10/4 Bee ESA, orca kids, Jordan R., BC LNG, coal port, Shell rail, oil port, DNR plan, I-732, lost gear, bluefin tuna

Yellow-faced bee (Karl Magnacca, U of Hawaii)

Bees Added To U.S. Endangered Species List For 1st Time
Finally — some good news for the bees of Hawaii. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has given endangered status to seven species of yellow-faced bees native to the islands. These are "the first bees in the country to be protected under the Endangered Species Act," according to the Xerces Society, which advocated for the new designation. The new rule designating protections for the bees, published Friday in the Federal Register, states that yellow-faced bees are known "for their yellow-to-white facial markings." They look like small wasps, according to the rule, except for their "plumose [branched] hairs on the body that are longest on the sides of the thorax, which readily distinguish them from wasps." The yellow-faced bee is the only bee native to Hawaii, meaning that it was able to reach the Hawaiian Islands on its own… Merrit Kennedy reports. (NPR)

New photos released of 8 calves born to our local, endangered orca population since December 2014
Recent photos were released Monday of eight calves born to our Southern Resident orca population since December 2014. The Pacific Whale Watch Association said that crews in the Puget Sound are reporting that “the kids” from the “Class of 2015” appear to be healthy, active and thriving. (KCPQ)

Vancouver Island’s Jordan River salmon wiped out by copper tailings
The site where the Pacheedaht people originated — their Garden of Eden — is stunning. The Jordan River exits a 500-metre-deep canyon, then tumbles toward the sea through a jumble of immense boulders polished as smooth as beach pebbles. It was here, about 70 kilometres west of Victoria, in a past so ancient it predates legends of a great flood that inundated the world, that the Pacheedaht took their name from foam on the river. Today, there’s still foam on the river. It signals not the birth of a people, but the death of their river. Stephan Hume reports. (Vancouver Sun)

LNG approval shows Trudeau failing Indigenous campaign promises, critics say
At this time last year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was campaigning on promises of a renewed nation-to-nation relationship with Canada's Indigenous peoples, but the federal government's recent approval of the Pacific NorthWest LNG project has critics questioning his commitment to those promises. For Don Wesley — also known as Chief Yahaan of the Gitwilgyoots, part of the Tsimshian Nation — news of the project's approval was disappointing, though not entirely unexpected. "We had a feeling this might come," he told CBC Radio One's The Early Edition. "[But] my feelings as a First Nations person were that we were really slapped in the face by the announcement." Matt Meuse reports. (CBC)

Army Corps of Engineers gives coal terminal favorable review
A proposal to ship coal from Montana and Wyoming out of a port in Washington has received a favorable review from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps on Friday released a draft environmental impact statement for the Millennium Bulk Terminal port in Longview, Washington, the Billings Gazette reported. The document raised concerns about train noise and rail traffic causing problems for nearby low-income neighborhoods, but it said the effects on Native American fishing areas and the proliferation of coal dust were less significant. Coal companies say they are optimistic after reading the environmental impact statement. (Associated Press) See also: More Rail Congestion And Noise Among Impacts Of Longview Coal Terminal  Cassandra Profita reports. (OPB/EarthFix)

Draft environmental review for Shell rail project open for comment
The draft environmental review of Shell Puget Sound Refinery’s proposal to build a rail unloading facility is open for public comment. Skagit County Planning & Development Services is taking input on the draft environmental impact statement, or EIS, until 4:30 p.m. Dec. 2. Public hearings are scheduled for mid-November in Anacortes, Mount Vernon and Seattle. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Environmental Risks Identified For Grays Harbor Oil Terminal
Regulators say an oil terminal proposed for a coastal Washington state harbor poses several environmental problems. The state Department of Ecology identified those problems in its  final environmental review released Friday for the Westway oil terminal proposed at the Port of Grays Harbor in Hoquiam, Washington. The project would expand an existing methanol facility so it can handle around 750 million gallons of crude oil a year. The oil would be delivered by train, stored on site and transported by barge to refineries. Cassandra Profita reports. (OPB/EarthFix)

