4/7 Radiation, Shell drill, oil train, fuel exports, WA budget, carbon tax, forage fish, toxics law, glacier melt

Turkey Vulture (Brian Zeiler/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: Turkey Vulture, A Poem  
Vultures are an avian clean-up crew, removing carrion from the landscape. When Turkey Vultures circle low, you can see their naked red heads and deeply slotted black primary feathers. With their wings canted in a dihedral "V," they tilt upwind from side to side. The Turkey Vulture's keen sense of smell enables it, even high aloft, to locate dead animals on the ground. (BirdNote)

Fukushima radiation measured on B.C. shore for 1st time
Trace amounts of radiation from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan have been detected on North American shores for the first time, but researchers say the amount of radiation is not a concern.  Radioactive forms of the element cesium that could only have come from Fukushima were detected in samples collected on Feb. 19 in Ucluelet, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, with the help of the Ucluelet Aquarium, scientists at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution reported today. (CBC)

Greenpeace boards Seattle-bound Shell drilling platform in mid-Pacific
A half-dozen Greenpeace activists have boarded Shell Oil’s Seattle-bound drilling platform as it crosses the eastern Pacific, but say they will make no effort to interfere with the navigation of the ship. The Shell drilling platform “Polar Pioneer.” Six Greenpeace activists, equipped with supplies, are now aboard the Seattle-bound rig.  They are protesting  Shell’s plans to drill in the Arctic…. And, Greenpeace being Greenpeace, the “Polar Pioneer Six” intend to unfurl a large banner denouncing Shell’s proposed drilling. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

NTSB: Equip oil trains with fire protection within 5 years
The National Transportation Safety Board on Monday called for the nation’s fleet of railroad tank cars hauling crude oil and ethanol to be equipped with fire protection within five years, half the time some industry groups would prefer. The NTSB cited the performance of tank cars in four recent oil train derailments, two in the U.S. and two in Canada, where fire exposure weakened the bare steel tanks and increased the pressure inside the cars beyond what they were designed to sustain. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Guest Opinion: Dirty fuel exports darken NW’s Earth Day
Some hailed President Barack Obama’s recent veto of the Keystone pipeline authorization legislation as an early Earth Day gift, spelling the project’s death knell. However, his decision was actually based on process, not policy. While Obama has articulated the science behind climate change better than any predecessor, his all-of-the-above energy strategy has opened the floodgates to unprecedented levels of domestic fossil fuel extraction with lax oversight. Fred Felleman opines. (Crosscut)

Washington Senate passes two-year state budget plan
The Senate on Monday passed a budget plan that relies, in part, on modifying a class size ballot measure and asking voters if they agree with the decision. The $38 billion, two-year budget passed the Republican-controlled chamber on a 26-23 vote. It doesn't include any new taxes, mostly relying on existing revenue, fund transfers and redirecting tax income from recreational marijuana. Rachel La Corte reports. (Associated Press) See also: Stand-Off In Olympia Before Budget Negotiations Even Begin  Austin Jenkins reports. (KUOW)

Climate Group Launches Initiative For A Carbon Tax In Washington
…. The circulation of petitions to put Initiative 732 on the 2016 ballot signals a new strategy that may come into play if Gov. Jay Inslee and fellow Democrats in the Legislature are unable to pass their own carbon cap-and-trade proposal. The Initiative would phase in a $25-per-ton tax on carbon dioxide emissions from certain fossil fuels and fossil fuel-generated electricity, starting in July, 2017. The proceeds would go into the general fund and be directed to offset reductions in the state sales tax and the business and occupation tax on manufacturing. Gas prices would eventually go up by 25 cents per gallon but rebates of up to $1,500 per year would be provided to 400,000 families in Washington to make the tax "revenue neutral." Ashley Ahearn reports. (KUOW)

Fishing amplifies forage fish collapses
A new study shows for the first time that fishing likely worsens population collapses in species of forage fish, including herring, anchovies and sardines. Some of the largest fisheries in the world target these species, and these “baitfish” are also a key source of food for larger marine animals, including salmon, tuna, seabirds and whales. Scientists have long known about wide fluctuations in the abundance of forage fish, including the occasional population collapse. But they had not figured out whether collapses were entirely natural or related to fishing. The study, published April 6 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, implicates fishing in the collapse of forage fish stocks and recommends risk-based management tools that would track a fishery’s numbers and suspend fishing when necessary. Michelle Ma reports. (UW Today)

Senate Committee Guts Inslee Plan to Clean Up Toxics in Fish
With the feds pressing Gov. Jay Inslee to better protect consumers from toxic chemicals in fish, a Senate committee gutted a potentially pivotal bill to allow the state to set up a new toxic-cleanup program. Inslee now opposes the legislation, saying it would leave him without tools he needs to head off federal intervention in Washington’s water-pollution-control system…. Originally, the governor’s legislation would have required the Department of Ecology to develop these so-called “chemical action plans,” including ideas for removing toxic substances from the environment. The agency could also order chemical manufacturers to consider safer alternatives and even ban chemicals when safer ones are available. But the Senate Committee on Energy, Environment and Telecommunications on Tuesday voted to take away Ecology’s ability to ban chemicals and limited the number of toxic substances Ecology could study. Chris Dunagan reports. (Investigate West)

How Western Canada glaciers will melt away
Wonder what your favourite glacier to ski or hike will look like in 20 or 40 years? A new study makes detailed predictions about how the glaciers in B.C. and Alberta will melt and shrink between now and 2100. Glaciers are melting rapidly around the world, including in Canada, and human-caused climate change is now considered to be the main driver. Thousands of glaciers in B.C. and Alberta are expected to lose 60 to 80 per cent of their combined volume compared to 2005, depending on how much CO2 gets added to the atmosphere between now and the end of the century. Emily Chung reports. (CBC) See also: Skiing, salmon spawning may be casualties of glacial melt: report  Tamsyn Burgmann reports. (Globe and Mail)

