6/4 House move, pit-to-pier, Navy orcas, oil future, Shell drill, bad pipe, Ocean Modeling, whale hunt

House move (KOMO)

If you like to watch: Mansion on the move: $3.5M house barged to Bainbridge
Matt and Mary Rain are making a monstrous move -- a 500-ton move, to be exact. The Bainbridge Island couple bought a 1923 Madison Park Mansion that they call their "rescue home" and they barged it to Bainbridge…. Crews from Nickels Brother Industrial Movers spent the past two and half months preparing the house for the giant trek across Lake Washington, through the Ballard Locks and across the Puget Sound. They tunneled under concrete and put three layers of criss cross steel and more than a dozen dollies under the home to lift it onto a barge…. The house, valued at $3.5 million with its granite kitchen floors and counter tops, will cost the new owners a minimum of $750,000 to buy and move. They wanted a home made a recycled materials like their last dream house. Elisa Jaffe reports. (KOMO)

Pit-to-pier claims against state dismissed; Developer plans to appeal superior court decision
A Kitsap County judge has dismissed with prejudice all claims made against the state by the developer of the controversial pit-to-pier project along Hood Canal. That developer – Hood Canal Sand and Gravel – is not giving up its fight to nullify an easement granted by the state Department of Natural Resources to the U.S. Navy for tidelands along the Hood Canal shoreline, which has effectively blocked its plan to build a pier for loading gravel onto barges for shipment to local and international markets. “We're going to be appealing the decision,” said Dan Baskins, project manager for developer Hood Canal Sand and Gravel's Thorndyke Resource Operation Complex, also known as T-ROC. Nicholas Johnson reports. (Port Townsend Leader)

Navy halts live-fire exercise to avoid harming whales
The Canadian navy halted a live-fire explosives exercise near Nanoose Bay on Wednesday after a whale-watching crew warned that a pod of orcas was arriving in the area. J-pod, which includes three calves less than a year old, was heading south of Qualicum and into the path of the active military exercise in the Strait of Georgia off Nanoose Bay, said Dan Kukat, owner of SpringTide Whale Watching…. A similar incident happened in July 2014, when the Canadian Forces suspended an explosives exercise near Bentinck Island after a whale-watching company alerted them to approaching orcas. Bentinck Island, near Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, is used by the military as a demolition range and test site for explosives. Katie Derosa reports. (Times Colonist)

Sorry environmentalists, the Pacific Northwest is likely the next big hub for oil and gas
The Pacific Northwest has traditionally prided itself on environmental leadership and clean energy, but radical changes in the oil and gas industry could mean the region will become the next major hub for oil and gas production. That's primarily because of our proximity to Asia. With its growing population and increasing demand for fossil fuels, the Pacific Northwest coast is the easiest way to get coal, oil and gas from North America to Asia. Sarah Aitchison reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Shell Oil’s Arctic rig permit hearing set for July 23
A hearing has been set for July 23 for the Port of Seattle and Foss Maritime’s appeal to the City of Seattle’s interpretation that the port needs a new permit to host Shell’s Oil’s rig Polar Pioneer. Representatives from all parties attended a prehearing conference Wednesday with deputy hearing examiner Anne Watanabe to discuss the timeline and to estimate how much time the parties will need for witness testimony. Coral Garnick reports. (Seattle Times)

Pipeline that spilled oil on California coast badly corroded
A pipeline rupture that spilled an estimated 101,000 gallons of crude oil near Santa Barbara last month occurred along a badly corroded section that had worn away to a fraction of an inch in thickness, federal regulators disclosed Wednesday. The preliminary findings released by the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration point to a possible cause of the May 19 spill that blackened popular beaches and created a 9-mile slick in the Pacific Ocean. Michael R. Blood and Brian Melley report. (Associated Press)

