1/23 Partnership, coal export, BC LNG, ferry costs, Klallam dictiionary, bag ban, octopus panel, Irondale Beach, rain gardens

After the Rain (Red Russian kale) [Laurie MacBride]

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Aside from checking on the salad veggies in our greenhouse, there’s not much gardening going on at our place right now. It’ll be another five or six weeks before I get to planting garlic, the first crop I sow each year. In the meantime, I’ve begun thinking about my rotation plan for this year’s crops, and inspecting the garden beds to see what damage the overly abundant fall rains and recent cold snap might have wrought...." Beauty in the Winter Garden  

New blog: “Two weeks ago in Salish Sea News and Weather, I encouraged folks to read Paul Kingsnorth’s essay in Orion Magazine, “Dark Ecology: Searching for Truth in a post-green world.”  It’s long but pretty provocative; it merits some discussion. Here’s some discussion....”  Discussing "Dark Ecology" 

Puget Sound Partnership needs to create accountability tools to better measure progress toward restoring the impaired waterway, according to a new report. When the Legislature created the partnership, it called for an Action Agenda that would prioritize strategies for achieving measurable objectives, the report says. The law called for a deliberate management structure with "actions" linked to "milestones" linked to "long-term goals." After five years, the partnership still has not fully implemented the structure envisioned by the Legislature, states the report, which will be presented Wednesday to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee. The committee, which plays a key role in overseeing the partnership, consists of state senators and representatives. Christopher Dunagan reports. Puget Sound group needs to measure progress, state report says

If you like to watch: Edward James Olmos Narrates Waterkeeper Alliance PSA "Around The World" (30 seconds)

The Northwest Clean Air Agency submitted comments Tuesday on the scope of the environmental impact statement for the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal, asking that potential air pollution be considered as part of the environmental review. The agency is tasked with protecting air quality in Skagit, Island and Whatcom counties under the Washington Clean Air Act. Its executive director, Mark Asmundson, asked co-lead agencies working on the EIS to consider potential air pollution caused by operation of the terminal and analyze ways to control it. Gina Cole reports.  Air regulators ask agencies to consider air pollution from coal  

After seven public meetings across Washington about a proposed coal export terminal near Bellingham more than 14,000 comments have been collected. The comments will determine issues to be examined in an environmental study. State Ecology Department spokesman Larry Altose told The Daily Herald a final decision on the terminal from the department, Corps of Engineers and Whatcom County is at least a couple of years away. 14,000 Comments About NW Coal Export Terminal

Floyd McKay’s second part article in Crosscut on the who’s who and what’s what of the coal export proposal at Cherry Point: Coal Train, Part Two: An insider's guide to the coal port's environmental review


British Columbia is on the verge of a natural gas development boom that will rival anything Alberta has experienced, according to B.C.’s Community Minister. Bill Bennett made that comparison Tuesday while speaking at a press conference to announce the final regulatory pieces have fallen in place for a new liquefied natural gas plant to be built on a native reserve near Kitimat. The massive LNG plant, a joint venture by Apache Canada Ltd. and Chevron Canada Ltd., in co-operation with the Haisla First Nation, will process nearly 700 million cubic feet of gas per day, becoming a key link in the transportation chain between B.C.’ s northeast gas fields and off-shore markets. Mark Hume reports. Bennett predicts a natural gas boom as way cleared for LNG plant  

The Chetzemoka ferry used on the Coupeville-Port Townsend route cost $36.3 million more to build than a similar designed boat constructed across the country, state auditors found. Washington State Ferries has spent millions of dollars more on its six newest ferries in part because of a state law that requires the vessels be built by a Washington company, the audit concluded. Auditors said the law limits competition and pushes up costs. Todd Shipyards, which is now owned by Vigor Industrial, built the past six ferries for the state and is building two more now. They recommend rewriting the law to allow out-of-state shipyards to at least bid on new vessel construction contracts, if bids from in-state firms are insufficient or higher than expected. They also suggest the agency assert tighter control of the terms and prices in construction contracts in order to save money. Jerry Cornfield reports. State spends millions more than others on ferries  

It weighs in at nearly six pounds, fills more than 1,000 pages, and represents the work of many hands and hearts. The Klallam people’s first dictionary for what was always an unwritten language was built syllable-by-syllable, from tapes and spoken words transcribed into a phonetic alphabet. The work was a race against time: About 100 people spoke Klallam as their first language when he first began learning Klallam in 1978, said Timothy Montler, a University of North Texas linguistics professor, and author of the dictionary. By the time the dictionary was published by the University of Washington Press last September, only two were left. Lynda Mapes reports.  Klallam dictionary opens window into tribal heritage  

Aiming to cut down on waste and help preserve marine environment and sea life, a volunteer group is hoping to make Anacortes the seventh community on the Puget Sound to ban retail stores from handing out plastic bags. Currently composed of environmentalist advocates, business owners and city councilmen Ryan Walters and Eric Johnson, the Anacortes Bring Your Own Bag Coalition is putting together an ordinance based on Bellingham’s bag ban, which bans stores from giving away plastic bags with a purchase and charges 5 cents for a paper bag. However, the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce and several small business owners in the city have taken a stand against the proposal, citing increased costs and space requirements for businesses, less convenience for consumers and worries about increased shoplifting as detriments to the idea. Mark Stayton reports. Plastic ban reaction a mixed bag in Anacortes


Members are being sought for a octopus advisory group formed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The group was made in response to the legal harvest of giant Pacific octopus in Seattle last October. Up to 12 people will be picked for the advisory group to develop recommendations for protecting the octopus throughout the Puget Sound, meeting periodically through the end of August.  Nominees sought for giant octopus advisory group

A fourth-grader will cut the ribbon during the grand reopening of Irondale Beach County Park at 1:30 p.m. Thursday. The reopening ceremony at the park at 526 Moore St. in Irondale will cap a cleanup and restoration effort that has been in the works in some form since 2007. The park had been closed while the state Department of Ecology cleaned the former Irondale Iron and Steel site of petroleum hydrocarbons and metals. Fox Elder, a 9-year-old fourth-grader at Chimacum Elementary School who has done service projects at the park since he was 4 years old, will be on hand to cut the opening ribbon for the park. Fox and his parents are members of Friends of Chimacum Creek, a volunteer group that has adopted the park and will be responsible for maintaining it. Jeremy Schwartz reports. Irondale Beach Park reopening ceremony set Thursday

According to Lisa Stiffler at Sightline, the answer to the question: "Are Rain Gardens Mini Toxic Cleanup Sites?" is "No."

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 AM PST WED JAN 23 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TONIGHT
TODAY
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 17 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
W SWELL 10 FT AT 15 SECONDS. W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT.  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