Now, your tug weather---
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 258 AM PDT TUE APR 7 2015
TODAY
NE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
NW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 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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12/19 King tides, WA taxes, radiation test, oil & coal trains & pipes, Vic sewer, seawall, Polley mine

(PHOTO: J. Custer_12/17/12_Flickr)

Snap the Shore, See the Future: Capture Washington’s King Tide
Higher than normal "king tides" will arrive in the Salish Sea December 21-27. Get outside and use a little imagination to see what climate change and rising sea levels might bring to your shoreline. Take a picture and share it, too. Washington King Tide Photo Initiative

‘Buck up,’ Inslee says, as he makes his case for new taxes
Gov. Jay Inslee laid out an aggressive tax-and-spending proposal Thursday unlike anything that has come out of the governor’s office in recent years, staking out a solidly liberal agenda likely to be a hard sell in a closely divided Legislature. In response to what his budget office estimates is a $2.35 billion budget shortfall, the Democratic governor proposed a new capital-gains tax on profits from sales of stocks and bonds affecting 1 percent of Washingtonians. That new tax, plus a proposal to charge major polluters for carbon emissions, forms the core of Inslee’s proposal to raise more than $1.4 billion in new revenue for the state over the next two years. He also seeks to raise taxes on cigarettes, bottled water and oil refineries. Jim Brunner and Joseph O'Sullivan report. (Seattle Times)

Sockeye, inshore waters test Fukushima-free
As the first batches of seawater samples collected by citizen scientists along the B.C. coast are being analyzed in Victoria, the results of radiation testing on 19 sockeye salmon and steelhead samples have come back negative for Fukushima-related contamination. And tests conducted so far this year on water samples from Prince Rupert to Victoria have also found B.C.’s inshore waters to be Fukushima-free. John Gleeson reports. (Coast Reporter)

MV resolution seeks 15 mph speed limit for oil trains
The City Council drafted and approved a letter Wednesday to send to the state regarding the transportation of oil by rail through the city. The letter outlined desired safety standards for trains carrying flammable crude oil, requesting that their speed be limited to 15 mph or less through the city, said Mount Vernon council member Dale Ragan. Shannen Kuest reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

First Nations file for judicial review of pipeline approval
Two First Nations are seeking a judicial review of a provincial regulator’s decision to approve a TransCanada Corp. pipeline project, alleging that they weren’t adequately consulted. The Nadleh Whut’en and Nak’azdli First Nations say the B.C. Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) rushed its study of the $4.7-billion Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline that would go from northeastern British Columbia to Kitimat. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Most Canadians support anti-Kinder Morgan protesters: new online poll
More than half of all Canadians support the protesters who disrupted Kinder Morgan’s work on Burnaby Mountain last month, but a majority also believe the company’s Trans Mountain pipeline will be finished despite such civil disobedience, according to a new online national survey. Fifty-seven per cent of respondents to a recent Angus Reid Institute survey voiced their approval of the protests, but at the same time, almost as many (51 per cent) said they wanted the expansion of the pipeline carrying oil from Alberta to Kinder Morgan’s Burnaby terminal. Mike Hagar reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Northwest Coal Export Terminals Could Get Financial Help From State Of Wyoming
The state of Wyoming may be getting into the coal export business. The Legislature will consider a bill during its upcoming session that would increase the Infrastructure Authority’s bonding limit from $1 billion to $3 billion and also allow that money to be spent outside the state’s borders. Wyoming Infrastructure Authority Director Loyd Drain says if it passes, as is widely expected, he could then enter into talks about financing with companies that are trying to build coal export terminals in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. (Wyoming Public Radio)

Coal trains still running through South Fork Valley
What was supposed to be a temporary detour of empty coal trains from Bellingham to the South Fork Valley will continue at least until Jan. 15 and maybe much longer. For the first time, officials at BNSF Railway said they were considering a “long-term” deal with Canadian railroad companies to continue running the empty coal trains on the tracks along Highway 9, from Sumas to the South Fork. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Victoria explores potential sites for sewage treatment
Victoria is hoping to identify potential sites for sewage treatment even as it develops plans on how to best consult residents on what type of system they want. On Thursday, councillors endorsed a motion put forward by Coun. Ben Isitt to have staff report on options for wastewater treatment facilities in the city. Under Isitt’s motion, the site search will be based on criteria such as availability of land, opportunities for resource recovery, and consistency with zoning and the Official Community Plan. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Step one in Spring Street Landing revamp: build new seawall
The bulkhead construction project, at the Spring Street Landing site, is the first phase in what will be a completely revamped public area. Construction got under way with the excavation of compacted earth that’s acted as a retaining seawall. Once excavation is complete the old piling left over from the former ferry dock, decommissioned in the 1960s, will be removed. The final phase of reconstruction of the bulkhead will be building a new seawall, composed of mechanically stabilized earth that’s reinforced with boulders on the exterior. Emily Greenberg reports. (San Juan Journal)

