4/30 Dale Ireland, tanker risks, Swinomish shores, Fisher Slough, Hoko salmon, Dyes Inlet, Vancouver Aquarium, North Creek, low-tide explorers, Nooksack dredging, sharks, bag ban

Dr. Dale Ireland's Ichiro Snow-Meter

Thanks, Doc:  Family and friends – as well as weather enthusiasts around the Puget Sound area - are mourning the loss of amateur meteorologist and astronomer, Dr. Dale Ireland. Silverdale dentist known for his weather and space photos dies

Twelve years ago BP built a second dock at its Cherry Point refinery north of Bellingham, Wash. But it didn’t do an assessment of what that added dock capacity would mean for tanker traffic in Washington waters. Now the Army Corps of Engineers has released a long-awaited study that found that when BP built the second dock at Cherry Point it actually lowered the risk of a spill.... But here’s the catch: the study found that if traffic increases things look different. Ashley Ahearn at EarthFix reports. New Study Details Oil Tanker Spill Risk In Puget Sound  

The Swinomish Planning Commission expects to make a recommendation to the tribal Senate in the next 30 days on whether it should consider an ordinance that would reassert the tribe’s authority over public use of its tidelands. The proposal has provoked the ire of non-tribal residents of the area who don’t want the tribe to infringe on their ability to enjoy the beaches.  Tidelands ordinance recommendation expected within 30 days  


In late summer last year, a small but enthusiastic crowd gathered in northwest Washington to witness the rebirth of a waterway -- the result of years of negotiation, compromise and patience. Those present heard about the project's importance, not only for Pacific salmon, but also for the local community's livelihood.  It sounds a lot like the breaching of the century-old Elwha Dam on the Olympic Peninsula last fall. But this little group was about 100 miles away, near the town of Mount Vernon, at a place called Fisher Slough in the Skagit River Delta. What they were celebrating was less dramatic in appearance than the Elwha, but it was also biologically significant, and just as thorny politically. Eric Wagner in High Country News reports. Balancing fish and farms on a Washington estuary  

The Lower Elwha Klallam tribe and Rayonier have proposed a partnership to restore salmon habitat on the Hoko River in the North Olympic Peninsula. The project would add nearly 2 miles of salmon habitat to the river, in conjunction with the Elwha River restoration project that is expected to add 70 miles of salmon habitat. The 25-mile-long Hoko River empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca at the Hoko River State Park, 4 miles west of Sekiu.  Hoko River salmon restoration proposed

Dyes Inlet between Bremerton and Silverdale continues on a path toward cleaner waters, as shown this week when state health authorities released their annual list of "threatened" shellfish-growing areas. Dyes Inlet was no longer on the "threatened" list.... In Kitsap County, the only other water body listed as "threatened" list is Burley Lagoon. Other waterways on the "threatened" list this year are Port Townsend Bay in Jefferson County, Hood Canal 6 (near Alderbrook Inn) in Mason County, Filucy Bay in Pierce County, Grays Harbor and Pacific Ocean beaches in Grays Harbor County, Naselle River in Pacific County, Port Susan in Snohomish County and Portage Bay in Whatcom County. Dyes Inlet shellfish areas escape 'threatened' listing

The Vancouver Aquarium has received $12.5 million — its largest ever donation — from mining company Teck to fund construction of a new entrance gallery, as well as conservation and education programs, the aquarium announced Friday. The contribution includes $10 million to redesign the entrance gallery and expand it by 47,000 square feet. The space will be renamed the Teck Connections Gallery, the aquarium said in a statement. It is expected to open in May 2014. Vancouver Aquarium receives $12.5-million donation from Teck  

The water in a south Everett stream inundated by raw sewage earlier this month is just about back to normal, according to water quality tests. The city is tallying up what the spill cost. The best guess by the public works director: $250,000.  An estimated one million gallons of sewage flowed into North Creek after a pipe ruptured April 12 near the 11800 block of Silver Way.  Water in Everett stream passes quality tests http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120430/NEWS01/704309952/-1/NEWS01#Water-in-Everett-stream-passes-quality-tests%0A

“I remember the first time my wife and I took our two children to the beach to poke among the rocks during a low tide. They were 4- and 2-years old at the time. It was such a fun way to introduce them to the creatures that call Puget Sound home.” Jeff Mayor at The News Tribune reminisces.  Low-tide explorers can uncover cool critters, life-long memories  

Whatcom County leaders have approved paying consultants an additional $103,800 to pursue a project to dredge the Lower Nooksack River to keep flooding from worsening. But before crews get to the point of digging gravel from the river, the county likely will face significant costs studying the possible environmental impacts, County Executive Jack Louws warned the council. Pierce County wants to do the same thing, and it's looking at spending up to $1 million for the required environmental studies, he said.  Whatcom council OK's $104K for study, design of project to dredge Nooksack River


Humans and sharks are a bad mix - especially for the sharks, a study co-authored by a University of Victoria biology professor has found. "On the reefs where there are people, there are no sharks," said Julia Baum, who wrote the paper, published this week in the journal Conservation Biology, with a team of international scientists. Baum crunched the numbers from more than 1,600 diver surveys and found that, like larger sharks around the world, the number of the smaller reef sharks is plummeting.  Sharks suffer where there are humans, study finds  

Honolulu is the only county in the state not to regulate plastic shopping bags, but now the city council has approved the plan to ban plastic shopping bags and some paper bags as well. The plastic shopping bags you get from super markets, convenience stores and restaurants will not be allowed.  Paper bags will be allowed but only if they are made of at least 40 percent recycled material and have a recyclable logo on it. Plastic bags sacked on Oahu  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON APR 30 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM PDT EARLY THIS MORNING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
TODAY
S WIND 10 TO 15 KT BECOMING W 20 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT BUILDING TO 3 OR 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS BUILDING TO 8 FT AT 7 SECONDS. SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SHOWERS.

