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

Galloping Gertie (Tacoma Public Library/News Tribune)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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10/21 Vancouver redone, Trudeau & BC pipes, salmon closures, sunscreen & corals

Vancouver redone (City of Vancouver/CBC)

City of Vancouver reveals artist renderings of viaduct-free downtown
City staff painted a picture Tuesday at council of what downtown Vancouver might look like with the removal of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts…. The proposal to remove the viaducts, which would cost up to $127 million, includes an "almost unheard of" increase in downtown park space. It also includes two new city blocks that would be used for social and market housing. (CBC)

Trudeau victory means uncertain future for pipeline projects
The Liberal victory in yesterday's federal election appears to be the nail in the coffin for one West Coast pipeline project, but the future of another remains unclear. Incoming-prime minister Justin Trudeau is on record saying he would kill the Northern Gateway Pipeline proposal, which would carry crude oil from the Alberta oilsands to a tanker terminal on the North Coast of B.C. near Prince Rupert…. That leaves the proposed expansion of the existing Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline, which runs from Alberta to Port Metro Vancouver on the South Coast of B.C. While Trudeau has promised to formalize the non-binding moratorium on crude oil tanker traffic on B.C.'s North Coast passed by MP's in 2010 — that ban applies specifically to the North Coast. And that leaves leave the door open for Kinder Morgan, which is seeking approval from the NEB to twin the 50-year-old pipeline, tripling its capacity, and increasing the tanker traffic in Vancouver's Burrard Inlet on the South Coast. Mike Laanela reports. (CBC)

Salmon fishing closed on Skagit, Stillaguamish rivers
To protect lower than expected runs of returning coho salmon, fishing on the Skagit and Stillaguamish rivers is closed. The closure started Monday, according to a state Department of Fish & Wildlife news release. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) Central Puget Sound salmon season closes three months early  The central Puget Sound’s salmon fishing season has ended more than three months early due to concerns about endangered chinook. Tristan Baurick reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Chemicals In Sunscreen Are Harming Coral Reefs, Says New Study
New research about sunscreen’s damaging effects on coral reefs suggest that you might want to think twice before slathering it on. Reports about the harmful environmental effects of certain chemicals in the water have been circulated for years, but according to the authors of a new study released Tuesday, the chemicals in even one drop of sunscreen are enough to damage fragile coral reef systems. Some 14,000 tons of sunscreen lotions wind up in coral reefs around the world each year. The ingredient oxybenzone leaches the coral of its nutrients and bleaches it white. It can also disrupt the development of fish and other wildlife. Laura Wagner reports. (NPR)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 247 AM PDT WED OCT 21 2015
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN
 IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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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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"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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10/8 Oho, water rule, BC pipes, salty Fraser, Grays Hbr oil, Vancouver WA oil, shark swim

Hurricane Oho threatens Alaska, Canada as it moves away from Hawaii
Hurricane Oho missed Hawaii and is speeding away from the state tonight. But it could bring rain to Washington state as it passes offshore Thursday and it will likely bring heavy rain and strong winds to Alaska and British Columbia starting Thursday night. Craig Gima reports. (Star-Advertiser) See also: Hurricane Oho is Heading Towards the Northwest  Cliff Mass reports. (Weather Blog)

Governor takes another swing at state standards for water quality
Defeated so far in his efforts to pass legislation and write revised water quality standards, Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday is expected to try again with a new rule that would restore state regulatory control asserted by the EPA. Lynda Mapes reports. (Seattle Times)

New blog: When Drones Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Have Drones
"First of all, I won’t identify the drone operator in my neighborhood by name because I don’t want to inspire others by glorifying his actions. I’m sure he bought his drone legally and thinks he is exercising his God-given constitutional rights to fly it above my house. If someone’s going to take his drone away, they’ll most likely have to kill him first…."