Energy minister tells Imperial Metals it can repair damaged tailings dam
The company that owns the Mount Polley mine near Williams Lake will be allowed to repair the tailings dam before the government has finished its reviews into the cause of its partial collapse. Imperial Metals, which runs the gold and copper mine, called the repairs “another step in the path in the long road forward” at the facility. Mount Polley has not been operational since Aug. 4 when its tailings dam collapsed, sending millions of cubic meters of water and tailings into nearby creeks and Quesnel Lake. Rob Shaw reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PST FRI DEC 19 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
 GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 12 FT BUILDING TO 15 FT AT 20 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
TONIGHT
S WIND 20 TO 30 KT RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 17 TO 21 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 18 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT
S WIND 30 TO 40 KT. SEAS 18 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 17 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
SW WIND 30 TO 35 KT EASING TO 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 13 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 15 SECONDS.
SUN AND SUN NIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW
 SWELL 12 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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11/11 WA statehood, BC pipe, Seattle waterfront, BC LNG, in-water work rule, radioactive water

(Pacific Northwest Seasons)

Yes We Have Fall Color in the Pacific Northwest
Jill at Pacific Northwest Seasons writes: "Here in the Pacific Northwest, our fall colors are a myriad tapestry of greens, yellow-golds, oranges, scarlets, and browns.  While our forests run more evergreen, brilliant displays can still be found scattered around the region…"

Nation’s far corner achieved statehood 125 years ago  
Nov. 11 marks the state’s quasquicentennial, a tongue-twister of a word marking the 125th anniversary of Washington statehood. John Dodge reports. (Olympian)

Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline benefits questioned
A new report says Kinder Morgan is overplaying the economic benefits, and downplaying the costs of its proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Simon Fraser University's Centre for Public Policy Research teamed with The Goodman Group Ltd., a California-based consulting firm, to examine the estimated impacts of the project. The authors dispute Kinder Morgan's claim that 36,000 person-years of employment would be created in British Columbia during the project's development. (Canadian Press) See also: Pipeline issues are 'scabs on our lives:' Rocker Neil Young in Vancouver  (Vancouver Sun)

New blog: All The News That Fits, They Print
Best wishes to reporter Christopher Dunagan who last month ended 37 years of reporting at the Kitsap Sun. Chris says he will continuing writing his periodic Watching Our Water Ways blog  but for those of us who have followed and worked with environmental “beat” reporters, we’ll miss the deep knowledge and perspective a seasoned reporter like Chris brought to his writing….

Property owners challenge Seattle waterfront redevelopment
Homeowners and businesses along Seattle’s historic piers have filed petitions asking the state Shorelines Hearings Board to cancel a permit allowing work to begin on a piece of the city’s massive waterfront-redevelopment project. The Waterfront Landings Owners Association, which represents condominium owners in a three-building complex on Alaskan Way below Pike Place Market, and the Seattle Historic Waterfront Association, a coalition of business and commercial property owners on and between the downtown piers, took action last week. Daniel Beekman reports. (Seattle Times)

LNG facilities in B.C. would cause carbon output to spike, report says
From the well to the waterline, the greenhouse-gas emissions created by a liquefied natural gas industry in British Columbia could be responsible for generating more than half of the province’s total carbon output in 2020. A newly released government report outlines the staggering amount of GHGs that an LNG industry would release into the atmosphere. The province is banking on the establishment of five LNG facilities. If that ambition is met, the province’s GHG emissions will increase by 28 million tonnes when the extraction and transport of natural gas are included. And that is the best-case scenario, in which industry embraces renewable power, carbon capture and storage and other pollution-reducing technology. Justine Hunter reports. (Globe and Mail)

State adopts new in-water work rules
The State Fish and Wildlife Commission adopted an update to the state’s Hydraulic Code rules at a public meeting over the weekend. The Hydraulic Code regulates construction projects and other work in or near state waters, like building bulkheads, culverts, piers and docks. The intent of the regulations are to protect fish. The final document is available online. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Traces Of Fukushima Radioactivity Detected In West Coast Waters
An oceanography institute announced Monday that trace amounts of radioactivity from Japan have been detected off the West Coast. Radiation experts say the low levels of radioactivity measured do not pose a health threat here…. A recent research cruise from Dutch Harbor, Alaska to Eureka, California detected the front edge of the plume multiple times between 100 and 1,000 miles offshore. Tom Banse reports. (KPLU)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE NOV 11 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT EARLY...RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 15 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 30 TO 40 KT. SEAS 6 TO 8 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 17 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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9/4 Governors Pt., hatchery plans, radioactivity monitoring, shooting nutria, eelgrass mitigation

Governors Point (Bellingham Herald)

Governors Point on Chuckanut Bay for sale
Governors Point is for sale. The Sahlin family, which has owned most of the peninsula south of Bellingham for the past 50 years, has put the property on the market, as evidenced by a brochure produced by the Land Group of Cushman & Wakefield of San Diego, Inc. “Once in a lifetime opportunity!” the brochure declares, promoting “San Juan Island living, without the ferry” on “125.86 spectacular waterfront acres” between Pleasant Bay and Wildcat Cove. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Agencies review Puget Sound hatchery plans
How Puget Sound fish hatcheries will operate in the future could be determined by an environmental impact statement now being developed. As part of that process, NOAA Fisheries is holding public workshops this week to discuss the draft environmental impact statement that assesses alternative operations of salmon and steelhead hatcheries around the Sound. The proposed action alternative in the draft would operate hatcheries under two state and tribal resource management plans developed jointly by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and Puget Sound treaty tribes, according to a NOAA news release. The proposed action would maintain hatchery production at current levels. Jeffrey P. Mayor reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

UVic researcher seeks citizen scientists for radioactivity monitoring program
A University of Victoria researcher is assembling a comprehensive coastal radioactivity monitoring program just as the amount of contaminated debris from the 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear disaster is set to peak in B.C. waters. Chemical oceanographer Jay Cullen is recruiting “citizen scientists” to collect seawater samples monthly from 14 locations between Victoria and Haida Gwaii. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Hands up. Don’t shoot: Federal agents report shooting 4 nutria rodents at lake in ongoing kill
Federal wildlife agents have shot and killed four nutria over the past month around Olympia’s Capitol Lake, part of the ongoing effort to eliminate the nuisance rodents. The work, carried out over three evenings and early mornings so far, is not done, according to the state Department of Enterprise Services, which manages the lake area. Brad Shannon reports. (Olympian)

Mitigation efforts help protect eelgrass, a home to sea life
As the Port of Kingston undertakes its long-planned dredging of the boat launch and dock access areas, you may have heard that they are undertaking some mitigation activities to offset the affect removing bottom sediments has on the biology below. One part of that mitigation program is an eelgrass transplanting and growing project. This is a very cool thing. (Kingston Community News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU SEP 4 2014
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.

