11/20 'Frankenfish,' murrelet, storm sewage, Mt. Polley, oil rules, train safety, Inslee on refugees

“Frankenfish” AquAdvantage salmon (LA Times) 

Genetically engineered salmon is fit for dinner, FDA says in first decision of its kind
Perhaps that last breed does not evoke images of ancient and frigid headwaters in Alaska or Arctic Canada, where wild salmon spawn every year, or even the humble hatcheries that produce less expensive species consumed by millions of people. But on Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration announced that the AquAdvantage salmon — developed using growth hormone from Chinook salmon and a gene from an eel-like ocean fish that makes it reach market size twice as quickly as other salmon — has become the first genetically engineered animal approved for American consumption. AquaBounty Technologies Inc., the Massachusetts company that created the fish, calls it "the world's most sustainable salmon." Opponents call it "Frankenfish." The FDA, which was accused of delaying the decision for years amid public concern, now says you can call it dinner. William Yardley reports. (LA Times)

State considers conservation options for marbled murrelet
The state Department of Natural Resources is reviewing conservation plan options for the marbled murrelet, a seabird that is found along the state’s coast, including several bays on Skagit County’s shoreline. The state agency worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to draft five strategies to conserve the bird’s habitat. The options would protect between 594,000 and 734,000 acres of land managed by Natural Resources. The marbled murrelet is considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act, meaning it is likely to become endangered. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Deadly storm flushes sewage into Seattle's waterways
Heavy rains means heavy runoff making its way into bodies of water around Seattle. But that's not all that's making its way into area lakes and the Puget Sound. The recent storms that moved over Seattle and the Pacific Northwest and knocked out power to thousands, also sent rivers of stormwater into underground pipes. As pipes became overwhelmed, they were flushed into local bodies of water, carrying not only stormwater, but sewage as well. Richard Oxley reports. (MyNorthwest.Com)

Critics warn of another disaster at Mount Polley
 Rapidly rising water levels in a vast containment pit at the Mount Polley mine are now a scant six metres below the level where they could seep into groundwater and the Quesnel River system. Bigger worries loom for spring. Winter snow melt could overwhelm storage capacity causing another catastrophic spill like August 2014, when a breach dumped 10 billion litres of water and 4.5 billion litres of slurry into Polley Lake. Stephen Hume reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Ecology working on new rules for movement of oil
he state Department of Ecology is developing new rules for transporting oil by train and pipeline. The changes could require companies moving oil through the state to improve accident response plans and provide advanced notice about the movement of oil. The changes could go into effect as early as 2016. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

No more breaks on positive train control, agency chief tells railroads
The nation’s rail safety chief told a group of railroad officials she expects them to complete a long-delayed collision-avoidance system by the end of 2018 and to not count on Congress to give them an additional reprieve. Recent legislation approved by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama gives them a three-year extension to complete positive train control, though with some wiggle room to seek an additional two years if necessary. Sarah Feinberg, who heads the Federal Railroad Administration, encouraged attendees of the Rail Trends conference in New York Thursday to make 2018 their goal. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Why My State Won’t Close Its Doors to Syrian Refugees
OVER the last week, a growing number of governors, representatives, senators and presidential candidates have demanded that America slam shut our borders to refugees who are fleeing unspeakable horrors at the hands of the Islamic State. On Thursday the House passed a bill containing impossibly onerous vetting procedures for new refugees from Syria. The American character is being tested. Will we hew to our long tradition of being a beacon of hope for those chased from their homelands? I have always believed that the United States is a place of refuge for those escaping persecution, starvation or other horrors that thankfully most in America will never experience. Governor Jay Inslee writes. (NY Times)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI NOV 20 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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11/18 Nooksack dace, Stanley Park seawall, stormwater fees, BC pipe, climate change, BC LNG, Big Oil, El Nino

Nooksack dace (PHOTO: Mike Pearson)

Stoney Creek spill leaves endangered fish either homeless or 'buried alive', biologist fears
Washouts along the banks of a fish-bearing creek in Burnaby may have seriously harmed a rare little fish that's so endangered in Canada it's found in only four streams, says biologist Mike Pearson. The fish is the Nooksack dace, and one of those four streams — Stoney Creek on Burnaby Mountain — recently had a bank cave in at a City of Burnaby construction site, sending sand and silt into the water….. You might not be familiar with the Nooksack dace, but streamkeepers and environmentalists have been working since the 1990s to stop the freshwater fish from going extinct, even taking the federal government to court over its failure to protect it. (CBC)

