Salish Sea News and Weather

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

10/27 Copper fish, world climate, BC climate plan, shipper climate, ship fire, Navy jets, Hubbs' whales

Copper Fish [Gene Helfman]

Copper Fish
Author and scientist Gene Helfman was prompted by yesterday selection of the copper rockfish profile to share: "A few years ago, during a long spell of stay-inside-winter-weather, I fabricated an anatomically-correct, lifesize copper rockfish out of...copper. All scrap. I even tried to make it appropriately international, half the pennies were Canadian (when Canada still had pennies). And if you look closely, I got some of the radiating eye lines." And, "ps/can't wait for a halibut profile."

Latest National Climate Plans Still Fall Far Short, U.N. Report Warns
The latest plans by the nations of the world to tackle climate change over the next decade fall far short of what’s needed to avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures, according to a United Nations report released Tuesday. Brad Plumer reports. (NY Times)

The ‘glaring gap’ in B.C.’s new climate plan
Environmental groups say while the province has made important gains in new roadmap, it’s still not clear how B.C. will tackle emissions from fracking and LNG. Ainslie Cruickshank writes. (The Narwhal)

For Canada, meeting its current climate targets will be complicated and expensive
Government has a track record of setting ambitious targets and falling short. Kyle Bakx and Tony Seskus write. (CBC)

Big shippers promise zero carbon by 2040. Too late, say climate activists
Major shippers including Amazon, Ikea, and Unilever say they will stop putting their stuff on ships that burn fossil fuels in the next 20 years...Getting to zero carbon emissions by 2040 is more ambitious than the shipping industry as a whole has agreed to, yet less ambitious than climate activists say is needed. John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Crews, firefighters board MV Zim Kingston to assess damage and next moves, says Coast Guard
The company responsible for the cargo ship incapacitated near Victoria, B.C., on Saturday, after several containers carrying toxic material caught fire, says a team has now boarded the Zim Kingston to assess the damage. (CBC)

U.S. District Court judge weighing merits of Navy EIS for Whidbey Island
A U.S. District Court judge heard arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit over the Navy’s expansion of its EA-18G Growler jet fleet at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in July 2019, argues the Navy did not adequately review the potential environmental and public health impacts that increasing its Growler fleet from 82 to 118 jets would have on Whidbey Island and surrounding areas. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

An Oregon State ocean expedition’s surprisingly close-to-home whale discovery
The sighting and sounds made by Hubbs' beaked whales--among the shyest marine mammals around--was a lucky encounter for researchers 200 miles off the Oregon coast. Jes Burns reports. (OPB)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 240 AM PDT Wed Oct 27 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 11 ft at 11 seconds building to 13 ft at 13 seconds in the afternoon. A chance of showers in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
TONIGHT S wind 15 to 25 kt becoming E after midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 13 ft at 14 seconds subsiding to 11 ft at 15 seconds after midnight. Rain.

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Tuesday, October 26, 2021

10/26 Copper rockfish, burning ship, ESA, BC climate plan, EcoLab penalty, whale chat, state forest lands, bug seeding, Steven Guilbeault

Copper rockfish [Biodiversity of the Central Coast]

Copper rockfish Sebastes caurinus
Copper Rockfish range from the northern Gulf of Alaska to central Baja California. They can be found from the subtidal zone down to 183 m (600 ft). Identifying a fish as either a Copper, Brown, or Quillback rockfish can be difficult, especially in Puget Sound where these three species are known to hybridize. One way to separate Coppers from the other two species is to look for the bandings coming from the eye, these will be absent in the other two species. The distinct clear band over the lateral line can also help, but cannot be relied upon in the case of hybrids. (WDFW)

As container ship smoulders off B.C. coast, environmental concerns remain
While a fire on a container ship near Victoria, B.C., continues, some observers are expressing concerns about potential environmental impacts. The Canadian Coast Guard said Monday there are still pockets of flame on the deck of the MV Zim Kingston and some containers may have internal fires. Meanwhile, stormy weather is causing some problems for the clean-up efforts. (CBC)

