4/3 Coal dust, toxic fish, marbled murrelets, greenhouse gas, Enbridge, Tesoro explosion, living longer

Bee on the Hyacinth (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Ah, the marvelous scent of hyacinths, and the dreamy buzzing of a languorous bee. What a great combination! I love it when the bees appear each spring.  It gives me hope – for a healthy harvest here at home, and for our planet...." Keeping the Buzz Alive  

New blog: “When the people lead, the leaders will follow.” Gandhi supposedly said that. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Senator Maria Cantwell and Representatives Rick Larsen and Suzan DelBene sort of said that at Monday’s event in Anacortes to celebrate the San Juan Islands National Monument....” When The People Lead, Leaders Will Follow

SeaDoc Society's April newsletter features a map of Orcas Island and a discussion of how geology drives biology. SeaDoc Society Update

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At the railroad berm that divides Horsethief Lake from the Columbia River, you can stick your hand between the rocks and come up with fistfuls of crumbly coal-black pebbles and dust. For the Sierra Club and other environmental groups, such spots are Exhibit A in their case against plans to export coal from Northwest ports. Today, lab tests in hand, five environmental groups filed their biggest legal blast against coal export so far, warning BNSF Railway and six coal companies that they plan to sue them in 60 days in federal court for polluting Northwest waters without Clean Water Act permits. Scott Learn reports. Sierra Club plans to sue railroads, coal companies over coal dust pollution in Northwest

The Washington State Department of Ecology has known since the 1990s that its water-pollution limits have meant some Washingtonians regularly consume dangerous amounts of toxic chemicals in fish from local waterways. At least twice, Ecology has been told by its overseers at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to fix the problem and better protect people’s health. Ecology was close to finally doing that last year — until Boeing and other business interests launched an intense lobbying campaign aimed not just at Ecology but also at the Washington Legislature and then-Gov. Christine Gregoire. That is the picture that emerges from recent interviews as well as government documents obtained by InvestigateWest under the Washington Public Records Law. Robert McClure reports. Business Interests Trump Health Concerns in Fish Consumption Fight

An environmental group has stopped an agreement between the timber industry and federal wildlife officials that would have delayed new protections for a threatened seabird. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service settled with the timber industry group, the American Forest Resource Council, last summer, to avoid a legal battle over for the marbled murrelet. The industry group argued that maps of protected areas called “critical habitat” had been done improperly. Fish and Wildlife agreed to suspend the current maps ­ but draft new ones. But, that agreement, and the protracted timeline ­ that it would take five years ­ drew a legal challenge from the Center for Biological Diversity. Rob Manning reports. Environmental Group Fights Delay In Marbled Murrelet Habitat Protections

In the coming months, Washington state will embark on a study of the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The research is one provision of a measure Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law Tuesday. It’s a key legislative win for the Democrat. So why are Republicans declaring victory? In the end, Governor Inslee got his climate change bill. But it came out looking a bit different then it went in. That’s because Republicans now largely control the Washington Senate. They rewrote key sections of the bill. Doug Ericksen did much of the tinkering as chair of the Senate Energy Committee. He hopes the research required by the new law can take what he calls the “religion” out of carbon reduction. Austin Jenkins reports. Republicans declare victory on Inslee's climate bill

Federal hearings into the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline project are unfair because company witnesses are allowed to huddle before answering questions during cross-examination, says a lawyer for two conservation groups. Chris Tollefson, a University of Victoria law professor representing BC Nature and Nature Canada, has also complained about long, “scripted answers” and about witnesses who are passed information from company experts sitting in the back rows of the hearing room. Mark Hume reports. Enbridge pipeline opponents say hearings unfair

Three years ago, an explosion at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes killed seven people. Today, a federal investigation into the incident remains incomplete. Six members of Washington’s congressional delegation say that’s unacceptable. In a letter Tuesday, they again called on the U.S. Chemical Safety Board to finish the investigation and release the results so future such tragedies can be prevented. Gina Cole reports. Tesoro accident investigation needs completion, congressional members say  

Older adults who have higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids -- found in fatty fish and seafood -- may be able to lower their overall mortality risk by as much as 27% and their mortality risk from heart disease by about 35%, according to a new study from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and the University of Washington. Researchers found that older adults who had the highest blood levels of the fatty acids found in fish lived, on average, 2.2 years longer than those with lower levels. Eating Fish Associated With Lower Risk of Dying Among Older Adults: Risk of Dying from Heart Disease Significantly Lowered  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 245 AM PDT WED APR 3 2013
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 2 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 10 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. W
 SWELL 2 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
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