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

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4/27 Fisheries Act, tanker traffic, Portage Bay, global warming, Stewart Wechsler, Bay Rendezvous

Salish Sea tanker routes (KGW News)

Cliff Mass tells all: Rain Shadow Secrets  

The Harper government unveiled a massive omnibus budget implementation bill Thursday that includes Fisheries Act amendments that will strip the term "habitat" from the most crucial section of the law.  The government's intent, according to a spokeswoman, to assist "everyday Canadians" in their dealings with federal fisheries bureaucrats. Fisheries Act changes introduced amid debate over new law's intent

As Victorians fuss about the idea of an expanded Kinder Morgan pipeline sending 350 oil tankers sliding past our front door every year, consider this: We already have 800 going the other way. U.S. government statistics show 548 tankers entered Juan de Fuca Strait bound for Washington state ports in 2010. Another 252 came in bound for Canada. Jack Knox unpacks the numbers.  The oily truth, strait up: 800 tankers a year  



Portage Bay was added to a list of threatened shellfish growing areas after routine water samples were found to have high levels of fecal coliform bacteria. The pollution isn't severe enough to restrict or close shellfish harvesting at Portage Bay. The threatened list highlights for policymakers shellfish areas in the state that need to be watched more closely, said Scott Berbells, a growing area supervisor for the state Department of Health. Portage Bay shellfish area on threatened list

Hey, listen up:  The star of a scientific study about how marine life will adapt to global warming is usually thought of as a garden pest. But an experimental study at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Marine Lab is giving the pest some notoriety. What is it? Hint: rhymes with whale. Martha Baskin tells us more.  A Ubiquitous, Much Smaller Marine Organism Takes Center Stage in Global Warming Study at West Coast Hot Spot  

Naturalist Stewart Wechsler, 55, makes his rounds around West Seattle daily, with binoculars in hand and an illustrated bird guide in his back pocket. Tan Vinh at the Seattle Times profiles Stewart. Seattle nature lover gives a hoot (to help you get a look at owls)

Charter vessels from around the Northwest will gather in Bellingham next weekend to open their boats to the public, trade stories and celebrate maritime history during the second annual Bellingham Bay Rendezvous to be held at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal April 28 and 29. Historic vessels on show at Bellingham Bay Rendezvous this weekend  

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI APR 27 2012
TODAY
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT.
SUN
W WIND 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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4/26 Eleanor Stopps, coal study, cruise ship waste, Snake R. dams, deer group, sediment sampling, scientist speech, invasive species

Eleanor Stopps in the '70s (Peninsula Daily News)

Eleanor Stopps, whose efforts led to the preservation of Protection Island as a wildlife habitat, died Wednesday after a battle with cancer.  Eleanor Stopps, Protection Island defender, dies at 92  

Oregon's governor called on federal agencies Wednesday to thoroughly evaluate the environmental impacts of coal-export projects in the Northwest, saying the United States risks locking Asian countries into dependency on fossil fuels if it expands access to vast American coal reserves. Gov. John Kitzhaber, a Democrat, sent a letter asking federal officials to study the environmental impacts of mining coal in Montana and Wyoming, shipping it to the West Coast and burning it in Asia.  Ore. governor wants study of coal-export impacts  

If all the planned coal-export terminals actually get built, a lot of mile-long coal trains spewing coal dust from uncovered rail cars will rumble through cities and towns — not to mention the Columbia Gorge — all the way from the Powder River Basin of Montana and Wyoming to deepwater ports on the lower Columbia River, in Puget Sound, in Grays Harbor, in the Georgia Strait, and on the Oregon Coast. Maybe they won't all get built.  Who knows?  The whole may be equal to the sum of its parts, but it will certainly be greater than any single part. Dan Chasan at Crosscut reports.  The coal port issue is spreading all over the Northwest

More than 200 ships are scheduled to visit the Port of Seattle this year, bringing millions of dollars in tourist revenue. In the past those ships have also brought wastewater into Puget Sound. But this year, the regulations are a little bit stricter. Starting May 1, cruise ships that visit The Port of Seattle won’t be allowed to release treated sewage and graywater while they’re docked. Ashley Ahearn at EarthFix reports.  New Restrictions On Cruise Ship Waste For Seattle Waters  

The federal judge who presided over a court battle that pitted Columbia River salmon advocates against hydropower supporters told a television interviewer that four controversial lower Snake River dams should be removed. In his first interview since stepping down from the case last fall, U.S. District Court Judge James Redden told Aaron Kunz, of Idaho Public Television in Boise, "I think we need to take those dams down." Snake River dams should go, says judge now off the case  

An 11-person citizens committee has been selected to look at one of the most controversial issues facing the region this year.  The deer management citizens advisory group was appointed Wednesday by the Capital Regional District.  CRD names 11-person deer advisory group  

Contractors working for the Port of Bellingham will collect sediment samples from the bay and the beach this week. They expect to collect samples from storm drains the following week. This round of sampling and analysis will add to information already collected at the site. Results will be compiled in a report called a remedial investigation and feasibility study, which should be ready for public review in 2013. Bellingham Bay Cleanup Plans Move Ahead  

Controlling the free speech of Canadian scientists who work for the government is an “established practice,” says Environment Minister Peter Kent.  Responding to a Postmedia News report, Kent suggested that the government was doing the right thing.  Kent defends muzzling as “established practice”   Then: Kent outraged by “misquote” – says scientists are “spreading the good news” about federal policies  