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

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8/7 Mine spill, pit-to-pier suit, shoreline permits, radiation, Elwha Dam, new ferry name

(Paul Bannick/BirdNote)

Woodpeckers and Forest Fires
A forest fire roars along a mountain slope once green with spruce and pines, ignited by a lightning strike late in a Northwest summer. Once the fire has run its course, acres of blackened trunks stand silently against the blue sky. But by next summer, woodpeckers have discovered the charred forest and the feast of insects it provides. The Black-backed Woodpecker - like this female - comes closest to being a burnt-forest specialist. It will even form loose nesting colonies in recent burns. (BirdNote)

Mount Polley mine spill threatens B.C. sockeye salmon run
Conservationists and wildlife experts say the Mount Polley mine spill in B.C. poses a threat to sockeye salmon and wildlife that depend on them. Millions of cubic metres of mine waste escaped from a tailings pond Monday into local waterways near the town of Likely, B.C., raising alarm about harm to salmon spawning grounds.... As of Tuesday night, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans banned salmon fishing in the Cariboo and Quesnel Rivers because of the Mount Polley mine spill. (CBC) See also: First Nations fear the worst for B.C.’s salmon population  Sunny Dhillon reports. (Globe and Mail)

Company seeking ‘pit-pier’ project sues state, Navy over new Hood Canal conservation easement
Hood Canal Sand and Gravel, the company seeking the long-planned “pit to pier” gravel operation, has filed suit in Jefferson County Superior Court in an effort to block a state and federal plan to block development along the Hood Canal coastline.  Earlier this month, the state Department of Natural Resources and the Navy announced a 55-year conservation easement would block development of more than 4,800 acres of state-owned tidelands along Hood Canal.  Thorndyke Resources Operation Complex, affiliated with Hood Canal Sand and Gravel, wants to build a 998-foot pier on state-owned land five miles south of the Hood Canal Bridge to annually load onto barges some 6.75 million tons of gravel that would be transported from a quarry at Shine. The suit asks for nullification of the easement, an order that the company has preserved rights to develop the property and an injunction preventing the state and Navy from enforcing the easement. Joe Smillie reports. (Peninsula Daily News)  See also: Deadline looms for comments on the pit-to-pier impact statement  Christopher Dunagan reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Shoreline permitting effort sees mixed response
In 2009, Rodney Hearne refaced his bulkhead at Sylvan Beach, something he said he and his family members have done many times since 1928, when his grandfather built their walk-in home. In June, however, Hearne received a letter from King County informing him that he may be required to seek a construction permit for the work he did. After following up with the county’s Department of Permitting and Environmental Review (DPER), he learned that he did in fact need a permit, and that obtaining it would cost about $1,900....Hearne’s property was one of 72 on Vashon identified in a study completed last spring as having had shoreline changes in the last decade that could require permits.  Natalie Martin reports. (Vashon Beachcomber)

Citizen scientists to help measure tsunami radiation
A network of citizen scientists along the B.C. coast is being recruited to help researchers measure the potential risk of low-level radiation arriving from Japan after the tsunami and Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011. University of Victoria chemical oceanographer Jay Cullen is leading a $630,000 project to test water and seafood over the next three years. Lindsay Kines (Times Colonist)

Freed Elwha River's water level falling enough to allow dam removal to finish
The Elwha River is finally beginning to cooperate with efforts to remove the last bit of dam blocking it. The volume of flow has lowered enough to allow crews with National Park Service contractor Barnard Construction Co. Inc. to restart work — perhaps as early as next week — to take down the final remnant of Glines Canyon Dam 8 miles from the mouth of the Elwha River. Jeremy Schwartz reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

You could help name state's newest ferry; here's how
Construction of the next 144-car-ferry is under way and the Washington State Transportation Commission invites people from across the state to get involved and submit ideas for the new boat’s name. Ferry name proposals will be accepted until 5 p.m., Friday, Sept. 12. The commission has established the following guidelines to assess ferry name proposals: (San Juan Journal)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU AUG 7 2014
TODAY
SW WIND 10 KT...BECOMING W IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG THIS MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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8/1 Shellfish map, no swim, captive whales, SeaWorld, ferries, no LNG, OR LNG, Ben Mohr, no oil drill, no radiation

(WA Dept. of Health)

Map points toward safe — and hazardous — shellfish
Chris Dunagan in Watching Our Water Ways writes: "A highly informative map, just released by state shellfish officials, can show you at a glance where it is safe to harvest shellfish in Western Washington. Besides pointing out the locations of public beaches where recreational harvesters may safely gather clams and oysters, the new map provides links to information about the approved seasons and limits, with photographs of each beach. One can choose “map” or “satellite” views, as well as enhanced images to simplify the search." (Kitsap Sun)

Metro Vancouver beach closures extended as E. coli counts increase
For the second time in two weeks, health officials are warning people against swimming at three West Vancouver beaches after routine water quality sampling turned up E.coli bacteria counts exceeding safe limits. “No Swimming” advisories have be put back in place for Ambleside, Dundarave and Sandy Cove beaches after tests once again exceeded safe levels. A no swimming advisory issued for West Vancouver's Eagle Harbour last week also remains in effect. (CBC)