If you like to watch: Photos: Section of Stanley Park Seawall collapses from wind, waves
 A large section of the seawall — from Third Beach to the Lions Gate Bridge — will be closed for up to a month while crews repair Monday’s damage. Wind and waves are being blamed for the collapse, with climate change a major contributing factor. Here are pictures from Monday's collapse. (Vancouver Sun)

New stormwater fees set to address flooding, drain problems
A new stormwater fee is set to appear on next year's tax statements for about 4,800 property owners in unincorporated Snohomish County. That and other changes to stormwater fees were approved by the County Council on Monday. The county's Surface Water Management Division is expected to receive an extra $1 million per year as a result. The money will pay for projects to lessen problems with drainage and flooding. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

Efforts to stop Kinder Morgan review unlikely to succeed
A lobbying campaign calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government to stop the federal review of Kinder Morgan’s pipeline expansion is doomed to fail, experts say. There is no clear legislative basis for Ottawa to agree to the suspension requests sent earlier this month from Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan and from a coalition of environmental groups, they say. Peter O'Neil reports. (Vancouver Sun)

State of Knowledge: Climate Change in Puget Sound
A 2015 report from the University of Washington provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of the expected impacts of climate change on the Puget Sound region. (Encyclopedia of Puget Sound)

Climate change stickers mandatory on North Vancouver gas pumps
North Vancouver, B.C. is believed to be the first city in the world to make climate change warning labels mandatory on gas pumps. The city council passed the bylaw unanimously in a vote on Monday night.  Rob Shirkey, the founder of the Our Horizons not-for-profit group championing this cause, called the vote a "historic global first." He said other Canadian and American cities have come close by supporting similar initiatives, but the City of North Vancouver is the first to make it mandatory. Tamara Baluja reports. (CBC)

LNG terminal ‘not likely’ to harm Flora Bank
Flora Bank is a resilient area that would emerge unscathed in the event that liquefied natural gas is produced on Lelu Island, a report commissioned by Pacific NorthWest LNG concludes. Visible at low tide, Flora Bank contains eelgrass that nurtures juvenile salmon in the Skeena River estuary near Prince Rupert. Pacific NorthWest LNG, led by Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas, wants to build an $11.4-billion export terminal on Lelu Island, which is located next to Flora Bank. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Will the "tobacco strategy" work against Big Oil?
According to InsideClimate News, the office of New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman had been investigating ExxonMobil for a year before it issued a recent subpoena for “documents on what Exxon knew about climate change and what it told shareholders and the public.” The subpoena compelled ExxonMobil to hand over scientific research and communications about climate change dating back to 1977. (Exxon and Mobil merged to become a single corporation in 1999.) The investigation is based on New York State’s consumer-protection and general-business laws and, crucially, the state’s Martin Act, InsideClimate News reported. That statute prohibits fraud or misrepresentation in the sale of securities and commodities, and gives the Attorney General extraordinary power to fight financial fraud. Lincoln Caplan reports. (The New Yorker)

Pacific Ocean temperatures hint at a record El Niño
Temperatures in a key area of the Pacific Ocean west of Peru rose to 5.4 degrees above average for the week of Nov. 11, exceeding the highest comparable reading for the most powerful El Niño on record, in 1997. Rong-Gong Lin II and Rosanna Xia report. (LA Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 250 AM PST WED NOV 18 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST EARLY THIS MORNING
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT IN THE MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT IN THE MORNING...BECOMING LESS THAN 1 FT. W
 SWELL 14 FT AT 12 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 11 FT AT 12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF 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.

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

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 259 AM PST MON NOV 16 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
 GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING
TODAY
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 12 SECONDS...
 SUBSIDING TO 7 FT AT 12 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/14 Shell train, BC LNG, uni, Puyallup stormwater, rent-a-chicken

Herring gull (Tom Murray/BirdNote)

The Little Red Spot on a Gull's Bill
In the mid-20th Century, Dutch scientist Niko Tinbergen studied nesting Herring Gulls. He noticed that newly hatched chicks were fed by their parents only after they pecked at the adults' bills. Tinbergen devised experiments that varied the shape and coloration of the adult's bill. It became clear that the red spot on the adult gull's bill was a crucial visual cue in a chick's demands to be fed, and thus its survival. Learn more about Herring Gulls and about Tinbergen's research. (BirdNote)

