development may be eroding species that long dominated Puget Sound. In particular, the rise of jellyfish blooms may divert energy away from highly-productive forage species that provide food for larger fish and predators such as salmon, seabirds and marine mammals. The research by scientists from NOAA Fisheries' Northwest Fisheries Science Center, the University of Washington and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was published in April in Marine Ecology Progress Series. (Phys.Org)

Clam gardens call into question hunter-gatherer past of B.C. First Nations
The discovery of an expansive system of historic clam gardens along the Pacific Northwest coast is contributing to a growing body of work that's busting long-held beliefs about First Nations as heedless hunter-gatherers. A team of researchers at Simon Fraser University has revealed that First Nations from Alaska to Washington state were marine farmers using sophisticated cultivation techniques to intensify clam production. In an article published recently in the journal American Antiquity, lead author Dana Lepofsky argued that the findings counter the perception of First Nations living passively as foragers in wild, untended environments. (CBC)

Province racks up LNG pipeline agreements with 28 First Nations
The B.C. government revealed Sunday it has revenue-sharing agreements in place with 28 First Nations for planned pipelines meant to supply proposed billion-dollar LNG plants on the coast of B.C. The province had publicly announced eight pipeline agreements with First Nations on four separate pipeline proposals in northwest B.C. The details of the 20 other agreements and who they are with are being kept under wraps — at the request of the First Nations — because the native groups are in negotiations with companies as well, said Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation Minister John Rustad, who revealed the larger number of agreements that have been signed. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Too tough or not enough? Different approaches by Tacoma, Ruston reflected in progress of Point Ruston
One of the biggest real estate developments in the South Sound is being built on top of one of the most contaminated pieces of land in the country. Adding to the complexity, two cities – one large, one small – share regulatory authority for the 97-acre urban village of Point Ruston. “Share” is a diplomatic description. The reality is closer to a tug of war between Tacoma’s and Ruston’s ways of doing business. To put it another way, the project has a Goldilocks problem: is the oversight from the two cities too hard or too soft? Kathleen Cooper and Kate Martin report. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Governor signs bill for big study of Puget Sound forage fish  [paywall subscription]
Puget Sound’s population of little fish will soon get a big look. A state Senate bill signed into law this week initiates the sound’s most comprehensive study of herring, smelt and other forage fish. These fish serve as prey for larger predators, including salmon, seals and killer whales. Small-scale surveys have indicated forage fish populations may be declining. Proposed by Sen. Christine Rolfes, D-Bainbridge Island, the bill requires the state Department of Fish & Wildlife and state Department of Natural Resources to team up on an ambitious survey of forage fish spawning areas and a mid-water trawl survey at various depths throughout the sound. The survey results will help Fish and Wildlife develop conservation strategies for small fish populations that appear to be declining. Tristan Baurick reports. Kitsap Sun)

What’s killing off B.C.’s young salmon?
Hundreds of millions of young salmon are emerging from rivers along the B.C. coast, beginning a perilous journey that will take them north into the Gulf of Alaska. What happens on that remarkable migration, which most of the fish will not survive, remains one of the greatest mysteries of ocean science. Intense research is under way to determine where, why and how young salmon die at sea – particularly over the past few years. One theory is that massive mortality is caused by sea lice and that the infestations come from salmon farms. Gary Taccogna, regional manager of aqua culture environmental operations for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, disputes that. He monitors lice loads in farms and does not see the link that others do. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Changing mouth of Elwha River documented in aerial photos
Elwha River, open wide. Well, open your mouth, lengthen your channel and stick out what might become a new spit east of the estuary that's changing daily at the whim of an unshackled river. Aerial photographs of the Elwha — fed by sediment no longer impeded by hydroelectric dams — show it simultaneously elongating its course seaward, widening what one could call a delta, and “smearing” sediment along the shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca in what's starting to look like a spit. That's not to say that's what will happen, according to Anne Shaffer of the Coastal Watershed Institute, because everything the unbound Elwha does is unanticipated. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Foss Maritime fights to host Shell’s drilling rigs in Seattle
Foss Maritime said Friday it plans to appeal the city’s decision that the Port of Seattle needs a new land-use permit to host Royal Dutch Shell’s Arctic drilling fleet at Terminal 5. Mayor Ed Murray said Monday the Port needs a new permit because the current permit allows for cargo loading and unloading — not for maintaining and supplying oil-drilling rigs. Foss argues, however, that the current permit for Terminal 5 allows port customers to tie up vessels so goods and cargo can be stored, loaded and unloaded, “which is precisely what Foss is doing at Terminal 5,” the company said in the statement. Coral Garnick reports. (Seattle Times)

