11/8 BC quake, Peninsula spill, coal task force, Kinder Morgan meet, Bill McKibben, GMO ban, Whidbey jets

Sid Carnegie's 54 x 59.1cm maple leaf

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Wednesday off the west coast of Vancouver Island, the U.S. Geological Survey reports. The quake hit at 6:01 p.m. PT, the agency says, 182 kilometres southwest of Port Hardy, B.C. CBC meteorologist and seismologist Johanna Wagstaffe said the quake was felt by residents in the towns of Ucluelet and Tofino, on the island's west coast. 6.3 quake hits off Vancouver Island  

What was initially believed to be an 840-gallon heavy fuel oil spill in Port Angeles Harbor early Wednesday turned out to be much smaller, state Department of Ecology officials said. Despite earlier reports, the actual spill was between 50 and 100 gallons. “Most of it stayed on the deck of the barge and didn't go into the water,” Curt Hart said Wednesday afternoon. The spill was reported at 3:20 a.m. after a fuel barge owned by Harley Marine Services was overfilled during fueling operations at the Tesoro Port Angeles Terminal. Rob Ollikainen and Arwyn Rice report. Fuel oil spill contained in Port Angeles Harbor

Four state legislators gathered Wednesday at Pier 70 in Seattle, as Burlington Northern-Santa Fe freight trains rumbled by, to ask Gov. Chris Gregoire to “immediately establish and empower” a task force that would examine all impacts of having mile-and-a-half-long coal trains rumble through Washington cities from Spokane to Seattle to Bellingham. Lawmakers included  State Rep. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, Rep. Jeff Morris, D-Mt. Vernon, State Sen.-elect Andy Billig of Spokane and State Rep. Jim Moeller of Vancouver. Joel Connelly reports. Coal trains: State must study all impacts, lawmakers say

The scoping meetings for the coal terminal proposed for the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve scheduled for November 13 in Seattle has been rescheduled to December 13 at the Washington State Convention Center to provide a venue large enough to accommodate more attendees.

From now until early December Kinder Morgan is holding public information sessions across the lower BC mainland to discuss their plan to build another pipeline to Burrard Inlet in Vancouver that would double the amount of tar sands heavy oil it brings to the coast for export. Doing so would increase the amount of large oil tankers travelling BC and Washington waters to over 300 each year. Georgia Strait Alliance asks you attend the sessions scheduled here.

Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, the global climate-action movement seeking to reduce use of the oil, gas and coal that fuel global warming, is taking a rambunctious turn. McKibben kicked off a national campaign Wednesday night at Benaroya Hall that seeks to demonize the oil and coal industries, and those who profit from them. He plans to travel the country in a sustainable-fuel bus, asking public institutions to divest portfolios of dirty-energy holdings — and encourage more civil disobedience against those companies. His goal: to create an environment for more political action on climate. Craig Welch reports.  Climate change warrior McKibben takes activism on the road

What do France and San Juan County have in common? A ban on genetically modified organisms, that’s what. Local voters embraced Proposition 2012-4 by a wide margin in the Nov. 6 election, as the citizen-led initiative banning production of GMOs captured 61 percent of votes tallied in Tuesday's initial election results. With 8,877 votes counted, "Yes" votes outnumbered "No" votes by 5,183 to 3,329. Local voters back GMO ban in big numbers

The sound of freedom: The Navy says more electronic attack jets and added practice flights at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station won't have a significant impact on the environment. The Navy has released its final environmental assessment after evaluating the potential effects of the transition from the older Prowler to the new Growler jets by three land-based squadrons based at the air station. The number of jets in each of those squadrons also would grow from four to five. The assessment included a look at the proposed move of a reserve expeditionary squadron from Joint Base Andrews, Md., to Whidbey Island. In addition, the fleet replacement squadron at Whidbey would get more jets. Gale Fiege reports. Navy: No significant impact from more jets on Whidbey  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 231 AM PST THU NOV 8 2012
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING NE. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
NE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS.

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