Critical voices heard at Shell EIS scoping meeting
Those critical of a proposed oil train facility at Shell Puget Sound Refinery dominated the discussion Tuesday at a public comment meeting regarding the project.  The expansion would give Shell the ability to handle crude oil trains, and would increase the number of trains traveling through the state. County government and the state Department of Ecology are putting together an environmental impact statement on Shell's project, and will use public comment to help determine the scope of the EIS. Brandon Stone reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

B.C. LNG industry ready to take ‘final steps’: Finance Minister
British Columbia’s fledgling liquefied natural gas industry will overcome the slump in energy markets while addressing aboriginal concerns, the province’s Finance Minister says. LNG prices are weak in Asia, but the backers of major projects on Canada’s West Coast are taking a long-term view, said Mike de Jong, who will be delivering a speech on Wednesday at the start of an international LNG conference in Vancouver. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail) See also: Prince Rupert's Pacific LNG project faces new challenge  Gitxsan First Nation says it was not consulted on Prince Rupert gas pipeline Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Sea urchin, or uni, is a popular B.C. delicacy — but not in B.C.
As the weather turns colder, some of the most prized sea urchin in the world is being caught right now off the coast of B.C. The spiny creatures are treasured in Japan, where Canada will export much of the haul. There, sea urchin is called "uni," and is considered a delicacy. (CBC)

Puyallup set to divert more than 687,000 gallons of stormwater annually
…. At 3:30 p.m. Friday (Oct. 16), a ribbon-cutting ceremony will mark the opening of Puyallup’s latest Low-Impact Development along the 400 block of 3rd Street Northeast and the 200 block of 4th Avenue Northeast. The project comprised the change of 28,874 square feet of concrete surfaces from impervious to pervious. The city saved on the cost of replacing storm drainage facilities in this area because the project components will retain stormwater runoff onsite and not allow it into the storm system. The amount of stormwater prevented from entering the storm system annually will be more than 687,000 gallons. Andrew Fickes reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Rent-a-chicken business taking flight in Kamloops
When Ron and Marie McGivern decided to get into the rental market, they didn't choose to start renting properties — they chose chickens. Starting next spring, they plan to be renting local residents a package including two or four laying hens, a few large bags of feed, food and water dishes, a portable chicken coop and a set of instructions, all delivered to their door. The two-hen starter package runs $425 plus tax, while the deluxe four-hen package is $600 plus tax. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED OCT 14 2015
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT BECOMING E IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
E WIND TO 10 KT RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11
 SECONDS.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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10/9 Toxic runoff, water rule, climate, water rights, Navy training, carbon capture, grease, Riki Ott

Toxic road runoff kills coho salmon in hours, study finds
A new study shows that stormwater runoff from urban roadways is so toxic to coho salmon that it can kill adult fish in as little as 2½ hours. But the research by Seattle scientists also points to a relatively easy fix: Filtration through a simple, soil-based system. “It’s basically … letting the Earth do what it does so well, what it has done for eons: cleaning things up,” said Julann Spromberg, a toxicologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and co-author of the report published Thursday in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

Inslee Pushes Tighter Water Quality Rules To Match EPA Proposal
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday the state is pursuing clean water rules that match federal recommendations for protecting human health. Inslee said he would direct the Washington Department of Ecology to draft new rules that reduce pollution enough for people to safely eat more fish from Washington waters. The proposal rules are based on a fish consumption rate of 175 grams per person per day and an allowable cancer risk of one in one million. Those numbers come from a September proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency, which told the state it would issue federal rules on Washington’s water quality if the state did not act. Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix)

Gregor Robertson trashes Canada's record on climate change in Washington
Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has trashed the Canadian government's record on climate change in front of a distinguished audience at the U.S. State Department. He is the only Canadian mayor invited to the "Our Cities, Our Climate" summit in Washington, D.C. His comments came during a conference on green cities, organized by former New York mayor and current UN climate envoy Michael Bloomberg and attended by top officials from the department. Robertson says Canada is an embarrassing laggard on climate change under the Harper government and hopes the Oct. 19 election produces a government that plays a more constructive role. (Canadian Press)

