7/31 Ferry woes, pit-to-pier, beach closures, BC boom, crab crime, captive whales

Got ferry? (Associated Press/KPLU)

Ferry Delays Almost Everywhere As State Repositions Fleet
There are big delays on the Washington state ferries, just about anywhere you go this week. The fleet has been redistributed to make up for some out-of-service vessels, and that’s having ripple effects nearly system-wide. Ed Ronco reports. (KPLU)

New blog: Hood Canal Pit-To-Pier: Screw The Land and Water, There’s Gravel In Them Thar Hills
‘Mining Puget Sound’ sounds like an anachronism, a by-gone day of coal mining which gave us locale names like Black Diamond and Newcastle. Mining these days promises to bring us coal on rail cars for export to far away lands. But what ‘mining Puget Sound’ these days means is ripping the land apart for gravel— and loading and shipping it out to far-off lands via the nearshore....

Comment Aug. 4 in Port Ludlow on proposed Hood Canal 'pit-to-pier'
Jefferson County planners are seeking public comment on a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Thorndyke Resources Central Conveyor and Pier project, commonly referred to as “pit-to-pier.” An open house is set for 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4 at the Port Ludlow Bay Club at 120 Spinnaker Lane. Written comments may be submitted to Jefferson County's Department of Community Development (DCD) through Aug. 11, after which time staff plan to prepare a final Environmental Impact Statement. The proposed 998-foot pier on Hood Canal would sit five miles south of the Hood Canal Bridge and northwest across the canal from the U.S. Navy submarine base at Bangor. A 4-mile conveyor belt would transport gravel and rocks from the former Fred Hill Materials Shine extraction pit.
(Port Townsend Leader)

Shellfish poison reaches high levels in Liberty Bay
High levels of paralytic shellfish poison found in mussels from Liberty Bay has triggered a wider closure of shellfish beds. The new closure area for recreational shellfish harvesting includes the eastern shoreline of the Kitsap Peninsula from Point Jefferson near Kingston to Illahee State Park near Bremerton, including all the bays and inlets, according to Jim Zimny of the Kitsap Public Health District. On Bainbridge Island, the west shoreline is now closed from Point Monroe in the north to Point White in the south. Chris Dunagan reports. (Kitsap Sun) See also: Shellfish beds opened in Port Gamble Bay

Sunset Beach E.coli count means no swimming
Sunset Beach has been closed to swimming after recording high readings of E.coli bacteria in the water, which can increase the risk of gastrointestinal illness for swimmers. On Friday, the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority says readings at Sunset Beach for E.coli were at 176 in 100 mL of water. Since then, readings have increased to the point where VCH says it decided to close the beach. (CBC)

Northwest towns eye billions in revenues from resource boom
Northwest B.C. municipal governments formed an alliance Tuesday to help negotiate for billions in potential revenues from an expected resource boom in their region. The B.C. government is banking on projects to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) overseas to growing Asian markets to help fuel a so-called $100-billion prosperity fund in the next three decades. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Cops crack down on illegal crab trade
Using undercover video to nab crabbers working outside the law. Jon Humbert reports. (KOMO)

Whales in captivity: What scientists say
Should whales and dolphins be allowed to live and breed in captivity in zoos such as the Vancouver Aquarium? It's a hot-button question that has become very political, but it's not just politicians that have opinions — marine mammal scientists also have lots to add to the debate. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PDT THU JUL 31 2014
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. NW SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS. PATCHY MORNING FOG.
TONIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 3 FT SUBSIDING TO 1 OR 2 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. NW SWELL
 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG AFTER MIDNIGHT.
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