Overturning decision on B.C. pipeline would end project, court hears
A decision to overturn the environmental approval certificates for Northern Gateway’s controversial pipeline enterprise would kill the $7-billion proposal, a court has heard. “If you quash the certificates the music stops,” lawyer Bernard Roth told a Federal Appeal Court panel in Vancouver on Wednesday. “We can’t file anything more with the [National Energy Board]. We can’t continue with our project.” Geordon Omand reports. (Canadian Press) See also: B.C. government, Pacific NorthWest LNG reject reports of Petronas project delay  (Canadian Press)

Study will examine increased salination of Fraser River
Delta and Richmond farmers hope to commission a $75,000 report to examine ways to prevent salination of the Fraser River, fearing climate change and the removal of the Massey Tunnel could affect their ability to access fresh water for crops in the future. The study, which farmers hope will start in the next few months, will investigate the potential impact of increased salinity levels in the Lower Fraser River due to the salt wedge — where ocean water meets river water — moving farther upstream as a result of changes in the hydrology of the river. The aim is to provide a profile of the salt wedge — such as its thickness, depth and its movements upstream — as well as a monitoring program to ensure farmers aren’t drawing salty river water for crop irrigation. Kelly Sinoski reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Large crowds expected on Grays Harbor oil-terminal hearing
State officials say large crowds are expected Thursday at a public hearing on two oil terminals proposed at the Port of Grays Harbor in Hoquiam. Two companies want to expand existing facilities to bring crude oil by train from the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana. The oil would then be transported by tankers or barges to refineries in Puget Sound and northern California. Westway Terminal Co. wants to expand its methanol facility to store up to 1.4 million barrels of crude oil. Meanwhile, Imperium, which was acquired by Renewable Energy Group, wants to expand its biodiesel facility to store up to 1.1 million barrels of crude oil and other liquids. (Associated Press)

Ruling: NuStar oil terminal must undergo detailed review
NuStar Energy’s plans to handle crude oil at the Port of Vancouver [WA] must undergo a detailed environmental review, a city hearings examiner decided Tuesday. The ruling affirms an earlier decision by the city that NuStar must complete an environmental impact statement before it can get a permit. The sweeping document would provide a thorough look at the proposal and its potential effects. It would also explore alternatives and invite new testimony. NuStar had argued that the project should not require an environmental impact statement, and that the city’s justification for requiring it was flawed. Eric Florip reports. (Columbian)

Reporter’s assignment — swimming among the Point Defiance sharks
A new attraction at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium allows participants to swim with 16 sharks — with no barrier. Stacia Glenn reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU OCT 8 2015
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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10/2 Land & Water fund, BC pipe, BC Conservancy, water regs, wetland farm, Snake flotilla, stink beach

Kelp greenling (Joe Tomelleri)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 425 AM PDT FRI OCT 2 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 8 FT AT
 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT
SE WIND TO 10 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SE TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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

Little owl (Athene noctua)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 248 AM PDT WED SEP 30 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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9/3 Whales, orcas, oil trains, water rules, crab pots, port traffic, spill response, quake, fishing

This you have to watch: How Whales Change Climate
When whales were at their historic populations, before their numbers were reduced, it seems that whales might have been responsible for removing tens of millions of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere every year. Whales change the climate. The return of the great whales, if they are allowed to recover, could be seen as a benign form of geo-engineering. It could undo some of the damage we have done, both to the living systems of the sea, and to the atmosphere. (Sustainable Human)

B.C. orca calves ‘growing like weeds’ in waters off Vancouver Island
The Class of 2015 — four orcas born since late December — is thriving in the waters of B.C. and Washington state. All are part of the southern resident orca population, which includes the J, K and L pods. Southern resident orcas are listed as endangered, with pollution and lack of food among the contributing factors. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

How Harry Styles sent SeaWorld's image diving
One Direction's Harry Styles sent SeaWorld's reputation plunging on social media when he urged concertgoers to boycott the chain of aquatic theme parks, research by the investment bank Credit Suisse suggests. Are young people turning en masse against the idea of animals in captivity? (Vanessa Barford reports. (BBC)

