11/17 Stormin', Hood Canal, microbes, BC LNG, Gates fuels, future floods, Billy Frank, Jr., green audit, VW suit

Surf smelt

If you like to watch: Forage Fish of the Salish Sea
Forage fish are a critical keystone species in the marine food web. This film sponsored by Friends of Skagit Beaches and WA Dept. of Ecology highlights the importance of these small fish to the ecology, economy, and identity of the Pacific Northwest. This is the fourth in a series of student made films featuring the work of promising young filmmakers from Western Washington University and Anacortes High School. The film created by Jesse Nichols (WWU) was premiered as part of the Friends fall film series "Films with Friends" in October 2015.

Severe wind warning issued for Metro Vancouver, Vancouver Island  (CBC) and Northwest forecast: 65-mph wind gusts, falling trees, full rivers, mountain snow  (Seattle Times)

Senate hearing to explore DNR easement to Navy that blocks pit-to-pier
A state Senate committee has scheduled a hearing this week to determine whether the state Department of Natural Resources acted properly in determining the amount the Navy would pay for a 55-year easement that restricts development on Hood Canal aquatic land. The easement blocks a project known as “pit-to-pier.” The Accountability and Reform Committee is scheduled to address the topic at 8 a.m. Thursday in Senate Hearing Room 2 in the John A. Cherberg Building, 304 15th Ave. S.W., Olympia. The pact between DNR and the Navy, which went into effect in August 2014, is a barrier to a Thorndyke Resources proposal to build a 998-foot pier on state-owned tidelands 5 miles south of the Hood Canal Bridge. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Microbes that are key indicators of Puget Sound’s health in decline
Paleontologists with the University of Washington’s Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture find that tiny organisms called foraminifera have a big story to tell about the health of Puget Sound. Two recent studies about the health of Bellingham Bay and inlets in the Bremerton area found the diversity and number of foraminifera — single-celled marine organisms that live on the sea floor — deteriorated significantly. The decline of these microscopic organisms is consistent with the deterioration of snails and other larger marine animals, even though analysis showed a reduction of chemical pollutants in Bellingham Bay and Bremerton over the same period of time. Andrea Godinez reports. (UW Today)

B.C. LNG project in Tsawwassen to be voted on by First Nation
The Tsawwassen First Nation will proceed with a vote on plans to build an LNG export facility just north of the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, it announced on Monday. "The preliminary concept looks at a plan somewhere between three million and five million metric tonnes per annum," said Tsawwassen First Nation spokesman Chris Hartman.  "In terms of tanker traffic associated with that, probably somewhere in the range of four to five LNG carriers a month, or about one a week." (CBC)

Gates Foundation cuts fossil fuel investments — but why?
Almost every day for the past several months, protesters gathered outside the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Seattle headquarters, exhorting the world’s richest philanthropy to fight climate change by pulling its investments from fossil-fuel companies. As usual when it comes to questions about its portfolio, the foundation responded with silence. But tax documents posted Monday show that the foundation has significantly scaled back its holdings in some of the world’s biggest oil, coal and gas companies. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

UW study: Puget Sound area may face more flooding as climate gets warmer
A University of Washington climate-change study for Puget Sound forecasts a temperature rise of 2.9 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit by midcentury, resulting in wide-ranging shifts as more storms bring rain rather than snow. A warming climate is expected to result in an increase in flood risks even as overall precipitation is predicted to remain roughly the same. That’s because the climate models indicate more rain will fall during the winter when rivers already are at higher levels, and intense storms will become more frequent. Sea-level rise also can contribute to flooding as storm surges become a bigger threat. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

The late Billy Frank Jr. and Ruckelshaus to receive Medal of Honor
Two influential figures from Washington state, each with a long record of environmental leadership, were named Monday as recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Billy Frank Jr., the former chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and a treaty-rights leader, and William D. Ruckelshaus, the first administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are receiving the highest civilian honor in the U.S. The two advocated for and worked on environmental issues for decades. Rachel Lerman reports. (Seattle Times)

If you like to watch: Video: Billy Frank Jr. Street Gets First Sign In Bellingham
Bellingham has renamed Indian Street Billy Frank Jr. Street in honor of the late Native American fishing rights activist. A small group gathered Monday morning, Nov. 16, to watch public works' Tom Oberlander post the first sign at Laurel Street. (Bellingham Herald)

Environmental groups no longer under audit threat  
They’re handing out Vancouver Island’s National Philanthropy Day awards at The Empress this afternoon, rewarding those who volunteer for non-profits. Happily, supporters of environmental charities need not wear fake noses and glasses this year. Buried among all the changes announced in Ottawa last week was this: After three years of using tax audits to threaten Canadian green groups, the federal government in changing course. This goes back to 2012, when the Harper government allocated $8 million to audit the political activities of charities — the threat being that those deemed too political could lose their tax status. The Conservatives denied that the audits were politically motivated, but it was hard to ignore that they were introduced at the same time Harperites were muttering about “radical” environmentalists bogging down the Northern Gateway pipeline-approval process. Jack Knox reports. (Times Colonist)

Washington Takes Legal Action Over Volkswagen's Diesel Pollution
Washington is taking legal action against Volkswagen in the wake of a diesel vehicle scandal. Back in September, Volkswagen admitted to installing special software in some of its diesel vehicles, causing them to give false readings during pre-sale air quality tests. Forty-seven states, including Washington and Oregon announced investigations.  Now Washington has given the company formal notice that they violated the state’s Clean Air Act. Jes Burns reports. (EarthFix)

Groundwater is mostly non-renewable, study finds
The water that supplies aquifers and wells that billions of people rely on around the world is mostly a non-renewable resource that could run out, a new Canadian-led study has found. While many people may think groundwater is replenished by rain and melting snow the way lakes and rivers are, underground water is actually renewed much more slowly. In fact, just six per cent of the groundwater around the world is replenished within a "human lifetime" of 50 years, reports University of Victoria hydrogeologist Tom Gleeson and his collaborators in a new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience today. Emily Chung reports. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 246 AM PST TUE NOV 17 2015
STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
SW WIND 30 TO 40 KT...RISING TO 40 TO 50 KT. COMBINED SEAS 14 TO 16 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS...BUILDING
 TO 19 TO 20 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND 35 TO 45 KT...EASING TO 20 TO 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 17 TO 20 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 12 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE EVENING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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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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11/10 SeaWorld, BC LNG, tribe climate, winter prep, Vic sewer trees, night tide walk, cruiser trippers