Vancouver Aquarium whale, dolphin breeding program to end
The Vancouver Park Board voted unanimously to allow the aquarium to keep cetaceans in captivity at a special meeting Thursday night, but ordered an end to the breeding of most whales and dolphins. The board has directed its staff to bring forward an amendment to the park bylaw that would prohibit the breeding of cetaceans in Vancouver parks unless they are a threatened species. And it ordered the establishment of an oversight committee consisting of animal welfare experts to ensure the safety and well being of cetaceans in captivity. (CBC)

Southwest and SeaWorld end longstanding partnership
Southwest and SeaWorld announced Thursday they are ending their longstanding partnership when the contract expires at the end of the year. The promotional and marketing partnership began in 1988, cultivating opportunities involving airline passengers and the theme park's visitors. But Southwest has been criticized by an animal rights group for its partnership with SeaWorld. A recent documentary, Blackfish, raised questions about the park's treatment of orcas, details of which SeaWorld disputed. Bart Jansen reports. (USA TODAY)

Washington Ferries To Be Back To Normal Saturday
Washington State Ferries hopes to restore service to normal on Saturday on Puget Sound. Capt. George Capacci says that will be made possible by the return of the ferry Wenatchee, which has been in drydock in Vancouver, British Columbia. (Associated Press) See also: San Juans, Sidney ferry riders lose service as state shuffles vessels  ...Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-Orcas Island, released a statement Thursday calling the decision “short-sighted.” Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

West Vancouver city council passes unanimous motion to ban LNG tankers in Howe Sound
West Vancouver council has passed a unanimous motion to ban tankers carrying liquified natural gas out of Howe Sound. The motion takes aim at Woodfibre LNG, a $1.7 billion LNG facility in Squamish that would ship 40 LNG tankers to Asia every year. It was passed on July 21, after Council heard from a delegation about the potential environmental impact of a large LNG plant on Howe Sound. Jenny Uechi reports. (Vancouver Observer)

Oregon Terminal Developer Gets Blessing For Natural Gas Exports
A proposed liquefied natural gas terminal near Astoria, Oregon received the U.S. Department of Energy’s blessing Thursday to export to all overseas markets. It's a necessary approval to make the controversial project pencil out, but many hurdles remain. The Department of Energy gave a company called Oregon LNG conditional approval to export domestic and Canadian natural gas from the Port of Astoria. Tom Banse reports. (KPLU)

Only in Alaska: Flack for mine named governor’s fisheries adviser
An Alaska Republican activist named Ben Mohr has spent the past six years as spokesman for the gigantic proposed Pebble Mine, which the Environmental Protection Agency found to pose a high danger to the great salmon fishery of Bristol Bay. Mohr has been given a new task these days. He has been appointed by Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell as his fisheries adviser. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Inslee signs letter opposing coastal oil exploration
Gov. Jay Inslee has joined his counterparts in California and Oregon in signing a letter opposing new oil and gas leases in the waters off the West Coast. A letter dated July 30 and released Thursday by Inslee’s office, sums up the governor’s qualms to Sally Jewell, U.S. Interior secretary. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times)

5 Safety Concerns With Shipping Oil By Water
While many Northwest communities are focused on the safety risks of shipping crude oil by rail, a new report raises safety concerns about another shipping method: oil by water. Across the country, more and more domestically produced oil is being shipped by barges and tankers as pipelines fill up to capacity. The report, by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, concludes: “This rather sudden shift in transportation patterns raises concerns about the safety and efficiency of oil tankers and barges.”  Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

Group: No Fukushima radiation at Oregon Coast
A group testing West Coast waters for radiation from a damaged Japanese nuclear power plant says no evidence of contamination has been found in Oregon.... Using crowd-sourced money and volunteers, Ken Buesseler has been testing samples from the Bering Strait to San Diego. So far none of the samples sent in have traces of radiation from Japan. (Associated Press)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI AUG 1 2014
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
SAT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
 SUN
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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7/24 Oil train, belugas, Helena Star, seabirds, radiation, CATS, Seahurst Park, stormwater, conservation fund, T-Rex

Killdeer (Phil Gilston/BirdNote)

 If you like to watch: Killdeer - Master of Distraction
The Killdeer is one of the most widespread and commonly seen shorebirds in North America. Killdeers lure predators - including humans - away from their nest by calling loudly while appearing to limp and drag a wing. Found throughout the United States and Canada, they nest on the ground, often in human-modified habitats such as gravel roads, driveways, parking lots, and lawns. Catch a video of an adult feigning injury to protect its young. (BirdNote)

Oil Train Tanker Cars Derail In Seattle
Three tanker cars in an oil train from North Dakota derailed at a rail yard in Seattle early Thursday, but BNSF Railway says none of the oil spilled. BNSF spokesman Gus Melonas said a locomotive and buffer car loaded with sand also left the rails about 2 a.m. at the Interbay yard as the train with 102 cars of Bakken oil was pulling out, headed for a refinery at Anacortes. From Seattle’s Magnolia Bridge, workers could be seen operating a tractor to try and get a derailed oil train back on track. It appeared that at least one train car was slightly off kilter on the track. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix) See also: Crew Fatigue Persists As Oil By Rail Increases Risks  Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix)