High court reverses decision granting water rights to Yelm
The Washington Supreme Court has overturned a decision by the state to grant new water rights to the city of Yelm to serve its growing population. The court on Thursday ruled 6-3 that the Department of Ecology exceeded its authority in approving Yelm’s water rights under a narrow exception in cases where water is limited. In the majority opinion, Justice Charles Johnson wrote that municipal water needs do not rise to the level of overriding public interest…. Ecology officials say the case has statewide implications and it will look at alternative criteria in making future water decisions. (Associated Press)

Petition with 110,000 signed hard copies against U.S. Navy plans delivered to Forest Service office
A petition opposing plans by the U.S. Navy for an $11.5 million expansion of electromagnetic warfare training in Olympic National Park has drawn widespread support. A Navy spokeswoman said the petition repeats “a number of misperceptions.” Hard copies of about 110,000 of the petition signatures were hand-delivered Sept. 23 to the office of Reta Laford, forest supervisor for Olympic National Forest, in Olympia. Chris McDaniel reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Carbon Engineering unveils groundbreaking carbon capture project in Squamish, B.C.
The mountain air in Squamish, B.C., could soon be even fresher with the launch of a groundbreaking carbon capture operation. The pilot project will suck carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, not from an industrial plant like other such operations, with the goal of turning the gas into fuel. Built and operated by Calgary-based Carbon Engineering, the $9-million plant will capture about one tonne of CO2 per day, which is the equivalent of taking about 100 cars off the road annually. Founded by Harvard climate scientist David Keith and backed by big-name investors including Bill Gates, Carbon Engineering has spent several years turning academic research into technology that could be commercialized. Gemma Karstens-Smith reports. (Canadian Press)

Metro Vancouver partners with Surrey to fight cooking grease buildup in sewer pipes
Metro Vancouver has targeted cooking grease in its latest bid to stop people from clogging up the region’s sewers. The regional district will partner with Surrey to run a pilot project next month that aims to encourage residents to wipe up their cooking grease, such as bacon fat, and toss it in the green bin rather than into the kitchen sink or toilet. Kelly Sinoski reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Oil Spills in Your Backyard
Riki Ott, who has spent the last two decades doing research and front-line community organizing in the wake of major US oil spills, will be in Victoria Oct. 15 to share lessons learned and facilitate a discussion about the need for stronger spill prevention and response in the Salish Sea. 7 pm, First Metropolitan United Church, Victoria. Hosted by Georgia Strait Alliance.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI OCT 9 2015
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 8 SECONDS...BUILDING TO SW 10 FT AT 8 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 13 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 13 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. SW SWELL 11 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING SE TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
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9/14 Oil train suit, Cherry Point coal, BC LNG protest, LID rules, Fraser pinks, Victoria sewer

Tony Angell & Macaw (Tony Angell/BirdNote)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Toxic algae pseudo-nitzchia (NOAA)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED AUG 5 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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7/16 BC drought, octo mom, WA WQ, RainWise, conservation $s, Indian treaties, Elwha ferry, bacon seaweed

Atlantic puffin (BirdNote)

Puffins - Clowns of the Sea
Puffins are icons of the seabird world. With clown-like faces and huge, multicolored bills, they stand upright on sea cliffs along the northern oceans. Tufted Puffins nest on islands and rough coastlines, from the Channel Islands of Southern California across the north Pacific to Siberia. The Atlantic Puffin, like this one, breeds in the North Atlantic. (BirdNote)

Level 4 drought declared for South Coast and Lower Fraser
Conditions are so dry in B.C's Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast and Fraser Valley that the provincial government has raised the drought rating to the highest category — Level 4 — and are warning that if things get worse, water shortages could affect people, industry and agriculture. (CBC) See also: See also: Record warm temperatures to have years-long effect on B.C. salmon stocks: scientist  (Canadian Pres)

If you like to watch: VIDEO: Giant Pacific Octopus mom-to-be in West Seattle waters
Diver Laura James shares the story of a mama octopus and her eggs at Cove 2 near Seacrest off the West Seattle shore. (West Seattle Blog)

Without key bill, Inslee to weigh next move on water quality
Gov. Jay Inslee did not get legislation he said was needed to update the state's water quality standards that are partly tied to how much fish people eat. Now, he'll have to decide his next move as federal regulators are preparing to step in and tell Washington what to do in case it fails to finalize a rule by this year. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

RainWise helps Seattle homeowners collect stormwater, prevent pollution
The RainWise program, which previously had cost an average of $4,600 in upfront costs, has become less of a financial burden for homeowners. Ciscoe Morris reports. (Seattle Times)