New rules on oil trains draw flak from firefighters, too
Lawmakers and environmental and industry groups criticized the federal government’s new safety measures for oil trains when they were announced earlier this month. Now another group has expressed disappointment in the new rules: Emergency responders. They’re among the first in danger when a fiery derailment happens. After another oil train derailed and caught fire last week, this time in North Dakota and the fifth in North America this year, firefighters renewed their call for more training and information about hazardous rail shipments. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-300 AM PDT MON MAY 11 2015
TODAY
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 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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3/5 Sea Monsters, waterfront fire, fuel trains, Cherry Point, Esquimalt Lagoon, electric ferry

Vancouver Aquarium’s thresher shark (Glen Kugelstadt/CBC)

If you like to watch: Vancouver Aquarium dissects 'Sea Monsters' in new display
There will be no splashing or feeding at the Vancouver Aquarium's latest show. The giant sea creatures on display are dead, dissected, and preserved in plastic, so visitors can see inside their bodies. The Sea Monsters Revealed exhibit, shown for the first time in Canada, includes a sunfish, moray eel, Humboldt squid, and thresher shark — dissected to show its last meal of fish and squid in its stomach. (CBC)

Waterfront fire contained, but health effects yet to be seen: officials
Symptoms of exposure to the chemical-laden smoke that blanketed portions of east Vancouver and carried into Burnaby could be delayed by as much as 24 hours, health officials warned after a massive container fire at the port Wednesday afternoon. Vancouver police officers in full-face gas masks helped evacuate workers and residents from the Downtown Eastside after the streets darkened with smoke fuelled by trichloroisocyanuric acid, a chemical commonly used to chlorinate pools. Brian Morton and Matthew Robinson report. (Vancouver Sun)

Northwest Officials Unite Against Coal And Oil Trains
More than 150 elected officials from across the Northwest have teamed up to speak out against coal and oil trains. Their new group, the Safe Energy Leadership Alliance, held its third meeting in Portland Tuesday. Washington's King County Executive Dow Constantine has stepped up to chair the group. It includes officials from Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia. The leaders have major concerns about the safety and environmental risks of coal and oil trains. But none of them alone has much power to stop them. Cassandra Profita reports. (KUOW)

Windy Cherry Point: A Terrible Place to Build a Coal Terminal
From a meteorologist’s perspective, Cherry Point is a terrible site for a coal terminal, for it endures some of the fiercest winds in Washington state. These wintry gales out of the northeast have been obvious to my wife and me ever since we purchased our house on Orcas Island’s north side, facing across Georgia Strait to this cobble-strewn promontory. From our deck we can look out over wind-whipped waters and watch the pallid plumes that normally waft above the BP Refinery north of the point stream our way instead. Michael Riordan writes. (Whatcom Watch)

Developer seeks to expand Esquimalt Lagoon project
The developer behind the $400-million Ocean Grove project bordering Esquimalt Lagoon in Colwood hopes to add more units and different kinds of homes, as well as commercial space. Vancouver-based Seacliff Properties has amended its application to the municipality, adding townhouses, duplexes and single-family dwellings to existing and planned condominiums. About 200 additional units are also proposed, bringing the total count to 870 units across the site east of Heatherbell Road, between Seafield Road and Lagoon Road. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist)

Electric ferry jolts discussion over powering ships in B.C.
BC Ferries aims to be on the leading edge of environmentally friendly ship propulsion by adopting liquefied natural gas to power new vessels, but some conservationists are leaning on it to push out to the “bleeding edge” with all-electric power. Adopting a more conservative approach, BC Ferries estimates that its plan to replace three intermediate-class ferries with dual natural gas/diesel-fuelled vessels alone will cut its greenhouse-gas emissions by 9,000 tonnes per year, the equivalent of taking 1,900 cars off the road. However, it could hit zero emissions on shorter routes, according to the B.C. Sustainable Energy Association, if it followed Norway’s lead. For one short crossing the Norwegian government has commissioned a battery-powered ferry, the Norled MF Ampere, using batteries manufactured in Richmond, B.C. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU MAR 5 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING N TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 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.