Department of Natural Resources issues plan to guide West End forest management
The state Department of Natural Resources has released a blueprint for forest management in western Clallam and Jefferson counties. The Olympic Experimental State Forest, or OESF, Forest Land Plan will help guide DNR management of more than 270,000 acres of forested trust lands on the West End of the Olympic Peninsula, officials said. The 171-page document is available on the DNR website, www.dnr.wa.gov. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Initiative 732: A 'Carbon Tax Swap' To Address Climate Change
It’s often said that one of the most pressing issues of our time is climate change. Yet, even after years of discussion, Washington state still lacks a policy to limit the pollution that causes it. A recent clean air rule announced by the state Department of Ecology is not yet in effect and is already the subject of multiple lawsuits. So, despite its reputation as an environmentally progressive Ecotopia, the Evergreen State is left without a mechanism to reign in carbon emissions. Voters have a chance to change that with a measure on the November ballot. Washington’s Initiative 732 would impose a state tax on carbon emissions – the first of its kind in the nation. The measure comes from a grassroots group called Carbon Washington that designed it to attract bipartisan support. Perhaps ironically, the proposal is under attack, not from big business interests, but from social justice and labor groups who say the measure fails to provide enough for the state to successfully transition to a greener future. Bellamy Paithorp reports. (KNKX)

Cleaning the Sound to 105 feet
…. Fenn Enterprises has been hired by Northwest Straits Foundation to retrieve derelict fishing gear — gill nets and crab pots, primarily — as part of Northwest Straits Initiative’s Derelict Fishing Gear Removal Project. “Northwest Straits Initiative was authorized by Congress in response to depleted marine resources,” said Jason Morgan, with Northwest Straits. The foundation, based in Bellingham, is on a three-year mission to address the derelict fishing gear that clots the bottom of Puget Sound. Its advisers are seven marine resource committees (MRCs) covering waters from Snohomish County to the Canadian border. The foundation also converses with stakeholders that include Native American tribes, commercial fishing companies, NOAA and recreational fishermen. Jeremiah O'Hagan reports. (Stanwood-Camano News)

Deepwater Horizon oil spill impacted bluefin tuna spawning habitat in Gulf of Mexico, Stanford and NOAA researchers find
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was one of the largest environmental disasters in history, releasing roughly 4 million barrels of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico. For Atlantic bluefin tuna, it occurred at the worst time of year, during peak spawning season, when eggs and larval fish that are particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors exist in mass quantity. In a study published in Nature: Scientific Reports, scientists from Stanford and NOAA provide the best yet analysis of how the 2010 breeding season might have been impacted by the oil spill. Although the spill encompassed a relatively small proportion of the bluefin tuna spawning grounds, which extend throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico, the authors showed the cumulative oiled tuna habitat was roughly 3.1 million square miles, representing the potential for a significant impact on eggs and larval bluefin tuna in the Gulf of Mexico. (Stanford News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  255 AM PDT TUE OCT 4 2016  

TODAY  SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING E 10 TO 20 KT IN THE  AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS.  SHOWERS LIKELY.
TONIGHT  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT  AT 11 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 10 FT AT 12 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 at 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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10/3 More green crabs, First Nations & royalty, Petronas, I-732, new flood maps, oil activist sued

(PHOTO: Jeff Polken/BirdNote)

Gull Identification
Relatively few gull species are common nesters in the Lower 48. But in October, both the variety and number of gulls increase dramatically. Gulls that nested in Alaska or Canada fly south to spend winter in more temperate climates. Western Gulls are present in the West all year, mostly near the coast. Mew Gulls turn up in the winter along the West Coast, and Herring Gulls can be seen in the East. October is an ideal time to learn which gull is which. Seen here, top to bottom, are Western, Thayer's, and Glaucous-wing Gulls. (BirdNote)

Invasive green crabs found in Padilla Bay
An invasion has begun in Padilla Bay, with European green crabs infiltrating the mudflats and settling in among native shore crabs. Green crabs are an invasive species that flourishes in a variety of habitats, enabling it to crowd out other wildlife. Four green crabs have been found and removed from the area. The first was found by chance, and this week three others were lured out through a trapping effort. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)  See also: More invasive crabs found; wider search will resume next spring Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