Ocean Modeling Forum to bring human element to herring fishery, others
Similar to how hurricane forecasters combine all projected paths of the storm to predict landfall, a new group aims to take the most useful science and perspectives to gauge how the world’s oceans should be best managed. The Ocean Modeling Forum, a collaboration between the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at University of Washington and NOAA Fisheries, is trying something very rare — bringing together multiple science models and people who care about a particular ocean resource or fishery to decide what’s most important for its vitality and the communities it serves. Michelle Ma reports. (UW Today)

Public comment period for Makah whaling request is extended to July 31
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service has extended to July 31 the period for public comment on the Makah tribe's request to resume whaling. The opportunity to comment on the draft environmental impact statement had been scheduled to close June 11. Anti-whaling activists — who included Chuck and Margaret Owens of Joyce and D.J. Schubert of the Animal Welfare Institute of Washington, D.C. — had urged at an April 29 public meeting in Port Angeles that they be given more time to file objections to the tribe's request for a waiver from the Marine Mammal Protection Act. James Casey reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 243 AM PDT THU JUN 4 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 17 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 16 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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6/3 L121, oil train, Shell drill, octopus, herring, poaching, BC mine ponds, rain gardens, septics

L-121 (Marcie Callewaert/Victoria Marine Science Association)

Killer whale baby boom: 4th calf spotted near Tofino
Whale watchers on Canada's West Coast are celebrating the confirmed sighting of a fourth killer whale calf born to the endangered southern resident population this year. The calf, named L-121, was spotted on June 1 with L-Pod near Cox Beach south of Tofino on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The sighting was welcome news, because L-Pod lost one calf and a three-year-old female in recent years, and L-121, which was first spotted in February, wasn't seen the last time the pod was observed off the coast of Oregon by NOAA Fisheries scientists....  After years of population decline, the recent sighting combined with three other calves born to J-Pod this spring, puts the population of wild southern resident orcas at 81. (CBC) See also: Fake Baby Orca Joins Astoria's Sea Lion Scare Event Thursday  Lizzy Duffy reports. (KUOW)

Shell v. Skagit; Court Rules The Public Is Entitled To More Information About Oil Train Transport
Shell Oil didn’t get far last week in its effort to head off a study of Bakken oil transport in the Skagit Valley. Its lawsuit rolled backward down a legal slope, like the unattended oil train that blew up in Quebec in 2013. Nobody got hurt when the rhetorical brakes failed in Skagit County Superior Court last week. The world’s second-biggest oil company (or biggest, depending on how you measure it) emerged with smudges on its corporate profile. There may have been some gains in people’s right to know the hazards of living in the midst of a frantic rush to extract and sell fossil fuel. A lawsuit filed by Shell over Skagit County’s plans to conduct an environmental impact statement on Shell’s proposed unloading oil facility in Anacortes was dismissed on Thursday by a Skagit County Superior Court judge. Bob Simmons reports. (Cascadia Weekly) Event: Oil Trains in Anacortes. Depot Arts Center, Wednesday, June 3 - 7:00pm  Eric De Place, Sightline Institute, will speak on the costs and consequences of increased oil train traffic for the city of Anacortes and the larger regional picture of the Northwest grappling with an unprecedented influx of coal, oil, and gas export schemes.

Railroad And Oil Refineries Sign Mutual Aid Agreement To Respond To Accidents
BNSF Railway and oil refineries in Washington are teaming up to better respond to accidents.  The railroad and BP Cherry Point, Phillips 66, Shell Oil Products US, Tesoro Companies and U.S. Oil Refining Company have all signed the agreement. But, environmentalists say it doesn't address safety problems with oil trains. Courtney Wallace, spokeswoman for BNSF Railway, says the mutual aid agreement formalizes what the railroads and refineries have already been doing informally. Paula Wissel reports. (KPLU)

New blog: Let’s Talk About Sex For A Change
How about that Bruce Jenner? Makes that trans-sex transformation to female and gets the exclusive and the cover of Vanity Fair which is then picked up by every major and minor news outlet in the world. Reminds me of the time a few years back when the ribbed Mediterranean limpet (Patella ferruginea) was found to be able to change its sex from male to female and back again…

