12/31 A Sense of Scale, light bulbs, 2014

Drumbeg Park, Gabriola Island (Laurie MacBride)

A Sense of Scale
Laurie MacBride in Eye On Environment writes: "It’s important to keep a sense of scale about our place in world. Our species holds more than its fair share of influence over our planet’s health and future. But at the same time, we humans are collectively just one tiny fragment of the vast, intricate and delicately balanced ecosystem that makes up our earthly home. Too often we get wrapped up in our own problems and plans, and lose our sense of perspective. Instead, let’s notice and honour the amazing array of life that’s all around us, every day of the year – grasses, trees and other human beings included. Here’s wishing a happy new year to all blog readers!"

Light bulb ban ignites buying bonanza
The new year ushers in a new era in home lighting in the U.S. After January 1, manufacturers can no longer make 40 and 60 watt incandescent light bulbs. They do not meet new energy efficiency standards.  The 75 and 100 watt bulbs were already banned. That leaves consumers with three basic options; Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), light emitting diode (LED), or Halogen lights. Gary Chittim reports.

New blog: As we close out 2013, here's What I'm Looking For In 2014.  Best wishes and thanks for reading these postings. Mike Sato

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 852 PM PST MON DEC 30 2013
TUE
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 15 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN
 RAIN LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TUE NIGHT
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. PATCHY FOG 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.

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12/30 Tankers, BC pipe, air polluters, enviro fines, Elwha research, sand dollar, starfish deaths, king tides, gray whales

Christmas Bird Count (Alan Berner, Seattle Times)

If you like to watch: Christmas bird count
... Breaking into groups, the Seattle Audubon Society's annual CBC (Christmas Bird Count) took place Saturday with about 200 volunteers in 14 areas on both sides of Lake Washington. Photos by Alan Berner; post by Colin Diltz. See also: On the lookout for birds  

Proposal would increase oil tanker traffic in Washington waters
The number of oil tankers in Washington state waters could increase almost sevenfold under a proposal by a Canadian pipeline company to expand the amount of crude oil it sends to the Pacific Coast. Kinder Morgan Canada filed a formal application with Canadian regulators earlier this month to expand its Trans Mountain pipeline that carries crude oil from Alberta's oil sands to the Vancouver, B.C. area. Under the proposal, up to 34 tankers a month would be loaded with oil at a terminal outside Vancouver, then generally travel through Haro Strait east of San Juan Island and the Strait of Juan de Fuca for export to markets in Asia and the U.S. That's up from about five tankers a month now. The $5.4 billion expansion project would nearly triple pipeline capacity from about 300,000 to 890,000 barrels of crude oil a day to meet customer demand. Much of that future cargo will likely be diluted bitumen from Canada's oil sands. Phuong Le reports.

Stephen Hume: Pipeline debate shaping up as propaganda war
Opposition in B.C. to the Northern Gateway pipeline project is not limited to fringe radicals, but instead is a ‘broad cross-section of serious citizens with concerns to express,’ writes Stephen Hume. It is a serious mistake to characterize opposition to project as simply from fringe radicals

Coal-burning power plant in Centralia tops Washington's list of biggest greenhouse gas emitters, EPA says
The coal-fired TransAlta power plant in Centralia, just off I-5 south of Olympia, was once again the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Washington, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports. It, along with other power plants and refineries, ranked among the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases in the state in 2012, according to the latest data reported to the EPA.... BP's Cherry Point Refinery, Washington's largest, was the second-highest single source of emissions. It is located just a few miles south of the Canadian border, near Blaine. The next four biggest sources of greenhouse gas for 2012 also were located in the northwestern most part of Washington, on the mainland east of the San Juan Islands. No. 3 on the list was Shell Puget Sound Refinery in Anacortes, with that city's Tesoro Refinery listed at No. 4. Numbers 5 and 6 are located in Ferndale: Alcoa Intalco Works and the Phillips 66 refinery.

Department of Ecology fines Mukilteo, Everett companies  
Two Snohomish County businesses and the state Department of Transportation were fined by the state during the third quarter of 2013 for violations of environmental laws. Production Plating Inc. of Mukilteo and Cemex of Everett were fined $11,000 and $6,000, respectively, by the state Department of Ecology. The fines were among more than $283,000 in penalties issued statewide for the quarter, the department announced recently. Bill Sheets reports.

Insects, plant research in Elwha River Valley will allow for comparisons in future years
They’ve been snatched from the air with hand-held nets and scooped from the waters of the Elwha River. Now, between 600,000 and 2 million individual insects and certain plants collected from the Elwha River Valley before dam removal are being processed and cataloged by students of Washington State University. The goal of the collection is to establish a baseline of the types and populations of insects that lived in the river valley during the last century, when lakes were formed by dams, said Jerry Freilich, research coordinator for Olympic National Park. Jeremy Schwartz reports.

Sand dollar a giant, but a few cents shy a record
A spot in Guinness World Records isn’t likely, but the giant sand dollar found on Puget Sound’s Eld Inlet near Olympia this summer is now being studied by scientists, according to beachcomber Eric Talaska...According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s website, that species of sand dollars usually live six to 10 years, and their average size is 3 inches across. The critters live in low intertidal zones from Alaska to Baja California. The Guinness record for largest sand dollar is held by August Balicki, who found a sand dollar that measured 5.01 inches in diameter in Treasure Island, Fla. Talaska was hoping that his sand dollar would be a contender, since it was of a different species, Dendraster excentricus. Turns out, it wasn’t. Lisa Pemberton reports.

Oregon coast isolated from mysterious West Coast starfish die-off, but scientists warn problems could come  
Starfish, those purple and orange icons of Oregon’s coastal tide pools, are dying on the West Coast in big numbers, wasting away, losing arms and simply turning to mush. They’re falling victim to a morose marine mystery, one that’s barely touched the Oregon coast – so far. Just one suffering starfish site has been found in Oregon. Elsewhere, surveying underwater in Puget Sound and Monterey Bay, researchers have seen colonies of starfish quickly die and disintegrate into white goo. Deaths have been confirmed from Alaska to Southern California. Rob Davis reports.

3 Tips On Spotting A Migrating Gray Whale Along The Oregon Coast This Week
Chris Lehman reports: The week between Christmas and New Year's Eve is one of the best times of the year to watch grey whales migrating along the Oregon coast. It's the height of their annual southbound trek from Alaska to Baja, California. Here are three tips to help better your chances of spotting a grey whale.
1. Look For The Spout of Water
2. Be Patient
3. Look For The Boats

Got a camera? Photograph king tides starting today in Strait, on coast
Washington's higher-than-usual winter tides are underway, and the state Department of Ecology is inviting the public to share their photos of this naturally occurring event. These higher-than-usual tides are sometimes called “king tides” and occur when the sun's and moon's gravitational pulls reinforce one another... Pictures should be taken where the high water levels can be gauged against familiar landmarks such as seawalls, jetties, bridge supports or buildings. Note the date, time and location of the photo, then upload the images to the Washington King Tide Photo Initiative Flickr Group.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON DEC 30 2013
TODAY
SE WIND 10 KT THIS MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 16 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG THIS MORNING.
 PATCHY FOG IN THE AFTERNOON. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY...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.