The Washington State Invasive Species Council has identified 50 non-native species of concern. They include plants and animals ranging from mere nuisances to destroyers of habitat and threats to other species. Noah Haglund at the Everett Herald shows the top 10. The least-wanted list: Invasive animals  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU APR 26 2012
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 10 KT...RISING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS AND A CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE EVENING. SHOWERS LIKELY.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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4/25 No pipeline, BP, Alexandra Morton, Eleanor Stopps, white orca, gray whale, Mayne Is., Birch Bay, plastic ban, Tacoma bulk terminal, B'ham Love

Alexandra Morton (Sean Patrick Farrell/The New York Times)

Vancouver's majority party on council and park board are formally opposing Kinder Morgan's plan to twin its oil pipeline from Alberta in order to boost exports to Asia.  On Tuesday Vision Vancouver said it would introduce two motions next week — one at council and one at park board — arguing that the expansion of the pipeline and the resulting tanker traffic in Vancouver harbour would put the city at unnecessary risk of a spill.  Vancouver council, park board to formally oppose Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion

The US justice department has filed the first criminal charges linked to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. A former BP engineer was arrested on charges of intentionally destroying evidence. BP oil spill: First criminal charges filed in US  

Mark Hume in The Globe and Mail profiles activist Alexandra Morton.  One woman's struggle to save B.C.'s wild salmon   Read also:  Cohen Commission asked to explore possibility that Fraser sockeye suffer damaged hearts  

If you like to listen:  “As Eleanor (Stopps) is currently in hospice, I thought it time we brought out the unpublished interview we shot of her as part of "Voices of the Strait",” Al Bergstein writes. “Eleanor talks about her life, and how she came to protect Protection Island.  Interview by Betsy Wharton and Jo Anne Bailey.” Listen here.

Scientists have spotted an extremely rare all-white adult orca off Russia's coast and are wondering if it's the same animal photographed by scientists in Alaska in 2000 and 2008 — or if there is more than one.  Rare white orca seen off Russia may have been Alaska visitor, too

A gray whale found dead Sunday off Camano Island had been feeding recently on shrimp. NOAA Fisheries says an examination of its stomach Monday also found large amount of woody debris and some pieces of rope, plastic and a golf ball. Spokesman Brian Gorman says the garbage was minimal and not the cause of death which remains under investigation. Whale that died off Camano Island ate golf ball

People move to Mayne Island for the simple life. It's the kind of leafy Gulf Islands paradise that suit-and-tie office workers dream about as their souls are slowly sucked away in 15 km/h commuter traffic. But as Tamara Gagne's neighbour likes to say, it's complicated to become simple. Jack Knox in the Times Colonist muses: Life on Mayne Island, it's complicated to become simple

Whatcom County leaders gave nods to pursue a $10 million project to renovate Birch Bay's waterfront, improving safety for pedestrians, preventing erosion and cleaning stormwater. But whether the county gets a $7 million loan for the project depends on whether the state Department of Ecology writes a letter supporting the project, and agency officials haven't decided whether they'll do that, Ecology spokeswoman Katie Skipper said. Ecology support is needed because Whatcom County is out of compliance with state growth law.  Whatcom County to pursue $10 million Birch Bay waterfront project

A petition to mobilize support for a Port Townsend ban of plastic shopping bags now has the active support of more than 10 percent of city residents, petition sponsors say.  Petition for plastic-bag ban gaining signatures  

The site of a former massive aluminum smelter could become a bulk goods terminal if the Port of Tacoma is successful with a new plan to attract iron ore and potash exports to the port.  The 96-acre site at the northeast end of the port’s Blair Waterway could become the destination for long unit trains carrying bulk commodities destined for export.  New bulk terminal in Tacoma?

Bellingham writer Carol Kaesuk Yoon writes in the New York Times about her discoveries close to home. So Much Life on a Little Patch of Earth  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED APR 25 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW 5 TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER
 MIDNIGHT. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 8 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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4/24 Fred Hill, Ludlow mining, dead gray whale, Swinomish salmon, Skagit water

Long Beach, Tofino B.C. (Photo: Jonathan Hayward)

If you like to watch: The Pull Focus Film School-- Georgia Strait Alliance - caring for our coastal waters

Concrete-supplier Fred Hill Materials, a three-generation company, shut down all operations for good Monday, laying off 42 employees.... The company owns concrete plants in Poulsbo, Bremerton, Port Townsend and Sequim and operated a gravel pit near Shine until it was sold to Miles Sand & Gravel in 2009. Alex Hill said at the time that the sale was designed to help the company weather the slump in construction.... The pit-to-pier project remains an active proposal under a spinoff company called Thorndyke Resource with Alex Hill at the helm. As planned, the project would move sand and gravel by conveyor belt from a massive pit near Shine to a 1,000-foot-long pier on Hood Canal. Environmental studies are under way for the project, which must be approved by the Jefferson County hearing examiner. Chris Dunagan at the Kitsap Sun reports. Fred Hill Materials closes after 66 years

The Jefferson County Department of Community Development has decided that a proposed quarry will have no significant environmental influence and will not require an environmental impact statement. The determination of nonsignificance issued by the county includes 35 mitigation measures to address effects on surface water, air quality, environmental impacts, critical areas, plants and animals and noise, according to the county.... The company’s proposal includes mining in some of the 12 wetland and wetland buffers areas on the property, and landowner Pope has proposed compensation by deeding more than 55 acres of property it owns along Shine Creek. Quarry near Ludlow wins county approval  

Scientists are working to determine what caused the death of a gray whale found floating off of Camano Island over the weekend. Cascadia Research Collective, state wildlife officials and others are conducting a necropsy on the marine mammal Monday. The gray whale was spotted early Sunday morning off the west Camano Island, about 60 miles north of Seattle. Dead Gray Whale Spotted In Puget Sound  