SeaWorld San Diego (John Gastaldo/San Diego Union Bulletin)

Killer Whales to Take Final Bows at SeaWorld San Diego
SeaWorld said on Monday that it planned to phase out next year its San Diego killer whale performance, a central point for criticism of how its animals are treated. The company, which also has parks in Orlando, Fla., and San Antonio, said in a company document posted on Monday that it would replace its theatrical Shamu show in San Diego with an “informative” experience that has a “conservation message inspiring people to act.” The announcement does not affect shows with orcas at the parks in Texas and Florida, said Fred Jacobs, a company spokesman. Daniel Victor reports. (NY Times) See also: Washington Senator Plans To Reintroduce Orca, Dolphin Captivity Ban  …. Democratic state Senator Kevin Ranker cautiously welcomed the news about SeaWorld phasing out its orca shows in San Diego.Austin Jenkins reports. (NW PUblic Radio)

Activist group urges Trudeau to block LNG project to protect B.C. salmon
A new alliance formed by aboriginal leaders and environmental activists wants the newly elected Liberal government to block a liquefied natural gas project in northwestern British Columbia. Donnie Wesley, a Lax Kw’alaams tribal chief who started a protest camp in August on the site of the proposed LNG terminal, is urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna to take action to protect juvenile salmon habitat. Mr. Wesley has enlisted the backing of nearly 80 native groups, environmental organizations, unions and an array of other supporters.  Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Washington Tribe Confronts Climate Change, Sea Level Rise
A big question will confront international leaders in the next round of climate talks in Paris: How do they help poor, island and coastal nations threatened by rising oceans, extreme weather and other climate change-related risks? In the Northwest, sea-level rise is forcing a Native American tribe to consider abandoning lands it has inhabited for thousands of years. Ashley Ahearn reports. (KUOW)

Snow coming to Cascades, storms to Western Washington  Jack Broom reports. (Seattle Times) More rain on the way for Metro Vancouver after record-setting weekend storm  Bethany Lindsay reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Vancouver prepares for winter flooding, 'King Tides'
Vancouver city crews sandbagged a two-block stretch of sidewalk along Locarno Beach on Monday, to guard against the possibility of storm-driven flooding during seasonal high tides later this month. The sandbags have become an annual precaution along the low-lying stretch of Northwest Marine Drive between Tolmie and Trimble streets. But city officials say a more permanent solution is planned in anticipation of a future of increasingly intense and more frequent storms, and higher sea levels due to climate change. Glen Schaefer reports. (Vancouver Sun)

How rejecting a sewage plant led to removing 5,000 trees
The impending cut of nearly 5,000 trees on Watkiss Way to make way for a hay farm complies with Saanich and B.C. regulations, but has raised questions about the unintended consequences of recent council decisions, as well as concerns about climate change…. The vast majority of the fir and cedar trees on 24 acres behind Victoria General Hospital — purchased two years ago by Allen Vandekerkhove — will be taken down…. Given the loss of so many trees, it would have been wiser had council voted last summer to forward the site to Capital Region District directors for consideration for a sewage treatment plant, said Mayor Richard Atwell. That motion was defeated twice, 5-4 and on a 4-4 tie, largely because of opposition voiced by councillors to using a property in B.C.’s Agricultural Land Reserve for a sewage project, he said. Katherine Dednya reports. (Times Colonist)

Nighttime low tide walk an otherworldly experience
After a hiatus of a few years, a pair of local naturalists are offering a guided tide-pool walk during an extreme low tide next month — an event that occurs at night in winter. Scouring the shallows during an extreme low tide can be an otherworldly experience. Tide pool exploration is even more fascinating at night, said Holly Roger of Wild Whatcom, a local nonprofit dedicated to outdoors education. Robert Mittendorf reports. (Bellingham Herald)

More cruise visitors expected next year on bigger ships
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority marked the end of a record cruise-ship season with the arrival of Princess Cruises’ Star Princess at Ogden Point on Monday. Overall, the harbour authority welcomed 227 ship visits and about 533,000 passengers in 2015 — up from 206 ship visits and about 465,000 passengers the previous year. “It’s a record year,” said Ian Robertson, chief executive officer of the harbour authority…. Robertson said the harbour authority expects the same number of ships in 2016, but even more passengers as cruise lines continue to increase the size of their ships. Lindsay Kines reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE NOV 10 2015
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY
TODAY
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING S 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING. CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 25 TO 35 KT BECOMING W AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 10 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS. RAIN.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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6/26 BC pipe, oil export rules, train rules,BC oil, fish stress, algae blooms, beaver fight, flood study

Goldfinch (Laurie MacBride)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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5/28 Pit-to-pier, Shell drill, water rules, Bay View, derelict gear, oil pipe, safer trains, floods, road $

(Peninsula Daily News)

'Pit-to-pier' project loses court decision in Department of Natural Resources lawsuit
The project nicknamed “pit-to-pier” was dealt a setback earlier this month when a Kitsap County Superior Court judge granted a summary judgement motion that dismissed the project owner's lawsuit against the state Department of Natural Resources.  Thorndyke Resources of Poulsbo seeks to build a 998-foot pier on state-owned land 5 miles south of the Hood Canal Bridge to annually load onto barges some 6.75 million tons of gravel that would be transported on a 4-mile conveyor belt from a quarry at Shine.  In its suit, the company was contesting a 55-year conservation easement announced in July that would block development on more than 4,800 acres of state-owned tidelands along Hood Canal, stretching from the Hood Canal Bridge south to just below the border between Jefferson and Mason counties, something that opponents feel would make it difficult or impossible to continue the proposed operation. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