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12/27 ESA, Chickamauga, Kitamat pipe, Sally Jewell

Canary rockfish (WDFW)

Endangered Species Act marks 40 years  
Forty years after the passage of the federal Endangered Species Act, the state and Snohomish County remain squarely on the edge of that preservation frontier. More than 40 animal species in Washington are listed by the federal government as either endangered or threatened under the law, signed by President Richard Nixon on Dec. 28, 1973. Many others are listed as species of concern. Among creatures found in waters in and around Snohomish and Island counties, seven species of fish or marine mammals are listed under the act. Southern resident killer whales and bocaccio rockfish are listed as endangered. Puget Sound chinook salmon, Puget Sound steelhead, bull trout, yelloweye rockfish, canary rockfish and Pacific smelt are threatened. Bill Sheets reports.

Wash. may take custody of boat that sank in harbor  
Washington state officials may take custody of a boat that sank in a Bainbridge Island harbor... officials are taking action because they say the owner hasn't taken responsibility of the tugboat Chickamauga. The state Department of Natural Resources intends to take custody of the boat in mid-January. The state could then use or dispose of the vessel and the owner would be liable for the associated costs.

Kitimat chief wants jobs for people in town expecting bust-to-boom times
A decade ago, Kitamat Village in northwest British Columbia was broke as residents of the First Nations community faced non-existent job and economic development prospects.

Interior head Sally Jewell brings outsider’s perspective to job
In her journey from REI to the Department of the Interior, Sally Jewell is learning how to navigate Washington, D.C. Lenny Bernstein reports.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI DEC 27 2013
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 16 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG THIS MORNING. RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 17 SECONDS.
 SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN.
SAT
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 15 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
SUN
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
--
"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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12/26 Eagles, steelhead, Bangor dock, NZ snails, Xmas wraps, development rights, pollock, toxic algae

Brackendale eagles (CBC News)

High hopes for Brackendale bald eagles
The bald eagle population in Brackendale near Squamish, B.C., has been dwindling recently, but some are hoping this will be a banner year for the annual count.  Many attribute the diminishing population to shrinking salmon runs. But with a few strong salmon runs this year, eagle watchers hope to see the birds return. Tim Weekes reports.

Why You Won’t See Wild Steelhead On Many Plates This Season
It’s prime time for wild steelhead, but you likely won’t see it on a plate, not even at the Steelhead Diner in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. “I don’t kill wild steelhead. I don’t eat them and I don’t serve them at my restaurant, and I never have,” said Kevin Davis, the restaurant’s chef who likes the Washington state fish so much that he named his first restaurant after it. Many share Davis’ passion for the steelhead, which is a type of rainbow trout. Some restaurants and most vendors in Pike Place Market have informally banned selling or serving wild steelhead. Bellamy Pailthorp reports.

Navy maneuver on Bangor wharf’s safety is key to lawsuit
A U.S. District Court judge in Tacoma is preparing to rule on a lawsuit by anti-nuclear activists that the Navy withheld crucial information on safety hazards posed by a new explosives-handling wharf at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor. Kyung M. Song reports.

Cold estimated to have killed half of snails in Capitol Lake
The heavy cold snap earlier in December proved to be a big help to state officials trying to limit an unwelcome New Zealand mudsnail population that has infested Olympia’s Capitol Lake. Officials lowered the lake during a weeklong subfreezing spell that saw temperatures fall into the teens five nights during the Dec. 4-9 period, and state scientists estimated that 40 percent to 60 percent of the tiny rice-sized snails were killed lakewide. In a summary report on the drawdown experiment, the state Department of Enterprise Services called it “the most effective treatment of New Zealand mudsnails since the pest was first found there in 2009.” Brad Shannon reports.

For Recyclers, Holiday Gift Wrap Is A Mine Field Of ‘Contaminants’
The same shiny gift wrap and bright bows that make Christmas presents so enticing are exactly what give recycling centers headaches the day after Christmas. At the Kootenai County Solid Waste Department in north Idaho, the day after Christmas has two distinctions. It’s one of the busiest days of the year by volume. And one of the lightest days by weight. Jessica Robinson reports.

County plans new transfer of development rights program  
Skagit County could soon see more natural resource lands conserved if a program to relocate growth from such lands to more urban areas is implemented. The county is studying a market-based transfer of development rights program, which would allow individuals to purchase development rights on natural resource lands in exchange for development incentives in areas where growth better fits. A developer would be able to buy a development right from a county-designated “sending area,” which would most likely be made up of forest lands, ag lands, timber lands and scenic lands. A conservation easement would then be placed on the natural resource land, meaning it would be preserved and could never be developed. The developer who purchased the right could then use it in a designated “receiving area,” where growth is desirable, for a building incentive, often to build to a higher density. Rachel Lerman reports.

The Story Behind Pollock Fishing, The Northwest's Other Big Catch
Pollock — it’s not something you put on your grocery list or order at a restaurant. But you’ve probably eaten a lot of pollock, which makes up the largest fishery for human consumption. Fake crabmeat in sushi rolls, McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish Sandwich and Burger King’s Premium Alaskan Fish Sandwich are all made up of pollock. And the same goes for just about every fish stick. Jennifer Wing reports.

Potentially toxic algae bloom reported in Elk/Beaver Lake park
Visitors to Elk and Beaver lakes are warned to beware of a seasonal slime that can be poisonous. Blue-green algae blooms have been detected at the Brookleigh boat launch in Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park, according to the Capital Regional District... Blue-green algae produce a variety of toxins that may attack the liver and nervous system or simply irritate the skin. However, scientists estimate that between 30 to 50 per cent of blooms are harmless... The warning is in effect until Jan. 2, but may be extended if the algae is still present, said CRD spokeswoman Danielle Desharnais.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU DEC 26 2013
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 18 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 17 SECONDS. SLIGHT CHANCE OF 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

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12/24 BC pipe, geoducks, WA climate, trainspotting, Don Staniford, Hawaii starfish

(BirdNote: Francy Blumhagen)

If you like to listen: Dona Nobis Pacem - Peace on Earth, from the Birds
“Doves symbolize peace on earth, goodwill to all. BirdNote celebrates the season with a version of Dona Nobis Pacem, arranged and played by Nancy Rumbel.”

If you like to watch: Whale Waiters
Orca Watcher Monika Wieland shares some wonderful photos of what it's like to wait for the whales at Lime Kiln State Park-- and the reward of watching them when they show up.

Northern Gateway has Ottawa scrambling to avoid lawsuits
Within three hours of the Joint Review Panel’s announcement giving conditional approval for the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, the Lake Babine First Nation threatened the lawsuit it has been preparing for months. The band has already retained one of the top aboriginal law experts in Canada, setting the stage for a court fight the federal government is working feverishly behind the scenes to stave off. Justine Hunter reports.