Enviros Suing Shell Over Arctic Drilling Leases, 2015 Exploration Plans
Royal Dutch Shell’s Arctic prospecting plans have sparked two new lawsuits. An alliance of environmental and Alaska-based community groups is challenging the sale of leases in the Chukchi Sea. The second suit takes issue with Shell’s exploration plan, which was recently approved by a federal agency. Eric Grafe is with Earthjustice, which filed the suit against Shell’s Arctic exploration plan in Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Grafe is representing ten other groups, including the Alaska Wilderness League, Sierra Club and Friends of the Earth. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Octopus relationship 'expands the moral universe,' says researcher Sy Montgomery
Sy Montgomery spent three years getting to know octopuses at the New England Aquarium. Little did she know her time with the animals would change the way she lives and sees the world. The author and naturalist, who has written about the experience in her new book The Soul of An Octopus, is in Vancouver for a talk at the Vancouver Aquarium. (CBC)

Why Is Herring So Hard to Find?
When Lexi, who owns Old Ballard Liquor Co. and goes by only her first name, was a kid growing up in the 1970s, herring was abundant in Seattle. She remembers when you could pull it out of Puget Sound yourself and grill it over a beach fire. But when she tried to find fresh herring to serve at her Nordic-inspired pop-up restaurant, Tumble Swede, earlier this year, she was surprised to find that it was nearly impossible. "I had to hunt high and low to try to find herring for the restaurant," said Lexi. "It was super frustrating. People assume that it's around, but it's not." Tobias Coughlin-Bogue reports. (The Stranger)

Poach Fish, Get Caught, Keep Your License
Get caught poaching fish one too many times in Northwest waters and you’re likely to lose your sport fishing license. Do the same under a commercial license, on a much larger scale, and you’ll likely avoid the same fate. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has suspended thousands of recreational fishing licenses since 2003 because of rule violations, according to agency data. It has revoked zero licenses for commercial fishing violations since then. They’re almost as uncommon in Oregon. Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix)

B.C. mine tailings ponds pose serious risk to water sources: report
Thousands of kilometres of salmon-rich waterways and the drinking water of hundreds of communities in central and Northern British Columbia are at risk of mining-related environmental disasters, a new report warns. The survey from the BC First Nations Energy and Mining Council is being released just ahead of a decision by the provincial government on the application to restart the Mount Polley gold and copper mine after the catastrophic tailings pond collapse last August that spilled 10 million cubic metres of contaminated water into the waterways below. Justine Hunter reports. (Globe and Mail)

New Fund Will Help More Seattle Residents Build Rain Gardens
Seattle’s RainWise rain garden program is spreading green stormwater solutions across the city, but the rebate program has been out of reach for some homeowners with more modest incomes. While RainWise offers generous reimbursements—$4,600 on average for the installation of rain gardens and cisterns—the homeowner has to pay for the work upfront, then wait up to two months for the program to pay them back. It’s an expense that not everyone can shoulder. A new financial program called the Green Infrastructure Rebate Advance Fund (GIRAF) should remove that hurdle by bridging the payment gap. Lisa Stiffler reports. (Sightline)

County slowly cracks down on septic systems polluting local beaches
When Rhoni Grimshaw and her husband rented a home on outer Quartermaster Harbor a year and a half ago, they were happy to find a place on the water and didn’t think much about the home’s sewage. But now, according to Grimshaw, they’ve moved out because they could no longer handle a septic system they found to be unpermitted and smelly…. Public health officials say the situation at Grimshaw’s rental is not uncommon on Vashon. And though Grimshaw’s main concern was the smell, King County is slowly but surely cracking down on old and ineffective septic systems on Vashon because of the pollution they send into the water. Recently there’s been a special emphasis on the 5-mile stretch of beach where Grimshaw lives, a highly polluted shoreline on southern Vashon Island that the county hopes can be opened to shellfishing if enough homeowners fix their systems. A similar effort is planned next for the Spring Beach neighborhood. Natalie Martin reports. (Vashon Beachcomber)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 243 AM PDT WED JUN 3 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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6/2 Snowmelt, spartina, WA budget, eating fish, Shell drill, BC LNG, plant zoo