Nelson announces millions more for environmental conservation
As a group gathered last week to celebrate a flurry of recent conservation purchases on Vashon, State Sen. Sharon Nelson (D-Maury Island) announced that she has secured another $2 million for environmental preservation on the island. The state funding will allow King County and Vashon’s land trust to continue purchasing ecologically important forestland and shoreline on Vashon at a quick rate, a project that began two years ago with Nelson’s first allocation of $4 million in state funding. Natalie Martin reports. (Vashon Beachcomber)

Indian Treaties are the new front in the battle against coal exports
The 1865 Treaty of Point Elliot is clear… the Lummi Nation has the right to fish, hunt and gather in their accustomed places in perpetuity - and they can't do that if a gigantic coal terminal is built in the Salish Sea's most productive waters. First Nations' treaty rights are now central to protecting the Pacific Northwest from destruction by fossil fuels. Jan Hasselman writes. (The Ecologist)

Elwha out of service for rest of summer season
The Elwha ferry is out of service for the rest of the summer season for approximately four months according to a Washington State Department of Transportation travel alert bulletin. Ian Sterling, spokesperson for WSDOT Ferry Divisions, says the problem is a complicated electrical issue with the drive motor, but replacement parts are on hand and repairs are being made as quickly as possible in Eagle Harbor. (San Juan Journal)

Scientists In Oregon Discover Bacon-Flavored Seaweed
What grows quickly, is packed with protein, has twice the nutritional value of kale and … tastes like bacon? The answer, according to scientists at Oregon State University, is a new strain of seaweed they recently patented. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 246 AM PDT THU JUL 16 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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6/12 Sea Aquarium, Shell $, Hood Canal, more coal, BC LNG, Vic sewer, saving steelhead, EPA rule, parking lot

Seattle Aquarium

Seattle Aquarium aims to make splash with huge expansion
The Seattle Aquarium is planning a grand expansion that will add at least 40 percent more exhibit space and cost at least $90 million to build. The expanded aquarium will be equipped to attract nearly twice as many visitors as today along the future park-like post-viaduct waterfront. Steve Goldsmith reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Port commissioner getting donations from executives involved in Shell deal
As Port of Seattle Commissioner Bill Bryant raises money for his gubernatorial campaign, he’s getting help from executives in companies involved in the deal to bring Shell Oil drilling equipment to a Seattle port terminal. Bryant, a Republican who declared his run last month to challenge Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, has received $2,500 in campaign donations from Paul Stevens, CEO of Foss Maritime, according to campaign filings. Records also show that Mark Tabbutt, listed as the chairman of Saltchuk Resources, the maritime conglomerate that owns Foss, has given $1,500. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times)

New website reveals strategies for improving Hood Canal ecosystem
If you want to know how the Hood Canal Coordinating Council is working to protect and restore Hood Canal, take a look at a new website created by the council. It is called OurHoodCanal.org. The website is an attractive and functional companion to the “Hood Canal Integrated Watershed Plan” (PDF 325 kb), a five-year strategic plan focused on programs that can be accomplished by the coordinating council and its members. Hood Canal Coordinating Council is made up of county commissioners from Kitsap, Mason and Jefferson counties, along with leaders from the Skokomish and Port Gamble S’Klallam tribes. Christopher Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Coal is coming: Wyoming company aims to ship 24M tons of coal through Washington ports
If the terminals in Longview and Bellingham are approved, more than 20 million tons of coal a year could move through them. That's just from one company. Washington state is well positioned to become the next major hub for oil and gas refinement and exporting because of its proximity to Asia. Now, the coal industry wants in on the action. Wyoming-based Cloud Peak Energy Resources LLC (NYSE: CLD), a major player in U.S. coal mining, wants to see the contentious proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal in Bellingham and Millennium Bulk Terminal in Longview, Wash. developed. Then, it wants to use the terminals to ship huge quantities of coal to Asia. Sarah Aitchison reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Petronas-led group gives conditional okay for B.C. LNG project
A Malaysian-led consortium has given conditional approval to press ahead with plans to export B.C. liquefied natural gas. State-owned Petronas and its Asian partners said Thursday that the Pacific NorthWest LNG joint venture will proceed, subject to the completion this fall of a federal environmental assessment of the terminal to be built near Prince Rupert in northern British Columbia…. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA) launched its review of Pacific NorthWest LNG in April, 2013, but has halted the process several times since then because the regulator sought more information from the proponent. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Eight sites favoured for Victoria’s sewage plant
Eight sites, including Clover Point and the University of Victoria, are considered to have a high level of public support for at least a secondary sewage-treatment plant, according to results of a public consultation. Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay are in the midst of deciding where to build a sewage-treatment plant with the hope of narrowing down sites by the end of this month…. The eight top-ranked sites are: four spots in the Rock Bay area, including a public works yard, sites owned by B.C. Hydro and Transport Canada, and privately owned land; coast guard land beside Ogden Point; Clover Point; the University of Victoria; and the Saanich public works yard. Cindy E. Harnett reports. (Times Colonist)