Wildlife agencies to cancel Trump endangered species rules
President Joe Biden’s administration announced Tuesday that it will cancel two environmental rollbacks under former President Donald Trump that limited habitat protections for imperiled plants and wildlife. The proposal to drop the two Trump-era rules by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service is part of a broad effort by the Biden administration to undo rules imposed under Trump that favored industry over the environment. Matthew Brown reports. (Associated Press)

Critics Aren’t Buying BC’s New Climate Plan
The B.C. government says a new climate plan will let it meet the legislated target for greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2030. But critics say it won’t work because the plan allows the oil and gas sector to continue to grow. Measures include increasing the carbon tax, pushing the adoption of zero-emission vehicles and public transit and reducing industrial methane emissions. Andrew MacLeod reports. (The Tyee)

Tacoma company must pay $214K for environmental violations, fire that hospitalized worker
Water and hygiene company EcoLab must pay about $214,000 in penalties for violating federal hazardous waste and pesticide laws that resulted in a fire at its facility on the Tacoma Tideflats in 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency announced. The penalties are part of a settlement between EcoLab and the EPA where the company agreed to address the violations and pay penalties for the March 2019 fire that produced significant levels of hydrogen phosphide gas, prompting an evacuation of its facility. Peter Talbot reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Are We on the Verge of Chatting with Whales?
An ambitious project is attempting to interpret sperm whale clicks with artificial intelligence, then talk back to them. Christoph Droesser reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Conservation groups want Washington forests managed ‘for all the people’
Conservation groups want the Washington Department of Natural Resources to change how it manages state trust lands. At a State Supreme Court hearing [last Thursday], an attorney for the conservation groups argued state trust lands should benefit all Washington residents but it doesn’t. The groups said the state should log fewer trees to generate revenue for public school construction. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

Can 'bug seeding' improve the health of local creeks?
Bug seeding involves moving beneficial insects and other aquatic invertebrates from healthy streams to streams where these creatures are missing from the food web. Chris Dunagan reports. (Salish Sea Currents)

Guilbeault to become Canada's next environment minister as Trudeau unveils new cabinet
Long-time environmental activist Steven Guilbeault will be Canada's next minister of the environment and climate change, CBC News has confirmed. Liberal sources told CBC News that Guilbeault, who has worked with groups such as Equiterre and Greenpeace, will be moved to the crucial portfolio from his previous post as heritage minister. David Cochrane and Nick Boisvert report. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 256 AM PDT Tue Oct 26 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT
TODAY SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming S 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 11 ft at 13 seconds. Rain in the morning then showers and a slight chance of tstms in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 9 ft at 11 seconds. Showers and a slight chance of tstms.

Monday, October 25, 2021

10/25 Ruddy copper, container fire, Van Is glaciers, reducing methane, Snake R dams, Sultan R, old growth trees, dam management, Lummi Nation, science forum

Ruddy copper butterfly [iNaturalist]

Ruddy copper butterfly Lycaena rubidus
The ruddy copper is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae and is found in only North America, spanning from British Columbia and California to South Dakota. L. rubidus is not a threatened species, however it is becoming more rare, specifically at the edges of their range. Habitat loss and fragmentation may cause a decrease in the species in the future. (Wikipedia)

Container fire on freight ship near Victoria mostly under control, says Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian Coast Guard says the container fire that broke out Saturday on a freight ship off Victoria is "smouldering" and mostly under control, and an investigation will be soon be underway to assess damage. During a media briefing Sunday, the federal incident commander with the Canadian Coast Guard said the fire aboard Zim Kingston has burned the affected containers down to their shell. (CBC) See also: Hazardous materials burned aboard container ship anchored off southern B.C. (Times Colonist)

‘Receding before our eyes:’ Vancouver Island glaciers likely to be all gone by mid-century
Glacier melt is accelerated because the Island glaciers are small to start with, and recent events like this summer’s heat dome and sustained temperatures above 30 C have put their demise on fast-forward. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

Research shows getting tough on methane could reduce warming by 0.3 C
If Canada and other countries are serious about preventing global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 C, scientists say they should start with tougher regulations to slash methane pollution. Ali Raza reports. (The Narwhal)