For the Swinomish Tribe, the battle to protect salmon is about culture and livelihood — and it hasn’t been easy. In 1974, Brian Cladoosby and his father had just set a net for king salmon in the Samish Bay. It was a nice summer day, Cladoosby said, and they had planned to stay all day when a man pulled up alongside their 18-foot wooden boat. He pulled out a gun and told them to leave.  The connection between salmon and the Swinomish  

While the issue of how much water is available for development in Skagit County is hotly contested, the real dispute boils down to how that water is parceled out. That issue has culminated in decades of political wrangling, pitting county interests against state and utility demands and the local Swinomish Indian Tribal Community against the county and state, all the while racking up millions of dollars in legal costs and dragging in state lawmakers — even the Governor’s office.  Skagit’s water rights showdown

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE APR 24 2012
TODAY
SW WIND 5 TO 10 KT...BECOMING W 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A
 CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 2 TO 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT AT 9 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. SHOWERS LIKELY.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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4/23 No pipeline, geoducks, Oly oysters, Stellar sea lions, BC Chinook, fish eaters risk, PSE coal

Deepwater Horizon gusher (April 20, 2010)

New blog: “It’s not Brussels, that’s for sure.” Travel Notes: If This Is Monday, This Must Be Baltimore  

Opposition to the expansion of oil giant Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline reached a fever pitch Sunday as thousands of people jammed Commercial Drive to rally for Earth Day. The public gathering is the first of its kind since the April 12 announcement that the Texas-based company will seek to more than double the amount of crude oil that flows from Alberta to Burnaby, to 850,000 barrels a day from the present 300,000. The increase, spurred by higher than expected demand from Asian markets, would see tanker traffic in Burrard Inlet jump to nearly 365 tankers per year, up from about 70. Thousands protest in Vancouver against Kinder Morgan pipeline project  

Mike Doherty, a Callam County commissioner, and Lovel Pratt, a San Juan County Councilmember, speak out: Reflections on the 2nd Anniversary of the Gulf Oil Spill

Washington geoducks long have been Puget Sound's highest-value seafood. But a confluence of regional and global events recently has sent geoduck prices soaring far higher. Where a perfect, pearly white, 2.5-pound geoduck once brought $20 at the dock, a similar clam in the past year sometimes sold for three times more. In a restaurant in China, where 95 percent of the region's geoducks land, top-grade clams are selling for $100 to $150 or more — per pound. Craig Welch reports: China's demand for geoducks sends prices, profits soaring in NW

The effort to restore native Olympia oysters to Puget Sound will take an important step forward later this year, when a permanent oyster hatchery will be built in Manchester. The 1,500-square-foot hatchery — designed to produce up to 1 million baby oysters a year — will be constructed at Manchester Research Station, a federal facility operated by Northwest Fisheries Science Center. Oyster hatchery to be built at Manchester Research Station

Steller sea lions from Alaska's Panhandle to California's Channel Islands have reached recovery targets and should be removed from the endangered-species list, according to the federal agency that oversees them. The eastern population of the marine mammal has increased from about 34,000 in 1997 to 70,000 in 2010, according to federal officials. Steller sea lions may be taken off endangered-species list

A Father's Day fishing derby that usually generates about $400,000 for the Greater Victoria economy was cancelled Friday because organizers cannot find out if they will be allowed to catch chinook salmon. Sports fishers are waiting anxiously for a decision from Department of Fisheries and Oceans on a possible summer closure of the chinook fishery in Juan de Fuca Strait because some of the fish caught are from depleted Fraser River runs.  'Heartbreaker' as fishing derby cut  

“Washington uses one of the lowest fish consumption rates in the nation to set water quality standards, but we have some of the highest fish-consuming populations in the nation,” said David McBride of the state Department of Health.  Fish consumption rates spike among American Indians, recreational fishers and people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent, studies conducted in Washington indicate. Some members of Puget Sound tribes eat up to 12 ounces of fish per day. “The paradox of eating fish is that it provides benefits but also has risks,” McBride said last week during a meeting in Spokane. “Our current discharge standards … don’t protect you." Becky Kramer reports: Low standards for water put fish eaters at heightened risk   

A new coalition considers Puget Sound Energy (PSE) a utility company with a split personality. On one hand, it is making impressive investments in wind and solar power. On the other, it is still a major owner of the second-largest coal plant in the western United States.  Coal-Free PSE is urging the utility to give up its stake in the Colstrip Generating Facility in Montana, which is involved in its third lawsuit over water pollution in the past decade. Colstrip supplies about one-third of its power to PSE; the remainder is divided between other co-owner utilities, including two that also serve Washington customers, PacifiCorp and Avista.  WA Utility Urged to Break MT Coal Connection  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON APR 23 2012
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS 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

4/20 Whale breath, oil sickness, BC spill centre, BP, Elwha mud, Northern Marine, Nooksack kill, Coquitlam Reservoir, Cypress restoration, rockfish MPA

New blog: Our lives are global when we least expect them to be. Travel Notes: Islands in the Salish Sea in Brussels

Celebrate Earth Day weekend at Welcome the Whale Days by hearing Dr. Bruce Mate speaks about Varvara and other Western Pacific Gray whales on Saturday at 3 PM in Langley, Whidbey Island OMG - Whales text their BFFs!  

New research shows that killer whales are inhaling bacteria, fungi and viruses once believed to be found only on land. Some of the pathogens are highly virulent. And some are even antibiotic-resistant.  Killer whales facing an airborne threat  

Open sores. Parasitic infections. Chewed-up-looking fins. Gashes. Mysterious black streaks. Two years after the drilling-rig explosion that touched off the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history, scientists are beginning to suspect that fish in the Gulf of Mexico are suffering the effects of the petroleum.  2 years later, fish sick near BP oil spill site  

The federal government is closing B.C.'s command centre for emergency oil spills at a time when the province is facing two possible pipeline projects and a potential spike in tanker traffic in West Coast waterways. Ottawa has said it will shut down B.C.'s regional office for emergency oil-spill responders, located in Vancouver, and centralize operations in Quebec in the wake of the cost-cutting March 29 federal budget.  Oil-spill centre moving out of B.C.  