First Nations use royal visit as platform to talk reconciliation, environment
As the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge toured British Columbia and the Yukon over the past week, they heard impassioned speeches on reconciliation and saw protest T-shirts emblazoned with slogans opposing oil and liquefied natural gas. The focus on First Nations issues was already built into Prince William and Kate's itinerary, with stops in Bella Bella, the home of the Great Bear Rainforest, and Haida Gwaii, a remote and stunning archipelago sacred to some aboriginal people. Some indigenous leaders embraced the opportunity to criticize their federal and provincial governments in front of the duke and duchess. But there's a long tradition of aboriginal people appealing directly to the Royal Family, experts say. Laura Kane reports. (Canadian Press)

Petronas not considering sale of interest in Pacific NorthWest LNG
Malaysian state-owned oil firm Petronas says it's not considering selling its stake in a proposed multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas export terminal in B.C. The company issued a statement yesterday saying it "categorically denies" allegations made in a news report that selling its stake in the Pacific NorthWest LNG project was up for consideration. The federal government gave conditional approval earlier this week to the $36-billion venture, which is located on Lelu Island near Prince Rupert on B.C.'s northern coast. Petronas says it will continue working with its partners including the B.C. government to study those conditions before making any decisions on how to move forward with the project. (Canadian Press)

You'd think the Sierra Club would back carbon-cutting I-732 -- but you'd be wrong
The Sierra Club has faced an internal backlash in Washington state over a decision to withhold support for a fall ballot measure that would impose a carbon tax on fossil fuels. Initiative 732 would gradually ramp up the price of coal, oil and natural gas — while reducing other taxes — in an attempt to lower emissions that spur climate change. Some executive committee members of the Washington state chapter — defying instructions from national staff — conducted a disputed August vote to try to shift the club to a neutral position on the ballot measure. But their motion was never recognized by the national Sierra Club, which found that any vote would violate Robert’s Rules of Order and the group’s political endorsement guidelines, according to club emails obtained by The Seattle Times. The turmoil within the Sierra Club over the carbon tax reflects a broader fault line in the state environmental and social-justice community about how to tackle climate change. The Sierra Club has lined up with a host of other groups that are talking about an alternate proposal — possibly for a future state ballot — that would raise surplus revenue to invest in clean-energy and other pollution-reducing projects. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

New Maps Label Much Of New Orleans Out Of Flood Hazard Area
On Friday, New Orleans received new flood maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Overnight, more than half the population moved out of the so-called high-risk zone. But with half the city at or below sea level and memories of massive flooding after Hurricane Katrina 11 years ago, some residents are worried these new maps send the wrong message…. The new maps are like a bureaucratic magic trick. At the stroke of midnight, the federal government waved its wand, and Friday morning more than half of New Orleans woke up in a land safe from storms and flooding. Statistically. For insurance purposes. Ryan Kailath (NPR)

Court to hear suit against Deepwater Horizon spill activists
When Karen Savage and Cherri Foytlin wrote an article about the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill of 2010, they thought it might get a few moments of attention and then fade away. More than three years later, Savage and Foytlin are still defending their article after being sued by a scientific consulting company. The battle is headed to the highest court in Massachusetts. Arguments are scheduled for Friday, a week after “Deepwater Horizon,” a film starring Mark Wahlberg, opens in theaters. Their 2013 article, which appeared in The Huffington Post, questioned the independence of ChemRisk, a firm that published a study that found that the Gulf disaster did not expose cleanup workers to harmful levels of several airborne chemical compounds released by the explosion…. The case is expected to explore the scope of a Massachusetts law aimed at discouraging lawsuits intended to silence people who speak out on issues of public interest. Savage and Foytlin claim ChemRisk’s lawsuit falls into that category of litigation, known as Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  852 PM PDT SUN OCT 2 2016  

MON  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF  SHOWERS.
MON NIGHT  E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL  4 FT AT 9 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 at 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 Fuel ban, WA carbon tax, Lummi salmon, ocean 'blob,' Petronas, BC LNG, Petrogas pier

Bigleaf maple (Photo: Oregon State University)

Bigleaf Maple, Acer macrophyllum
The common and scientific names describe the very large leaves, particularly showy in autumn. This maple is called the "paddle tree" in many First Nations languages because the wood was used to make paddles. The bigleaf maple is the only western maple with commercial importance; it is used for veneer, furniture, handles, woodenwares and novelties. The sap can be cooked to make passable maple syrup but it takes several times more sap than eastern sugar-maple sap. (Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Audubon Guide to Western Forests)