Murray, Inslee detail salmon recovery process that could include Snake River dam removal
Washington Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee said they'll listen to diverse viewpoints with open minds to recover salmon and potentially breach the four Lower Snake River dams. A process to restore salmon runs in the state, including an in-depth study of potentially replacing four dams on the Lower Snake River in southeastern Washington, was announced today by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee. The details on the federal and state plan have been in the works since May, when Inslee and Murray decided more scientific study should look into the fate of the four controversial Lower Snake dams. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

As a dam tries to mimic nature, Sultan River comes to life
Water is flowing through new channels, salmon have new spots to spawn and kayakers have more chances to battle whitewater. Zachariah Bryan reports. (Everett Herald)

It could cost 'big, big money' to preserve B.C. old-growth forests
Premier John Horgan has promised action to protect more old-growth forests, but ending all old-growth logging could come with a billion-dollar tab. Derrick Penner reports. (Vancouver Sun)

20-year legal battle over salmon to be paused until next summer
A longstanding court battle over the federal government’s plan to manage dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers could be on hold until next summer. A coalition of the State of Oregon, conservation and fishing groups, and the Nez Perce Tribe requested on Thursday to pause litigation that fought the latest federal dam operation plan to protect endangered salmon. In the meantime, the coalition and the Biden administration hope to find a long-term solution to help endangered salmon and steelhead runs. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW News Network)

Can This Tribe of ‘Salmon People’ Pull Off One More Win?
....The Lummi, whose fishing grounds include most of the Salish Sea, count more commercial fishers among their 5,320 members than any other Indigenous nation in the Northwest. Their relationship to this catch, though, is more than financial: Like all Coast Salish tribes, the Lummi identify as “salmon people,” fluent in the chinook, sockeye, chum, coho and pinks that are born in freshwater rivers, migrate to sea as they enter adulthood, then return to spawn and die. E. Tammy Kim writes. (NY Times/Opinion)

Cherry Point Science Forum
Sign up for the virtual Cherry Point Science Forum featuring local scientists speaking on marine mammals and the implications of the summer heat wave and on longer-term patterns of environmental and ecological change in our coastal marine ecosystems. Oct. 30, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Hosted by RE Sources, reservations required.

Now, your tug weather--West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 255 AM PDT Mon Oct 25 2021
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY SE wind 25 to 35 kt. Combined seas 29 ft with a dominant period of 17 seconds subsiding to 24 ft with a dominant period of 16 seconds in the afternoon. Showers and a slight chance of tstms.
TONIGHT SW wind 25 to 35 kt easing to 20 to 30 kt after midnight. Combined seas 19 to 22 ft with a dominant period of 15 seconds. Showers and a slight chance of tstms in the evening then rain after midnight.

Friday, October 22, 2021

10/22 Port Neville, weekend weather, Blueberry R First Nations, BC whale watch penalty, fishery closures, deadly fungus, week in review

0700 hrs: Morning calm [Laurie MacBride]

Port Neville: a Love/Hate Story
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "My husband and I have a love/hate relationship with Port Neville..." Read more and check out the photos.

Wind warnings in place for parts of coastal B.C. as 'intense' weather system rolls in
Environment Canada has issued wind warnings for several areas of coastal B.C., with gusts in some exposed areas expected to top 120 km/h.(CBC) A ‘bomb cyclone’ of rain, wind headed close to Seattle An especially strong jet stream over the Pacific Ocean is spinning off a series of five or six weather systems, including a massive “bomb cyclone” that is expected to arrive in the Seattle area on Friday. Christine Clarridge reports. (Seattle Times)

How a big win for a First Nation in B.C. could bring change for resource development in Canada
Results of legal victory for Blueberry River First Nations being watched by Indigenous leaders and industry. Tony Seskus reports. (CBC)

B.C. whale watching guide fined $10K for getting too close to killer whale
A professional whale-watching guide in Campbell River has been fined $10,000 for illegally approaching a killer whale within 35 metres while touring a whale-watching group. Nicklaus Templeman, the owner and operator of Campbell River Whale and Bear Excursions, was found to be in violations under the Species At Risk and Federal Fisheries Acts in Campbell River Provincial Court in September 2021. (CBC)