BP Cherry Point is a few weeks away from returning to normal refining operations, but don't expect to see much change at the gas pump. More than 3,000 contract workers have been at the refinery doing annual maintenance work as well as dealing with the aftermath of the Feb. 17 fire in the crude vacuum unit.  BP Cherry Point closer to resuming normal operations after fire, annual turnaround  

The sediment behind the Elwah dams is one of the factors that makes the $325 million Elwha restoration the largest dam removal project ever anywhere, with some 24 million cubic yards of sediment to manage. Much of the material will remain behind in the watershed, distributed along the river's middle and lower run. But a lot of it is also rinsing out to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where it is expected the material will help rebuild the near shore and beaches eroded to ankle-turning cobble. Here it comes: sediment starts to really hit the Elwha  


The Washington State Department of Ecology issued a $48,000 fine to an Anacortes yacht builder recently, citing failure to properly label and dispose of hazardous material for three consecutive inspections over an eight-month period.  Northern Marine fined $48,000  

Officials are looking for anyone with information about a spill that may have caused a sudden die-off of young salmon in the Nooksack River Tuesday. Lummi Natural Resources Department staff reported 11 dead Chinook salmon smolts and more than 100 dead pink and chum salmon in a smolt trap at Hovander Park. Officials seek tips on Nooksack River spill that killed young salmon 


Metro Vancouver is hoping to head off proposed federal government water-quality standards that it says could force Lower Mainland residents to pay $300 million to build what officials say is an unnecessary filtration system at its Coquitlam Reservoir. “It’s all very well for the federal government to set these high standards as it doesn’t cost them anything. We are the ones who will have to pay,” said North Vancouver City Mayor Darrell Mussatto. Metro Vancouver wants federal government to back off on water quality demands  

The state’s final construction budget includes $535,000 for restoration work on Cypress Island, west of Anacortes. Part of the grant will restore the Secret Harbor estuary, enhance public access and increase capacity for tourism and low-impact public uses.  Cypress Island receives money for restoration  

If you like to watch: How big do marine reserves need to be to protect resident rockfish for their entire lives? Oregon State University graduate student Tom Calvanese is tracking six species of rockfish. He captured 30 different fish inside the reserve and inserted acoustic tags into them. He set receivers inside the reserve and along the reserve boundaries. And for about a year now he’s been collecting data from the receivers that show how much time the fish spend inside and outside of the reserve. Watch the results of Tom's research: Inside A Marine Reserve: Adopt A Rockfish And See If It’s Protected  

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI APR 20 2012
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING NW 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY THIS MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W SWELL 10 FT AT 11 SECONDS. NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT.
SAT
SW WIND 10 KT...BECOMING SE IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT.
SUN
SE WIND 10 KT EARLY...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT.

--
"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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4/19 Polar bear Kenneth, quake faults, coal dust, whale maps, BC review, Jellies, Greg Rabourn, Alan Mearns, Mason Co., green-glow fish

R.I.P. Kenneth (The News Tribune)

Cliff Mass writes: "Hard to believe...three decent weekends in a row...and the upcoming weekend, might be the best for some of you." We Win the Spring Weekend Trifecta!

Kenneth, the oldest of four bears at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium was euthanized Wednesday after his right side became paralyzed and he could no longer stand or walk. He had lived there since 2002. Polar bear euthanized at Point Defiance Zoo

Geologists have discovered two previously unknown earthquake faults -- and possibly a third -- near Bellingham, Washington. The scientists working for the U.S. Geological Survey believe the shallow faults are capable of spawning damaging tremors.  Geologists Identify New Earthquake Faults Near Bellingham  

What's being described as an "absolute freak incident" at Westshore Terminals coal port Thursday afternoon caused a cloud of coal dust to briefly hover over the area. Unexpected wind gust stirs up coal dust at Roberts Bank  

If you like to watch: Check out the Vancouver Sun's Interactive map: cetacean sightings in B.C. over the last decade  

Environmental groups that don't have particular expertise to offer, and ordinary citizens concerned about projects like the Northern Gateway oilsands pipeline but who don't live or work near the project, shouldn't be able to participate in environmental review hearings, Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver said Wednesday.  Oliver defends limiting participation to environmental review hearings  

Global warming, pollution and human activity in marine habitats are not generally regarded as good things — unless you’re a jellyfish. According to a study of the jellyfish population by University of B.C. researchers, jellyfish are increasing in the majority of the world’s coastal ecosystems. Jellyfish thrive in adverse conditions, UBC study finds  

In 1995, Greg Rabourn had what Evening Magazine dubbed the worst job in the region. He was one of four people employed by King County to sort through garbage at its then-three landfills, searching for hazardous material that needed to be pulled out of the trash and disposed of separately.... But for Rabourn, his stint as a trash-sorter had a silver lining. “That’s how I discovered Vashon,” he said during a recent interview.  Vashon's basin steward: Healing the region, one project at a time  

Alan Mearns is an ecological inquirer. He likes to ask questions, find connections and discover how things work in the natural world.  That has led him to a decade of observing and recording birds, right in his Edmonds back yard.  Edmonds scientist is a birdwatcher with purpose  