Geoduck harvesters see money slipping through their fingers
...Since Dec. 3, when seafood inspectors in China suspended imports of West Coast geoduck and other bivalve shellfish such as oysters after reporting high levels of algae toxin or arsenic, harvesters along tribal, state and private shorelines have all been hit. Altogether, the state produces more than 6 million pounds of geoduck clams annually, and last year almost 90 percent was sold to China. But now, tribal harvesting companies have laid off divers. Geoduck farms have reduced hours for many workers, and wild-geoduck divers all around Puget Sound are out of work. Meanwhile, the state is missing out on well over $1 million in revenue from the wild harvest. Washington auctions off rights to harvest geoduck on state aquatic lands; this year those rights were worth about $12 a pound. Coral Garrick reports.  See also: 4 Weeks In, Locals Feel Pain Of China’s Shellfish Ban

Washington's 2013 Climate Report Card
Kicking the state’s carbon habit may seem as likely as visiting a distant galaxy for the weekend if your vantage point is I-5, coal trains rolling through town, or ships transiting coastal waters laden with tar sands oil. But duck into a commercial building powered by renewables or wind farms like Wild Horse and Kittatas in Eastern Washington, and you’ll realize a clean energy future is already on its way. In the aftermath of another UN Climate Summit and Typhoon Haiyan’s climate savagery, it seemed time to assess the state’s own carbon output in three key areas: energy, transportation and fossil fuel exports. Martha Baskin grades us.

Oil, coal trains squeeze Amtrak's Empire Builder route to Northwest
Freight congestion has caused massive delays and even cancellations of a popular Amtrak train in recent months, a situation that could worsen as one of the nation's largest rail companies plans to increase shipments of fossil fuels on much of the route. The Empire Builder, which runs from Chicago to Seattle and Portland, Ore., carries more passengers than any of Amtrak's long-distance trains, 543,000 in 2012. But it also recorded the worst on-time performance in Amtrak's nationwide network in November, at 44.5 percent. Any number below 80 percent is considered substandard under a law Congress passed in 2008. Curtis Tate reports.

B.C. fish-farm foe takes fight against industry to Scotland
British Columbia's highest court may have placed a muzzle on anti-salmon-farming activist Don Staniford, but that hasn't stopped the man described by one judge as a "zealot" from continuing his personal battle against the industry. After losing a defamation case this past summer against one of the province's biggest salmon-farming companies, Mainstream Canada, Staniford moved shop to Scotland. There, he leads an organization known as Protect Wild Scotland, co-ordinating actions against Norwegian-owned, salmon-farming companies in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and even back in B.C.

Hawaii's starfish protected from fatal wasting disease
...Wasting disease has not affected Hawaii's starfish. Because a bacterium or virus is the suspected cause of the starfish illness, being more than 2,000 miles away from the sick individuals seems to be, so far, an effective quarantine. In addition to being isolated by distance, Hawaii's mountaintop islands and steep ocean drop-offs offer starfish few shallow marine environments, the preferred habitat of many species. Of the 1,900 or so sea star species in the world, Hawaii hosts only 20 in shallow water and 68 in deep water. Susan Scott reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE DEC 24 2013
TODAY
VARIABLE WIND TO 10 KT THIS MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
--
"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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12/23 Hydraulic permit, Mar Vista, BC oil, Estuarium, Navy jets, Bertha, beavers, jellies, climate risks

December Light (Laurie MacBride)

If you like to watch: December Light
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Two years ago almost to the day, I took this photo, looking northwest from Descanso Bay Park on Gabriola Island. The low angle winter sun, combined with the sea and the furrowed sandstone so characteristic of Gabriola’s shores, formed a tapestry of light, shadows and subtle colours that I found visually irresistible. And now, here in the northern hemisphere we are once again at winter solstice: the day that holds the least light and the longest darkness of the entire year..."

Groups put pressure on Fish and Wildlife’s hydraulic permit process
Two groups representing Skagit area tribes and a group of 11 environmental organizations have voiced concern over proposed changes to the state Hydraulic Code, which regulates construction work in and around water to protect fish and their habitat. The organizations raised questions about the update’s focus on improving the permitting process for applicants, rather than emphasizing habitat protection. Tribal groups assert that the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, which is the regulatory agency that evaluates in-water project proposals for compliance with state law to protect fish habitat under the code’s hydraulic permit application review process, could fail to meet treaty rights under the proposed update. Kimberly Cauvel reports.

Waterfront clearcut prompts 'stop work' order on Mar Vista remodel
An emergency order to "immediately stop all clearing and grading activity" was posted Dec. 17 by the San Juan County Code Enforcement Officer at the False Bay property purchased earlier this year by Dave and Nancy Honeywell. The 40-acre property was formerly the Mar Vista Resort, one of the larger contiguous waterfront properties on Haro Strait on the west side of San Juan Island. The Honeywells, winners of a nine-figure Powerball jackpot in February of this year, purchased the property in early spring. Steve Wehrly reports.

Jack Knox: If oil hits the beach, it’ll be here in B.C.  
Let’s start with the assumption — and I may be going out on a limb here — that no one actually wants an oil spill, and that it’s in everyone’s interest to keep Alberta bitumen out of the waters off B.C.’s coast. What’s still up for debate is how much chance there is of that happening, should the Northern Gateway pipeline to Kitimat be built, and at what point it’s worth the risk. This week, the National Energy Board’s joint review panel tilted in Enbridge’s favour, finding that even if there were a large spill from a tanker spill — an event it said was highly unlikely — permanent, widespread damage to the environment would not occur. That conclusion will be a hard sell up the coast, where they like to point out that improbable doesn’t mean impossible...  See also: Northern Gateway is a war that Ottawa can’t win

Northern Gateway and Trans Mountain: how two pipeline projects compare
The Trans Mountain expansion and Northern Gateway pipeline projects are at different stages in the regulatory process, involve different players and have different price tags. But they also have much in common, including the shared purpose of getting land-locked Alberta oil to Asian markets. Here is how the two stack up... Wendy Stueck reports.

New home could turn tide for South Sound Estuarium
The South Sound Estuarium is seeking an affordable, permanent home in downtown Olympia where it can foster public knowledge about marine life. Now located near the Olympia Farmers Market, the educational facility features sea stars and other aquatic life clinging to glass panels in saltwater aquariums. The estuarium’s current lease with the Port of Olympia began in July and was extended through March... On Saturday, the estuarium hosted a Turn of the Tides Festival to celebrate the winter solstice. The event included an oyster stew lunch, Native American storyteller Harvest Moon, and arts and crafts for children. Andy Hobbs reports.