Feds give extension to fix defect causing oil train leaks
Railroad tank cars equipped with defective valves still will be allowed to transport crude oil and other hazardous materials through the end of the year, despite a March directive from federal regulators requiring their replacement within 60 days. The Federal Railroad Administration order followed a Bellingham Herald story about a leaking oil train reported in Washington state in January…. About 6,000 tank cars were affected by the recall, issued on March 13. Curtis Tate and Samantha Wohlfeil report. (McClatchy)

Feds Propose Tougher Clean Water Rule For Washington, Holding Line On Cancer Risk
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is making good on its promise to put forward a clean water rule for Washington, in case the state doesn’t come up with its own plan in time. At issue is how much fish the government says is safe to eat, if it’s caught in polluted water.  In early August, Washington was on track to adopt a major rewrite of the state's outdated water standard, known as the "fish consumption rule." It uses the amount of fish we eat as a measure of how clean the water must be to protect human health. But Gov. Jay Inslee put the most recent proposal on hold and directed the state Department of Ecology to reassess its approach. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Crab pots mysteriously vanish in Puget Sound
Since last season, more than 1,000 crab and shrimp pots have been reported stolen or lost to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. "When it's gone, they always think the worst," said Ralph Downes, a fish and wildlife police officer for two decades. "Worst case scenario? I'm thinking 10 percent is the result of theft." As for the other 90 percent, Downes and other wildlife officers think the culprit is the strong current of the sound. Dan Cassuto reports. (KING)

Puget Sound Ports Lose Ground As Mega Ships Grow
The container terminals at the ports of Seattle and Tacoma are running at less than half their capacity, according to a study conducted for the ports. The study by Mercator International of Kirkland – one of several last year – said no other major port complex in North America is so underused. Mercator also says Puget Sound ports have been losing ground, even as competitor ports have been gaining. Carolyn Adolph reports. (KUOW)

WCMRC christens its newest oil spill response vessel
Vancouver, British Columbia, based Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) christened its newest oil spill response vessel yesterday in Burrard Inlet. The $4.5 million G.M. Penman is a 65-foot Ocean Class oil spill response vessel (OSRV) built by Rozema Boat Works, Mount Vernon, WA. It is only the fifth vessel of its kind in the world with sister vessels operating in Santa Barbara servicing the offshore production platforms off the California coast. (Marine Log)

Worst-case scenario Vancouver earthquake could have death toll of 10,000
It’s a typically rainy day in January at 2 p.m. Downtown cores are packed, with businesses in full swing after workers have returned from the holidays. Then the earthquake hits Vancouver. Most people hear it before they feel it — a low, rumbling sound similar to a freight train. Closest to the epicentre, violent shaking, which lasts 10 to 20 seconds, knocks people off their feet. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Washington eases fishing restrictions on some rivers
As conditions improve in some Washington rivers, state officials are easing fishing restrictions and closures put in place earlier this summer because of the drought. The Department of Fish and Wildlife had closed or restricted access on more than 60 rivers and streams to protect fish, which can be harmed by low river flows and warmer water temperatures. On Wednesday, the agency said fishing is now open or no longer restrict to certain hours on more than a dozen rivers, including in north Puget Sound, south-central Washington and on the Olympic Peninsula. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 258 AM PDT THU SEP 3 2015
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT IN THE MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. NW SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS 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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8/31 Salmon watch, windstorm, Hood Canal, Gorge waterway, Mt Baker glacier, oil train, Longview oil, Denali

Elwha 8/28/15 (Tom Roorda and CWI)

If you like to watch: Salmon in the Elwha  (John  Gussman) See also: pinks in the green  (Mark Powell)

If Seattle loses salmon, we also could lose city’s soul
Seattle’s the only city in the Lower 48 where lots of salmon run right through the teeth of the urban environment. But this summer the tour guides have had to work to come up with a fish story. Danny Westneat reports. (Seattle Times)

100,000 still without power after windstorm  (Seattle Times) B.C. storm: 60,000 in Metro Vancouver still without power  (CBC)