Whatcom County extends ban on unrefined fossil fuel shipping
The Whatcom County Council has extended its ban on new permit applications for projects that ship crude oil and other unrefined fossil fuels out of Cherry Point. The Bellingham Herald that the six-month extension was approved Tuesday and prevents shipments or exports of fuels that aren't processed in that industrial area. In August the council approved a 60-day moratorium of shipping out of Cherry Point. Supporters applauded the move, saying it will protect the public from dangerous fuel shipments. Others say potential changes to the industrial zone could hurt jobs and economic development. (Associated Press)

State Carbon Tax Could Become First in Nation if Voters Approve
The state of Washington could become the first state in the nation to enact a carbon tax on big polluters if grassroots activists can overcome opposition from an unlikely coalition: the business community, low-income and people of color communities, the state Democratic party and environmental groups. Supporters of the carbon tax, Initiative 732, are pulling out all the stops to win voters before November. Meanwhile a new report published this week in Nature, says that with today's level of fossil fuel emissions, the planet is “locked” into eventually hitting its highest temperature mark in 2 million years. Martha Baskin reports. (Green Acres Radio)

Lummi fishermen will deliver fresh salmon to people fighting North Dakota pipeline
Lummi Nation fishermen will drive a feast of locally caught salmon this weekend all the way to Cannon Ball, N.D., to feed the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and many supporters who are fighting against the Dakota Access Pipeline. “The tribal fishermen have decided to donate their catch,” said Waylon Ballew, who met up with a handful of fishermen to filet dozens of kings and silvers behind the Lummi Nation Commodity Foods building Wednesday morning, Sept. 28. The group planned to leave Thursday night in vans and head to North Dakota with a few dozen tribal members on board, and the soon-to-be feast packed on ice. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Warm ‘blob’ in Pacific Ocean linked to toxic algae that doomed local fisheries
A new study finds that unusually warm Pacific Ocean temperatures helped cause a massive bloom of toxic algae last year that closed lucrative fisheries from California to British Columbia and disrupted marine life from seabirds to sea lions. Scientists linked the large patch of warm ocean water, nicknamed the “blob,” to the vast ribbon of toxic algae that flourished in 2015 and produced record-breaking levels of a neurotoxin that is harmful to people, fish and marine life. The outbreak of the toxin domoic acid, the largest ever recorded on the West Coast, closed razor clam seasons in Washington and Oregon and delayed lucrative Dungeness crab fisheries along the coast. High levels were also detected in many stranded marine mammals. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Petronas weighs sale to exit $27B Canada LNG project: sources
Malaysian state oil firm Petroliam Nasional Bhd is considering selling its majority stake in a $27-billion Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant, three people familiar with the matter said this week. Petroliam Nasional, or Petronas, is weighing options for the project as its finances have been squeezed after crude oil prices have collapsed by more than 50 per cent since mid-2014…. Additionally, the economics of the project have been called into question as LNG prices for delivery into the main markets in northeast Asia have slumped more than 70 per cent over nearly the same time period. (Thomson Reuters)

LNG mega-project incompatible with B.C.'s greenhouse gas target, says expert
The controversial Pacific NorthWest liquefied natural gas project that has been conditionally approved by the federal government isn't compatible with B.C.'s current greenhouse gas emission targets, according to climate policy expert Kathyrn Harrison. The project was approved with 109 conditions, one of which is a "hard cap" for yearly carbon emissions at 4.3 million tonnes. But Harrison says that the cap only applies to the actual project facility, and doesn't incorporate emissions brought on by upstream developments — the production, processing and transportation of natural gas to the project. According to the official environmental impact assessment, upstream productions would increase emissions by an additional 6.5 million tonnes. "At the provincial level, B.C.'s [emission] target for 2050 is 13 million tonnes per year," said Harrison on CBC's The Early Edition.  "[The Pacific NorthWest liquefied natural gas project] alone — which is expected to operate until 2050 — would contribute 10 to 10.5 million tonnes per year." Jon Hernandez reports. (CBC) See also: LNG project's 190 conditions 'not onerous,' says environmental assessment expert  (CBC)

Petrogas buys Intalco’s pier as part of $122M sale, values pier at $10M
Petrogas purchased Alcoa Intalco’s wharf, pier and associated items for $122 million this week, but only $10.2 million of the registered sale was listed as real estate subject to excise taxes. Had the whole purchase been subject to the tax, the payment lodged with Whatcom County could have been more than $2 million. Tax for sale of the wharf, which was sold for $10.2 million based on an appraisal, according to Petrogas, was $181,655. For comparison, all of Intalco was valued at $67 million for 2015 taxes, which included the wharf. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  258 AM PDT FRI SEP 30 2016  