Red-winged blackbird (PhotoNerd/Birdnote)

What's Different this Year? We Ask Listeners
Changes in habitat mean changes in species. BirdNote asked our Facebook fans about the birds they observed in their yards this spring. Some people say they have more birds. Others say fewer. And why? Changes in habitat mean changes in species. In one person’s yard on San Juan Island, in Washington State, more trees mean more Barred Owls. One gardener said she has “lots more birds,” because she let a lot of plants go to seed last fall. And in the foothills of the Sierras, a fire last summer has made room for Red-winged Blackbirds. (BirdNote)

The Olympic Peninsula Faces A Summer Without Snowmelt
The peaks of the Olympic Mountains are a familiar sight on the western horizon for people in the Puget Sound region. Well into summer, those mountains are usually snowy white. But not this year. The snow is gone and rivers are at flow levels not normally seen until late summer. That has farmers, fish managers and community leaders worried about the season ahead. Ashley Ahearn reports. (KUOW)

Warm weather brings heightened search for spartina
The summer search is beginning for spartina — a plant the state has been targeting for removal for 20 years. “It is an invasive plant that can cause a lot of trouble for coastal communities, and we want to take care of it,” state Department of Agriculture spokesman Mike Louisell said. “It outgrows and out-competes native plants for space.” The amount of the plant found in the state’s coastal counties — including Skagit County — has been reduced from 9,000 acres in 2003 to 8 acres as of 2014. But battling the persistent plant is far from over. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

State lawmakers show signs of movement toward budget deal
Efforts to reach agreement on a state budget seemed to be creating momentum on Monday as Gov. Jay Inslee met with legislative leaders of both parties and House Democrats rolled out a new plan they called a “substantial compromise.” Inslee huddled with House and Senate leaders of both parties Monday morning in the first of what are intended to be daily conversations about the budget.  Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald) But: Washington Democrats Renew Call For Capital Gains Tax, Republicans Steadfast  Washington House Democrats are doubling down on their pitch for a state capital gains tax while Republicans are reiterating their no-new-taxes mantra. The war of ideas played out Monday as budget negotiators returned to the capitol for a second special session.Austin Jenkins reports. (KUOW)

Consumers can see who caught that fish they’re eating
Consumers can scan a QR code on a restaurant menu to get information about how and where the fish on offer was caught. A Vancouver non-profit is rolling out a seafood tracing system that allows consumers and chefs to learn where their food was harvested and exactly who hauled it out of the water. ThisFish also recently launched an artisanal brand of canned salmon with a picture of the fisherman who caught the fish on the label. The sockeye — caught in Barkley Sound — is sold in Maple Ridge at Bruce’s Country Market and in Vancouver at The Fish Counter. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Shell to DNR: We're In Seattle--Legally--Through End Of June
Shell Oil has rejected state officials' position that parking an Arctic oil rig at the Port of Seattle's Terminal 5 violates the state constitution. Shell's Polar Pioneer rig has been at the port since mid-May. Its arrival in environmentally minded Seattle has sparked protest and government scrutiny at various levels. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

TransCanada reaches deals with three more B.C. First Nations for LNG pipeline
TransCanada Corp. says it has reached project agreements with three more First Nations in northern British Columbia as part of efforts to build a pipeline across the province to a proposed liquefied natural gas terminal on the coast. Specifics of the agreements weren't announced but TransCanada said they provide for annual legacy payments over the commercial life of the Prince Rupert Gas Transmission pipeline plus benefits upon signing and at other milestones. (Canadian Press)