Roaring controversy over Navy jets on central Whidbey Island
For the past six years, Babette Thompson has lived in a brown, cedar-sided house on Whidbey Island overlooking Saratoga Passage. Sometimes Navy planes flew past. Then there were more. And more. One day as a Navy Growler flew overhead, the vibrations were so intense the glass covering a watercolor in her hall shattered.... Since the Growlers, which are used to suppress radar, arrived in 2008, the tolerance many of the residents once had for the Whidbey Island air station has turned to outrage. Citizens of the Ebey’s Reserve for a Healthy, Safe & Peaceful Environment filed a lawsuit against the Navy in July. Despite the complaints about an increase in noise from continuous take-off-and-landing training flights skimming over roof tops, the Navy is working on an environmental-impact statement to bring in two more squadrons of Growlers by 2015. The last day of the public comment period for the EIS is Jan. 3, 2014. Nancy Bartley reports.

Bailing Bertha: Water rushes in ahead of cutting face, behind it
So much groundwater is flowing into the front end of Highway 99 tunnel machine Bertha that officials said Friday it will take two more weeks for workers to dry the area enough to view and measure an object that’s blocking the route. The world’s largest rotary drill, at 57 feet, 4 inches diameter, has been stuck near Terminal 46 since Dec. 6. The clog is thought to be a loose boulder, or perhaps a giant “glacial erratic” rock that migrated to Seattle atop an ice sheet in prehistoric times. The piece isn’t secured enough by surrounding soil for Bertha’s cutting tools to dig in and crack the object apart. Mike Lindblom reports.

City to employ ‘beaver deceiver’ against dams that create work, floods
Beaver dams cause flooding on roads and properties across Thurston County, but cities like Olympia are learning to co-exist with the buck-toothed critters by controlling their habitats. Beavers have built dams up and down the Woodard Creek corridor, which stretches north to Henderson Inlet. The dams raise the surrounding water levels several feet and often block culverts... But in 2014, the city plans to install a device that prevents blockage in the culvert. Known colloquially as a “beaver deceiver,” the wire mesh fencing helps maintain water flow and allows migrating fish to pass through. The device costs from $700 to more than $1,000, depending on size. Andy Hobbs reports.

Boneless and brainless jellyfish a popular draw at Vancouver Aquarium
The jellyfish has drifted the seas for at least 650 million years and the boneless, brainless and heartless animals have become a major draw for the Vancouver Aquarium. The facility just wrapped up its "Jelly Invasion" promotion, which included 17 species from around the globe, but the majority will remain in 2014. Bill Graveland reports.

Oregon could lose millions for coastal streams as feds target logging pollution
Federal regulators are proposing to overturn the state of Oregon’s program for reducing coastal pollution runoff, saying while they see progress, the state is inadequately protecting streams that provide coho salmon habitat and drinking water. The threat is backed up by a counterintuitive stick: If the rejection is finalized next May, the federal government would withhold up to $2 million annually the state uses to reduce coastal water pollution – the very problem the feds say needs fixing. Federal law requires coastal states like Oregon to adopt plans to cut water pollution from indirect sources such as logging and agriculture. While the federal Clean Water Act has reduced pollution from specific sources, including factories and sewage plants, indirect sources remain a significant problem.

Food for millions at risk
A remote Indonesian village highlights the threats facing millions of people who depend on marine creatures susceptible to souring seas and ocean warming. Craig Welch reports.

Warming has boosted Pacific's nitrogen levels, corals reveal
Using deep-sea corals collected north of Hawaii, California scientists have determined climate change has produced a long-term rise in nitrogen in the Pacific Ocean. Nitrogen in the North Pacific has increased by about 20 percent since the mid-1800s and the trend appears to be continuing, according to a study published Dec. 15 in the journal Nature. Scientists can look for clues to past conditions in the oceans by studying seafloor sediments, collected in cylindrical cores several feet long. But that approach is not very useful for the past several thousand years. Sediment accumulates so slowly in the open North Pacific that the past 12,000 years or so, a span of time called the Holocene epoch, is represented by less than 4 inches of sediment which has been stirred up by organisms living on the seafloor. So the California scientists turned to deep-sea corals, including the Hawaiian golden coral, collected by the Hawai‘i Undersea Research Laboratory's Pisces V submersible. Jim Borg reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON DEC 23 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON PST TODAY
TODAY
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN THIS
 MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
--
"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

12/20 BC pipe, oil trains, coal dust, assessing risk, geoduck arsenic, Puget Sound Pulse, Clark Co clean water, Vancouver WA oil

Kitsilano Morning (Heather Deal @VanRealDeal)

Winter solstice: The sun stands still on Saturday
...Because of the tilt in the Earth’s axis of rotation, the sun appears to rise and fall in our sky over the course of a year. It’s not the sun itself moving, but the Earth moving relative to the sun.... On Dec. 21, the sun stops moving southward, pauses, and then starts moving northward. This pause is called the "solstice," from the Latin words "sol" for "sun" and "sisto" for "stop." Similarly, on June 21 the sun stops moving northward and starts moving southward. Geoff Gaherty explains.

Northern Gateway pipeline recommended for federal approval, with conditions
A joint review panel has recommended the federal government approve Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline project.  The approval hinges on 209 required conditions, including developing a marine mammal protection plan, researching heavy oil cleanup and conducting emergency response exercises. "After weighing the evidence, we concluded that Canada and Canadians would be better off with the Enbridge Northern Gateway project," said the panel in its roughly 500-page report.

Pipeline will spur massive demonstrations, opponents warn  
Massive protests and court challenges based on native rights are likely after a National Energy Board decision that gave conditional approval to the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, say First Nations, environmental groups and others opposed to the project. Mark Hume reports.

Oil trains raise concerns in small towns, cities
It's tough to miss the trains hauling crude oil out of the Northern Plains. They are growing more frequent by the day, mile-long processions of black tank cars that rumble through wheat fields and towns, along rivers and national parks. As common as they have become across the U.S. and Canada, officials in dozens of towns and cities where the oil trains travel say they are concerned with the possibility of a major derailment, spill or explosion, while their level of preparation varies widely. Josh Funk and Matthew Brown report.

Shell’s rail unloading facility moves forward
Shell’s Puget Sound Refinery on March Point is moving closer to building a rail offloading facility for crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken formation now that high-level design work has been completed and the company is ready to apply for 17 permits required before construction starts. Shell needs the offloading facility to accept 100-car trains carrying roughly 60,000 barrels of crude oil from the formation, Refinery General Manager Thomas Rizzo said. The facility will be designed to handle up to one train in and out per day. Shell has no plans for the rail facility to increase capacity at the 145,000-barrel-per-day refinery, but Rizzo said less crude oil will be coming from two current sources: Alaska’s North Slope via tanker and to a lesser extent, Canada by pipeline. Mark Stayton reports.

Coal ports: Trains' dust problems swept up?
A federal board's ruling on coal dust could end helping backers of proposals to export coal through Pacific Northwest ports. Floyd McKay explains.

