6/10 BC pipe, rail traffic, border water, Vic sewer, port fine, weather blob, Steller rescue

Amusing Monday: To laugh about climate change
“Pat Sajak is correct when he says global warming alarmists are racists. They never talk about the plight of brown or black bears.” Chris Dunagan at Watching Our Water Ways shares some jokes to take us through the week and beyond. (Kitsap Sun)

Ottawa continues talks with B.C. First Nations over Northern Gateway
With the clock ticking down for his government's decision on Northern Gateway, Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford said Monday there have been significant strides forward on pipeline and marine traffic safety in talks between Ottawa and First Nations.  For at least the fourth time in as many weeks, Rickford was in British Columbia. This time, he was speaking at an aboriginal summit on pipeline and marine tanker safety.... But leaders of the three most powerful aboriginal organizations in B.C. said the answer remains "no" to Northern Gateway.  (CBC) See also: The political stakes in the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline decision  Stephen Smart reports. (CBC)

Bellingham council wants county to address rail traffic fears
City Council members plan to send a letter to Whatcom County officials urging them to make sure that railroad impacts in the city are accounted for in the environmental study of a proposed Cherry Point coal terminal. At a Monday, June 9, committee meeting, council members quickly agreed to send such a letter after hearing a presentation from representatives of Communitywise Bellingham, a citizens' group that has focused on rail impacts and economic issues related to the coal terminal. John Stark reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Threat to critical waterways reveals a U.S.-Canada divide
Washington has much tougher rules against manure violators than B.C. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Victoria region's sewage bill could rise by $100 million
Capital Regional District staff are painting a grim picture of potential additional costs for local taxpayers as politicians grapple with how to kickstart the region’s stalled sewage-treatment program... Finding a new site for a central sewage treatment plant to replace Esquimalt’s McLoughlin Point could add $60 million to $100 million to the project’s $783-million price tag, CRD staff say in a report. Under existing funding arrangements, the CRD has to have secondary treatment in place by 2018. A CRD staff report notes that if the region has to find and get approval for a new site, because Esquimalt is blocking use of McLoughlin Point, the estimated completion year is 2020. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Port of Port Angeles likely to pay $26,500 to settle environmental lawsuit
Port of Port Angeles commissioners are expected today to approve paying $26,500 to settle a complaint by an environmental group that claims the port is violating a state stormwater discharge permit at the Boat Haven. Their approval would settle a complaint in Tacoma U.S. District Court by Seattle-based Waste Action Project against the port.... The agreement would settle a complaint that alleges that the port violated the federal Clean Water Act by exceeding allowable levels of pollutants, mainly zinc and copper, during rain events at the Boat Haven, Port Director of Engineering Chris Hartman said. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

The Blob: Not The Horror Movie, But The Summer Weather Influencer
"The Blob" was the title of a 1958 sci-fi horor movie. It's also the nickname Washington state climatologist Nick Bond has given to a large patch of warmer-than-normal seawater off the Pacific Northwest coast. This blob is unlikely to become the subject of another movie, but it will influence our summer weather. The big blob is centered about 700 miles off the Washington and Oregon coasts. Bond said the water temperatures at the surface out there are about four degrees Fahrenheit warmer than normal for this time of year. Tom Banse reports. (KPLU)

Steller sea lion mom freed from plastic packing off Vancouver Island
A Steller sea lion still nursing a pup has been saved by Vancouver Aquarium after becoming entangled in plastic packing wrap in the waters off Vancouver Island. The sea lion was suffering from a deep wound from the strap bound tightly around her neck when she was found off the island's west coast on Saturday by the aquarium's Marine Mammal Rescue Centre team. Head veterinarian Martin Haulena used a special dart to administer an anesthetic before removing the strap, cleaning the wound and administering antibiotics. He also collected the debris the sea lion was tangled in and tagged her. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE JUN 10 2014
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

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