TODAY  LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT IN THE EVENING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF  SHOWERS.
SAT  SE WIND TO 10 KT...RISING TO 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 2 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF  SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT  SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL  2 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
SUN  SE WIND TO 10 KT IN THE MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES  1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato at 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

9/29 Elwha, hot Sound, Taylor Shellfish sued, BC LNG, Pt Townsend water, ghost pots, nets

Elwha nearshore 9/25/16 (Photo: Tom Roorda & CWI)

Elwha Nearshore 25 September 2016
Anne Shaffer of Coastal Watershed Institute writes: "The standout water clarity is gone now with the recent arrival of the first *small* fall swell. September is a truly a brilliant time in the Elwha."

One reader of yesterday's clip about the European green crab writes; "When I was a kid growing up in France I used to fish for green crab. We called them chevre (goat) because they were very fast and nimble.  More than once I got pinched by one.  Though there isn’t much meat in them, their flesh is very sweet." Another reader commented: "The image of the crab is identical to something I found in my cereal this AM.  My God, unless we are diligent (which we are not when it comes to purchasing the latest wide screen TV and swallowing the swill of the election season) you never know what will show up eh? As for biological security on salmon farms.  Very ironic isn't it.  They proceed willy/nilly without any biological security on the regional ecosystem and get off scott free -- whatever that means.  Economics "Trumpts" common sense."

Bad news for crabs and birds: Puget Sound hotter than ever
There has been a significant change in the waters in Puget Sound, according to a new NOAA Fisheries report. In 2015, the temperatures rose more than any other year in recorded history. Stephanie Moore: "New maximum records were set just about everywhere in Puget Sound in terms of water temperatures." Biological oceanographer Stephanie Moore headed up the 2015 report by NOAA Fisheries. She says across Puget Sound, shallow and deep water temperatures rose at a record pace above the 10 year mean. Most locations rose by 2 degrees Celsius. In southern Hood Canal it was even higher, 7 degrees. Paige Browning reports. (KUOW)

Taylor Shellfish sued for racial harassment at its Samish Island farm
One of the largest producers of shellfish in the country is being sued over claims it permitted ongoing racial harassment and retaliatory discipline against a black maintenance mechanic at its Samish Island farm. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a news release it filed the lawsuit against Taylor Shellfish Wednesday in U.S. District Court. The suit alleges Jeremy Daniels faced demeaning comments and stereotypes about his race from the first week of employment at the Taylor Shellfish Company’s Samish Bay Farm in Washington. (Associated Press)

Giant LNG project proposed for B.C. not yet a done deal - British Columbia
With the blessing of the Trudeau government, British Columbia is one step closer to having a giant liquefied natural gas project that promises to create thousands of construction jobs, bring billions of dollars in investment, and ship tonnes of B.C.'s natural gas to Asia. But there are still many hurdles to cross before the project can move forward.  Betsy Trumpener reports. (CBC) See also: Federal environment minister defends approval of Pacific NorthWest LNG  (CBC)

Port Townsend drinking water free of toxins despite algae growth, officials say
Although recent tests on Port Townsend’s reservoirs have discovered they contain blue-green algae, which can create toxins, the water is safe for drinking, city officials said. City Manager David Timmons said Wednesday that results of tests for toxins, which arrived Sept. 20, showed levels lower than the minimum detection level. Cydney McFarland reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Divers clear lost crab pots from Puget Sound
Abandoned or lost crab pots are an annual environmental challenge, one that the Northwest [Straits] Foundation faced yet again Tuesday. Aboard a boat near Everett on a windy and choppy morning, computers guided divers to spots with derelict crab pots on the floor of Puget Sound. Northwest [Straits] Foundation estimates that about 12,000 crab pots are lost each year. Sometimes that number climbs to 14,000. The pots keep fishing after they've cut loose from holds. Crab continue to pile in but then run out of food and eventually die. Around 180,000 harvestable crabs are lost to derelict pots each year. Alison Morrow reports. (KING)