Steeled courage from state lawmakers needed for steelhead habitat
A last legislative push is needed to save Nisqually River’s storied steelhead run. If you want to know why Puget Sound salmon are disappearing, you need to head upstream. In the case of the Nisqually River’s vanishing wild steelhead, 40 miles upstream. It’s here, high on the western flank of Mount Rainier, you’ll find Busy Wild Creek, the upper reach for spawning steelhead. Mark Higgins writes. (Seattle Times) See also: Fate of Pierce County’s steelhead in the balance  Matt Driscoll writes. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Clean Water Rule Celebrated As Advocates Launch Renewed Campaign To Keep It Intact
The wetlands and tributaries which supply major waterways also must be protected, the federal Environmental Protection Agency ruled last month when it expanded the Clean Water Act to regulate upstream pollution.  This expansion the landmark 1972 environmental law -- which has joint backing from the Army Corps of Engineers -- was celebrated in Seattle Thursday by a handful of  environmental advocacy groups including WASHPIRG  and Environment Washington.  They joined EPA Region 10 Administrator Dennis McLerran  at the Fremont Brewing Company to talk about the importance of clean water for businesses such as micro-breweries and agriculture. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

County shows off its low-impact development parking lot
When Skagit County Public Works employee Randy Nelson released 2,200 gallons of water from the holding tank of a water truck Thursday, some onlookers had the urge to flee to keep from getting their feet wet. But they didn’t have to. The water disappeared in seconds into the surface of a parking lot outside the Skagit County government offices, leaving only a ring of alder seeds as proof it was spilled. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI JUN 12 2015
TODAY
NW WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING W 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 14 SECONDS...
 SUBSIDING TO 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT
W WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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6/8 Oceans Day, WA budget, ship misses, oil spill, Longview, fuel trains, port alliance, glass-sponge reefs, herring, clean streets, Navy pier, Skagit dike, Olympic Park, drought

World Oceans Day is June 8th
This year’s theme is healthy oceans, healthy planet and people all over our blue planet are organizing celebrations throughout the week, from June 6th all the way to June 14th. Jump in.

Budget writers in Olympia have tentative spending agreement
State budget writers have tentatively agreed on a spending level for the state’s 2015-17 operating budget, according to the director of the state Office of Financial Management. Lawmakers are in the second special legislative session after months of a stalemate over how to fund government. If there’s no new budget by the July 1 start of the state’s new fiscal year, parts of the government will shut down. Joseph O'Sullivan reports. (Seattle Times) Meanwhile: Lawmakers claim $120 daily payments during special sessions Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

A year of close calls for ships on B.C. coast
Commercial ocean-going ships reported being involved in at least 14 official occurrences on the B.C. coast last year, including collisions, groundings, mechanical breakdowns at sea and close calls with other vessels, federal transportation safety board reports show. While not all involved accidents, some had the potential to be extremely serious, including the Japanese-owned 200-metre bulk carrier Ultra Saskatoon on July 2 reporting a “close-quarters situation” with the Hong Kong-owned 217-metre bulk carrier Great Loyalty near Race Rocks marine reserve off Victoria. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