“The Mason County Commissioner’s meeting this morning was on the receiving end of some long standing and deserved frustration over lack of leadership and direction in handling water quality and sanitation issues.  These are symptoms of what is a pervasive inability to establish a proactive strategy to deal with growth and environmental pressure, and it’s time to get into the 21st century.... From the Puget Sound Partnership, to Department of Health, to other county governments, to our own citizenry, Mason County is regarded as a laughing stock of efficiency and effectiveness.  It can change, it must change.  If our commissioners do not feel up to shaking the trees to establish a new way of generating a new culture, then someone else needs to step in.” Carol Gardner editorializes: County and Commissioners  

Understanding the damage that pollution causes to both wildlife and human health is set to become much easier thanks to a new green-glowing zebrafish. Created by a team from the University of Exeter, the fish makes it easier than ever before to see where in the body environmental chemicals act and how they affect health. The fluorescent fish has shown that estrogenic chemicals, which are already linked to reproductive problems, impact on more parts of the body than previously thought. Green-Glowing Fish Provides New Insights Into Health Impacts of Pollution  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU APR 19 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON PDT TODAY THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING E 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING W 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.  

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4/18 Clearwater Commons, oil spill, BC reviews, Eleanor Stopps, Everett mill, tsunami debris, derelict gear, trumpeter swans

Feeding time for junior (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride blogs in Eye on Environment: “The pace of bird life around our place is picking up rapidly these days. Territories are being carved out and defended and songs are getting louder (not to mention, being broadcast at earlier hours each day).” Busy Times in Birdland

New blog: What Am I Doing Here? That’s the title of a collection of Bruce Chatwin travel essays. It’s a good questions to ask — and answer— while travelling.  Travel Notes: What Am I Doing Here?

Celebrating Earth Day: Take a tour April 21 and 22 of Clearwater Commons, the most comprehensive low impact development project in Puget Sound. Situated on seven acres in a suburban environment alongside North Creek in Snohomish County, the site includes raingardens in the right of way, pervious pavements, wetland mitigation and homes on pin-pile foundations.

Coast Guard and state officials responded Tuesday to an oil spill at the Bell Harbor Marina on Elliott Bay in Seattle. Ecology spokesman Larry Altose says there's enough oil to coat the marina area, but it's difficult to tell how much has spilled. It appears to be tens of gallons. Officials respond to oil spill on Elliott Bay in Seattle

B.C. Environment Minister Terry Lake enthusiastically embraced the federal government's plan announce Tuesday to let provinces run environmental reviews of natural resource projects, but said Victoria may ask for federal money to handle that new responsibility.  B.C. environment minister likes federal plan to let provinces run reviews

Eleanor Stopps, whose efforts turned Protection Island into a national wildlife refuge, has been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and is living out her remaining days in a Gig Harbor care facility. Stopps was a housewife and mother who testified before both the state Legislature and Congress, and persuaded Congress through tireless letter-writing and lobbying over a decade to grant Protection Island national wildlife refuge status in 1982.  Wildlife advocate terminal, moved to care facility

Employees at the city's last large waterfront mill worked their final shifts Sunday, and the city is already well under way with plans for the land. Kimberly-Clark says it has heard from potential buyers, and the Everett City Council is working on land-use plans.  Talk begins on future of Everett mill site

Debris from last year’s Japanese tsunami is still heading for Northwest beaches, and the Washington State Department of Ecology has begun putting up posters to help you decide what to do if you spot any.  While it isn't known exactly when the bulk of the debris will hit beaches here, some debris has crossed the ocean. Posters tell you how to deal with Japanese tsunami debris

The Olympian editorializes: “Fishing gear lost by commercial and recreational anglers in Puget Sound takes a deadly toll on marine life, from marine mammals to sea urchins. The derelict gear, which includes old fishing nets, crab pots, fishing line, hooks and lures, is lethal litter that can keep on catching years after it is lost. It’s incumbent upon commercial and sport fishers alike to maintain their gear in good shape and take all of the appropriate actions to keep from losing it.”  Education is key to help conserve our marine life  

The swans have returned to the Copper Basin. One can set the calendar by them, because for as long as I can remember, they show up at the outlet of Paxson Lake on April 6.  Usually a pair arrives first. This spring it was a pair and a single. More have followed this past week and soon they will be scattered on bits of open water at the outlets of area lakes, patiently waiting for the thaw. These are trumpeter swans, the largest waterfowl in North America. John Schandelmeier reports: Trumpeters are first to arrive in Alaska and last to leave

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED APR 18 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM PDT EARLY THIS MORNING
TODAY
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT EARLY...BECOMING SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN SCATTERED SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S 5 TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

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4/17 BC pipe, mammals and birds, Salish Cliffs GC, coal health, Padden Trails, salmon virus, HI snails

Steller sea lions (National Geographic)

If you like to watch:  KCTS 9 and EarthFix on Wednesday at 7 PM chronicle the historic removal of two dams from the Elwha River, and show how it will impact people, salmon and the environment for years to come. Undamming the Elwha  

Kinder Morgan's proposal to expand its Trans Mountain pipeline operation will bring more oil from Alberta tar sands to the Salish Sea for export through the straits. It's not, however, your familiar crude oil. Washington Not Ready For Implications Of B.C. Pipeline Expansion  See also: B.C. mayors steel themselves for fight against Kinder Morgan pipeline  

Larry Pynn in the Vancouver Sun writes: “The shared inland waters of Juan de Fuca Strait, B.C.’s Strait of Georgia, and Washington state’s Puget Sound may once again approach its former greatness. Steller sea lions have thrived since the federal government afforded them protection in 1970 — with new abundance estimates pegging their population at 48,000 animals in winter on the B.C. coast. The breeding population had dipped to an estimated 3,400 animals before their protection. Similarly, harbour seals today total an estimated 105,000 animals, one of the densest such populations on earth, compared with fewer than 15,000 in the late 1960s.” Marine mammals coming back to the Salish Sea  