Whales, Sea Turtles, Seals: The Unintended Catch Of Abandoned Fishing Gear
There are less than 500 North Atlantic right whales left in the world. And now, one less: This weekend, one of the 45-ton creatures was found dead off the coast of Maine, completely entangled in fishing line — head, flippers and all. This was not an isolated incident. In late June, an endangered blue whale wrapped in fishing gear was seen struggling off the coast of Dana Point in Southern California. Rescuers were unable to extricate it before it swam away. And earlier this month, rescuers unsuccessfully tried to free an entangled humpback whale near Newport. Spotters say they believe the humpback eventually found its way free of most of the gear, though they're unsure if there's anything still trapped in its mouth. While any kind of fishing gear can be lost or abandoned at sea, gillnets, crab pots and traps are the most common types that continue to "ghost fish" — entrapping marine animals like whales, seals, sea lions and sea turtles. Clare Leschin-Hoar reports. (NPR)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  258 AM PDT THU SEP 29 2016  

TODAY  W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato at 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

9/28 Green crab, BC LNG, dirty air, climate change rule, BC garbage, BC fish farms, oil trains

European green crab (OPB/EarthFix)

Scientists Try Trapping To Halt Puget Sound's European Crab Invasion
The detection of Puget Sound's first  invasive green crab prompts scientists to mount a counter attack. Now a second crab has been discovered about 30 miles away in Padilla Bay. Katie Campbell reports. (OPB/EarthFix)

Federal government approves liquefied natural gas project on B.C. coast with 190 conditions
The federal government has conditionally approved the Pacific NorthWest liquefied natural gas project in British Columbia with 190 legally binding conditions.  Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said the approval decision was taken following extensive studies on the project's environmental impact, science and after consultations with First Nations.  Flanked by Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr, B.C. Premier Christy Clark and Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc, McKenna said the investment was worth $11 billion and would be one of Canada's largest resource development projects…. Those 190 conditions cover everything from wetland management, the quality of freshwater fish and fish habitat, marine fish and mammals, migratory birds, human health, concerns over cultural heritage sites and long-term environmental monitoring. (CBC) See also: Timeline of proposed Pacific NorthWest LNG project in British Columbia  (Canadian Press) And also: Gas field workers push for LNG while Indigenous protesters vow to stop it   Betsy Trumpener reports. (CBC)

Gas utilities go to court against state's new clean-air rule
The state's biggest natural gas utilities are filing legal challenges against a recent Department of Ecology rule that requires large industrial emitters of greenhouse gases to reduce their carbon emissions. The new rule is a study in gradualism.  Large greenhouse gas polluters must cut their carbon emissions by an average of 1.7 percent annually. The rule was promulgated after Republicans in the Washington Legislature blocked a fee on big polluters, proposed by Gov. Jay Inslee late in 2014.  The rule applies to about 25 major emitters, including the state's five oil refineries, Puget Sound Energy gas facilities in Sumas, Longview and Goldendale, and other large emitters, including the Grays Harbor Energy Center in Elma. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

The Obamacare of climate change? States get day in court on EPA plan 
A panel of federal judges on Tuesday heard arguments in court for and against the Obama administration’s plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions by a third by 2030. More than two dozen states sued the Environmental Protection Agency to stop the Clean Power Plan, one of the Obama White House’s signature policies to address climate change. Those states argue that the EPA overstepped its bounds with the rule and that it would drive up electricity costs, lead to energy shortages and cause economic devastation in communities that produce fossil fuels. The 18 states that support the EPA reply that the agency did act within its power and that even before the rule takes effect, the market is already moving in the direction of reduced emissions. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

40 tonnes of garbage pulled off Vancouver Island beaches
A barge loaded with roughly 40 tonnes of garbage pulled from Vancouver Island beaches arrived in Delta Monday night. Now, volunteers have the Herculean task of sorting through the debris to figure out what can be recycled, what can be re-purposed and what will have to go straight into the dump. The garbage was collected by hundreds of volunteers from eight groups this year, including the District of Ucluelet, the Nuuchahnulth Tribal Council, Parks Canada and the Surfrider Foundation. Rafferty Baker reports. (CBC)

