10/23 A break in the news and weather

**Salish Sea News and Weather will take time off to deal with a family matter and will return in November**

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"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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10/22 Stormin', BC LNG, Simushir, Lolita, Elwha film, orca reserve

Pacoderm sex (Washington Post)

If you like to watch: Scientists discover the origins of copulation  
The planet’s first act of sex happened 385 million years ago between two prehistoric fish called pacoderms, according to new research by Australian paleontologist John Long published in the journal Nature. (Washington Post)

Windstorm knocks out power to 80,000 in Metro Vancouver  (CBC) Heavy rain, strong winds pound Western Washington   (AP & KOMO)

New blog: My First World Series
Tuesday’s opening of World Series play brought to mind my first World Series in 1956 growing up in Hawaii....”

B.C. LNG tax rates lower than first promised  
The tax framework for B.C. LNG was announced Tuesday, with rates lower than those tabled in February's budget. Finance Minister Mike de Jong said the tax rate will start at 1.5 per cent and remain as such while LNG plants are operating at a loss, and capital investments are being recouped. The rate will rise to 3.5 per cent after four years where it will remain for another 20 years, when a final rate increase to five percent will be instituted in 2037. In February's budget, de Jong had tabled a two-tiered tax starting at 1.5 percent, eventually rising to seven per cent. (CBC) See also: B.C. lowers expectations for LNG windfall   (Globe and Mail)

Coast guard underestimated risk of fuel spill, mariner says
A veteran West Coast mariner says the Canadian Coast Guard significantly underestimated the ecological consequences of a possible fuel spill from a container ship off the coast of Haida Gwaii last week. “Everyone who loves this coast was just holding their breath,” said Brian Falconer, reached by cellphone north of Bella Bella, where he has spent two stormy weeks on the Achiever, the research vessel of the Raincoast Conservation Foundation. Falconer, who was captain of the 92-foot Maple Leaf schooner for 20 years, said the environmental threat posed by the Simushir was much worse than was stated Friday by coast guard assistant commissioner Roger Girouard. Louise Dickson reports. (Times Colonist)

'A day in the life of Lolita' sheds light on the orca's plight  
The troubling saga of Lolita, the southern resident orca whale in captivity and on display in a Florida marine amusement park, will be in the spotlight at the 2014 Big Apple Film Festival in New York City. "A Day in the Life of Lolita," is an eight-minute film that follows renowned marine biologist, Dr. Ingrid Vissner, into Miami's Seaquarium, Lolita's home for the last 44 years. "The film is about elevating our understanding of the Orcas, who are deserving of our respect," Whidbey Island-based Orca Network co-founder Howard Garett said. "And correcting this injustice." Director Daniel Azarian paints a compelling picture of Lolita's situation. Her holding tank, 80-by-35 feet, is described by Vissner as "tragically small." Emily Greenberg reports. (San Juan Journal)

'Return of the River' to screen at Peninsula College tonight
Peninsula College's Magic of Cinema series will open its fall-quarter programming tonight with “Return of the River,” a film about the restoration of the Elwha River. The 7 p.m. screening in the Maier Performance Hall on the Port Angeles campus at 1502 E. Lauridsen Blvd. will be immediately followed by a question-and-answer session with the film's two co-directors, John Gussman of Sequim and Jessica Plumb of Port Townsend. General admission is $5; it is free with a student ID. (Peninsula Daily News)

Protected zone for orcas? Find out about it at The Whale Trail’s upcoming Orca Talk
The Whale Trail brings Bruce Stedman of Orca Relief to C&P Coffee Company in West Seattle to discuss a proposal for “A Protected Zone for Puget Sound Orcas,” 7 pm Thursday, October 30th. $5 suggested donation, kids free. Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets (West Seattle Blog)

Now, your thank-goodness-for-tug-weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED OCT 22 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 AM PDT THIS MORNING
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM PDT THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING S 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 12 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN.