Fishery Closures and the Ghosts of Past Mistakes
Canada is closing fisheries and buying back licenses. Will this latest scheme save salmon or sink fishers? Michelle Gamage reports. (Hakai Magazine)

How a deadly land fungus began killing marine mammals in the Salish Sea
In the early 2000s, a fungus infected hundreds of animals and people in British Columbia and Washington State. Scientists found that the disease also killed porpoises and dolphins in the Salish Sea—perhaps affecting cetaceans even earlier than people. A study published today in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms explores how human-caused changes on land can affect aquatic animals, specifically in the case of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii. Justin Cox reports. (Phys.org)

Week in Review 10/22/21: Wombat Friday!, Spirit bears, sea otters, hatcheries harm orcas, salmon kill, North Van sewer plant, Lolita, 'forever chemicals,' salmon and trees, urine woes, Cherry Point industry, bad fungus

Now, your weekend tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 256 AM PDT Fri Oct 22 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY SW wind to 10 kt becoming W in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 ft or less. SW swell 12 ft at 12 seconds building to W 14 ft at 14 seconds in the afternoon. Rain.
TONIGHT SW wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SE 10 to 20 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 11 ft at 13 seconds. Rain.
SAT SE wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 8 ft at 12 seconds. Rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.
SAT NIGHT SW wind to 10 kt becoming SE 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 1 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after midnight. W swell 9 ft at 12 seconds.
SUN E wind 30 to 40 kt rising to 35 to 45 kt in the afternoon. Combined seas 13 to 16 ft with a dominant period of 16 seconds.

Thursday, October 21, 2021

10/21 Wooly bear, BC oil gas, climate resiliency, Intalco property, Fairy Cr protest, derelict boats, BC LNG, Tim Manns, Beyond the Human Realm

Wooly bear

Wooly bear
Woolly bear, or woolly worm, is the larval form of the isabella tiger moth, Pyrrharctia isabella, which is found in the United States and southern Canada. It was first formally named by James Edward Smith in 1797. (Wikipedia)

What the International Energy Agency’s path to net-zero means for Canada’s oil and gas industry
For years, governments and oil executives could count on the International Energy Agency to provide ammunition for continued fossil fuel investments, but with the recent release of its latest World Energy Outlook, that ammunition appears to have run out. The annual report, released earlier this year in advance of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) summit in Glasgow, signals a monumental shift. The era of prolonged growth in demand for oil, gas and coal seems to be coming to an end, according to the report, co-authored by energy experts from governments and industry around the world. Drew Anderson reports. (The Narwhal)

Climate-Resilient NW Washington
Climate change is compounding challenges here at home. We can build resilience with compounding solutions. RE Sources presents artist Jane Chavey's story map world in which bold climate action has been taken and orcas have recovered from the brink of extinction. (RE Sources)

Two front-runners in reopening the Intalco facility offer jobs, cleaner operation
Negotiations to purchase the Intalco property at Cherry Point may bring aluminum production back to the facility or create a steel mill using recycled materials. Dave Gallagher reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Huu-ay-aht First Nations seeks permission to intervene in Fairy Creek appeal
The Huu-ay-aht First Nations is seeking leave to intervene in the Fairy Creek court appeal, following last month's decision to temporarily extend an injunction against old growth logging blockades on southern Vancouver Island. In a news release, the Huu-ay-aht, whose lands are located on the Island's west coast, say they are not directly implicated in the Fairy Creek protests or seeking to support any particular side. However, it says it does want to ensure the court is aware of the concerns of B.C. First Nations when it comes to "decision-making authority" over forests within its Indigenous territories. Ethan Sawyer reports. (CBC)

Canadian Coast Guard urges patience as it deals with up to 1,600 derelict boats
With close to 1,600 abandoned and derelict boats reported to be in the waters around B.C., the Canadian Coast Guard is asking for patience from boaters and others as it works to enforce the two-year-old Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act. Before July 2019, when the act came into effect, it was legal and common to abandon a boat along Canada’s 243,042 kilometres of coastline. Pedro Arrais reports. (Times Colonist)