DOT proposes 2-year phase-out of older tank cars for crude oil trains
The U.S. Department of Transportation proposed a two-year phase-out of older tank cars used to transport crude oil by rail, among other measures to improve the safety of crude oil transportation by rail. Secretary Anthony Foxx outlined the long-anticpated proposals Wednesday, more than a year after a deadly derailment in Quebec focused government and public scrutiny on the rising volumes of crude oil shipped in trains. DOT will seek the phase-out or retrofit of older model DOT-111 tank cars, long known to be vulnerable to failure in derailments, from crude oil and ethanol service. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy) See also: Whatcom, Bellingham elected officials say oil-train rules could be improved Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Vancouver park board report avoids taking a stand on captive whales
The Vancouver park board has released the report it commissioned on keeping beluga whales and dolphins at the city aquarium, but it does not take a stand on whether cetaceans should be held in captivity and effectively calls for more research. The report was released on Wednesday, ahead of Saturday’s special park board meeting. The captivity debate resurfaced in April, with some park board commissioners and later the mayor voicing opposition to keeping cetaceans at the aquarium. Joseph Gaydos – chief scientist of the Wildlife Health Center’s SeaDoc Society Program at the University of California, Davis – was tasked with conducting the review. His report says he was able to compile considerable data in the allotted time, but that more work is needed. Sunny Dhillon reports. (Globe and Mail)

Sunken freighter raised from Hylebos Waterway
Four months and $600,000 later, the derelict freighter Helena Star has been refloated and is expected to leave for Seattle today after sinking 18 months ago in Tacoma’s Hylebos Waterway. The 167-foot ship sank on Jan. 25, 2013, and was slowly spilling 640 gallons of oil and diesel. Crews tried to raise the freighter in December, but the single crane wasn’t enough to lift the ship without causing further damage. On Tuesday, two floating cranes that can raise the combined weight of 1,100 tons lifted the vessel so it could be drained of water, said Melissa Ferris, program manager for the Derelict Vessel Removal Program with the state Department of Natural Resources. Shelby Rowe reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Declines in marine birds trouble scientists
An article in Salish Sea Currents, an online magazine from the creators of the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound, and based on proceeding from the 2014 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. Eric Warner writes.

Donors Pay To Test Seawater For Traces Of Fukushima Radiation
It's been more than three years since the Fukushima nuclear plant accident resulted in a spill of millions of gallons of radioactive cooling water into the Pacific. Oceanographers projected that it could take until this year for highly diluted traces of that spill in Japan to reach the West Coast of North America. Radiation experts don't believe there is cause for alarm on our shores, but some coastal residents are stepping forward to pay for seawater testing just to be sure. Tom Banse reports. (KUOW)

Citizen Action Training School (CATS) sessions are coming up this fall on the Olympic Peninsula (September) and in Everett (Olympia). CATS sessions include 12 weeks of class and field instruction on local watershed and Puget Sound ecology, as well as guidance about civic engagement around natural resources issues.  For more info or to apply, see CATS web site  or email CATS. 

City of Burien, Corps of Engineers Announce Reopening of Seahurst Park
Seahurst Park in Burien is set to reopen August 25 following completion of the Seahurst Park Ecosystem Restoration Project, Phase II. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned to follow. The project, which began Oct. 28, 2013, removed 1,800 feet of shoreline concrete armoring in the northern section of the park replacing it with more natural habitat for forage fish and salmon rearing. Improved habitat aids recovery of species, such as bull trout, steelhead and Chinook salmon, listed under the Endangered Species Act. (Highline Times)

Stormwater solutions key in fight for Puget Sound
From behind the paywall: Chris Dunagan's seventh installment of articles on Puget Sound natural resource issues. Read it while you can.

Kitsap Sun (July 13)

Most of Wash. delegation stumps for conservation fund in Congress
The Land and Water Conservation Fund, the nation’s main source of federal money to improve access to outdoor recreation, has never received the full funding Congress promised. After 50 years, supporters are demanding more money. Kyung Song reports. (Seattle Times)

Tyrannosaurs prowled in packs, B.C. tracks show
It would have been terrifying to run into a tyrannosaur like Albertosaurus. The massive creature that roamed western North America about 70 million years ago was as long as a bus, with a wide smile of razor-sharp teeth and claws to match. But here's the worst part — it probably wasn't alone. Tyrannosaurs, it seemed, travelled in packs. Scientists came to that conclusion after carefully analyzing an extremely rare find — three sets of tyrannosaur tracks found in northeastern B.C. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 AM PDT THU JUL 24 2014
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING NW AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

4/14 Kitimat vote, Elwha sediment, water quality, forest plan, radiation, Pt Wells, saving salmon, PS Pilots, SeaWorld, Thurston ranch, Shane Anderson

Picnic Tree (Laurie MacBride)

O-So-Berry Busy!
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "It’s been a long time since my last post, and since then, spring has definitely sprung around our place. The best spot to witness this vibrant season in all its beauty, aroma and fast-paced action has been our “Picnic Tree” – a large, multi-trunked Indian Plum (AKA Osoberry, Oregon Plum or Oemleria cerasiformis)..."