However: To the untrained eye, there is nothing remarkable about the loose knot of waterbirds bobbing innocently just offshore, south of the Tsawwassen ferry terminal.  To biologist Pete Davidson, however, they are signs of trouble brewing in the Salish Sea. Coastal waterbirds in B.C. slipping away  

Salish Cliffs Golf Club in Shelton, Wash., has become the first "Salmon-Safe"-certified golf course in the world. The certification came after the course successfully passed an exhaustive assessment verifying the Squaxin Island Tribe's commitment to protecting native habitat, managing water runoff, reducing pesticides, and advancing environmental practices throughout the region.  Salish Cliffs Becomes World's First 'Salmon-Safe' Course  

The Environmental Protection Agency wants a thorough review of the consequences of coal export through Northwest ports, saying the first project in the pipeline -- at Oregon's Port of Morrow -- "has the potential to significantly impact human health and the environment." Northwest coal export projects could have 'significant' public health impacts, EPA says

A divided Bellingham City Council voted 6-1 Monday, April 16, to send the Padden Trails rezoning proposal back to committee, after council members spent about an hour trying to reconcile the preservation of single-family neighborhoods with the need for more homes and apartments within the city limits Padden Trails project headed back to council committee

Tests on supermarket salmon, that found evidence of piscine reovirus (PRV) and then linked it to heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI), were unscientific and designed to sensationalize information and cause unfounded concern, said Mary Ellen Walling, B.C. Salmon Farmers Association executive director.  B.C. government officials, salmon farmers contradict claims of disease in farmed salmon  

Alexis Rudd blogs (wonderfully) on Hawaiian snails and Puget Sound whales. Singing Snails and Killer Whales: Parallels in Conservation

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE APR 17 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
W SWELL 10 FT AT 13 SECONDS. SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 9 FT
 AT 13 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.  

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

4/16 Goldstream R., BC forests, Sammamish runoff, Tom Sanford, rabbit love, Jacques Marc

Song Sparrow (Dave Green)

Dave Green at Lake Padden News blogs on the latest spring sightings of birds and plants blooming, Sightings Second Week of April 2012

New blog: Travel Notes: Brussels High and Low

Cliff Mass blogs on Bird Migration on the Coastal Radar  

About 3,000 coho salmon were introduced into the Goldstream River on Saturday. Remediation work near Goldstream Provincial Park began immediately after a tanker-truck crash that spilled thousands of litres of fuel a year ago, killing much of the plant and animal life. One year after fuel spill, fish released into Goldstream River  

The B.C. government is holding talks with the forest industry over ways to supply more timber to beetle-hit Interior sawmills, including the option of opening forest reserves that have until now been out of bounds to loggers.  The discussions have been limited to a few stakeholders who have sawmills in regions where the mountain pine beetle has devastated the timber supply. But they are raising alarms — even from within the forest industry — that the province is acting unilaterally on issues with sweeping effects on the future of the forests and the communities that depend on them.  B.C. government faces increasing opposition on plans to open forest reserves to loggers  

Stormwater engineer Eric LaFrance told the Sammamish Council that collecting and filtering all of the storm water being collected by the system of pipes, ditches and culverts proposed for the Inglewood and Tamarack neighborhoods could double in price. A $2.3 million system in Inglewood could swell to $4.5 million and the $780,000 Tamarack project may end up costing closer to $1.6 million. Councilwoman Nancy Whitten asked whether there was more the city could do to encourage low-impact development and storm water infiltration in the neighborhoods. LaFrance said the steep slopes in the area aren’t good for injecting storm water and the small lots in the neighborhood, which was plotted in the early part of the 1900s, do not lend themselves to low-impact development. Stormwater fixes could cost a bundle  

The North Olympic Land Trust has hired Port Angeles resident Tom Sanford as its new executive director. From 2005 to 2011, Sanford was the executive director of Olympic Park Institute, the campus of national nonprofit NatureBridge, which provides environmental educational programs in Olympic National Park.  North Olympic Land Trust names new executive director  

A group of rabbit lovers are up in arms over the Vancouver park board's decision to remove a bunch of blackberry bushes at Jericho Beach that are home to dozens of the furry creatures.  The board says a biologist has been hired to help move any wildlife into the surrounding brush as the zone just southeast of the Jericho Sailing Centre is cleared this month to plant native species.  Rabbit lovers worried about Jericho Park habitat destruction

Jacques Marc, exploration director of the Underwater Archeological Society of B.C., he has admired the propeller of the Idaho, a passenger ship lost off Race Rocks in 1889; studied the boiler of Tuscan Prince, a freighter that sank in Barkley Sound in 1925; been awed by the wreckage of Valencia, a passenger steamer whose sinking claimed 136 souls in 1906.  Dockyard of the damned: Vancouver Island’s hidden shipwrecks  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON APR 16 2012
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 4 TO 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 7 FT AT 17 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 14 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.  

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

4/13 BC pipes, Everett sewage, stormwater crime, Bullitt focus, wetlands, coal op-ed, green scorecard

Kinder Morgan Canada

New blog: Travel notes, Brussels

Cliff Mass bids farewell to La Nina: “Finally, La Nina's days are numbered, and its expression in the ocean and atmosphere are beginning to fade.   In two months, it should be history, which is fortunately for us in the NW, where it brings cool, wet weather.” Goodbye La Nina  

Strong interest from shippers has convinced Kinder Morgan Canada to embark on an even bigger expansion of its Trans Mountain Pipeline through B.C. than previously suggested.  The line that crosses the Lower Mainland and sends oil for export on tankers through Burrard Inlet will be nearly tripled from 300,000 barrels per day now to 850,000, pending regulatory approval.  Kinder Morgan unveils even bigger pipeline expansion    See also:  Kinder Morgan to proceed with $5-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion to Burnaby