Why tensions are escalating on Wet’suwet’en territory over the Coastal GasLink pipeline
After TC Energy cleared an archaeological site, armed with permits issued by the province, Gidimt’en clan members and supporters set up a blockade to prevent the company from drilling under a river that’s part of an important salmon watershed. Matt Simmons writes. (The Narwhal)

Skagit Valley birder wins statewide honor
Outside his Mount Vernon home Tuesday morning, longtime Skagit Audubon Society member Tim Manns saw a towhee, a bird common in the western United States. Meanwhile, inside his home sits a framed Washington state personalized license plate donning the name “TOWHEE” that serves as Audubon Washington’s Helen Engle Volunteer of the Year Award. “It’s definitely an honor. I’m really touched,” Manns said. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Beyond the Human Realm
Join Lopez local author and marine ecologist Gene Helfman today for a virtual launch of his newly published first novel Beyond the Human Realm. Noted by fans to be “an imaginative and compelling story” told in part from the perspective of an Orca whale, “combining biological rigor with a deeply felt sense of place. Helfman takes readers on an immersive inter-species journey through pain and redemption." 5:30 p.m. Register here. (Lopez Library)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 253 AM PDT Thu Oct 21 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY SE wind 20 to 30 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. Rain in the afternoon.
TONIGHT E wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. SW swell 11 ft at 12 seconds building to 13 ft at 14 seconds after midnight. Rain in the evening then a chance of showers and a slight chance of tstms after midnight.

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

10/20 Monarch butterfly, Puget Sound nitrogen, salmon and trees, salmon and orcas

Monarch Butterfly [National Geographic]

Monarch Butterfly Danaus plexippus
Monarchs are large, beautifully colored butterflies that are easy to recognize by their striking orange, black, and white markings. The wingspan of a full-grown monarch can reach nearly five inches (13 centimeters), although the average is closer to four inches (10 centimeters). The most amazing thing about monarch butterflies is the enormous migration that North American monarchs undertake each year. Every fall, as cold weather approaches, millions of these delicate insects leave their home range in Canada and the United States and begin flying south. They continue until they reach Southern California or central Mexico, more than 2,000 miles (3,200 kilometers) away! (National Geographic)

Urine trouble: High nitrogen levels in Puget Sound cause ecological worry
Among its many environmental challenges, Puget Sound has a water quality problem caused in part from too much pee from the 4.5 million people living in the region. This problem, known euphemistically as “nutrient waste,” has caused Puget Sound to run afoul of the federal Clean Water Act. Now the Washington Department of Ecology is poised to finalize new regulations for wastewater treatment plants that seek to cut down how much they concentrate and dump nutrient waste into the sound. Most of the sewage plants in the region don’t filter out nutrients before discharging their treated water. The new “nutrient general permit” that the Ecology Department is proposing would apply to 58 wastewater treatment plants around the sound. Ashley Braun reports. (Crosscut)

Salmon Need Trees
A new study stands as a striking reminder that logging watersheds has an outsized impact on salmon and trout. Led by Kyle Wilson at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, the study looked at the successes and failures of five species of salmonids in the Keogh River (called Giyuxw by the local Kwakiutl First Nation) on northern Vancouver Island. For steelhead trout, the salmonid Wilson and his colleagues had the most data for, the problems the fish faced in the BC river hit the population just as hard as the challenges they faced out at sea. Wilson suspects the same holds true for other species with similar life cycles. Nicola Jones reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Letter: Joint response to “no apparent shortage of prey for Southern Resident killer whales” in the Salish Sea
On Oct. 12, the University of British Columbia issued a press release claiming that a newly published study has “debunked” the idea that there are fewer Chinook salmon available during the summer for the endangered Southern resident killer whales compared to the abundance of fish available to the Northern resident killer whales. The press release grossly overstates the findings of the referenced study. The UBC study describes a new methodology for surveying for Chinook salmon in the oceanic environment, but includes too many unknowns and is too small of a data set to come to such a broad-sweeping conclusion. A coalition of partner organizations has responded with an in-depth statement which can be found at https://orcabehaviorinstitute.org/news/joint-response/. Letter signed by: Orca Behavior Institute, Orca Network, Center for Whale Research, Whale Scout, Salish Sea Ecosystem Advocates, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Wild Orca, Orca Conservancy, University of Exeter, Salish Sea School, Pacific Northwest Protectors, Salish Sea Orca Squad.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 301 AM PDT Wed Oct 20 2021
TODAY SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming SW in the afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. SW swell 8 ft at 13 seconds. Rain in the morning then a chance of showers and a slight chance of tstms in the afternoon.
TONIGHT SE wind 10 to 20 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 6 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of showers and a slight chance of tstms in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

