8/15 Vic sewer, election money, oil train resolution, Gina McCarthy, marina dredge, Boardman papers

Western gull (Alex Kerfoot/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: How Birds Drink
How do birds drink? A robin takes a mouthful of water and then tips its head way back to send the water down its gullet. Pigeons are among the few birds that can suck in water with their heads down. Swallows and swifts skim a beakful of water on the wing. Gulls like this Western Gull can even drink salt water. (BirdNote)

Is McLoughlin sewage plant dead? Politicians all over the map
Esquimalt has spurned a sewage plant at McLoughlin Point, the provincial government has refused to overrule Esquimalt, and the Capital Regional District has rejected going directly to Esquimalt voters to get them to change their minds. So is the sewage plant at McLoughlin Point officially dead? Maybe. Maybe not. It depends whom you ask. Lindsay Kines (Times Colonist)

Oil, railroad, coal port money gushes into races for Legislature
Oil refiners, railroads and would-be coal port developers have quietly poured thousands of dollars into Republicans’ coffers in this year’s mid-election battle for control of the Washington Legislature. The biggest giver is Tesoro, which operates a refinery in Anacortes and is proposing to locate a large oil-train terminal and shipment facility at Vancouver along the Columbia River. The oil company has given $22,500 contributions to a pair of committees doing soft money and independent expenditures on behalf of Republican candidates — the Leadership Council and Enterprise Washington — plus $1,900 contributions to GOP candidates in five hotly contested Washington State Senate races. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

Bainbridge city council passes oil train resolution
The city of Bainbridge Island joined 11 Washington jurisdictions Monday after the council passed an anti-oil train resolution. During Monday’s meeting, the Bainbridge city council voted unanimously to approve a resolution that calls for stronger regulations, more impact studies and a request that federal and state officials prevent the expansion of oil shipments by railroads. Cecilia Garza reports. (Bainbridge Review)

Head Of EPA Tours Puget Sound, Supports Congressional Cleanup Caucus
She’s been called President Obama’s “green quarterback.” Gina McCarthy is the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, and she's known for tackling sources of climate change. And now she’s shining a light on efforts to clean up Puget Sound. McCarthy met with government officials and community groups in Tacoma on Wednesday and toured Commencement Bay by boat to learn more about what still needs to be done. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Kingston marina dredge project begins
The sediment dredge project that was put on hold and delayed for years will begin Aug. 18. The Port of Kingston will close its marina to all vessels during select hours Aug. 18-22. The closure will allow divers to swim safely in the water as work on the marina dredging project begins. The first step is transplanting eelgrass from the sediment near the marina, to an eelgrass nursery immediately outside of the breakwater. The nursery will be between the Washington State Ferry dock and the entrance to the marina, on the south side of the breakwater. Kipp Robertson reports. (North Kitsap Herald)

Judge orders release of Oregon coal terminal documents
A federal judge has ordered the Corps of Engineers to release documents about a planned coal terminal on the Columbia River at Boardman. Columbia Riverkeeper wanted to know why the corps agreed to an easier environmental review for Ambre Energy’s terminal than two others in Washington state. The Oregonian reports the corps withheld more than 300 pages and Riverkeeper sued to get them. (Associated Press)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 242 AM PDT FRI AUG 15 2014
  TODAY
 LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
 TONIGHT
 W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
 SAT
 LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
 SAT NIGHT
 W WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
 SUN
 LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.

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