King County denies waste disposal permit for Shell’s Seattle home port
The King County industrial-waste program on Wednesday denied a permit for discharge of waste water into the county’s regional sewer system from Shell Oil’s Arctic home port fleet based at Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle. City, state and county officials have now extended an unwelcome mat to the oil giant, but Shell shows no signs of disembarking.  A second giant drilling rig, the controversial Noble Discoverer, is reportedly about to move from its berth in Everett to Terminal 5. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Obama Announces New Rule Limiting Water Pollution
President Obama on Wednesday announced a sweeping new clean water regulation meant to restore the federal government’s authority to limit pollution in the nation’s rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands. The rule, which would apply to about 60 percent of the nation’s bodies of water, comes as part of a broader effort by Mr. Obama to use his executive authority to build a major environmental legacy, without requiring new legislation from the Republican-controlled Congress. But it also opened up a broad new front for attacks from business interests like farmers, property developers, fertilizer and pesticide makers, oil and gas producers and golf course owners, who contend that the rule would stifle economic growth and intrude on property owners’ rights. Coral Davenport reports. (NY Times)

Bay View beach closed to swimming — again
The beach at Bay View State Park is off limits because of fecal coliform bacteria found in the water, indicating fecal matter is present. The results of samples taken last week by volunteers with the Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication and Health program showed fecal coliform counts that surpassed the state Department of Health’s threshold for issuing an advisory, and the beach was closed Friday to recreation, BEACH program coordinator Debby Sergeant said. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Lost nets, crab pots pulled from Whatcom County waters
Divers have pulled 1,339 nets and 653 crab pots from marine waters in Whatcom County as part of the effort to remove lost and abandoned gear that has snared and indiscriminately killed marine life, sometimes for decades. It’s a piece of the larger project to remove so-called derelict fishing gear, also called legacy gear, from shallow water — within 105 feet of the surface — in the Puget Sound. Locally, most of the gear that’s been pulled has come from areas around Point Roberts and Lummi Island. Other locations of note were Bellingham Bay, Chuckanut Bay and Cherry Point, according to Joan Drinkwin, interim director for the Bellingham-based Northwest Straits Foundation, which has led the gear-removal effort that started in 2002. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline rejected by Tsleil-Waututh First Nation
The Tsleil-Waututh Nation in North Vancouver said it is denying approval to Kinder Morgan's proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion in B.C., based on a scathing analysis of the project. The nation released a report Tuesday, saying the likelihood of oil spills would increase if the expansion is allowed, with dire consequences for sensitive sites, habitats and species. It concluded the pipeline's effect on Tsleil-Waututh cultural activities represented "unacceptable risks." (Canadian Press)

Kinder Morgan pipeline could pose fire risk in Burnaby, says deputy fire chief
Kinder Morgan's proposed tripling of its Trans Mountain pipeline is a major fire safety concern, says Burnaby's deputy fire chief Chris Bowcock. The oil giant wants to increase its bitumen-carrying capacity to 890,000 barrels a day by laying almost 1,000 kilometres of new pipe near the existing pipeline that runs from Alberta to Burnaby, B.C. But Bowcock says the increased storage capacity that would be needed at Kinder Morgan's Burnaby tank farm on the Burrard Inlet - from 13 tanks to 26 tanks - would put residents at risk. (CBC)

Train derailments climb in B.C.
Trains carrying a range of cargo, including hazardous goods such as petroleum products and chemicals, derailed 124 times last year in B.C., according to federal transportation safety board summary reports based on tougher reporting criteria. Derailments involved as many as 24 cars and almost 200 metres of damaged track and occurred for reasons such as collisions with motor vehicles, spillage of coal on the tracks, broken rails or train axles, rail cars moved onto unaligned switches, unwanted emergency brakes, buildup of ice and snow, and rock slides. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

20 years after fatal crash, state finally getting satellite-based train controls
More than two decades have passed since a deadly freight-train crash in Longview, yet the state’s passenger and cargo lines still lack a satellite-based control system to avert collisions. But the improvements are finally set to arrive here, perhaps by early 2016. Mike Lindblom reports. (Seattle Times)

How to work with nature instead of against it to tame flooding rivers
When it comes to restoring Northwest rivers, environmentalists are turning to a somewhat surprising approach: tree-cutting. That was the first step in a project near Fall City where crews dropped some 300 trees on the bank of the Snoqualmie River and then ripped out 1,600 feet of levee, rock by rock. The denuded river bank was reunited last summer with a notoriously hungry river. The tree-cutting and earthwork represent a new chapter in reconnecting rivers with their natural flood plains. Championed by the Nature Conservancy and the Puget Sound Partnership, flood-plain restoration has grown into a multimillion-dollar statewide campaign. Mark Higgins reports. (Seattle Times)

Revision to state law allows county to use road fund for marine-related projects
What once were muddied waters should be a good deal clearer thanks to the persistence of a San Juan County Councilman and the signing of a new bill that expands the list of state-authorized projects that can be paid for by local road funds. On May 11, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law engrossed House Bill 1868, which adds "marine uses relating to navigation and moorage" to the list of authorized expenditures that govern the use of county road funds…. While intended initially as an alteration that would have statewide impact, the bill was eventually tailored for only those counties consisting entirely islands, thereby affecting only Island and San Juan counties. (San Juan Journal)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 225 AM PDT THU MAY 28 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 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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2/11 J-pod, ocean acid, tanker stop, oil future, Grays Harbor, crude export, Puyallup R., logging rules, wolf kill, Pineapple Express

Elwha 2/8 (Anne Schaffer/Coastal Watershed Institute)