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1/19 Elwha, Alki, MLK, Lummi, BC pipes, Gorge spill, Ioco land, BC megathrust, Lynnwood wetland

Eulachon samples (Coastal Watershed Institute)

If you like to watch: Coastal Watershed Institute Elwha Sampling
Anne Shaffer of CWI writes: "At our January long term sampling of the Elwha estuary and lower river we documented-for the first time after looking for over a decade-hundreds of gravid and spent eulachon, Thaleichthys pacificus, and a gravid female long fin smelt, Spirinchus thaleichthys. These   forage fish, which are federally listed along areas of the west coast due to their  precipitous decline, are-literally-the backbone of coastal cultures and nearshore ecosystems…. Within five months of the dam removal ending, these fish are literally flooding the system, feeding dozens of harbor seals and thousands of birds."

If you like to watch: Alki Junkyard - 1/17/2015
Laura James shares some cool underwater views-- and maybe some good news about seastar recovery.

New blog: The 12th Man On MLK Day
"Hard to sit down and compose a Martin Luther King Day blog after watching the end of Sunday’s Seattle Seahawk game. The 12th Man/Woman in houses up and down the neighborhood street yelled himself/herself hoarse. I hope they yell as hard for justice on Monday but race, civil rights, equal opportunity, domestic abuse, gender equality aren’t as simple as a football game, regardless of how much some people might think of sports as a metaphor for life…."

Lummis reject ‘standing offer’ to negotiate approval of Whatcom County coal terminal
The chairman of Lummi Nation said Thursday, Jan. 15, the tribe is not negotiating with the shipping-terminal company that would build a coal-export facility at Cherry Point. Lummi Chairman Tim Ballew sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dated Jan. 5, asking the agency to immediately deny a federal permit for the Gateway Pacific Terminal. The terminal applicant, SSA Marine, responded by asserting its “standing offer” to meet with Lummi officials and work out a deal that would allow the terminal to be built. “Plain and simple, the response is just as the letter to the Corps said,” Ballew said on Thursday, Jan 15. “There is no way to mitigate the damages the proposed project would bring.” Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Kinder Morgan pipeline: Vancouver submits almost 600 more questions
The City of Vancouver has sent Kinder Morgan almost 600 more questions about its proposed pipeline plan in an effort to plug "significant gaps" in the information already provided by the energy giant. Using its status as intervenor, the city says its questions, submitted to the National Energy Board (NEB), have arisen from either a lack of clarity in Kinder Morgan's 15,000 page proposal, or from responses to previous questions. "It is imperative that all of our questions are fully answered by the company this time," the city said in a statement. "In the first round of requests, Kinder Morgan failed to answer nearly 150 of the 394 questions submitted by us." (CBC)

Falling oil prices pose another delay for B.C. pipelines
Energy economists say that a prolonged slump in oil prices will further slow two proposed pipelines already hamstrung by court challenges and community opposition in British Columbia. Federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver has maintained that “the strategic need is still there” for both the Northern Gateway and Trans Mountain pipelines to go through the province. But the slumping price of oil has caused enough “market instability,” as Mr. Oliver put it, to prompt Ottawa to postpone its budget to at least April. Mike Hager reports. (Globe and Mail)

BP oil spill smaller than feared, judge rules
BP faces a fine of up to $13.7bn (£9bn) after a US judge ruled that the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill was smaller than initially feared. His ruling put the spill at 3.2 million barrels - the US government had estimated it at 4.09 million barrels. It shields the oil giant from what could have been a $17.6bn fine. A final figure is expected later this month. (BBC)

Olympia runs short on money for much-needed repairs at Percival Landing
Percival Landing on Olympia’s downtown waterfront would cost millions of dollars to repair, but the city is trying to scrape up enough money for basic maintenance. City parks staff updated the Olympia City Council about the aging park’s condition — and expected costs for repairs — at a study session Jan. 13. Andy Hobbs reports. (Olympian)