How math helps stop oil spills and plane crashes  
Jason Merrick, Ph.D., says that his daughters tell people that their father stops oil spills, plane crashes and terrorist attacks with math. That's one way to describe Merrick's research, which at its core involves developing complex mathematical models to help people make difficult decisions about risk – those involving significant uncertainty and trade-offs. Merrick, who is a professor of decision and risk analysis, and simulation in the Department of Statistical Sciences & Operations Research in the VCU School of Humanities and Sciences, is involved with both theoretical and applied research... Merrick's work has helped government agencies, environmentalists, industry and the Coast Guard come to agreement on effective ways to reduce the risks of oil spills and accidents. He's  led studies in the state of Washington  and on San Francisco Bay in California and Prince William Sound in Alaska. Sathya Achia Abraham reports.

Arsenic Was Toxin In Washington Geoduck Shipment To China
Officials in Washington have learned that inorganic arsenic was the toxin detected in a shipment of geoduck from their state to China, not the toxin causing paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP, as they previously believed. That shipment, along with one from Ketchikan, Alaska, led China to ban on all imports of shellfish harvested along the West Coast from Northern California up through Alaska. The Washington shipment was traced to a tract harvested by the Puyallup Tribe in Redondo, Wash., near Poverty Bay and Dumas Bay. Tony Schick reports.

‘Pulse of Puget Sound’ series halfway done
Kitsap Sun reporter Christopher Dunagan writes about his ongoing series “Taking the Pulse of Puget Sound,” which examines the health of our waterway and asks the question, “With all the money being spent on restoration, are we making any progress?” Although his pieces are only available to Sun subscribers when first published, Chris says they are now collected and available to all readers. Good stuff, with links.

Pressure mounts for farm bill approval
Farmers and agriculture advocates heard an update on the progress of the federal farm bill and voiced a few concerns with the proposed bill to U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene at a round-table discussion Wednesday afternoon. DelBene, D-Wash., a member of the House Agriculture Committee and farm bill conference committee, said she expects Congress to pass a comprehensive bill early in January if it wants to avoid possible repercussions of not passing a new farm bill or an extension of the 2008 farm bill by the end of December.... The five-year bill reauthorizes federal farm and nutrition programs, including crop insurance, research, conservation and energy programs, supplemental nutrition programs and food stamps. Mark Stayton reports.

Clark County to pay $3.6 million for violating Clean Water Act
Washington’s Clark County will pay $3 million over six years for violating the Clean Water Act, according to terms of a settlement announced Wednesday that ends years of litigation. The county will also pay $600,000 to the plaintiffs to cover attorney fees, said county Administrator Mark McCauley. The $3 million will be paid to an independent third party, the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board, which will “oversee projects to protect and restore Clark County rivers and streams harmed by stormwater pollution,” said Lauren Goldberg, staff attorney for Columbia Riverkeeper, one of three plaintiffs... The settlement follows a federal court ruling that the county violated the law for three years and would be liable for damages. In June, U.S. District Judge Ronald B. Leighton granted partial summary judgment to plaintiffs Rosemere Neighborhood Association, Columbia Riverkeeper and Northwest Environmental Defense Center. Stephanie Rice reports.

Port of Vancouver oil terminal plan gets 31,000 comments
The state agency reviewing a proposed oil terminal at the Port of Vancouver piled up more than 31,000 comments before Wednesday's deadline passed. The controversial oil-by-rail facility, proposed by Tesoro Corp. and Savage Companies, has taken on a higher profile than any project recently reviewed by the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council. If approved, the operation would bring in oil hauled by train from North Dakota, before shipping it to U.S. refineries. The facility would be capable of handling as much as 380,000 barrels of crude per day. Eric Florip reports.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI DEC 20 2013
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING SE 25 TO 35 KT EARLY...THEN BECOMING SW IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 5 TO 8 FT WITH A
 DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
W WIND 25 TO 35 KT...EASING TO 20 TO 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 9 TO 11 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
SAT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 RAIN.
SAT NIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
SUN
S WIND 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
--
"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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12/19 Snow, oil tankers, BC pipes, nearshore protection, Judd Cr., Barlow Bay, orcas, Whatcom salmon

Calliope Hummingbird © oldbilluk via BirdNote

Central Flyway Stand-out Species: Calliope Hummingbird
Put a penny in your hand, just a single penny. That's how much a Calliope Hummingbird weighs: two and a half grams! Now, consider that this species migrates up to 5,500 miles - more than double the distance between Los Angeles and New York - every year. Such epic migrations require energy reserves usually found in much larger species. In fact, the Calliope Hummingbird is the smallest "long-distance migrant" in the world. From our friends at BirdNote. Make a donation and keep the love coming. 

Friday Snow: Understanding the Uncertainties
Climate scientist Cliff Mass writes: "The chances of snow on Friday morning are now very high and in this blog I will explain why.  I will also paint out some of the uncertainties, including the snow depths and when snow will give way to rain. But the bottom line is clear:  the commute time on Friday morning will be a white one, so be prepared."

Tanker traffic would soar under proposed Canadian pipeline
A big Houston-based energy company would triple the capacity of a Canadian pipeline that ships oil from Alberta to the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, a project that would increase from five to 34 tankers a month traveling through sensitive international waters. Kinder Morgan Canada formally submitted its application to nearly triple, from 300,000 barrels a day to 850,000, the capacity of its Trans-Mountain Pipeline. The purpose of the increased capacity is to serve what the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers describes as “rapidly growing markets in Asia.” The tankers would travel through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and through Haro Strait, which forms the boundary between the San Juan Islands and Vancouver Island.  They would pass just off two famed beauty spots of the new San Juan Islands National Monument, Turn Point on Stuart Island and Patos Island.... On Thursday, Canada’s federal government is expected to endorse construction of an even larger pipeline in northern British Columbia.... If Northern Gateway is build, and the capacity of Trans-Mountain is tripled, an estimated 650 oil tankers will enter and leave British Columbia’s sensitive coastal waters each year. Joel Connelly reports.

Northern Gateway pipeline by the numbers
Review panel will release recommendation on the proposal Thursday afternoon

State Environmental Groups and Tribes Weigh In On Protecting Nearshore Habitats
Eleven state environmental groups last week addressed the importance of strengthening nearshore habitat protections in a joint letter commenting on the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife’s proposed revisions to the state’s hydraulic code.  The code is the state's principal regulatory tool to ensure the protection of nearshore and stream habitats and fish life from the harmful impacts of in-water development and construction work. “Our review found that much of the proposed language creates exemptions and regulatory loopholes and utilizes language that appears to diminish both department responsibility and the ability to ensure the mandated protection of vital habitats,” said Sound Action executive director Amy Carey. The group's comments can be downloaded here. The rule revisions also drew comments from the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and the Skagit River System Cooperative.