‘Zoo of plants’ grows near Stanwood
You're driving north along I-5 northeast of Stanwood and all of a sudden you see it. An array of big letters on red kiosks with green things growing on the rooftops. What's up with that? It's a botanical garden of dreams come true for David Thomsen, 71, a former high school biology teacher. He's the force behind Bonhoeffer Botanical Gardens, a 9-acre spread with a winding boardwalk path and enchanting pond. “It's a zoo of plants,” Thomsen said. “There are 1,000 native plants in Western Washington and our goal of the garden is to have them all.” Andrea Brown reports. (Everett Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 250 AM PDT TUE JUN 2 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

6//1 David Suzuki, drought, Shell drill, Fred Felleman, halibut, tsunami debris, Kitsap pollution

David Suzuki (Charlie Cho/CBC)

David Suzuki reflects on life and death in 'Letters to My Grandchildren'
Famed environmentalist shared 5 personal reflections with CBC upon the release of his new book: On Family, On Death, On Legacy, On Discrimination, On Naysayers. (CBC)

Washington farmers, wildlife managers prepare for drought
With Washington state experiencing the worst mountain snowpack in decades and a drought emergency declared two weeks ago, farmers, growers and wildlife managers are preparing for a tough summer as conditions are expected to worsen. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press) See also: What drought? Meteorologist Cliff Mass vs. nearly everyone  Drew Atkins reports. (Crosscut)

West Seattle sea scene: Another Shell fleet vessel, Tor Viking II
From the “what’s that vessel?” file: Thanks to Lynn Hall and Don Brubeck for sending photos of this icebreaker/tug seen off West Seattle this morning (May 30).... Online information indicates that the Norway-built Tor Viking II is associated with the Royal Dutch Shell offshore-Arctic-drilling fleet; while most of the information involves its tasks from Shell’s 2012 Arctic efforts, this is one of the more than two dozen vessels listed in the U.S. Coast Guard “rule” for Puget Sound “temporary safety zones” related to Shell’s fleet. (West Seattle Blog) See also: B.C. activists protest Shell oil drilling ship's movement through Inside Passage  (Canadian Press)

Hometown environmental advocate takes plunge into Seattle port commission race
Fred Felleman has spent a career holding the feet of a host of public agencies to the fire. Now, the part-time San Juan Island resident, a renowned maritime industry watchdog and former member of the Whale Museum Board of Directors, is seeking to join one of the many public agencies that he's gone to the mat against in the past, and in a position of oversight, no less. Felleman is one of nine candidates vying for an open seat on the Seattle Port Commission, which oversees the Port of Seattle, a $9 billion a year enterprise. (San Juan Journal)

Dumping of halibut sparks fight among North Pacific fishing fleets
Due to concern about the halibut stock, trawlers are required to toss the millions of pounds they accidentally catch. The fleet says proposals to trim the amount of halibut it catches would be damaging, while other fishermen call for tighter controls on the trawlers’ bycatch. Hal Bernton and Justin Mayo report. (Seattle Times)

Tsunami debris still washing up in Washington 4 years later
Four years after a tsunami devastated Japan's coast, debris still washes up in Washington — and winds up in the hands of state wildlife officials. The debris comes with an environmental threat — invasive species and parasites that have hitched a ride across the Pacific Ocean. Another barnacle-encrusted Japanese skiff has made its way to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife's aquatic invasive species unit. The 25-foot boat was recovered off a remote shore near La Push and arrived in two halves last week at the department's property south of Tumwater. The unit's goal is to remove marine debris and prevent the spread of invasive marine life. Andy Hobbs reports. (Olympian)