Lack of oxygen killing marine life in Hood Canal waters
A lack of oxygen in southern Hood Canal is killing fish, crab and other marine life, according to Seth Book, a biologist with the Skokomish Tribe who has been monitoring the marine waterway. Through the month of August, Book and other Skokomish staff have observed dead English sole and thousands of dead and dying eel pouts on the beaches. They also have found masses of dead cockles and butter clams, and on Friday, Book said he saw hundreds of crab along the beaches that were trying to get to the surface to breath. “It’s a dead zone anywhere east of Sister’s Point to Belfair, Mason County. There’s very low oxygen at depth,” Book said. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Victoria's Gorge waterway needs cleanup after barge full of scrap cars tips
A barge carrying scrap vehicles tipped in Victoria's Gorge Waterway Friday, sending more than 50 cars spilling into the water. The accident occurred when a crane that was loading cars onto the barge apparently tipped, causing the barge to list badly, said Katie Hamilton, a spokeswoman for the city of Victoria. (CBC)

Living on boats to be a thing of the past in Victoria's Gorge
The sight of live-aboard boats anchoring on the Gorge Waterway in Victoria could soon be a thing of the past. Council passed a bylaw banning overnight anchoring in the Gorge last year, and by the end of October, people living in boats could be told to raise anchor and leave. Council was mostly concerned about environmental impacts from the boats after hearing complaints that some of the people living on the dozen or so boats — some of which have been described as derelict — were dumping sewage and garbage into the ocean near a sensitive ecological habitat. (CBC)

Scientists, Nooksack tribe study shrinking Mount Baker glacier
…. The glaciers on Mount Baker, a volcanic peak about 125 miles northeast of Seattle, provide a critical water source for agriculture, cities and tribes during the late summer. The icy glacial melt keeps streams cool for fish and replenishes rivers during a time of year when they typically run low. For the Nooksack Indian Tribe, which has relied for hundreds of years on salmon runs in the glacier-fed Nooksack River, a way of life is at risk. Without that glacial runoff, rivers will dry up more quickly and warm up faster, making it harder for salmon to spawn or migrate to the ocean. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Request made to extend comment period on oil-by-rail environmental studies
Several Washington community leaders sent a letter Friday to Skagit County Commissioner Ken Dahlstedt and Gov. Jay Inslee requesting 120-day public comment periods for the proposed Shell Puget Sound Refinery rail unloading facility in Anacortes and the proposed Grays Harbor crude oil terminals. The letter, which was also sent to Hoquiam City Manager Brian Shay and state Department of Ecology Director Maia Bellon, urged officials to allow the longer comment periods for the draft environmental impact statements of the projects in order to give community groups more time to gather information. The draft environmental impact statements have yet to be completed. Shannen Kuest reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Parched Olympic Peninsula Community Eyes New Reservoir
For more than a century, the snowmelt that fed the Dungeness River here has provided water for farmers’ crops as well as salmon journeying to the ocean and back. The system has worked well – except when there’s not enough water. And now that this part of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is caught in the drought afflicting much of the West, interest in building a new reservoir is on the rise. For longtime advocate Gary Smith, that’s a good thing. Ashley Ahearn reports. (KUOW)

Oil And More: Longview Energy Company Proposes Expansion
An energy company wants to build a transfer terminal in Longview, Washington that could handle liquefied natural gas and crude oil, according to documents reviewed Friday by OPB. The project is an expansion on an already proposed oil refinery for Longview. The documents were obtained by Columbia River Keeper through a public records request. They describe an “off-load and transfer terminal” at the Port of Longview that could handle up to two unit trains per day. Conrad Wilson and Tony Schick report. (OPB)

Obama Renaming Continent's Highest Peak From Mt. McKinley To Denali
The White House announced Sunday that President Obama is changing the name of North America's highest peak. Mt. McKinley — named after William McKinley, the 25th president, who served in the White House until his assassination in 1901 — is returning to its traditional Alaska Native name, Denali. Obama will make a public announcement of the name change in Anchorage Monday, during a three-day visit to Alaska. Brakkton Booker reports. (NPR)