Research cruise will observe J pod orcas for the next 21 days
A team of marine mammal biologists and other researchers will set out tomorrow morning on a 21-day cruise to study Southern Resident killer whales from aboard the 209-foot Bell M. Shimada research vessel. The researchers are fortunate that a satellite tag is still attached to J-27 and remains operable, making it possible to locate J pod without searching far and wide. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Lawsuit over ocean acidification in Oregon, Washington gets a hearing in Seattle
A lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency over the impacts of ocean acidification on Oregon and Washington's oysters and other sea life will get a hearing Thursday (Feb. 12) in Seattle. U.S. District Court Judge James Robart will hold a motion hearing in the suit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit organization that aims to protect endangered species and habitat. The center says it's challenging a 2012 decision in which the EPA ruled that Oregon and Washington's sea water meets water-quality standards meant to protect marine life despite increasing acidity. Susannah Bodman reports. (Oregonian)

Coast Guard detains tanker in Port Angeles Harbor
Coast Guard personnel has detained the oil tanker Overseas Jademar in Port Angeles Harbor over alleged safety violations. The 748-foot, double-hulled tanker was traveling along the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Malaysia to Anacortes to offload cargo at the time of an inspection Monday, the Coast Guard said Tuesday. Port state control officers from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound said they discovered several significant safety violations during a port state control exam of the Marshall Island-flagged tanker, which will remain detained in Sector Puget Sound's captain of the port zone until the safety violations are corrected. The deficiencies found onboard included non-functioning distress signaling equipment and fire safety systems. (Peninsula Daily News)

Oil on wild ride: How will it end?
Predicting oil prices is especially tricky now because the oil market has never quite looked like this. Oil-price collapses of the past were triggered either by plummeting demand or an increase in supplies. This latest one had both. Jonathan Fahey reports. (Associated Press) See also: UBC divestment vote calls on university to end fossil fuel investment  (CBC)

A Coastal Community In Washington Contemplates Oil Terminals
Grays Harbor, with its deep-water berths and fast access to Pacific Ocean shipping routes, has all the ingredients to be a world-class port. In some respects, it already is. The Port of Grays Harbor once bustled with shipments of lumber from nearby forests. Next came cars, grains and biofuel. Now, local leaders are warming up to the idea of adding crude oil to the mix. Roughly 3 billion gallons of crude move from the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota into Washington state by rail each year. As oil companies look for the fastest and most cost-effective way to get their product to West Coast refineries, proposals for new oil facilities are popping up around the region. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Groups Say Changing Crude Oil Exports Could Change Role Of Northwest Refineries
The changing composition of crude oil could have big consequences for the future of the Pacific Northwest economy. That’s one of the key ideas behind a Freedom of Information Act request filed Tuesday by three environmental nonprofit groups. It has to do with exceptions being made to the nation’s 40-year policy of banning most exports of crude oil. Seattle’s Sightline Institute has joined the Earthjustice law firm and a group called Oil Change International in asking the U.S. Department of Commerce for documentation of new exemptions quietly issued to companies including Pioneer Natural Resources Company and Royal Dutch Shell. The groups want such decisions to get more public scrutiny. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Guest: A new way to tame rivers is better for humans and salmon
WHEN the rain-swollen waters of the Puyallup River rose rapidly this winter, the town of Orting braced itself for flooding. In 2006, and again in 2009, the river topped its levees and sent people fleeing from homes, businesses and schools in cities all the way to the Port of Tacoma. But this time, something different happened. The river found new man-made channels created when the old levees were torn out and replaced with new earthen berms set farther back. The river had room to spread out, slow down, and it stayed within the levees, leaving Orting safe and dry. Joachim Pestinger writes. (Seattle Times Opinion)

State adopts new logging rule for landslide-prone areas
A new state rule approved Tuesday makes clear that anyone seeking to log in landslide-prone areas might have to provide additional scientific data to show the safety of the public is adequately protected. The state Forest Practices Board, an independent panel that regulates logging, voted unanimously to adopt the rule that's been in the works since May 2014. That's when the state Department of Natural Resources revised its timber harvest application to clarify that the agency may require additional geotechnical reports before being allowed to log near potentially unstable slopes or landforms. Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark ordered the change following the deadly Oso mudslide and Tuesday's action cements it into place. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

B.C. wolf cull will likely last 5 years, deputy minister says
The point man for the British Columbia's effort to save endangered mountain caribou says a controversial wolf cull will likely be necessary for the next five years. Assistant deputy minister Tom Ethier told CBC News the 180 wolves being shot from helicopter in the South Peace and South Selkirk regions this winter are just the beginning. (CBC)

What does Pineapple Express actually mean for B.C.?
1. Pineapple Express is the catchy name for what is known to scientists as an “atmospheric river,” says SFU professor and climate researcher Karen Kohfeld. And some years — such as this year — these water-laden storms can supply as much as a quarter of B.C.’s annual rainfall in as little as seven days. 2. SFU professor John Clague, a natural hazards expert, says these storms bring potentially damaging rockfalls and debris flows that can block highways and rail lines and threaten lives when they roll over mountainous terrain. They also strip snow off local mountains. Gerry Bellett reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED FEB 11 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS EXPECTED THURSDAY
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS...BUILDING TO W 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN AT TIMES.
--
"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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12/24 Flood, shoreline coalition, species surveys, First Nation consult, quakes, 'no go' zone, bird flu, Navy sonar

Loving That Light (PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

Welcoming Back the Light
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "We all crave a bit of extra light at this time of year, especially those of us who live under the often-grey skies of BC’s wet coast. I spotted the seagulls in the photo above, enjoying some winter afternoon sunshine on the sandstone shore of Drumbeg Park on Gabriola Island – and by their relaxed looks I think they were appreciating it every bit as much as I was…."

New blog: Last Minute Shopping Thoughts
"If the 25th is your big day, then you really ought to be done with the shopping. Here’s to hoping you stayed within a reasonable budget in giving gifts that, well, mean something. I think affordable and meaningful over the years has become more and more difficult to achieve…."