Water cleanup program will forego grants, reorganize for efficiency
Chris Dunagan writes: "After much success in cleaning up streams in Kitsap County, pollution investigators for the Kitsap Public Health District plan to turn their backs on most state and federal grants and reorganize their approach to local waterways. I’m talking about the folks who literally wrote the book on pollution identification and correction, or PIC, a strategic approach to tracking down bacterial contamination and eliminating the sources. A 2012 “Protocol Manual” (PDF 10.6 mb) and a 2014 “guidance document” (PDF 4.3 mb) — both developed by Kitsap’s pollution investigators — are now being used by local health departments throughout the state. That’s why I was surprised to hear that the health district plans to change course for its pollution-cleanup program this fall — especially the part about reducing reliance on state and federal grants. For many Puget Sound jurisdictions, these grants provide the major sources of funding, if not the only funding for their PIC projects. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 219 AM PDT MON JUN 1 2015
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 3 FT
 AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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5/29 WA lege, BC fish farming, sea stars, jellies, Shell drill, water rule, Vic sewer, sea lion shooting, whale ban

Nibblet at work (Laurie MacBride)

Everyone Does Their Part
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "I like to think that everyone who lives here at our place contributes, doing their part of the considerable work needed to keep the homestead running…. And now that Nibblet’s tall enough to reach the Oceanspray, he’s hard at work as well – doing his very best to keep the forest of wild shrubbery that surrounds our yard from crowding out the foxgloves and other cultivated plants…"

Gov. Inslee calls second special session: Legislature confronts budget deadline and U.S. Open
Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday called the Washington Legislature into its second special session, citing lawmakers’ failure to agree on and approve new operating and capital budgets for the upcoming 2015-17 biennium. The latest 30-day special session starts at 12:01 a.m. Friday…. The Legislature faces two deadlines. The official deadline, noted in the governor’s proclamation, is July 1.  It’s the start of the new biennium…. The second deadline is posed by the U.S. Open golf tournament, slated for Chambers Bay the week of June 15-21. The prestigious golf event has booked hundreds of hotel rooms in the south Puget Sound area, creating a question:  Where will the 147 members of the House and Senate sleep if they are called back that week to complete budget deliberations? Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com) See also: Senate GOP releases latest budget offer to spur talks  Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

More than 100,000 sign petition opposed to expansion of B.C. salmon farming
A petition signed by more than 100,000 people opposed to expansion of B.C.'s salmon farming industry has been presented to the legislature in Victoria. More than 100 conservation groups, industry organizations, and business owners also supported the petition. Concerns relate to the potential for disease transfer and lice outbreaks to impact wild salmon. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Researchers cautious about slow sea star recovery on North Olympic Peninsula while hundreds of new juveniles crop up elsewhere
The North Olympic Peninsula's remaining sea stars may be holding their own, but there is no evidence yet of a remarkable recovery of young sea stars seen elsewhere along the Pacific coast, researchers say. With nearly all of the mature sea stars dead and gone, rarely seen juvenile sea stars — popularly known as starfish — have been seen emerging by the hundreds at locations previously devastated by a malady known as sea star wasting syndrome during the past 18 months. Two surveys near Everett found a total of about 600 juvenile ochre stars — one of the hardest-hit species. Five other Puget Sound surveys found hundreds more. However, sea star colonies on rocky outcroppings along North Olympic Peninsula shorelines not are part of that good news, researchers in Clallam and Jefferson counties say. Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Kaleidoscopic jellyfish display ready for its Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium debut
Like many other beautiful creatures, jellyfish can be high-maintenance. They need the water temperature just right. Their tanks require creative construction so they don’t get suctioned into the vent or stuck to the bottom. Their behavior changes depending on light and food sources and how many other jellies are swimming nearby. The tiniest scratch on their thin skin can lead to infection or death…. The Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium opens its “Jammin’ with Jellies” exhibit Friday, which it claims is the most “flexible” exhibit of its kind worldwide. Stacia Glenn reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Much of Hood Canal closed to shellfish harvesting
Much of Hood Canal and part of Whatcom County’s shoreline have been closed to shellfish harvesting because of high levels of marine toxins. Public health officials say concerns about “red tide,” which can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning, have led to the closure of Hood Canal from the Bangor naval station to Sisters Point in Mason County. The tip of Hood Canal in the Belfair area remains open. Meanwhile, Whatcom County has closed its shoreline from Birch Point to Sandy Point, northwest of Bellingham. (Associated Press)