In plain sight: How the Marathassa oil spill took hours to find
The sloop Odin set out from False Creek late on the sunny afternoon of April 8 for a pleasure sail, with the two-man crew, Rob O’Dea and Arnt Arntzen, using a steady northwest wind to tack their way around the transport freighters that use English Bay as a parking lot.  Around 4:45 p.m., the pair aboard Mr. Arntzen’s 21-foot sailboat spotted a large slick on the water, accompanied by the smell of fresh asphalt. It took them just 15 minutes of sailing to track the source to the bulk grain carrier MV Marathassa, which was at anchor in the bay after putting in to the Port of Vancouver to begin loading its cargo. By then, the slick was half a kilometre long and 250 meters wide, by Mr. O’Dea’s estimation. Beneath the blue sheen, he could see the water was thick with globules of oil. Mr. O’Dea called 911 at 5:05 p.m. from his cell phone, and a Canadian Coast Guard official called him back three minutes later to assure him they were already aware of the spill and had dispatched a pollution response team. That would have been reassuring, except there was no Coast Guard or any other emergency response vessel in sight. In fact, the clean-up crew would not be authorized to respond until three hours later. Justine Hunter reports. (Globe and Mail)

Mike Lowry’s visit to planned coal port upsets environmentalists
On the battlefield of one of the biggest environmental clashes to erupt in the Pacific Northwest in decades, an old soldier for liberal causes and steeped in “green” cred has re-emerged — but this time, he’s fighting for the other side. Or at least that’s how some environmental groups perceive Mike Lowry’s recent visit to the site of a proposed coal-export terminal on the Columbia River, where the former Washington governor and congressman spoke favorably about the controversial project. Lowry’s tour on May 28 of the proposed Millennium Bulk Terminals (MBT) coal-export facilities site in Longview — during which he met with company brass, local elected officials and labor representatives who back the project — quickly generated a story in the hometown newspaper. Lewis Kamb reports. (Seattle Times)

The Clean Energy Governor And The Columbia River Oil Refinery
A new oil refinery is the last thing you might expect Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s administration to be courting. After all, Inslee has developed a national reputation as a champion of curbing the use of fossil fuels. And yet, Inslee’s administration has worked for months to facilitate such a project along the Columbia River. A Texas-based energy company wants to site a combined crude oil and biofuel refinery in Longview, Washington. The company’s goal is to capitalize on low carbon fuel standards championed by West Coast political leaders, including Inslee. Conrad Wilson and Tony Schick report. (KUOW)

Coastal Salish Nation steps up opposition to fossil fuel trains
The Coast Salish Nation issued a statement this week that it plans to work collectively against the transport of crude oil by rail and sea through tribal territories. The Coast Salish Nation includes the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community and represents the ancestral territory of British Columbia First Nations and Western Washington tribes. The group met on Swimomish land in May and voted unanimously to try to stop all crude oil shipments through tribal territory. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Tacoma, Seattle ports approve Northwest Seaport Alliance plan
Two ports that for decades competed fiercely for Puget Sound shipping business toasted a friendly new alliance Friday that will join terminal operations and marketing activities under a single management. Those Champagne toasts came after the governing commissions of the ports of Tacoma and Seattle voted unanimously to seek the blessing of the Federal Maritime Commission for the newly named Northwest Seaport Alliance that will link the two ports’ shipping terminals to form the nation’s third-largest container port. John Gille reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Bellingham port environmental director retires after 20 years
When Mike Stoner first toured the Port of Bellingham’s properties 20 years ago, he started to make a mental list of contaminated sites that needed work…. Two decades and countless hours of investigating, building partnerships, and environmental planning later, one of the largest cleanup projects on that list is about to break ground and Stoner is set to retire. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Ottawa announces fishing closures to protect glass-sponge reefs in Strait of Georgia
Glass sponges are fragile, long-lived lifeforms that can be damaged by prawn traps…. The federal fisheries department announced Friday commercial and recreational fishing closures to protect nine glass-sponge reefs in the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound. The closures prohibit all "bottom-contact" fisheries, including prawn and crab traps, shrimp trawl, groundfish trawl, and hook-and-line, within a buffer zone of 150 metres around the nine reefs. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

First Nation Heiltsuk calls for extension of herring fishery closure
The Heiltsuk First Nation is calling for a coast-wide closure of the 2016 herring fishery, after it successfully shut down the 2015 fishery on the central coast earlier this spring. On Tuesday, the Bella Bella-based First Nation will issue a declaration that the herring and herring roe fisheries will remain closed until herring stocks have recovered. The Heiltsuk are in talks with the Haida and Nuu-chah-nulth to support a closure for the entire coast. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