Lower Elwha Klallam tribe plans to restore beach on Ediz Hook
A restored beach of sand and dune grass will replace rip rap and concrete rubble on the south side of Ediz Hook this fall. The Lower Elwha Klallam tribe plans to re-establish original habitat to two-thirds of a mile of shoreline east of the old A-frame site. The remains of the A-frame log dock vanished in 2008, and the tribe restored the nearby beach in 2011. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON AUG 31 2015
TODAY
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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8/25 Barred owls, Skagit fire, Vic sewer, Nautilus, Tesoro xylene

Barred owl (Paul Bannick/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: The Barred Owl Calls
Barred Owls are very territorial, and they don't migrate. Solitary calls from a male in early spring probably mean that he has not attracted a mate. In May and June, he continues to hoot, though less frequently. By summer, breeding season has passed. Maybe this solitary Barred Owl is what some scientists call a "non-breeding floater". Perhaps his patch of woods is just too small to host a pair of owls year round. (BirdNote)

Wildfire Shuts Down Hydropower On The Skagit River. What You Need To Know
Eight fires are burning more than 4,000 acres in Washington’s North Cascades. The largest of the fires has damaged transmission lines, leading Seattle City LIght to shut down power generation at three dams on the Skagit River. The utility is losing $100,000 in revenue each day that the lines are down. Conditions have remained unsafe for repair crews to work on the power lines. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Victoria mayor promises sewage solution coming, tourism boycott unnecessary  
Victoria's mayor says the city needs to do a better job of letting its Washington neighbours know it has a handle on the Capital Regional District's sewage situation.  Last week, the Seattle Times published an editorial on Victoria's constipated political process, suggesting it's time for a tourism boycott unless the district makes progress getting a treatment system up and running…. Mayor Lisa Helps says the editorial's timing is ironic, coming days after the district announced what she calls a big step forward — hiring consultants to cost out potential new sites and appointing an independent oversight panel. (CBC)

Robotics-equipped Nautilus to help maintain UVic's undersea labs
The man credited with finding the wreck of the Titanic in 1985 is providing his research vessel for an expedition to benefit the renowned underwater laboratory systems run by University of Victoria -based Ocean Networks Canada. Robert Ballard knows ONC president Kate Moran from their days together at the University of Rhode Island, so he was happy to have the ship Nautilus, with all of its specialized equipment, put to good use by his friend. He said he will keep a close eye on the trip from his computers at home in Connecticut. Jeff Bell reports. (Times Colonist)

How Tesoro’s Petrochem Plans May Threaten Anacortes & the Salish Sea
In July 2014, Tesoro Corporation announced plans to build a xylene extraction facility at the site of its existing oil refinery in Anacortes, Washington. The $400 million facility would be capable of producing 15,000 barrels per day for export to Asia in oceangoing vessels. Yet xylene is a little-known chemical, and it’s worth asking: what is the risk of xylene to Northwest communities? Eric de Place reports. (Sightline)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-900 AM PDT TUE AUG 25 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
 TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 16 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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8/24 Totem pole, oil train, BC pipe hearing, BC salmon $, Qwuloolt estuary, Seattle seawall, carwash toxin, garbage

Totem pole (Paul K Anderson)

Native Americans' totem pole journeys to oppose coal exports
A Native American tribe is taking a 22-foot totem pole from Canada through the Pacific Northwest to Montana in opposition of proposed coal export terminals. A team from the Lummi Nation, from Washington's Puget Sound, started the journey on Friday. The pole will travel more than 1,300 miles by truck, from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Missoula, with multiple stops in Washington and Oregon. Its journey includes blessing ceremonies at each of the proposed coal ports and in tribal communities and houses of worship along the oil train route. Gosia Wozniacka reports. (Associated Press)