Coastal flood advisory for Wednesday morning in Whatcom County
Low-lying coastal areas of Whatcom County could get some flooding Wednesday morning, Dec. 24. The National Weather Service has issued a coastal flood advisory in effect from 5 to 10 a.m. Wednesday. Tidal overflow around high tide, which will be at 7:48 a.m. at Cherry Point, could cause some flooding. Areas of Birch Bay and Boulevard Park in Bellingham are among those where flooding is common. (Bellingham Herald)

Land trusts form coalition to protect Puget Sound
Skagit Land Trust has joined 13 other trusts across the state in forming the Shoreline Conservation Collaborative whose goal is to increase shoreline conservation to protect and restore Puget Sound. Over the next decade, the group aims to permanently protect 150 shoreline properties and restore an additional 30 shoreline properties. Of that, they hope to bring a minimum of 5,280 linear feet of shoreline under protection, and restore a minimum of 2,500 feet of marine shoreline in Skagit County specifically, Skagit Land Trust Executive Director Molly Doran said. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Environmentalists disagree over Inslee's agenda
"In yesterday's Fizz, I channelled local environmentalists who were grousing about Gov. Jay Inslee's carbon cap and trade plan; Inslee is proposing a $12 chit per-ton per-year on the state's biggest polluters (factories that emit 25,000 metric tons of GHG per year), gradually ratcheting down the chits from current estimated 94 million metric tons of CO2 until there are only enough chits left for 44 million metric tons total in the statewide system by 2050. About 130 big polluters will be trading the carbon allowances.  The complaint? $400 million of the expected $1 billion in first biennium carbon allowance revenue will go to Gov. Inslee's concomitant transportation plan which is lopsided in spending on new roads and road maintenance vs. multimodal transit dollars. A bit Sisyphean the environmental critics scoffed…." Josh Felt reports. (Seattle Met)

Science Fiction Becomes Reality For Species Surveys
On the original “Star Trek” series, landing parties from the starship Enterprise used a versatile device they called the Tricorder to instantly read out what was in their surroundings. So imagine being able to detect rare or invasive species, study biodiversity or to estimate fish abundance with just a scoop of air or a dip of water. It would be like science fiction come true. The Tricorder was dreamed up in the mid-1960s. Now more than 40 years later, environmental researchers and surveyors can match Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock — sort of. Science fiction is indeed becoming reality through a new sampling technology called environmental DNA. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network/EarthFix)

Ottawa should have consulted First Nation over environmental laws  
A Federal Court ruling that found Ottawa should have consulted an Alberta First Nation before passing sweeping changes to environmental laws should be a “wake-up call” to government, says an environmental law group. In 2012, a pair of omnibus bills, C-38 and C-45, made changes to Canada’s environmental, navigable water and fisheries laws in an effort to streamline and expedite approval of resource projects. It sparked widespread criticism from First Nations and environmental groups, who helped launch the Idle No More movement in protest…. Last Friday, Federal Court Judge Roger Hughes ruled the federal government erred when it failed to consult with the Mikisew Cree before introducing the changes to parliament since those changes will clearly affect their right to use their traditional territory, particularly their hunting and fishing rights. The court did not grant an injunction requested by the Mikisew Cree against any new laws. But the ruling does open the door to the “neutron bomb” of overturning future laws if governments continue to fail to consult with First Nations, said Jessica Clogg, senior counsel for West Coast Environmental Law. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Earthquake 'swarm' strikes off B.C. coast, but no sign of the 'Big One'
A 'swarm' of earthquakes struck off the coast of B.C. over the weekend, but there is no evidence that means that a large quake is imminent, says geological researcher Dr. Honn Kao. Earthquakes Canada reported five earthquakes measuring from 4.0 to 5.0 in magnitude, all striking about midway between the northern end of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii on Saturday and Sunday. (CBC)

Push for 'No Go' zone revitalized in attempt to limit stress on whales
In the wake of the death of J32, a pregnant female of the Southern Resident orca whales, a call to action resurfaced last week for a "No-Go" whale protection zone off the westside of San Juan Island. Orca Relief Citizens Alliance is urging the National Marine Fisheries Service to adopt its outline and begin the formal public process of establishing a no-go zone. Emily Greenberg reports. (San Juan Journal)

State seeks help to track bird flu
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife seeks the public’s help in testing waterfowl and other wild birds for a type of avian influenza that has killed thousands of domestic birds in British Columbia and was recently detected in wild Washington and Oregon birds. While the virus poses no apparent threat to human health, it can be deadly to domestic poultry. State wildlife managers ask anyone who sees a sick or dead bird, whether wild or domestic, to report it. They will also seek samples from hunters’ harvest to test for the disease, an effort that will be focused on Skagit and four other counties. (Skagit Valley Herald) See also: Avian flu spreads to first backyard coop in Langley

Navy seeks public comment on sonar use in training with supplement to environmental impact statement
The U.S. Navy has completed a supplement to an environmental impact statement that examines the proposed increased use of sonar in the Northwest Training and Testing Area. The Northwest Training and Testing Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Overseas Environmental Impact Statement is available for public review and comment online. The Navy is accepting comments through Feb. 2. The draft environmental impact study and supplement for the Northwest Training and Testing Study Area are separate from a controversial electronic warfare training project in the Olympic Military Operations Area for which the Navy is seeking U.S. Forest Service permits.   (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED DEC 24 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 13 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN SCATTERED SHOWERS IN
 THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
THU
NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 10 FT AT 11 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
THU NIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING SE TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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12/10 King tide, methane, Victoria sewage, creosote removed, WA budget, native claims, Oso slide, tidal power

Supporting Climate Research with the NASA Earth Exchange
The NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) is an innovative platform that provides the Earth science community with key collaboration and knowledge-sharing capabilities…. To support NASA's goals in climate science research, the NEX science team and collaborators in the Climate Analytics Group have created a new, high-resolution climate dataset, the NASA Earth Exchange Downscaled Climate Projections (NEX-DCP30) and made it available to the community. (NASA)

Vancouver places 30,000 sandbags along waterfront as 'king tide' looms
Some 30,000 sandbags line a stretch of low-lying waterfront land in Vancouver, placed by city workers in a bid to protect local homes from an anticipated king tide. The task was completed by about 45 workers in advance of Wednesday’s forecasted weather event, which could coincide with the same type of high winds and heavy rains that have already cut power to thousands of residents across the south coast and flooded streets. Justin Smallbridge reports. (Canadian Press)