NTSB Faults Shell's Risk-Taking in Arctic Oil Rig Wreck
A new report from The National Transportation Safety Board says poor planning and risk assessment by Shell Oil led to the wreck of the Kulluk oil rig off the coast of Alaska in December 2012. The NTSB report comes out as Shell is gearing up to hunt for oil again this summer in the Arctic Ocean. The report says it wasn't a single error or equipment failure that caused the wreck: It was the company's failure to leave a margin of safety when planning a risky midwinter trip across the Gulf of Alaska. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

EPA clarifies federal jurisdiction over streams and wetlands of the U.S.
Enforcement of the federal Clean Water Act has been stuck in a state of confusion since 2006, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers was overreaching by requiring permits for all sorts of waterways beyond the agency’s jurisdiction…. The EPA requisitioned a scientific report about hydraulic connectivity, concluding that even small streams can affect downstream waters. The final language in the rule, designed to reduce judgment calls by federal regulators, says tributaries would come under federal jurisdiction only if capable of delivering significant pollution downstream. Such tributaries would need to have flowing water or related features — such as a streambed, bank or high-water mark. The rule has worried farmers, who want to make sure the federal government does not try to regulate ditches designed for irrigation and drainage. Language in the final rule says ditches will not be regulated unless they are shown to be a remnant of a natural stream that has been diverted or altered. Christopher Dunagan explains. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Ontario Killer Whale Ban Passes
Ontario has passed a bill that prohibits the breeding and acquisition of killer whales as well as other animal protection rules. The bill, named the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, also includes rules that require animal welfare committees at any facility that has marine mammals. The bill also includes a requirement for marine parks — there is only one in Ontario — to have qualified veterinarians with marine mammal expertise to oversee preventive and clinical care. (Canadian Press)

Have your say at sewage workshops this weekend
Sites for sewage-treatment facilities are on the agenda this weekend at a pair of workshops covering the eastern part of the region — Oak Bay, Saanich and Victoria. Feedback can also be given by completing an online survey. The survey will be available starting on Monday. The workshops, run by the Eastside Select Committee, are set for Saturday at the University of Victoria’s Cadboro Commons Building and Sunday at the Victoria Conference Centre, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. (Times Colonist)

$5,000 Offered For Info In String Of Sea Lion Shootings
Federal wildlife officials are investigating a string of sea lion shootings on the Oregon Coast. The Humane Society of the U.S. and another group are offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of those responsible for the shootings. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says ten California sea lions and one harbor seal were shot and killed during the months of April and May. Killing a sea lion is a federal offense under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. (Associated Press)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 225 AM PDT FRI MAY 29 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. NW SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato@salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

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

(Peninsula Daily News)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 225 AM PDT THU MAY 28 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

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

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5/27 Geoducks, 'Chester,' Pt Gamble Bay, quiet RRs, fuel use, Longview oil, steelhead, cormorants

Geoduck check (Katie Campbell/EarthFix)

Poaching 100-Year-Old Geoducks For Big Money
Of all the shellfish that sell on the black market, one clam is above the rest -- the geoduck…. Wholesale geoduck prices at Puget Sound docks have more than doubled from $4 per pound in 2006 to as much as $15 per pound today. With the average adult geoduck weighing one to three pounds, a good geoduck diver can harvest thousands of dollars’ worth in a few hours…. Rising demand, especially among China’s growing middle class, has sent geoduck retail prices in Asia to as high as $150 per pound. Those soaring prices have created an incentive for poachers back in Puget Sound, giving rise to an international black market.  Katie Campbell reports. (KUOW) See also: Go Undercover With Northwest Shellfish Detectives  Katie Campbell reports. (KU)W)

False killer whale 'Chester' won't be released from Vancouver Aquarium, says DFO
A young false killer whale, nicknamed "Chester", rescued from a Tofino, B.C. beach last summer by the Vancouver Aquarium, won't be released to the wild because he doesn't have the skills to survive, said a fisheries official. Fisheries and Oceans Canada convened a panel of marine mammal experts to make the decision independently of the aquarium, said Paul Cottrell, marine mammal coordinator for the department. Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC)

You can help: Kitsap Forest & Bay Project Needs $15,000 to complete its online campaign to “Save Grovers Creek Preserve” by raising money towards the purchase of over 200 acres of ancient trees, wetlands, and salmon stream in North Kitsap County. The campaign ends on May 29 and you can get more info and make a donation at igg.me/at/SaveGroversCreek.

