5/29 Poop dog, Kinder Morgan, oil trains, flame retardants, WQ, Thornton Cr., SEA Whidbey

Crush the Poop Dog (Scott Terrell/Skagit Valley Herald)

Sewage-sniffing dog finds trouble in Samish watershed
Plastic buckets, murky water, action: a terrier-cattle dog mix in a neon yellow harness took off through a parking lot behind the Skagit County offices Wednesday. She charged from one water-filled bucket to another, passing most quickly, but stopping to lie down at a few... “It’s all a game to her. She thinks it’s pretty fun,” Environmental Canine Services co-founder Karen Reynolds said... Skagit County turned to the dog training company, which employs Crush and her handler, Aryn Hervel, out of California, as a way to locate sources of human fecal coliform pollution in the Samish River watershed. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Kinder Morgan bombarded with 10,000-plus questions on Trans Mountain expansion
Kinder Morgan is asking for more time to respond to over 10,000 questions submitted to the National Energy Board about the proposed expansion of its Trans Mountain pipeline. The company has until June 4 to respond to information requests from 117 of the 398 groups and individuals granted intervener status by the board for the application. The company says it cannot meet that deadline with such a large number of requests, and it has asked for a delay until June 27.

We'll soon know how many oil shipments pass through county
By the end of next week, Washington will learn how often tank cars of oil siphoned from North Dakota's Bakken Shale are getting shipped by rail through Snohomish County and the rest of the state. An emergency order from the U.S. Transportation Department requires railroads to tell the state how many trains carrying this highly flammable varietal of black gold are expected to travel through Washington each week, and on which routes. Railroads are not required to reveal exactly what days and times the trains are coming or how much crude oil is getting transported. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

If you like to watch: Turning the Tide with the Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team
DERT advocates for clean water, public access, ecological stewardship, and a renewed economy through the restoration of South Puget Sound. Check out this cool video and crowdsource some change, real change.

New blog: What Kind of God Creates Tent Caterpillars?
‘Tis the season to ask the ultimate questions about divine design when the tent caterpillars swarm, the carpenter ants emerge, the mosquitoes buzz and the slugs begin chomping down in the garden....

SFU study finds lower IQ in kids linked to mom's exposure to flame retardants in pregnancy
Exposure to flame retardants while in utero can lead to a lower IQ and hyperactivity in children, according to a new study involving Simon Fraser University researchers. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Water inspections impacting recreation and food supply
Summer means more people getting out on the water and hitting the beach for shellfish harvesting. Behind-the-scene, state and local health inspectors are out testing water quality around the Puget Sound to make sure the waters are clean and safe. During the summer, health inspectors concentrate on taking samples in areas people like to play, swim and fish. Teresa Yuan reports. (KING)

Currently A Ditch, Seattle's Longest Creek Soon To Be A Stream Again
Utility crews are about to take a busy northeast Seattle thoroughfare out of commission for six months. But in exchange for shutting down five blocks of 35th Avenue Northeast, utilities officials say the neighborhood will get relief from chronic flooding and a very new look for the city's longest creek. Gabriel Spitzer reports. (KPLU)

SEA the future with South Whidbey park, group partnership
A public/private partnership that some say is the future of state park stewardship was commemorated at South Whidbey State Park on Sunday. A crowd numbering more than 50 people attended Celebrate the Water, an event marking the one-year anniversary of the partnership among SEA, — Service, Education, Adventure — Calyx Community Arts School, Friends of South State Park and Washington State Parks. Although autonomous of each other and with different missions, the organizations have for the past year worked for a similar objective: to maintain, bring attention to and use South Whidbey State Park as a teaching tool for future generations. Justin Burnett reports. (South Whidbey Record)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU MAY 29 2014
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

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