State public lands commissioner calls for more study on Navy electronic warfare range plan
The Navy should rethink its proposed expansion of activities in its electronic warfare range in light of potential impacts on the threatened marbled murrelet and a deluge of comments against the plan, said Peter Goldmark, state commissioner of public lands. Goldmark, who manages the state Department of Natural Resources, said last week that the Navy's 2010 environmental impact statement on the effects of jet noise on the seabird listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act did not go far enough. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Cleaner streets for cleaner Puget Sound planned
Copper, zinc, phosphorous and other pollutants build up on Seattle’s streets before rain washes them into storm drains and waterways that lead to Puget Sound. During heavy rains, the sewer system fills up and the problem can worsen. As a solution, the city plans to double the coverage of its street-cleaning program, hoping to scour at least 40 additional tons of pollutants from roadways each year before they can reach the Sound. The $800,000 street-cleaning expansion — meant to help satisfy a consent agreement with state and federal authorities to rein in combined sewage overflows — also is the frugal way to go, officials said. Miguel Otarola reports. (Seattle Times)

Navy offers new option for proposed Port Angeles submarine escort pier
The Navy has announced the location of a fourth alternative site for a proposed pier at Ediz Hook, where a plethora of activity already is taking place. The new location was offered to mollify concerns expressed by the Puget Sound Pilots and others about the $16.7 million proposal, which would provide a dock for up to seven Navy submarine escort vessels. But the route of the vessels as they proceed to the newest-option pier also places them within 100 feet of Seattle-based Icicle Seafoods Inc.’s Atlantic-salmon fish farm. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Fir Island Farms Reserve closed to public for dike setback
Public access is now closed to the Fir Island Farms Reserve, where heavy machinery will begin moving dirt and materials next week for the start of a two-year tidal marsh restoration project, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Friday. The project, which is being done on Fish and Wildlife land on Fir Island, will set back the existing mile-long dike about 5,500 feet to reopen 131 acres of tidal marsh in the Skagit River Delta to fish and wildlife. Kimberley Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Whatcom charter review board targets environmental groups
Conservatives on the county Charter Review Commission and their allies have a strategy for fixing what they say is wrong with Whatcom County. In addition to recommending more local representation on the council through district-only voting, a task they finished in February, they seek to de-fund “special interest groups” that support environmental causes. At the May 18 charter review meeting, Michelle Luke, who was endorsed by Republicans during her unsuccessful campaign for council in 2013, said district-only voting was needed to correct the excessive protections placed on rural land by conservation nonprofits…. Commissioners on May 18 didn’t mention by name any of the nonprofits they were targeting, but it appeared they were referring to conservation advocacy groups such as Futurewise and RE Sources for Sustainable Communities. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Olympic National Park's newest attraction is made out of an old dam
The west rim of the Glines Canyon overlook is finished and ready for visitors, just in time for summer. Perched on what was once the spillway of the 210-foot-tall Glines Canyon Dam, the overlook offers expansive views of a wide valley that previously held the Lake Mills reservoir. The Elwha River, released by breaching of the dam that was finished in August, now flows freely through the deep canyon just below the viewpoint. (Peninsula Daily News)

Drought Conditions Reach Unexpected Corners Of Northwest
The U.S. Drought Monitor shows almost all of eastern Oregon and parts of eastern Washington are now in severe drought. But the dry conditions are also reaching into corners of the Northwest that usually remain relatively lush. An example is the south fork of the Coeur d’Alene River. The river feels different and is slower than normal. Jessica Robinson reports. (EarthFix)

Will fake killer whale fool sea lions in Astoria — and what if it does?
Chris Dunagan writes: "I was eager to find out if a 32-foot fiberglass replica of a killer whale could scare off a huge number of sea lions crowded together on the docks in Astoria, Ore. I kept telling my wife Sue, “It’s not going to work” — and I had not the slightest idea that the motorized orca might capsize during its attempt to frighten the persistent sea lions…." (Watching Our Water Ways)

Calls mount for B.C. to take stronger action against invasive mussels
With the start of summer boating season in British Columbia’s freshwater lakes, the annual game of chance begins: The provincial government is gambling that it can prevent any boats contaminated with invasive mussels from launching within its borders. B.C. introduced its new mobile decontamination units on May 29, to check boats coming from other parts of North America for signs of quagga and zebra mussels. The rapidly reproducing invaders can hitchhike on boats, marine trailers and fishing gear. Once they have a foothold they choke out native species, clog infrastructure such as water intakes, and leave beaches littered with piercing shells. Justine Hunter reports. (Globe and Mail)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON JUN 8 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

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

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