Haz-mat crews at work on fuel spill in Gorge Waterway
Animals chewing on copper line coming from a home fuel-oil tank could be the culprits in a 1,000-litre spill into the Gorge Waterway. The spill — at least the third to enter the Gorge in the past year — was discovered about 10 a.m. Friday. It was traced to a broken fuel line at a modular home just off Admirals Road, about 500 metres from where the oil entered the water, said David Rogers of B.C. Hazmat. Jeff Bell report. (Times Colonist)

Metro Vancouver land package including Ioco townsite sold
A new player in Metro Vancouver real estate development — Brilliant Circle Group Investments Ltd — has bought 230 acres of Imperial Oil land in Port Moody and Anmore to develop a master-planned new village. The deal, which closed last week, includes about half of the Ioco townsite as well as the surrounding area, which is forested land in both Port Moody and Anmore. The purchase price was not disclosed. The property includes some heritage buildings and is close to an environmentally sensitive salmon hatchery. Jenny Lee and Brian Morton report. (Vancouver Sun)

Lynnwood rents land for $5, but wetland strings are attached
A small stretch of Highway 99 in Lynnwood is the scene of a quiet, cordial conflict between wetland preservation and business promotion. The disagreement involves two billboards, a 28-year-old document and a 99.8 percent discount on a city contract. Rikki King reports. (Everett Herald)

As waters acidify, Maine looks to Pacific Northwest peers for help
In the icy waters of midcoast Maine, Bill Mook has his eyes on his oysters – and how the waters they need to survive are gradually, but clearly, changing. Down the coast near Portland, the issue is clams and the mud flats that have become inhospitable to their survival. Farther south still, near Cape Cod in Massachusetts, the worry is so-called “sea butterflies,” tiny marine snails that live low on the food chain and are – like the oysters and clams – threatened by a process known as “ocean acidification.” Chris Adams reports. (McClatchy)

B.C. megathrust earthquake will rip earth open like a zipper says expert
Last megathrust earthquake off B.C. coast in 1700 generated a four storey tsunami in Japan nine hours later. A Natural Resources Canada seismologist says the odds of 'big one' occurring in next 50 years are one in 10. Dirk Meissner reports. (The Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 216 AM PST MON JAN 19 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 11 FT AT 12 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON.
 SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

10/20 Velella, Simushir, CWA, shore restoration, Pt Wells, greenhouse gas, Oly Park, Dunagan, aqua reserve

Velella

If you like to watch: The secret life of Velella: Adrift with the by-the-wind sailor
In the spring, beaches can be covered by thousands or even millions of blue jellyfish relatives called Velella velella, the by-the-wind sailors. Velella typically live on the surface of the open ocean far from shore, propelled by winds pushing on their tiny sails. (MBARI)

Incapacitated Russian cargo ship Simushir towed to Prince Rupert
An incapacitated Russian cargo ship is now in port in Prince Rupert on British Columbia's north coast, ending fears that the vessel, which lost power Thursday night, would drift ashore, hit rocks and spill hundreds of tonnes of fuel…. The Simushir lost power due to a mechanical failure late Thursday off Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, as it made its way from Everett in Washington state to Russia. The Canadian Coast Guard ship Gordon Reid arrived on scene Friday night and started towing the disabled ship away from shore, but three attempts to keep a towline attached failed and the ship was adrift again for six hours Saturday daytime. (CBC)

As Clean Water Act ages, Washington state groups spar over its meaning
The nation’s primary law to keep its waters clean has a birthday Saturday – but any celebration will have to compete with a contentious battle over what the law actually means. At issue is a proposal intended to clarify what waterways are and aren’t covered by the Clean Water Act, which dates to 1972. But that so-called “Waters of the United States” proposed rule has turned contentious, with federal officials receiving more than 200,000 comments from citizens and organizations nationwide. Chris Adams reports. (McClatchy)