New Oil Train Safety Rules Approved In Oregon
The Oregon Transportation Commission adopted new rules Friday requiring railroads to increase the amount of information they share with state officials. Months in the making, the rules come in response to concerns over the state’s readiness for oil train spills and fires. Emergency responders will now get immediate notification from railroads for incidents involving hazardous materials. Those notifications include information about the type, quantity and placement of any materials on the train. Railroads now must file quarterly reports with the Oregon Department of Transportation detailing shipments of hazardous materials. ODOT will in turn share those reports with emergency responders. The new rules specify the information is to be released under the state’s public records law, but allow some exemptions for trade secrets. Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix) See also: As oil train burned, firefighters waited 2 hours for critical details  Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Kinder Morgan pipeline hearings postponed after consultant's evidence struck from record
A National Energy Board panel has postponed hearings that were supposed to begin next week into Kinder Morgan's Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, because a consultant who prepared evidence in favour of the project will soon work for the regulator. Kinder Morgan Canada, the company behind the project, filed evidence with the board in late 2013 that was prepared by Steven Kelly, a consultant with IHS Global Canada at the time. The report supported the project's economic benefits. In July, federal Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford announced Kelly had been appointed to a seven-year term on the National Energy Board starting Oct. 13. As a result, the hearing panel has decided to strike Kelly's evidence from the record and has directed Kinder Morgan to list any other evidence he prepared. (Canadian Press)

Harper’s salmon habitat funding ‘a drop in the bucket’: critics
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says a re-elected Conservative government would help restore and enhance B.C.’s salmon habitat and marine environment. But others involved in preserving salmon habitat say it’s little more than cheap electioneering by a government that has, over the past several years, gutted regulations and cut front line staff…. Harper was in the riding of North Island-Powell River Friday to promise an extended partnership with the Pacific Salmon Foundation (PSF) and $15 million to restore and conserve British Columbia estuaries. Brian Morton reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Qwuloolt Estuary Project’s goal: Return of the wild salmon
A small inflatable boat slipped into Allen Creek near where it empties into Ebey Slough…. The four researchers dropped a beach seine into the channel, dragged it ashore, drained out the water and then began sorting through the morass of weeds and dirt to find every squirming fish…. The team, employees of the Tulalip Tribes, was led by Casey Rice, a research biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center. They were doing one of the final counts before the ecosystem of this 400-acre lowland is changed forever. At low tide on Friday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers intends to breach a levee separating Ebey Slough from former farmland. When the high tide returns, salt water flowing upstream from Possession Sound will flood the area, returning the land to the salt marsh it had been before the levees were built more than a century ago. Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)

Seawall project 33 percent over budget, next phase delayed
Seattle's new seawall is going to cost at least 33 percent more than initially budgeted and the entire waterfront project will be delayed by a year. The project, which will now cost $409 million, has run into what leaders have called "challenges no one expected." It was scheduled to be completed in 2016, and will now be delayed until 2017. Voters approved $290 million to make seismic upgrades and other updates to the seawall in 2012, and the project has been underway since last year. It was initially budgeted at $300 million, then increased to $330 million. Emily Parkhurst reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Chambers Creek Soundview Trail reopens Saturday
Chambers Creek Regional Park’s Soundview Trail and the Central Meadow parking lot and restrooms will reopen to the public Saturday, nine weeks after the U.S. Open golf championship was played on the property. Access to the beach, off-leash dog park and Central Meadow grass area will stay closed for now, but the beach and dog park could be ready for public use by the end of the month, according to Tony Tipton, Pierce County Parks and Recreation director. Brynn Grimley reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Carwash chemical a hazard to workers, state agency warns
Hydrofluoric acid, a chemical commonly used at commercial car and truck washes, can cause serious burns to exposed skin, sometimes requiring hospitalization, according to new research cited by the state Department of Labor and Industries. (Associated Press)

Research at Rosario
On Rosario Beach south of Anacortes, 40 acres of private land are tucked between beachside residences and Deception Pass State Park. Rosario Beach Marine Laboratory is a place where summer camp meets aquarium for grown-ups. Water pools beneath recently used diving suits, sea creatures lurk in every tank and bucket, and laughter explodes from a classroom. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