Kitimat, B.C., votes 'no' to Northern Gateway in plebiscite
One of the most divisive issues in Kitimat, B.C., in a generation came to a head Saturday night as residents voted 'no' against Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline project. The ballot count from Saturday's vote was 1,793 opposed versus 1,278 who supported the multi-billion dollar project — a margin of 58.4 per cent to 41.6 per cent. "The people have spoken. That’s what we wanted — it’s a democratic process,” said Mayor Joanne Monaghan in a statement on Sunday. “We’ll be talking about this Monday night at Council, and then we’ll go from there with whatever Council decides.” (CBC)

Total lunar eclipse begins at 10 PM tonight and will be visible if the sky is clear. Sigh. Total lunar eclipse, Mars close approach tonight

New beaches in the making: Elwha River mouth grows as unleashed sediment flows
What does roughly 3.3 million cubic yards of sediment look like? The ever-changing mouth of the Elwha River can offer some clue. Between November 2012 and September 2013, about 3.3 million cubic yards, or 2.5 million cubic meters, of sediment once locked behind two massive dams along the river has built up at the mouth of the river, according to U.S. Geological Survey data estimates. Jeremy Schwartz reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Water quality is defined by its effect on sea life
Chris Dunagan in Watching Our Water Ways writes: "For all my years of environmental reporting, I have to say that I’ve never really understood the meaning of water quality. Keeping the water free of chemicals and fecal bacteria is one thing. Safe levels of oxygen, temperature, acidity and suspended sediment are other important factors. But in the real world, you never find ideal conditions. You take what you get: physical conditions dictated by weather, climate and bathymetry; a strange brew of toxic chemicals; and a mix of nutrients and organic material, all drifting through complex cycles of life and death. Water quality means nothing without the context of living things. More than 1,000 species of tiny organisms live in or on the mud at the bottom of Puget Sound. In many areas, sensitive species have disappeared. We are left with those that can tolerate harsher conditions. Why are they dying off? What can be done about it?...." (Kitsap Sun)

The Northwest's forest plan: 20 years of fighting
Owls, jobs and habitat: Have there been any real winners in since the Clinton administration compromise? Sunday marks the 20th anniversary of the Northwest Forest Plan, the Clinton administration document designed to save Northern spotted owls, marbled murrelets, wild salmon and the many other critters that live in the Northwest's old-growth and mature federal forests. The federal Record of Decision was published on that date in 1994. Daniel Jack Chasan reports. (Crosscut)

Citizen scientists prepare to test West Coast for Fukushima radiation (with video)
All along the Pacific coast of North America and as far south as Costa Rica, people with little or no scientific background have volunteered to raise money for the program and collect the sea water samples needed to test for radiation. The crowdsourcing, citizen-scientist program is the idea of Ken Buesseler, a research scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the world’s biggest private-non-profit oceanographic agency. Buesseler began his career studying the spread of radioactivity from Chernobyl in the Black Sea and has been working with Japanese scientists since mid-2011 to understand the spread of radiation from Fukushima across the Pacific Ocean. (Vancouver Sun)

Point Wells developer wins court fight; more review ahead
After three years of fighting over legal and environmental issues, a complex of luxury condominiums and an urban village planned at the former tank farm at Point Wells are much closer to moving ahead. The State Supreme Court found that a Snohomish County board improperly invalidated the development permits a month after they were filed.... The development proposed by Israeli billionaire Shraga Biran, who has done similar projects around the world, would clean up more than 100 years of pollution at the site but bring an estimated 12,860 daily car trips along a two-lane road through a quiet neighborhood of houses facing the street and Puget Sound. Nancy Bartley reports. (Seattle Times)

Saving the salmon
Many salmon recovery efforts are taking place in Skagit County and around the region, from the large-scale levee setback at Fisher Slough on the Skagit River delta to small-scale culvert replacements on the upper Skagit River. Yet state and national data still do not have a clear picture of the wild population’s progress. Are more wild salmon returning to rivers like the Skagit? Or is habitat still being destroyed more quickly than restoration projects can replace it? While the number of restoration efforts in Skagit and the greater Puget Sound area has grown in the name of saving wild salmon, it is unclear whether the fish population itself is also growing.... Skagit falls into the Puget Sound watershed, which was listed on the “decreasing” side of the 2012 data... But state Department of Fish and Wildlife data that tallies upper and lower Skagit River chinook returns more closely shows an increase in both groups from 2011 to 2012. Kimberly Cauvel reports.

Vancouver 'City Bird' voting now open
The City of Vancouver has chosen six birds that live here all year,  to be named the city's official bird for 2014. The winning bird will be used to promote Bird Week in 2015. The city says the contest is designed to raise awareness about the diversity of birds in Vancouver and their importance to a healthy ecosystem. Vote here (CBC)

A chore requiring a backbone: scrubbing the jellyfish tank
Jellyfish are among the original drifters — going with the flow for millions of years, since before the dinosaurs. Moon jellies are one of the more than 300 species in Puget Sound. They’re translucent and only mildly toxic, unlike their lethal cousins from Australian waters that can kill a human. But for such simple, mainly made-of-water creatures, jellyfish require a complex environment if brought indoors to live in an aquarium. To stay healthy, the 150 jellyfish in the circular tank at Seattle Aquarium need to have their home cleaned quarterly. It is staff biologist and diver Kathryn Kegel’s task to scrub the interior surfaces in the 12-foot doughnut. Alan Berner reports. (Seattle Times)

Puget Sound Pilots object to proposed Navy dock in Port Angeles
Puget Sound Pilots, which operates the only pilot station in the Puget Sound region, has raised objections to a Navy proposal to build a dock for submarine escort and blocking vessels on Ediz Hook. The Seattle-based company, which has its own dock fewer than 100 yards from where the Navy pier would be built, said the new dock could lead to an exit from its home of seven decades... Master mariners who are partners in the company and stay at the pilot station board all non-exempt vessels — from yachts to tankers to container ships — and navigate them through the Strait of Juan de Fuca on the American side of the international border to and from Puget Sound. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

SeaWorld Loses Appeal Of Ruling On Death Of Orca Trainer Dawn Brancheau
A U.S. appeals court on Friday upheld a federal occupational safety agency's finding against SeaWorld Entertainment Inc following the workplace death of one of its killer whale trainers. By a vote of 2-1, the three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit held that SeaWorld had violated its duties as an employer by exposing trainers to "recognized hazards" when working with killer whales. The ruling means the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can require SeaWorld to limit the interactions trainers have with killer whales. Lawrence Hurley reports. (Reuters)