Couple leaves a legacy of protection at Judd Creek
When Jim and Elaine Scott moved to their property at the mouth of Judd Creek 50 years ago, the creek teemed with salmon. But now the Scotts, 93 and 88 respectively, haven’t seen a salmon outside their home in years. While coho and chum salmon do still make their way up the stream, their numbers, as in all  of Puget Sound, are a fraction of their historic levels.... The Vashon Maury Island Land Trust now hopes to see that trend reversed. In what some are calling the most significant conservation purchase on Vashon in recent history — aside from the purchase of the Glacier property on Maury Island — the Scotts recently sold their 10-acre plot at Judd Creek to the land trust. Natalie Martin reports.

Toxic Creosote Being Removed
FRIENDS of the San Juans partnered with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Tulalip Tribes to remove creosote pilings and a pier in Barlow Bay off Lopez Island. This project improves water quality, eelgrass growing conditions, and upper beach habitat at a documented Pacific sand lance spawning site... Twenty-six in-water creosote pilings and approximately 1,200 square feet of remaining overwater structure (pier decking) was removed from Barlow Bay. In addition, 200 square feet of upper beach habitat will be unburied by removing rock and fill, as well other debris including concrete, creosote and tires.

Scientists uncover more clues in a whale of a mystery
Resident killer whales are one the most studied mammals on the West Coast, but after more than 40 years of observations, researchers are unable to definitively say where they go in winter. From November until April, the estimated 300 orcas that make up the northern and southern resident populations disappear from B.C. waters, leaving a hole in the scientific understanding of an iconic species that in some areas has become endangered. Knowing where they go, and what they feed on year-round, is important to protecting whales in the long term, scientists say. And while it remains a mystery for the moment, there are increasing signs that the mystery could soon be solved. Mark Hume reports.

Whatcom County groups receive more than $1.6 million to help salmon  
Three organizations in Whatcom County were awarded more than $1.6 million for salmon recovery efforts, the state Recreation and Conservation Office announced. The money is part of $42 million granted to organizations around Washington for projects to restore and protect habitat for endangered salmon. The Nooksack Indian Tribe received two grants totaling a little more than $1 million for two projects....Whatcom Land Trust was awarded $518,840, which it will use to buy 100 acres in the Skookum Reach of the south fork of the Nooksack River, between Skookum Creek and Van Zandt. The purchase will help conserve the reach. Kie Relyea reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU DEC 19 2013
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING S 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
S WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 3 FT
 AT 11 SECONDS. CHANCE OF RAIN...THEN RAIN AND SNOW LIKELY 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

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Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

12/18 Geoducks, oil pipe, coal dust, coal spills, mercury cleanup, hazmat site, creek restoration, oil risk, fire retardant ban, Capitol Lk snails, port dredging, isthmus park

PHOTO: Washington Sea Grant

Chinese geoduck ban creates industry turmoil
Kitsap Sun's Chris Dunagan delves deeper into the toxicity standards prompting the geoduck ban and the possible reasons for China's actions.

Kinder Morgan opts for almost entirely new pipeline route through Burnaby
Kinder Morgan’s proposed $5.4-billion Trans Mountain pipeline expansion avoids several areas in the Lower Mainland that have become built up since the company’s existing line was constructed in the 1950s, but the company had fewer options in Burnaby. The proposed route skirts new neighbourhoods in Langley and Surrey — in Walnut Grove and Fraser Heights, respectively — by moving the pipeline closer to the Fraser River to utilize railway and road corridors. And while the proposed new route in Burnaby uses the Lougheed Highway corridor, it still passes near a neighbourhood that contains Meadowood Park north of Broadway, and also through residential areas adjacent to Hastings Street and Cliff Avenue, which is adjacent to the Burrard Inlet Conservation Area. Gordon Hoekstra reports.

Board: BNSF can require coal-dust suppression
The federal Surface Transportation Board has decided that BNSF Railway can require coal shippers to use certain methods to reduce the amount of coal dust lost from rail cars leaving coal mines in Wyoming and Montana. In a decision last Wednesday, the board said shippers challenging the railway's coal-loading rules had not shown the measures were unreasonable. It did, however, find one provision related to liability unreasonable. BNSF spokeswoman Courtney Wallace said Tuesday the board's decision ensures coal dust stays in railcars where it belongs. Phuong Le reports.

CN sues Westshore Terminals over three accidents involving coal trains
Canadian National Railway is suing Westshore Terminals in a series of civil claims that the Delta coal terminal has been negligent in its handling of coal trains on three separate occasions. The civil lawsuits, filed in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, concern three accidents that allegedly caused damage to trains in 2011 and 2012. In two of the three notices of civil claim, CN alleges Westshore Terminals in Roberts Bank caused a pair of locomotives to tip over while dumping coal onto train cars. Tiffany Crawford reports.

Mercury cleanup costs rise again on Bellingham waterfront
Port of Bellingham commissioners have agreed to spend another $1.2 million to pay for mercury cleanup on the old Georgia-Pacific Corp. waterfront site. At the Tuesday, Dec. 17, commission meeting, port engineer John Hergesheimer said excavation of a concrete slab beneath a now-demolished mercury processing building had revealed more extensive contamination than expected. The soil under the slab contains mercury globules "about the size of BBs," he said. John Stark reports.

Hazardous materials recycling site raises Fraser River fears
Environmentalists and First Nations groups oppose a hazardous material recycling plant in Chilliwack, B.C., because they are concerned the Fraser River could become contaminated if it floods into the site. Hazardous materials include lamps which contain mercury and PCBs, and water does occasionally come into the area. The city has approved the initial stages, and says they have a facility to pump any water out.

The Daily Bucket - Salmon Habitat Restoration Continued: Squalicum Creek
Blogger RonK reports on Bellingham's salmon spawning habitat restoration in Squalicum Creek, following up on his first report on the city’s Padden Creek.

Oil projects not worth risk to salmon: report
The proposed oil industry expansion on B.C.’s coast is not worth the risk to wild salmon, says a new report by the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. “The public needs to know our concerns,” said Misty MacDuffee, the Sidney-based organization’s lead researcher.... A federal joint review panel will issue recommendations on the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline on Thursday. Federal approval is expected next year. The project is the subject of Vol. 1 of Raincoast’s report, Embroiled: Salmon, Tankers and the Enbridge Northern Gateway Proposal. The second volume, which focuses on the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Pipeline, will be released in February. Sharon Petrescu reports.

Lawmaker tells Port Townsend audience he plans to re-enter bill outlawing toxic fire retardants
A bill prohibiting the sale of toxic fire retardants, which failed in the 2013 session of the Legislature, is to be reintroduced during the upcoming session, said a lawmaker from Sequim.  “We have several better alternatives that can prevent things from catching fire,” said Rep. Van De Wege who has pledged support of the bill. “Some of the chemicals that have been banned in the past were replaced by others who were as bad or worse,” the Sequim Democrat told about 25 people at the Port Townsend Community Center on Monday. Charlie Bermant reports.

State Officials Seize Cold Snap, Freeze Out Invasive Snails In Capitol Lake
A cold snap might be an effective tool for fish and wildlife managers trying to stop the spread of a tiny invasive species. Capitol Lake in Olympia is serving as a testing ground for freezing out New Zealand mud snails. Bellamy Pailthorp reports.