'Great Pacific Garbage Patch' researchers devastated by sight
Far away from California's coast, where the Pacific Ocean currents swirl, the blue of the sea was replaced by fishing nets, buckets, buoys, laundry baskets and unidentifiable pieces of plastic that floated past the Ocean Star, a ship carrying a team of scientists and volunteers gathering data on plastic garbage. "We were surrounded by an endless layer of garbage," sad Serena Cunsolo, an Italian marine biologist who works for The Ocean Cleanup. "It was devastating to see." Cunsolo, 28, was one of a team of 15 researchers and volunteers aboard the Ocean Starr who a month ago set out from San Francisco to study the plastic waste as part of the "Mega Expedition," a major step in the organization's effort to eventually clean up what's known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 435 AM PDT MON AUG 24 2015
TODAY
VARIABLE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT THIS AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS... SUBSIDING TO 6 FT.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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8/12 BNSF fined, orca play, drought, Growlers, sustainable seafood, 'blob,' humpback, Omni Processor

BNSF no-no (Skagit Valley Herald)

BNSF Railway fined for treated railroad ties in water
The Washington State Department of Ecology has fined BNSF Railway $86,000 for placing creosote-treated railroad ties and other materials from maintenance projects in Whatcom and Skagit county water bodies. (Associated Press)

If you like to watch: Orca whales aug 9 2015 in Active Pass from Galiano Island
Orcas in Active Pass Aug 9 2015. An excellent show today of J and L pods shot from Galiano Island. Our guest Kim saw them for the first time today and was very excited as you can hear! (and who wouldn't be seeing them like this for the first time!) Gary Cullen shares.

Drought Worsens: Seattle Area Asked To Cut Water Use
Residents of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett are being asked to cut back on their use of water by 10 percent. That’s because the summer’s historic high temperatures and lack of precipitation have worsened the region’s water supply outlook. In addition, water supply managers are worried about forecasts for drier than normal conditions this fall. Deborah Wang reports. (KUOW)

Judge declines to stop the Growler overflights on Whidbey Island
Judge says citizens of Ebey’s Reserve failed to show the impact of Growler overflights was significantly worse than predicted by the Navy in 2005. Mike Carter reports. (Seattle Times)

Sustainable label confusion thrives in lack of regulation
No one goes to the supermarket deliberately intending to destroy the planet. Which is why labels can make shopping such a life-affirming experience: proudly rejecting that suspiciously cheap piece of cod in favour of officially approved salmon; choosing anything with the words 'Organic', 'Wild' or 'Fresh' stamped on the side; purchasing yet another ancient grain to join the untouched heaps already moulding in your pantry. Most of us want to be good global citizens. And labels provide a kind of shortcut to help us get there. So what is a consumer supposed to make of the decision by SeaChoice to end its partnership with Overwaitea? Or of the grocery giant's promise of a yet-to-be-announced partnership with another "national sustainable seafood program"? Jason Proctor reports. (CBC)

Weather Scientists Want Your Help To Understand 'The Blob'
It’s an unusually warm patch of water off the West Coast that has flummoxed climatologists. “It’s still rearing its ugly head,” said Nick Bond, Washington state climatologist and regular contributor to KUOW. He first detected The Blob in 2013. The Blob is 1,000 feet wide and 300 feet deep. Climatologists and oceanographers want to know its effects, and if it’s to blame for the drought that has gripped the West Coast. Oceanographers wonder if it’s to blame for the largest bloom of toxic algae in more than a decade. Jeannie Yandel reports. (KUOW)

Humpback whale likely killed by entanglement near Klemtu
A humpback whale that washed up dead on the North Coast of B.C. likely died because it was entangled by rope, according to those who have seen it. Last Friday Spirit Bear Adventures wildlife guide Philip Charles got a call that a humpback whale was drifting close to the community of Klemtu. He set off with a team from Pacific Wild Conservation to Nowish Bay where they found the massive animal washed up dead on the rocks. (CBC)

Janicki Bioenergy’s Omni Processor drawing interest
With Janicki Bioenergy’s Omni Processor fully operational in east Africa, interest is pouring in from potential buyers. The Omni Processor turns sewage sludge into drinking water and electricity. The electricity is used to run the machine and could eventually supply power to homes. Shelby Rowe reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 851 AM PDT WED AUG 12 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. 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

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

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

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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