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"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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10/21 L120, BC LNG, Cedar River Chinook, Simushir, oil port, Dungeness River logjams, commute time

L120 and L86 (PHOTO: Carrie Sapp/KCPQ)

7-week-old baby orca missing, presumed dead
A baby orca born less than two months ago to one of Puget Sound’s killer whale pods is missing and presumed dead, according to a report on Q13 FOX. The station said that the Center for Whale Research confirmed on Monday that the orca known as L120, the first whale born to that pod since 2012, was not with his or her mother, L86, when the whales were recently in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. L86’s last calf, L112, was found dead in February in Long Beach, Wash., the station said.  She was about 3 years old. The southern resident killer whale community is now down to 78 members, the station said, as low or lower than it was in 2001.  In 2005, the group was protected under the Endangered Species Act. Linda Shaw reports. (Seattle Times)

B.C. promises world-leading emissions targets for LNG industry with new law
British Columbia can have a liquefied natural gas industry and still meet its targets to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, Environment Minister Mary Polak said Monday as she introduced a new law that she promises will foster the “cleanest LNG facilities” in the world. To achieve that difficult balance, the province will need to take tougher action around greenhouse-gas emissions in other sectors to compensate for the new industry. The government hopes to see five LNG plants built on the coast, which would increase the province’s annual emissions by 13 million tonnes – if industry meets the ambitious benchmark. Justine Hunter reports. (Globe and Mail)

B.C. LNG tax regime announcement coming today
The B.C. government is expected to unveil today how it plans to tax companies that operate liquefied natural gas plants. Both critics and investors have said the tax regime will play a big role in determining whether new B.C. LNG projects will go ahead. Minister of Finance Mike de Jong has hinted the long-awaited legislation he'll introduce today will be similar to what he talked about last February—a two-tiered tax, balanced between taxpayer benefit and affordability for companies. (CBC)

Chinook Face Final Obstacle At Landsburg Dam Before Reaching 'Shangri La'
For more than a hundred years, the aqueduct at Landsburg Park near Maple Valley was the end of the line for salmon in the Cedar River watershed. Built between 1899 and 1901 through a voter initiative to provide water for the city of Seattle after the great Seattle fire, the water system is the envy of municipalities all over the country. Two-thirds of the water supply comes from reservoirs that are surrounded by mountains and pristine lands, many of which were once logged but are now largely untouched by human civilization. The area above Landsburg Dam is some of the best fish habitat in the region. But like so much infrastructure built at the turn of the century, its construction did not take the needs of fish into account. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Simushir kept afloat by 'blind luck,' federal opposition argues  
B.C.'s northern coast dodged a bullet this week when a disabled cargo ship drifted dangerously close to the shores of Haida Gwaii, opposition critics charged Monday in the House of Commons…. NDP finance critic Nathan Cullen demanded in the Commons to know whether the Conservative government is comfortable with a marine safety plan he said is based on "blind luck" and American intervention. (CBC)

Proposal to deliver crude by rail prompts concerns over shipping
A plan to construct a new petroleum unloading system at the Puget Sound Refinery in Anacortes has raised concern among islanders. The proposed rail terminal would have the capacity to unload one 102-car unit train carrying crude oil per day, with a maximum of six trains per week. The refinery is an unloading zone for crude oil, not a shipping point. According to Shell, once the oil is refined the majority is transported through the Olympic Pipeline; however, some does go onto tankers. Emily Greenberg reports. (San Juan Journal)

Jamestown builds ‘starter’ logjams on Dungeness River to aid salmon
Using helicopters to strategically place logs and to create jams on the Dungeness River, the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe and Olympic National Forest are working on a plan to create more rearing and spawning ponds for salmon… The plan, currently under an environmental analysis, calls for 15 log jams to be placed in the Dungeness and Gray Wolf rivers along the boundary of Olympic National Forest. Joe Smillie reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Region’s commute times worsen
Traffic congestion became much worse from 2011-13, even though the number of miles driven in Washington state barely changed. Mike Lindblom reports. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather-- WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 AM PDT TUE OCT 21 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON
 GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS. SHOWERS
 LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 10 TO 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS. RAIN.
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"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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10/20 Velella, Simushir, CWA, shore restoration, Pt Wells, greenhouse gas, Oly Park, Dunagan, aqua reserve

Velella

If you like to watch: The secret life of Velella: Adrift with the by-the-wind sailor
In the spring, beaches can be covered by thousands or even millions of blue jellyfish relatives called Velella velella, the by-the-wind sailors. Velella typically live on the surface of the open ocean far from shore, propelled by winds pushing on their tiny sails. (MBARI)

Incapacitated Russian cargo ship Simushir towed to Prince Rupert
An incapacitated Russian cargo ship is now in port in Prince Rupert on British Columbia's north coast, ending fears that the vessel, which lost power Thursday night, would drift ashore, hit rocks and spill hundreds of tonnes of fuel…. The Simushir lost power due to a mechanical failure late Thursday off Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, as it made its way from Everett in Washington state to Russia. The Canadian Coast Guard ship Gordon Reid arrived on scene Friday night and started towing the disabled ship away from shore, but three attempts to keep a towline attached failed and the ship was adrift again for six hours Saturday daytime. (CBC)