Marine Harvest Canada sues Alexandra Morton for trespassing on fish farms
Aquaculture company Marine Harvest Canada has filed a lawsuit against activist and independent biologist Alexandra Morton for allegedly trespassing on three of their salmon farms on the B.C. coast last month. Morton spent the summer visiting salmon farms — uninvited — aboard the R/V Martin Sheen owned by the group Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, looking for a controversial virus prevalent in salmon farms. In the lawsuit, Marine Harvest alleges she and others trespassed on their Glacier Falls, Midsummer Island and Sonora Island operations without permission and intentionally tampered with the equipment. At two facilities, they're accused of violating biosecurity procedures. Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC)
   
Free ‘Science on the Sound’ series offers range of topics at Highline’s MaST Center
Community members can hear from local, regional and national experts during free monthly presentations at Highline College’s Marine Science and Technology (MaST) Center. The ‘Science on the Sound’ series focuses on topics of interest within the Puget Sound region. Each 45-minute presentation will begin at Noon and is open to the public. (Waterland Blog)

County Panel Approves Rail Expansion In Columbia Gorge Despite Oil-Train Controversy
A county planning commission has given its approval to a rail expansion in the same stretch of the Columbia River Gorge where a Union Pacific oil train derailed and burst into flames. The derailment in June resulted in an oil spill that contaminated groundwater. It also galvanized opposition to increased oil train traffic in the Northwest. The Wasco County Planning commission voted Monday to approve the rail expansion through the city of Mosier. That’s after a motion to deny the application failed to draw support from a majority on the panel. The railroad wants to increase the number of trains carrying oil and other freight through the gorge.
David Steves reports. (OPB/EarthFix)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  218 AM PDT WED SEP 28 2016  

TODAY  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT  AT 7 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 at salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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9/27 Duwamish cleanup, shoreline erosion, royal snub

[Photo: Laurie MacBride]

Riding the Kelp 
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "In summer, kelp forests grow profusely on reefs and rocky shores all along the BC coast. Normally when we’re travelling on our boat, we treat kelp as a warning sign. After all, those floating bulbs and blades mark the location of reefs, with “boat-eating rocks” often lurking just below the surface – so we carefully avoid getting too close. But when we’re in our kayaks, it’s a different story: reefs are a magnet, and there’s nothing we like better than drifting through the kelp forests, looking down to see if we can spot schools of small fish or invertebrates such as hermit crabs amid this rich habitat…."

Seattle buys restoration credits for Duwamish cleanup
The City of Seattle has agreed to pay a company to restore natural resources as a way to settle its liability for pollution in the Lower Duwamish Waterway. The Duwamish Superfund Site is one of the largest in Washington state and includes the stretch of the Duwamish River that flows into Elliott Bay. Over the years, industrial and municipal operations have polluted the site with hazardous substances. On Thursday, Justice Department announced that Seattle agreed to resolve its liability by purchasing about $3.5 million worth of restoration credits from Bluefield Holdings, a company that develops restoration projects. (Associated Press)

Retreat Or Fight? Erosion Chews Away Southwest Washington Coast
The Washington State Department of Ecology says the fastest erosion on the West Coast is happening at aptly named Washaway Beach -- located between the southwest Washington towns of Grayland and Tokeland. Most places threatened by erosion try to fight back. But the erosion at Washaway Beach is so rapid, the question now is to fight -- or retreat. First the ocean took a clam cannery. Then a lighthouse, a Coast Guard station and homes slipped into the waves. Then the ocean washed away the cove that gave the community of North Cove its name. The coastal erosion at this spot has been unstoppable for decades. The school succumbed. Then the Grange hall, a post office and more and more homes. Tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Stephen Hume: The history behind the royal snub
Talking the talk of reconciliation with First Nations is easy. Walking the walk requires that meaningful actions take precedence over politically advantageous theatre. The venerable Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs — it’s now been holding government to account over First Nations policy issues for almost 50 years — called the province on this profoundly important distinction Monday. It dropped a protocol bombshell just as Prince William and Premier Christy Clark headed off to Bella Bella and the Great Bear Rainforest where, ironically, the province had earlier snubbed the Central Coast Regional District, one of the few elected non-First Nations governments in Canada boasting 80 per cent of its council elected from First Nations, by refusing it an invitation. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  214 AM PDT TUE SEP 27 2016  

TODAY  NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT  AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  W WIND 15 TO 25 KT IN THE EVENING BECOMING LIGHT  OVERNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT IN THE EVENING. W SWELL 5 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 at 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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9/26 Green crab, BC LNG, oil export ban, coal port health, BP taxes, aquatic reserve, aquariums