Agencies develop plan to restore 5,000 acres of Sound shoreline habitat  
Public comments are being sought on a tentative proposal to restore more than 5,000 acres of central and northern Puget Sound shoreline habitat. A 45-day comment period on the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project draft feasibility report and environmental impact statement will run through Nov. 24. In addition, the proposal will be discussed at a public meeting from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 5, in the council chambers of Burlington City Hall, 833 South Spruce St… The project website is at pugetsoundnearshore.org (Olympian)

Searching for signs of success
During low tide, marine ecologist James “Jamey” Selleck scours the Anacortes shoreline where the Custom Plywood mill once stood, bending to get a closer look at the beach and turning pebbles with a gloved hand. He’s on the hunt for tiny eggs that indicate feeder fish have come to the beach to spawn. It’s been almost a year since the state Department of Ecology removed more than 1,000 creosote-coated pilings that once lifted a dock over the water, along with several thousand tons of contaminated sediment from this section of shoreline. Other pilings, structures and nearly 33,600 tons of contaminated soil were also removed in 2011. The state agency funded the $14.6 million, multiphase cleanup project that restored the beach and built a pocket estuary to improve fish habitat. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) In summary: Port, Ecology clean up Anacortes waterfront

Point Wells developer wants to expedite condo project
A developer seeking to build more than 3,000 condos at Point Wells has offered to pay for extra Snohomish County planning staff to expedite the project. That has some neighbors worried about a potential conflict of interest. Their issue isn't with Blue Square Real Estate's offer to pay for three county staff positions as much as the wording in a draft contract. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

State greenhouse gas pollution rates see spike; power plants lead hike
The state’s major industrial sources released about 6 million more metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2013, a 30 percent jump from the previous year, according to the latest data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The state’s only coal-burning power plant in Centralia topped the list, emitting 7.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming. Emissions from the plant spiked up about 82 percent from 2012 after experiencing a big drop the previous year. TransAlta spokeswoman Leanne Yohemas said in an email that carbon dioxide emissions at the company’s Centralia plant were substantially below normal levels in 2012, which explains the increase. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Olympic National Park plans overlooks out of parts of old Glines Canyon Dam on Elwha River
The National Park Service plans to transform the site of the former Glines Canyon Dam into a destination where the public can learn about the ongoing efforts to restore the Elwha River…. The removal of Glines Canyon Dam was completed with a final blast Aug. 26, but the abutments on either side of the once-210-foot-tall structure were left in place to eventually serve as observation points. Michael J. Foster reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Taking a moment for reflection, but I’m not saying good-bye
Chris Dunagan at Kitsap Sun's Watching Our Water Ways writes: "After 37 years at the Kitsap Sun, I’m writing one last salmon story today as a member of the newsroom staff. I was offered an early-retirement package, and I decided to take it. But that does not mean I’ll soon be shopping for a rocking chair. For one thing, I plan to continue writing this blog, and I intend to beef it up with even more original reporting. I’m also committed to completing the Kitsap Sun’s 10-part series called ‘Taking the Pulse of Puget Sound.’ The series has examined every corner of our troubled waterway, taking clues from the Puget Sound Partnership’s 'vital signs indicators.' Beyond those projects, I will continue to work for the Sun in a freelance capacity." See: Salmon soon to make a splash in Kitsap waters

Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve focus of Bellingham forum
People can learn about Cherry Point herring and the risks that increased vessel and rail transportation pose to the Salish Sea during a Saturday, Oct. 25, forum about the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve. The event is free and open to the public. It is 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bellingham Technical College, Building G Room 102A/103B, at 3028 Lindbergh Ave. The Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve Citizen Stewardship Committee is hosting the event. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Environmental Groups Say Oregon Got It Wrong With Oil Terminal Permit
Local and national environmental groups filed a petition Friday claiming Oregon erred in granting an air quality permit to Oregon’s largest oil train terminal. Their petition claims the Department of Environmental Quality should have considered pollution from the trains and ships that move oil in and out of the terminal, rather than just the terminal itself. Columbia Riverkeeper, the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Neighbors for Clean Air and the Northwest Environmental Defense Center jointly filed the petition challenging the permit for the facility at Port Westward, about 60 miles west of Portland. Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON OCT 20 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 15 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE
 AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 11 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS IN
 THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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