Warming Ocean May Be Triggering Mega Methane Leaks Off Northwest Coast
As the waters of the Pacific warm, methane that was trapped in crystalline form beneath the seabed is being released. And fast. New modeling suggests that 4 million tons of this potent greenhouse gas have escaped since 1970 from the ocean depths off Washington’s coast. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

View Royal site ‘ideal’ for sewage plant, investors say
Investors who own a 3.4-hectare waterfront site at Thetis Cove in View Royal have wasted no time in trying to reignite interest in their property for a regional sewage treatment plant. In a full-page ad in the Times Colonist Tuesday directed at Capital Regional District directors and concerned citizens, the ownership group touts the former Victoria Plywood mill site as “ideal for Victoria’s sewage treatment and biosolids energy centre.” The property at the end of Hallowell Road is zoned for residential development. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Toxic Creosote Pilings Removed From Thatcher Bay
Twenty-eight creosote pilings were recently removed from the waters of Thatcher Bay on Blakely Island to improve water quality for fish and other marine organisms…. The Blakely piling removal was just one component of extensive habitat restoration efforts conducted in Thatcher Bay and on its beaches by Friends of the San Juans, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group and the private landowner. (San Juan Islander)

Talk of taxes: Inslee to propose $1B in new revenue
Gov. Jay Inslee will propose a mix of spending cuts and at least $1 billion in new revenue next week when he releases his proposed budget, according to David Schumacher, director of the state Office of Financial Management. Jim Brunner and Joseph O'Sullivan report. (Seattle Times)

Native group lays claim to Stanley Park, Galiano and Saltspring Islands
Large pieces of Stanley Park, Galiano Island and Saltspring Island are being claimed by a small Indian band that has largely been ignored in British Columbia, although its main village once came under fire from the British Navy. In a notice of claim filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Chief Raymond Wilson and a group he identifies as the Hwlitsum First Nation seek the return of key lands and financial compensation for loss of access to what it claims as its traditional territory. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Study of timber harvest near Oso mudslide inconclusive
An investigation into a possible link between a 2005 timber harvest on the hill above the Steelhead Haven neighborhood and the deadly Oso mudslide in March has come up empty. The logging exceeded the approved size by an acre, but state officials could not determine if it complied with a permit to avoid the adjoining watershed of the landslide-prone area, according to the report released Tuesday by the state Department of Natural Resources. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

FERC upholds Admiralty Inlet tidal project; developer might resume
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has rejected challenges to the pilot hydrokinetic license of the 600-kW Admiralty Inlet Pilot tidal project and said licensee Snohomish County Public Utility District does not intend to surrender the license. Less than three months ago, Snohomish PUD said it would no longer pursue Admiralty Inlet because Department of Energy funding dried up, materials costs have increased, and various entities have mandated increasing amounts of studies and monitoring requirements for what was to be a pilot project in Washington's Puget Sound…. FERC said Snohomish rebutted challenges to the project's economic viability by noting its focus is testing new hydrokinetic technology and not economic value for power generation. (Hydroworld)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PST WED DEC 10 2014
STORM WARNING IN EFFECT TODAY
 STORM WATCH FOR THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT
TODAY
S WIND 35 TO 50 KT. SEAS 18 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 16 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE EVENING.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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12/2 Oil trains, shoreline storm, reservation move, cold wave, Skagit water, coastal plan, BC pipes

Elwha River, 11/29/14 (Tom Roorda/Coastal Watershed Institute)

2014 Marine and Rail Oil Transportation Study
The Washington Department of Ecology on MoNSy delivered a comprehensive report to state legislators outlining key recommendations to improve public safety in response to the rapid increase of oil transportation by rail through Washington state. The Legislature requested the study based on recent changes in how crude oil moves through rail corridors and Washington waters. The Marine and Rail Oil Transportation Study focuses on developing recommendations to foster public health and safety, environmental protection, and respect for tribal treaty rights. (Department of Ecology) State report recommends better preparedness for oil-train accidents  John Stang reports. (Crosscut)

Stanley Park seawall closed due to high tide, crashing waves  (The Province) Wind-tossed logs damage old boathouse at Point Defiance Marina  (News Tribune of Tacoma) Strong wind, waves damage Redondo Beach boardwalk  (Federal Way Mirror) ‘We were lucky': Edmonds Public Works Director says of weekend storm damage  (My Edmonds News) High winds, seas bash Fairhaven shoreline, destroy boat in Bellingham  (Bellingham Herald)

Flood concerns may force Sauk-Suiattle Tribe to move reservation
The Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe has long been concerned about the Sauk River flooding near its reservation. A new report commissioned by the tribe forecasts the likely effects global warming will have on the reservation. Chris Winters reports. (Herald of Everett)

Northwest Cold Wave is California's Salvation
When sustained cold air moves into the Northwest, the frontal zone separating cold and warm air shift southward into California.   The temperature difference between the two air masses is associated with the jet stream, so it usually heads south at the same time.  Fronts bring clouds and rain.  So does the jet stream.   In short, with cold air dominating the Pacific Northwest, the frontal weather action and jet stream related storms head to California. Cliff Mass explains. (Weather Blog)

County backs S-W couple’s water claim
Richard and Marnie Fox have a right to use the well on their Sedro-Woolley property, regardless of an instream flow rule that limits water use in the Skagit Basin, Skagit County said in a response filed last Monday in Skagit County Superior Court. The document is in response to the Foxes’ motion asking the court to force the county to issue a building permit — an action the county has not taken because a Department of Ecology rule appears to say there is no legal access to water in much of rural Skagit County. In the response, the county argues that Ecology removed a paragraph from the draft 2001 instream flow rule before publication that would have allowed rural landowners to continue the use of permit-exempt wells for single homes. Daniel DeMay reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Surfrider survey, part of development of coastal use plan, highlights popularity of LaPush
The most popular coastal area from Port Angeles west on the North Olympic Peninsula is LaPush, and the most popular activity is beach walking, according to a Surfrider Foundation survey. A recreational use survey of more than 400 Washington state beachgoers revealed the most heavily used ocean and beach access locations from Port Angeles to the Columbia River, and the most popular activities, two Surfrider Foundation members told about 60 members of the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce on Monday. Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