DNR: Port's original dredge documents did not involve state-owned land
The Port of Kingston may have grounded its own project when it improperly identified where a proposed maintenance dredge would take place. "The original documents the port provided to the permitting agencies, which [the Department of Natural Resources] reviewed, indicated that the dredging operation would only take place on port-owned property," Aquatics Program Communications Manager Toni Droscher wrote in an email. Because DNR's authority covers state-owned aquatic lands, the agency did not believe it had a role in the mitigation aspect of the project, according to Droscher. Then DNR's Ports Program received the mitigation plan Nov. 14. "That's when we discovered that part of the project was going to be taking place on state-owned aquatic lands, which DNR manages, in addition to port-owned property," Droscher wrote. The result is a substantial delay in the maintenance dredge. Kipp Robertson reports.

Foundation donates $100,000 for park on Olympia's isthmus
The Olympia Capitol Park Foundation gave the city $100,000 Tuesday toward a future park on a strip of land known as the “isthmus properties.” The check presentation coincided with the Olympia City Council’s unanimous approval of an agreement that commits the city to putting the foundation’s money toward demolition of buildings on the isthmus site and to working with the group to raise additional funds. Andy Hobbs reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED DEC 18 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
TODAY
NW WIND 15 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN THIS MORNING.
TONIGHT
NW WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NE 15 TO 25 KT IN THE EVENING. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT
 AT 9 SECONDS.
--
"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

12/17 Geoduck ban, coal delivery, BC LNG, net pens, sewage sludge, steelhead, soap rules

Southern resident killer whales sleeping (Meg McDonald)

If you like to watch: Meg McDonald shares her video shot off Vashon on Dec. 14 of Southern Resident Killer Whales: Sleeping in the Salish Sea (HD)

China’s shellfish ban hits Skagit County
Many West Coast shellfish farms, commercial harvesters and tribes are reeling since China banned imports of mollusk shellfish from Washington, Oregon, Alaska and Northern California in the first week of December.... Taylor Shellfish spokesman Bill Dewey said the ban will hurt his company’s sales of geoduck the most. Taylor is the nation’s largest seller of farmed shellfish. Dewey said his company has regularly shipped 40,000 to 50,000 pounds of geoduck to China per month, representing half of the market for the product. Mark Stayton and Kimbery Cauvel report.

Santa-garbed protesters try to deliver coal to Port Metro Vancouver
Depending on your perspective, either the downtown offices of Port Metro Vancouver were invaded Monday morning by “masked protesters carrying bags containing an unknown substance” or six Santas who tried to deliver bags of coal to port officials and got thrown out. According to a statement from Port Metro, the protesters “illegally gained entrance to Port Metro Vancouver’s offices and attempted to access the Operations Centre, a Transport Canada restricted area. A number of our employees were physically assaulted and property was damaged during this aggressive act.”

NEB approves four more LNG export licences in B.C., but await Ottawa's blessing
Four more proposed liquefied natural gas projects in British Columbia have received approvals for export licences from the National Energy Board, but the federal cabinet still needs to give its blessing. The NEB has approved the applications from three major proponents seeking to build terminals in northwestern British Columbia: BG Group’s Prince Rupert LNG Exports Ltd., the Petronas-led Pacific NorthWest LNG Ltd. and Exxon Mobil Corp.’s West Coast Canada LNG Ltd.... The NEB has now granted export licences for seven fledgling B.C. LNG projects and is reviewing applications from another four. None of the approved projects, however, are in the terminal construction stage because the proponents say they first need to learn details of the B.C. government’s plans for taxation of the LNG industry and internal assessments still must be conducted on the economics of proceeding. Brent Jang and Kelly Cryderman report.

Net pen issue blocks Jefferson County’s shoreline plan no more; commissioners give OK after 3 years of debate
Jefferson County commissioners approved a new Shoreline Master Plan on Monday, finishing a process that began nearly three years ago.  The approval, though unanimous, came with some qualifications. Commissioner Phil Johnson said he still disagrees with one aspect of the plan requiring the allowance of net pens for the farming of fish just offshore.  “It’s good to see that the state is paying a little more attention to this issue,” Johnson said. “I am still concerned with net pens, but we can amend this any time we want.” Charlie Bermant reports.

Sewage sludge plant bidding opens
The messy business of handling the sludge left over from Greater Victoria’s proposed sewage treatment system is now open to bidders. The civilian commission in charge of building the $783-million sewage project has started the tendering process for a biosolids sludge centre at Hartland Landfill, as well as a separate contract to dispose of the sludge. Companies can submit bids, including alternate locations, until March 14, 2014. Four bidders will be shortlisted to make final pitches in May, according to the Seaterra commission. Rob Shaw reports.

If you like to listen: Five Things You Should Know About The Art of Steelhead Fishing
We put the text link up in yesterday's posting but reporter Bellamy Pailthorp says you really have to listen to the interview of author Sean Gallagher. Nice photos, too.

FDA seeks tougher rules on antibacterial soaps
The Food and Drug Administration says there is no evidence that antibacterial chemicals used in liquid soaps and washes help prevent the spread of germs, and there is some evidence they may pose health risks. The agency said it is revisiting the safety of chemicals like triclosan in light of recent studies suggesting they can interfere with hormone levels and spur the growth of drug-resistant bacteria. The government's preliminary ruling lends new credence to longstanding warnings from researchers who say the chemicals are, at best, ineffective and at worst, a threat to public health. Matthew Perrone reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE DEC 17 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE AND RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12
 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN THIS MORNING...THEN RAIN LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

12/16 Kinder Morgan, coal export, quakes, sewers, sonar, WA climate, oil spill, Sustainable Thurston, salmon restoration, eagle watch, steelhead

Barred Owl (Laurie MacBride)

The Silent Intruder
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "In the night we often hear a Barred owl call out its persistent question: “Who-cooks-for-YOU?” Less frequently, we catch a dialogue between two Barred owls, sounding more like a loud gang of crazed chimpanzees than a couple of birds. The strange, hilarious caterwauling lasts for a quarter hour or more, rising and falling in pitch, speed and volume. At those times, it’s best to give up any hope of sleep and just enjoy the broadcast. But we don’t see these large birds very often, and when we do, it’s usually at a distance...."

Economic factors mean B.C. government unlikely to oppose Kinder Morgan bid
This week, Kinder Morgan is expected to file an application to build a second heavy oil pipeline across B.C. It’s a perfect bookend for the Northern Gateway pipeline proposal, which is due to come out the other end of the application process any day now. The application to the National Energy Board will be more than 20,000 pages, and that is without even saying precisely what route the Kinder Morgan pipeline will travel. Justine Hunter reports.

Viability of Oregon, Washington coal export terminals threatened by falling Asian prices
Three years ago, coal was hot. Stoked by insatiable coal-fired Chinese power plants, international demand boomed. Prices soared. Phones rang frequently at Oregon and Washington ports. On the other end? Eager investors hoping to snatch up land to build export terminals to quench Asian demand. How things have changed. Rob Davis reports.