Port Gamble Bay cleanup starts in July
A major cleanup project that starts this summer will dig up and remove decades-old contaminated sediments and other materials from Port Gamble Bay’s waters. At a meeting 4:30-7:30 p.m. May 27 at Hood Canal Pavilion in Port Gamble, residents can talk with Washington Department of Ecology staff members about the project. According to Ecology, preliminary work is expected to start in June with cleanup work slated to begin in July. The project is expected to last about two years. (Kingston Community News)

Feds to meet with Bellingham neighbors to discuss railroad quiet zones
People interested in learning why trains blast their horns and how they might be silenced are invited to attend an informational meeting on railroad quiet zones Wednesday evening, May 27. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. at the Chrysalis Inn meeting room, 804 10th St. in Fairhaven. Chris Adams, a grade crossing manager from the Federal Railroad Administration, will make a short presentation, and she will be available to answer questions from attendees. The event was put together by members of the South Hill and Fairhaven neighborhood associations. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Despite huge anti-oil protest, 93% of Puget Sound drivers are gas guzzlers
Anti-oil protesters may have filled Elliott Bay with colorful kayaks to protest Royal Dutch Shell Oil’s presence at the Port of Seattle because of concern over use of fossil fuels, but, according to a new study by the Puget Sound Regional Council, many Puget Sound-area residents are heavy users of fossil-fuel burning vehicles themselves. In 1999, 86 percent of people in the region drove regularly. Compare that to 2014, where 82 percent still drive their cars regularly. That's despite increases in public transit, such as the light rail and Rapid Ride buses, and more bike lanes. While hybrid and electric vehicle use is on the rise nation-wide, PSRC data found that 93 percent of 2014 drivers still use gas to fuel their cars. The other 7 percent use diesel, drive a hybrid, electric car or use flex fuel. Eastside residents make up the highest percent of hybrid drivers. Sarah Aitchison reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Longview port in talks over oil refinery on Columbia River
The Port of Longview says it is negotiating with an energy company on a proposal for a new crude oil refinery on the Columbia River. The Longview Daily News reports the project by Riverside Energy LLC would receive oil-by-rail shipments from the Bakken region in North Dakota at a 47-acre site in southwest Washington. The proposed refinery would process 45,000 barrels a day, including 30,000 barrels of crude oil and 15,000 barrels of seed oil and used cooking oil. (Associated Press)

Steelhead tags track mortality
Researchers are taking a unique opportunity to figure out why steelhead are dying on their way to the ocean through Puget Sound. Near the Nisqually River on Tuesday morning, NOAA fishery biologist, Megan Moore, made tiny incisions in the gut of nearly 20 juvenile steelhead…. Moore inserted an acoustic tag in each and sewed them up…. The signal transmitted from the tag is picked up receivers at several points along Puget Sound, with the final one in the Straight of Juan de Fuca. Most importantly, researchers can track when and where the signal dies off. Alison Morrow reports. (KING)

Officials Start Killing Columbia River Cormorants
Crews with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services have started killing cormorants on an island the Columbia River, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The crews are shooting adult birds using rifles with silencers and applying vegetable oil to unhatched eggs to kill unborn chicks. It’s part of the Corps’ controversial plan to reduce the number of nesting cormorants on East Sand Island to protect salmon. The plan calls for cutting the number of birds on the island from 14,000 breeding pairs to 5,600 by 2018. Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED MAY 27 2015
TODAY
W WIND TO 10 KT BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 13 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG 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

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told