‘All Canadians will feel the pain’ if pipeline opportunities missed: Prentice
Alberta Premier Jim Prentice says Canada is running out of time to build four controversial pipelines to generate revenues that could pay for social services, but that the development agenda also has to protect the environment. At best, Canada has until between 2017 and 2019 to complete the energy projects or face “bottlenecks” without the best prices for oil sands product, he told the Vancouver Board of Trade in a speech on Monday. Ian Bailey reports. (Globe and Mail)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE DEC 2 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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12/1 Sockeye, Burnaby pipe, climate warming, mercury, ozone rule, L. Whatcom, Grace Islet, de-icing, Everett sewer, Chehalis floods

Sockeye (US Fish and Wildlife Service)

Endangered species success: Idaho salmon regaining fitness advantage
Endangered Snake River sockeye salmon are regaining the fitness of their wild ancestors, with naturally spawned juvenile sockeye migrating to the ocean and returning as adults at a much higher rate than others released from hatcheries, according to a newly published analysis. The analysis indicates that the program to save the species has succeeded and is now shifting to rebuilding populations in the wild. Biologists believe the increased return rate of sockeye spawned naturally by hatchery-produced parents is high enough for the species to eventually sustain itself in the wild again. (Science Daily)

Pipeline review ‘fatally flawed,’ First Nations say
The National Energy Board’s review of Kinder Morgan’s proposed pipeline project is “fatally flawed,” say 12 B.C. First Nations in an open letter to the federal government. “We’ve been invisible on our land for far too long and this process perpetuates that void by not allowing cross-examination,” said Ian Campbell, chief of the Squamish Nation. He spoke outside the Victoria Conference Centre Friday, where the National Energy Board was hearing its last day of oral evidence from First Nations groups. The 12 include two Island First Nations: the T’Sou-ke from the Sooke area and the Tsawout from the Saanich Peninsula. Katie Derosa reports. (Times Colonist)

Kinder Morgan pulls equipment from Burnaby Mountain
Kinder Morgan has begun dismantling its drilling site on Burnaby Mountain and will not complete the planned testing on a second bore hole, a company spokesperson told CBC News Friday. Ali Hounsell said that it had taken several days for the company to helicopter in the heavy equipment, and that removal work needed to begin now in order to be off the site by Monday's deadline. (CBC) See also: Kinder Morgan may pick up tab for policing during protests  Ian Bailey reports. (Globe and Mail)

As climate warms, more outbreaks of disease for sea life
The shellfish pathogen that hit California’s Channel Islands in the 1980s began to quickly kill one of the tideland’s most important animals — black abalone. But what unnerved scientists was what they learned next: Whenever ocean waters grew warmer, the deadly infection known as withering syndrome spread and killed even more abalone. By the 2000s, this phenomenon had helped transform black abalone into an endangered species — and a symbol of how much climate change may one day influence the spread of marine diseases. Craig Welch reports. (Seattle Times)

Supreme Court to Hear Challenge to Rules on Mercury From Power Plants
The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to hear a major challenge to the limits set by the Obama administration on emissions of mercury and other toxic pollutants from coal-fired power plants. It is the latest effort by industry groups to roll back regulations that would reduce emissions like mercury, soot, sulfur, smog and carbon dioxide. The case also threatens to undermine one of the administration’s most significant victories and chip away at President Obama’s legacy. Adam Liptak and Coral Devenport report. (NY Times)

E.P.A. Ozone Rules Divide Industry and Environmentalists
The Obama administration on Wednesday announced a long-delayed environmental regulation to curb emissions of ozone, a smog-causing pollutant linked to asthma, heart disease and premature death. The sweeping regulation, which are aimed at smog caused by power plants and factories across the country, particularly in the Midwest, is the latest in a series of Environmental Protection Agency controls on air pollution that wafts from smokestacks and tailpipes. Such regulations, released under the authority of the Clean Air Act, have become a hallmark of President Obama’s administration. Coral Davenport reports. (NY Times)

Lake Whatcom pollution report still imposes strict cleanup requirement
The state soon will require strict controls on runoff from developed properties around Lake Whatcom as a way to reduce pollution. Bellingham and Whatcom County must reduce the excess phosphorus coming off developed lots around the lake by 87 percent, according to a state Department of Ecology report published in November. Phosphorus is a natural element found in soil, and only the excess known to come from developed areas needs to be treated. Lake Whatcom is the drinking-water source for nearly 100,000 county residents. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

B.C. moves to resolve Grace Islet dispute
It has taken months for the provincial government to respond to public outcry over a luxury home being built on a First Nations cemetery on Grace Islet, near Saltspring Island. Now, a notice of title claim has been announced by Cowichan Tribes and the Ministry of Forests has confirmed it has a mandate to resolve the issue with First Nations and the landowner. It has also appointed two mediators to work with landowner Barry Slawsky and First Nations leaders. Sarah Petrescu reports. (Times Colonist)

Road De-Icing Researchers Say Hold The Salt, Pass The Vodka By-Product
The search is on to find an alternative to salting the roads in winter. Salt helps melt the ice, but it also builds up in stream beds and drinking water. Some cities, like Portland, have already moved away from salt and are opting for chemicals like calcium magnesium acetate. De-icing researcher Xianming Shi says at one point that was thought of as the silver bullet. “Later on we learned a lot more about it,” he said. “The degradation in the water can also cause some water quality concerns. And also they’re not very effective when you’re dealing with colder temperatures.” A study Shi did for the Oregon Department of Transportation found that a cold-temperature alternative to salt, magnesium chloride, corrodes concrete bridge decks. Jessica Robinson reports. (NW News Network)