If you like to listen: BirdNote-- Why Birds' Feet Don't Freeze
Have you ever watched ducks walking around in freezing temperatures and wondered why their feet don't freeze? And how do birds, including this Northern Flicker, sit on metal perches with no problem? Birds' feet have a miraculous adaptation that keeps them from freezing. Rete mirabile - Latin for "wonderful net" - is a fine, netlike pattern of arteries that interweaves warm blood from a bird's heart with the veins carrying cold blood from its feet and legs.

When Seattle shakes from quakes, it’s going to slide, too
With its coastal bluffs, roller-coaster hills and soggy weather, Seattle is primed for landslides even when the ground isn’t shaking. Jolt the city with a major earthquake, and a new study from the University of Washington suggests many more slopes could collapse than previously estimated. A powerful earthquake on the fault that slices under the city’s heart could trigger more than 30,000 landslides if it strikes when the ground is saturated, the analysis finds. More than 10,000 buildings, many of them upscale homes with water views, sit in areas at high risk of landslide damage in such a worst-case scenario. Sandi Doughton reports.

Everett's widespread sewer challenge
Everett's cleanup and repair bill for sewer malfunctions on Aug. 29 and Sept. 6 has crept to an estimated $3.2 million. That's before factoring in longer-term fixes. By last week, the city had reported receiving 189 related claims for damage. It's accepted 164 and turned down 18, with another seven still under review. Here's a rundown of affected areas. Noah Halund reports.

Presentation on sewage plan's Clover Point pump station to be held Monday
A presentation of plans to upgrade and expand the Clover Point pump station will be made Monday. The pump station will be upgraded and expanded beginning next fall as part of the region’s sewage treatment program. A new forcemain will run from the pump station along the south side of Dallas Road to Ogden Point, then under the Victoria Harbour via a marine crossing to the treatment plant planned for McLoughlin Point. Bill Cleverley reports.

Navy to expand sonar testing despite marine-life concerns  
The U.S. Navy plans to increase sonar testing over the next five years, even as research it funded reveals worrying signs that the loud underwater noise could disturb whales and dolphins. Reported mass strandings of certain whale species have increased worldwide since the military started using sonar half a century ago. Scientists think the sounds scare animals into shallow waters where they can become disoriented and wash ashore, but technology capable of close monitoring has emerged only in about the past decade. Alicia Chang and Julie Watson report.

Majority at Olympia climate hearing make case for less fossil fuel
Climate scientists may have reached a consensus about the danger of human contributions to climate change, but getting a political consensus for how to respond will take some time at the Washington state Capitol. Friday’s third and final hearing before Gov. Jay Inslee’s climate workgroup elicited an array of messages from the environmental movement, business groups, the oil industries and a slew of individuals — including two school kids from Seattle who are part of a project planting trees and said they can’t afford to wait for action. Brad Shannon reports.

Heating oil spill damage at Colquitz Creek minimized by fast response
About 500 litres of oil leaked from a storage tank, but none of it has reached the river, officials say. An alert citizen and a quick response by Saanich public works’ crews are being credited with minimizing the impact of a home-heating oil spill near Colquitz Creek. Sandra McCulloch reports.

Thurston planning panel OKs land policies
The Thurston Regional Planning Council has approved Sustainable Thurston, a menu of policies that local jurisdictions can use in land planning, particularly in implementation of the state Growth Management Act. Sustainable Thurston next will be put to a vote in Thurston County’s local jurisdictions. Work on the document began three years ago. The planning council’s vote elicited audible disappointment from approximately 80 members of Grassroots Thurston present at the vote. Grassroots Thurston — comprising farmers and lands right advocates from Thurston, Lewis and Mason counties — had hoped to delay a vote until after the upcoming legislative session. Lisa Broadt reports.

First of nine Skagit salmon habitat projects ready to go
Salmon habitat restoration projects around the state were awarded more than $42 million in grants from the Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board and Puget Sound Partnership last week. Of that, $3.5 million was awarded to nine Skagit County projects sponsored by state and local agencies... While some local projects may take up to two years to get off the ground, a $1.2 million project to restore fish passage in Davis Slough, across the Skagit River from Hamilton and east of Day Creek, is planned to move forward in 2014. Kimberly Cauvel reports.

Bald eagles are returning: where to watch them
As chum salmon move into rivers across the Puget Sound to begin the final stage of their life cycle, you can be sure bald eagles are not far behind. The eagles have learned that the region's rivers and streams provide an ample food supply in the form of salmon carcasses. During the winter, Washington serves as the winter home to more than 1,500 bald eagles in locations including the Yakima Canyon, Lake Roosevelt, the Skagit River, Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge, Grays Harbor and along the Columbia River.

Salmon-restoration project may start in summer
Snohomish County this week issued a final environmental impact statement for its Smith Island salmon-restoration project and said crews could be ready to break ground next summer. The $18 million, mostly grant-funded project affects about 400 acres in the Snohomish River estuary. It's immediately east of I-5 with Union Slough to the east and north. The tidal marshlands were diked up in the 1930s.

If you like to watch: Snow geese flock to Pacific Northwest  Colin Diltz shares.

Five Things You Should Know About The Art of Steelhead Fishing
Sean M. Gallagher grew up fishing steelhead. He's one of hundreds of sport fishermen who spend hours on riverbanks, seeking out the sparkling skin of rainbow trout known as steelhead. Like some salmon, they come back from the ocean in winter to spawn upriver. But while salmon turn red and die when they return to their origins, steelhead live for several years in fresh water and get bigger — as big as 40 pounds while they are traversing regional rivers. Gallagher, a first time-author, shares “the lures and lore of a Pacific Northwest icon” in his new two-volume book titled “Wild Steelhead.” Bellamy Pailthorp reports.

Geoduck industry fighting China’s shellfish-import ban
Washington geoduck harvesters and government officials, including Gov. Jay Inslee, are scrambling to overturn China’s decision to ban some shellfish exports from the Pacific Northwest. The ban has brought the geoduck industry here to a virtual halt. Jay Greene reports.

Dye test part of effort to reopen Drayton Harbor to shellfish harvest in winter
From the back of a slowly moving boat, Kay Rottell poured red dye into Drayton Harbor near the mouth of Dakota Creek. Rottell is an environmental engineer with the Washington state Department of Health. On Tuesday, Dec. 10, she was part of a team of people who went out onto the harbor to track the non-toxic dye using electronic sensors for a study. The study's goal is to gather data to better understand how Dakota Creek circulates in the harbor and to what extent the creek's water affects commercial and tribal shellfish harvesting there as it moves out into the Straight of Georgia. Kie Relyea reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON DEC 16 2013
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
S WIND TO 10 KT THIS MORNING...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 10 FT AT 14 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE
 MORNING.
TONIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 13 SECONDS.

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