Opposition to Enbridge's proposed $5.5-billion Northern Gateway pipeline is growing and has topped 50 per cent in British Columbia, according to an independent survey released Thursday. Opposition to the project was 52 per cent among 1,069 adults in a random telephone survey conducted on April 11 — up from 46 per cent in January and 45 per cent in December, according to the Forum Research Inc. poll.  More than half of B.C. residents oppose Northern Gateway pipeline, poll suggests

A broken sewer pipe in south Everett has spilled what a city spokeswoman estimates as "hundreds of thousands of gallons" of sewage Thursday into North Creek, which eventually flows into Lake Washington. Spokeswoman Kate Reardan says crews have been able to divert the sewage flow into pump trucks and put that material back into the sewage system at a different point. Repair crews were working to fix the break in the 20-inch diameter pipe.  Broken Everett sewer pipe leaks into creek  

State and federal regulators wrangled for more than three years with Bryan Stowe and Stowe Construction to clean up the muddy mess that caused two landslides in 2011 that closed the West Valley Highway through Sumner, Pierce County. Now Stowe, his company and an employee have earned a dubious distinction: They are the first Western Washington defendants to plead guilty to criminal charges in U.S. District Court in connection with stormwater pollution.  Developer first in state to plead guilty over stormwater pollution  

For the 60-year-old Bullitt Foundation, saving the environment isn’t just about oceans and forests anymore. The pioneering environmental philanthropy has narrowed its mission and money over the past three years from protecting nature to creating sustainable urban centers — a focus embodied in its $30 million ecological showcase of a headquarters rising atop Seattle’s Capitol Hill  Bullitt Foundation shifts its focus to urban scene  

As spring turns a warm corner, there’s no better place to experience it than a wetland, alive with swallows and the chorus of frogs. Martha Baskin of Green Acre Radio takes us to the former Naval Air Station Seattle at Sand Point.   Wetland Metamorphosis and Corridors of Connected Habitats  

Legislative session's finally over. Washington Conservation Voters tallies up the wins, the losses, the no-decisions:  Environmental Community Prevents Major Rollbacks in 2012 Session

Gov. Chris Gregoire needs to step up and take action against the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal project north of Bellingham, writes guest columnist Stephan Michaels. Gregoire needs to weigh in on proposed coal-terminal  

Clean lines of authority sought to address issues from local policing to salmon recovery. The question is asked, "Who is in charge?" Lance Dickie in the Seattle Times opines. Pursuit of accountability stirs the question, 'Who is in charge?'

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI APR 13 2012
TODAY
E WIND 10 KT BECOMING W. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 14 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
SAT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT.
SUN AND SUN NIGHT
VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT.

--
"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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4/12 Ocean acid, L112, bag ban, Skagit water, oil spill barge, boat fire, Bainbridge sewage, PenPly

On Brussels time. Slightly overcast, jet lagged but happy to be off the plane. Mike

Researchers said Wednesday they have conclusive evidence that ocean acidification is at least partly responsible for killing oysters on the West Coast.  Acidity in ocean killed NW oysters, new study says  

The Royal Canadian Navy’s use of sonar in Juan de Fuca Strait is unlikely to have had anything to do with the death of an endangered killer whale, according to U.S. investigators. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is investigating the death of three-year-old L112, also known as Sooke, whose body washed up on Long Beach, Washington, on Feb. 11, days after HMCS Ottawa conducted sonar exercises and set off two underwater charges in Juan de Fuca Strait. Canadian navy unlikely to be involved in killer whale’s death

Bainbridge became the first city in Kitsap — and fifth in the state — to ban plastic bags. By a unanimous vote Wednesday evening, the City Council approved an ordinance prohibiting thin-film bags common at supermarkets. The ban takes effect Nov. 1. Bainbridge bans plastic  

Washington state’s Swinomish tribe faces a water rights battle in the Skagit River basin, the likes of which we have seen before. It’s reminiscent of the dispute that broke out around a decade ago in the Klamath River basin in California and Oregon. That dispute led to a fish kill of about 70,000 salmon after federal intervention severely reduced water flows in the Klamath and its tributaries.  Snatching Skagit River Water Is In The Public Interest?

More than 200 workers at Bellingham Shipping Terminal are busy assembling the giant components of an oil well spill containment system that will be installed on a 315-foot barge expected to be in service in the Arctic Ocean by this summer.  The big rig is being put together by Greenberry Industrial, a Vancouver, Wash.-based firm with manufacturing facilities in Ferndale. Superior Energy Services of Houston will own and operate it. The work is being done on land leased from the Port of Bellingham.  Oil well spill response barge taking shape on city waterfront


No one was injured, but two boats sank and two others were damaged in a fire that broke out Tuesday night at a private Anacortes marina.  The fire was reported at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday. Fire Marshal Jack Kennedy said three boats were on fire by the time the department arrived at the private marina located at 2415 T Ave., in east Anacortes.  Anacortes marina fire sinks two boats  

A state-led cleanup is under way to remove 4,000 gallons of sewage that spilled into a south Bainbridge wetland late last month. A crew led by the state Department of Ecology used long hoses connected to a vacuum truck to skim sewage solids Tuesday afternoon and much of Wednesday. Cleanup of south Bainbridge sewage spill begins  

Demolition of the mill buildings on Marine Drive, which most recently housed Peninsula Plywood, is expected to begin in about one year. “This is our highest priority,” Jeff Robb, port executive director, said Wednesday. The buildings, constructed in the 1940s, have exceeded their useful lives and should come down as soon as possible, Robb said in a report to port commissioners Monday.
Port plans tear-down, redevelopment of PenPly site  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT WED APR 11 2012
THU
E WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
THU NIGHT
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 17 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

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

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.  

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told