10/19 Varied thrush, 'forever chemicals' ban, free Lolita, B'ham climate measures, Marta Green

Varied thrush [Joseph v. Higbee/BirdWeb]

Varied Thrush Ixoreus naevius
The Varied Thrush is a bird of thick, damp, mossy coniferous forests. Although it prefers dense, wet, old-growth forests, it can be found in a variety of forest types, including mixed forests. he Varied Thrush is similar in behavior to the American Robin, but more elusive. Much of its foraging is done on the ground, usually in dense cover, although sometimes it forages on open lawns and roads. Like other species of thrushes, Varied Thrushes eat a combination of insects and berries, shifting seasonally. (BirdWeb)

EPA unveils strategy to regulate toxic ‘forever chemicals’
The Biden administration is launching a wide-ranging strategy to regulate toxic industrial compounds used in products including cookware, carpets and firefighting foams The Biden administration is launching a broad strategy to regulate toxic industrial compounds associated with serious health conditions that are used in products ranging from cookware to carpets and firefighting foams. Michael Regan, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, said it is taking a series of actions to limit pollution from a cluster of long-lasting chemicals known as PFAS that are increasingly turning up in public drinking water systems, private wells and even food. Matthew Daly reports. (Associated Press)

Will Florida orca Lolita be released? New management, damning report renew advocates' fervor
After a quarter-century of futility, advocates seeking the release of Lolita the Killer Whale have renewed fervor. The sources for that zeal include a prospective new leadership at the Miami Seaquarium, a tsunami of outrage over a damning federal government report about care of animals at the nearly 70-year-old aquarium and rising fears about the vulnerability of the property's marine animals to a climate change-fueled super hurricane. At the forefront is the Aug. 17 announcement that the Dolphin Company, based in Mexico, plans to take over the Seaquarium. Founded in 1994, the company owns 32 marine parks and facilities, including Florida's Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City and Marineland Dolphin Adventure near St. Augustine. Antonio Fins and Wendy Rhodes report. (Palm Beach Post)

Bellingham’s mayor proposes these climate measures, including $5 million investment
Two proposed investments by Bellingham Mayor Seth Fleetwood would tackle climate change from both sides of the problem. One proposal would reduce the community’s greenhouse gas emissions by requiring all new housing projects using federal pandemic relief funds to be fully electric and not rely on natural gas, a fossil fuel. The mayor’s second proposal would invest $5 million in electric cooling and ventilation systems in municipal buildings, which could then serve as locations where community members can escape wildfire smoke and high temperatures. Ysabella Kempe reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Marta Green to receive 2021 Legacy Award for oil spill prevention work in the San Juan Islands
The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force is honoring Marta Green with a 2021 Legacy Award for her committed leadership in developing and advancing the San Juan Islands’ Oil Spill Prevention Strategy. Over the last five years, Green secured grant funding and managed two projects to advance oil spill prevention measures for the shipping lanes through Haro Strait and Boundary Pass. (San Juan Islander)

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca- 248 AM PDT Tue Oct 19 2021
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY SE wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. W swell 3 ft at 11 seconds.
TONIGHT SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft at 11 seconds building to SW at 12 seconds after midnight. A slight chance of rain in the evening then a chance of rain after midnight.