Nonprofit to convert Thurston ranch into preserve
A large ranch in south Thurston County has been purchased by the Center for Natural Lands Management, which plans to turn it into a preserve, the California-based nonprofit announced Friday. Formerly known as the Northwest Equestrian Center and the Turner Brothers Ranch, the site, which is about 140 acres, has been renamed the Deschutes River Preserve. It’s on state Route 507, just south of Rainier. The property is home to Mazama pocket gophers, which were listed Wednesday as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and other rare plants and animals including the streaked horned lark and golden paintbrush, according to the nonprofit. Lisa Pemberton reports. (Olympian)

Soundings: Capital grad finds passion in speaking for steelhead
Wild steelhead have a tireless and passionate advocate in Olympia filmmaker Shane Anderson. Evidence of Anderson’s devotion to this iconic, imperiled West Coast species will be on display at 6:30 p.m. April 19 at the Olympia Film Society’s Environmental Film Festival at the Capitol Theater in downtown Olympia. That’s when Anderson will premiere his sober yet hopeful film: “Wild Reverence: The Wild Steelhead’s Last Stand.” ...Anderson, a Capital High School graduate, grew up loving to fish, especially on the wild and scenic rivers of the Olympic Peninsula. John Dodge reports. (Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON APR 14 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING W 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 3
 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/21 Orca attack, Exxon Valdez, tidal power, Tokitae, Futurewise in Whatcom, no oil terminal, coal risks, Fukushima

Daffodils (Nick Gonzales/Skagit Valley Herald)

If you like to watch: Killer whales attacking sea lions
Dramatic video of a pod of killer whales hunting sea lions Wednesday near Prince Rupert, B.C., posted by Travis Twizell.

25 Years Later, Exxon Valdez Spill Effects Linger
Before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico, there was the Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska, at the time the nation's largest oil spill.... Twenty five years later, most of the species have recovered, said Robert Spies, a chief science adviser to governments on the oil spill restoration program from 1989 to 2002. But some wildlife, as well as the people who live in the region, are still struggling. Dan Joling reports. (Associated Press)

New blog: Oil And Water Don’t Mix— Never Have
“I learned about the Exxon Valdez going aground 25 years ago while working in corporate communications for the investor-owned utility, Hawaiian Electric Company. We sadly watched the national news for days as 11 million gallons of oil spread and coated the pristine shorelines...”

Feds OK Snohomish County PUD's Tidal Power Project In Admiralty Inlet
Federal regulators have given unanimous approval for an underwater energy project powered by the tides in Washington’s Admiralty Inlet. Two turbines will take advantage of the fast-moving currents and daily tidal movements in the busy passage west of Whidbey Island, at a depth of about 200 feet. Snohomish County PUD says the turbines will be connected to the electrical grid with cables that emerge on leased land south of the ferry dock in Coupeville. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

State welcomes new ferry to Puget Sound
Washington transportation leaders christened a new ferry Thursday. It will provide service between Mukilteo and Clinton for the next six decades... Tokitae is the first of three new vessels that can carry 144 vehicles. They will replace aging and smaller ferries. Maria Guerrero reports. (KIRO) See also: New ferry Tokitae will serve Mukilteo-Clinton route  (Everett Herald)

Under new leadership in Whatcom, Futurewise to try cooperation
Futurewise, the organization that makes sure communities in Washington are following growth management law, has changed its tactics, its state director said. The organization known for litigating growth disputes has been partnering with local governments to help them protect resource lands and prevent urban sprawl before legal action is needed, Executive Director Hilary Franz said in an interview Thursday, March 20. A new hire at Futurewise, Whatcom Chapter Director Ryan Ericson, has the skills needed to work side by side with government planners, Franz said. He was a shoreline planner for the city of Bainbridge Island before starting with Futurewise on Monday, March 17. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Vancouver [WA] City Council Comes Out Against Oil Terminal
A majority of the Vancouver City Council now publicly opposes plans to build the Northwest’s largest oil-handling facility at the Port of Vancouver. Councilor Jack Burkman made his opposition known at the end of Monday’s council meeting. Councilors Anne McEnerny-Ogle, Bart Hansen and Larry Smith all confirmed to The Columbian on Wednesday that they, too, oppose the $110 million project proposed by Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies. While the city council doesn’t have direct control over the project — Tesoro-Savage signed the lease with the Port of Vancouver’s Board of Commissioners, and the facility will have to be approved by Gov. Jay Inslee — having a majority of the seven-member council in opposition means the city can actively fight it. Aaron Corvin and Stephanie Rice report. (Columbian)

Study Tallies Economic Risks Of Oregon Coal Export Project
A study released Thursday by coal export opponents tallies the economic risks of barging coal down the Columbia River –- from the cost of killing salmon and emitting air pollution to increased accidents and impacts to recreation in the Columbia River Gorge. The report’s author, Ecotrust economist Noah Enelow, suggests that the project’s benefits might not be worth the risks of building the Morrow Pacific project. “The Morrow Pacific project places over $2 billion in natural and cultural assets at risk, including salmon habitat, recreational values and water quality,” he said in a statement. “These risks to livelihood, natural resources and economies must be studied further before an informed decision can be made.” Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

Fukushima Crisis
Georgia Strait Alliance has put up a web page to update the crisis: "The devastating explosions in 2011 at the Fukushima nuclear reactors in Japan released huge quantities of radioactive isotopes into the ocean and our atmosphere...."

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI MAR 21 2014
TODAY
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 17 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY BY AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 15 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

3/18 Samish Bay Lake Serene, oil spills, oil trains, radiation, Big Bang, best bee, SJ Monument

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told