Museum discovers previously unknown clam species
From deep oceans to dense forests, there are many places you might expect to discover new species. Museums likely aren’t one of them. But that’s where a newly identified clam species was recently found. Melissa Frey, curator of invertebrates for the Royal B.C. Museum, said she was sorting through specimens in 2011 when she found a clam that didn’t fit with the others….. This clam was originally collected in 2004 from about 1,000 metres below the surface off Quatsino Sound on the northwestern tip of the Island by researchers from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, who passed it on to the museum. Amy Smart reports. (Times Colonist)

Slow start for Everett sewer valve program
The city of Everett’s program to install flood-prevention devices in the city’s north end has gotten off to a slow start. In 2013, sudden severe storms Aug. 29 and Sept. 6 caused scores of homes and businesses in Everett’s older neighborhoods to be flooded. This year the city enacted a program to install backwater valves in 1,800 of the most vulnerable buildings to prevent that from happening again. But only 15 of the devices were installed the first six weeks of the city’s program, said Grant Moen, a senior engineer in the city’s Public Works department. Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)

Chehalis Basin Work Group celebrates ‘historic step forward' on handling flooding
The Chehalis Basin Work Group has toiled for 16 months to come up with a solution to address persistent flooding and restoration of fish habitat, and now they have an ally in Washington’s governor. The group announced last week that Gov. Jay Inslee has endorsed its recommendation to take specific courses of action the group says will save more than $650 million in flood damage and $70 million in fish habitat restoration…. The Chehalis Basin Work Group has worked since Inslee first tasked them with creating a proposal to reduce major flood damage in the basin. The proposal is perhaps the closest any group has ever come to a basin-wide solution to a flooding problem that has historically affected thousands of people, destroyed millions of dollars worth of property, and obliterated untold numbers of fish and wildlife. Christopher Brewer reports. (Centralia Chronicle)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 245 AM PST MON DEC 1 2014
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT IN THE MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING SE TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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11/4 Floods, train trench, Marshland, Seattle shore, sea star wasting, pipe hearings, hi-def sonar, BEnv degree

Tom Magliozzi (Richard Howard/NPR)

Tom Magliozzi: As Warm In Real Life As He Was On The Radio
Susan Stamberg remembers the elder half of "Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers" of Car Talk. (NPR/KPLU)

North Shore flooding: Lynn Valley creeks overflow, heavy rain hits Dundarave
Creeks overflowed and flooded streets and homes in Lynn Valley in the midst of heavy rainfall Monday night. Multiple flooding calls have also been reported in West Vancouver. (CBC)

City of Edmonds releases train trench costs, estimated at $250 million to $290 million
Building a train trench to address increasing train traffic along the Edmonds waterfront could cost between $250 million to $290 million, according to a preliminary cost and feasibility analysis conducted by engineering firm Tetra Tech on behalf of the City of Edmonds. The initial study was commissioned by Edmonds Mayor Dave Earling as part of the city’s effort to assess the feasibility of potential solutions to what he calls an “alarming increase” in train traffic blocking critical access to the Edmonds waterfront. This study comes on the heels of the Mayor’s town hall meeting last month about train traffic in Edmonds. (My Edmonds News)

Everett Marshland’s future a bit muddy
Low-lying farmland could be turned into hundreds of acres of restored wetland. Or, in the opinion of one farmer, it could be a huge boondoggle. The area is the Everett Marshland on the eastern edge of the Lowell neighborhood, on the west bank of the Snohomish River. It's 829 acres of mostly agricultural land, with small landholders, community gardens and larger farms. The city of Everett owns more than 300 acres of the area. Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)

The shoreline that once was
In today’s highly-regulated, environmentally-conscious shoreline development era (well, mostly; the occasional rogue goes off and reroutes a river without permission) you might be forgiven for imagining the Puget Sound shoreline as ancient, historic, and immutable. Certainly, at least in the Seattle area, little has changed at the wave-lapped edges of the waterfront in the past decade or so. But the coming changes proposed to the downtown Seattle waterfront on the heels of the viaduct demolition and replacement project is sparking new discussion about what the urban waterfront might be — including proposals for a new public marina (although as cost estimates have increased, the city has made noise about dramatically scaling back any redevelopment efforts there). Scott Wilson blogs. (Three Sheets Northwest) See also: Brighter future for salmon at downtown seawall   (Salish Sea Currents)

Seattle Aquarium awarded grant to study sea-star wasting disease
The Seattle Aquarium has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the Boeing Company to support the aquarium’s efforts to investigative and respond to a disease that has affected millions of sea stars along the West Coast. Paige Cornwell reports. (Seattle Times)

Kinder Morgan pipeline hearings a 'farce,' says former BC Hydro head
The former head of BC Hydro, Marc Eliesen, has pulled out of the federal hearings on the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline project. In a scathing letter to the National Energy Board, Eliesen calls the public hearing process around the project "a farce," noting the removal of the oral cross-examination phase. "Unfortunately, I have come to the conclusion that the board, through its decisions, is engaged in a public deception," the letter states. "Continued involvement with this process is a waste of time and effort, and represents a disservice to the public interest because it endorses a fraudulent process."   (CBC)

If you like to watch: High definition comes to ocean floor
On Lake Union the University of Washington oceanographic research vessel Clifford Barnes is being used to showing scientists and students the newest in underwater mapping imagery that creates pictures using sound waves. The technology was developed by Konsberg Underwater Technology out of Norway, that maintains offices in Lynnwood. It's been used around the world to help scientists map the bottom of lakes, rivers and oceans in detail. Glen Farley reports. (KING)

SFU degree will train environmental managers
A new Simon Fraser University four-year program will train students to become better decision-makers and consultants when it comes to environmental stewardship. The Bachelor of Environment (BEnv) degree, the only one offered in Canada, brings disciplines together for an integrated approach to the effects and science of global environmental issues, as well as possible solutions. Unlike Bachelor of Environmental Studies or Bachelor of Environmental Science degrees, the interdisciplinary program combines humanistic, socio-economic and scientific approaches. Shawn Conner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE NOV 4 2014
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE RAIN.
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