(PHOTO: Joan Hilts/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: Cacklers and Canadas
Cackling Geese resemble a toy version of Canadas. Just a bit bigger than a Mallard, this compact goose has a dark breast, short neck, and stubby bill. Its small voice fits nicely its small size… Although once considered a diminutive form of Canada Goose, recent genetic research shows Cacklers to be a separate species. They breed along the coast of Alaska and winter from Washington south to Mexico. [Listen for the difference.] (BirdNote)

Second invasive green crab discovered in northern Puget Sound
A second European green crab has been found in Puget Sound, this one in Padilla Bay — about 30 miles southeast of where the first one was discovered about three weeks ago. Green crabs are an invasive species known to devour a variety of native species and alter habitats where they have become established. Keeping green crabs out of Puget Sound has been a goal of state officials for years. Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

Trudeau's pipeline remark puts focus on Pacific Northwest LNG project
"The Great Bear rainforest is no place for a crude oil pipeline and I haven't changed my opinion on that." That was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's specific response to a question this week about the proposed Enbridge-backed Northern Gateway pipeline through B.C.'s north. In opposition, his comments about pipelines moving through this part of the province were less precise. Trudeau did not include the words "crude oil" in earlier declarations, as he did twice on Tuesday. That phrase would suggest Trudeau isn't necessarily opposed to all pipelines through the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world, just those carrying diluted bitumen from the oilsands. John Paul Tasker reports. (CBC) See also: Clock ticking down on final decision for $36B Pacific NorthWest LNG project   Ian Bikis reports. (Canadian Press)

Should Whatcom County ban crude oil exports?
People can give Whatcom County officials their thoughts during two public hearings Tuesday, Sept. 27, on a temporary policy to not allow new applications or permits for unrefined fossil fuel shipments through Cherry Point. The Whatcom County Council will take input on a 60-day emergency moratorium on applications and permits for expanded shipment of unrefined fossil fuels that was passed on Aug. 9, as well as on an interim moratorium that would extend the policy another six months. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

State, county to launch health study on coal terminal
Cowlitz County and state officials are launching a study to further examine potential health impacts of the proposed coal export dock in Longview. The study — the first of its kind for a project in Cowlitz County — will be conducted by state Department of Health under the direction of a steering committee made up of citizens. The committee will meet for the first time from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday in the Longview Public Library auditorium…. The separate health study is not a legal requirement for the permitting process for Millennium Bulk Terminals’ $680 million project. However, state officials say the study will address other questions about health that will not be covered in the state environmental impact statement. Marissa Luck reports. (Longview Daily News)

Whatcom County settles BP refinery tax dispute
Whatcom County and BP Cherry Point refinery have settled a 3-year-long tax dispute over how valuable the refinery is, releasing millions in back taxes that other taxpayers had to make up for in the interim. BP will wind up paying more than $4.6 million in back taxes, plus interest. With the Aug. 9 settlement, the refinery wound up saving more than $4.8 million in taxes for that period, and any interest that would have accrued on that amount, according to county documents. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Pierce County’s Lake Kapowsin becomes home to state’s first freshwater aquatic reserve
Pierce County’s Lake Kapowsin, formed by a volcanic mudflow eons ago, has been named the state’s first freshwater aquatic reserve. The designation by Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark on Thursday will preserve the lake’s distinctive aquatic profile, but won’t protect its shores from commercial development. The designation was a victory for preservationists who had argued the 515-acre lake should be preserved for scientific research, hunting and fishing, but it was a defeat for advocates of turning part of the lake and its shore into a world-class rowing course and park. John Gillie reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)  See also: State officials eye large expansions of 2 conservation areas  (Associated Press)

Aquariums fight for people to care about warming, over-fished oceans
For the hundreds of marine and freshwater experts in Vancouver this week at the International Aquarium Congress, there is no shortage of pressing issues to be discussed.  Overfishing, climate change, plastics and chemicals are but a few of the hot topics on the agenda, but one of the biggest challenges aquariums face today is not a scientific endeavour, per se: it's how to make people care.  Maryse Zeidler reports. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PDT MON SEP 26 2016  

TODAY  E WIND 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING W IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT  11 SECONDS. CHANCE OF RAIN.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato at 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