As Clean Water Act ages, Washington state groups spar over its meaning
The nation’s primary law to keep its waters clean has a birthday Saturday – but any celebration will have to compete with a contentious battle over what the law actually means. At issue is a proposal intended to clarify what waterways are and aren’t covered by the Clean Water Act, which dates to 1972. But that so-called “Waters of the United States” proposed rule has turned contentious, with federal officials receiving more than 200,000 comments from citizens and organizations nationwide. Chris Adams reports. (McClatchy)

Agencies develop plan to restore 5,000 acres of Sound shoreline habitat  
Public comments are being sought on a tentative proposal to restore more than 5,000 acres of central and northern Puget Sound shoreline habitat. A 45-day comment period on the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project draft feasibility report and environmental impact statement will run through Nov. 24. In addition, the proposal will be discussed at a public meeting from 5-8 p.m. Nov. 5, in the council chambers of Burlington City Hall, 833 South Spruce St… The project website is at pugetsoundnearshore.org (Olympian)

Searching for signs of success
During low tide, marine ecologist James “Jamey” Selleck scours the Anacortes shoreline where the Custom Plywood mill once stood, bending to get a closer look at the beach and turning pebbles with a gloved hand. He’s on the hunt for tiny eggs that indicate feeder fish have come to the beach to spawn. It’s been almost a year since the state Department of Ecology removed more than 1,000 creosote-coated pilings that once lifted a dock over the water, along with several thousand tons of contaminated sediment from this section of shoreline. Other pilings, structures and nearly 33,600 tons of contaminated soil were also removed in 2011. The state agency funded the $14.6 million, multiphase cleanup project that restored the beach and built a pocket estuary to improve fish habitat. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald) In summary: Port, Ecology clean up Anacortes waterfront

Point Wells developer wants to expedite condo project
A developer seeking to build more than 3,000 condos at Point Wells has offered to pay for extra Snohomish County planning staff to expedite the project. That has some neighbors worried about a potential conflict of interest. Their issue isn't with Blue Square Real Estate's offer to pay for three county staff positions as much as the wording in a draft contract. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

State greenhouse gas pollution rates see spike; power plants lead hike
The state’s major industrial sources released about 6 million more metric tons of greenhouse gases in 2013, a 30 percent jump from the previous year, according to the latest data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The state’s only coal-burning power plant in Centralia topped the list, emitting 7.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide and other gases blamed for global warming. Emissions from the plant spiked up about 82 percent from 2012 after experiencing a big drop the previous year. TransAlta spokeswoman Leanne Yohemas said in an email that carbon dioxide emissions at the company’s Centralia plant were substantially below normal levels in 2012, which explains the increase. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Olympic National Park plans overlooks out of parts of old Glines Canyon Dam on Elwha River
The National Park Service plans to transform the site of the former Glines Canyon Dam into a destination where the public can learn about the ongoing efforts to restore the Elwha River…. The removal of Glines Canyon Dam was completed with a final blast Aug. 26, but the abutments on either side of the once-210-foot-tall structure were left in place to eventually serve as observation points. Michael J. Foster reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Taking a moment for reflection, but I’m not saying good-bye
Chris Dunagan at Kitsap Sun's Watching Our Water Ways writes: "After 37 years at the Kitsap Sun, I’m writing one last salmon story today as a member of the newsroom staff. I was offered an early-retirement package, and I decided to take it. But that does not mean I’ll soon be shopping for a rocking chair. For one thing, I plan to continue writing this blog, and I intend to beef it up with even more original reporting. I’m also committed to completing the Kitsap Sun’s 10-part series called ‘Taking the Pulse of Puget Sound.’ The series has examined every corner of our troubled waterway, taking clues from the Puget Sound Partnership’s 'vital signs indicators.' Beyond those projects, I will continue to work for the Sun in a freelance capacity." See: Salmon soon to make a splash in Kitsap waters

Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve focus of Bellingham forum
People can learn about Cherry Point herring and the risks that increased vessel and rail transportation pose to the Salish Sea during a Saturday, Oct. 25, forum about the Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve. The event is free and open to the public. It is 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Bellingham Technical College, Building G Room 102A/103B, at 3028 Lindbergh Ave. The Cherry Point Aquatic Reserve Citizen Stewardship Committee is hosting the event. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Environmental Groups Say Oregon Got It Wrong With Oil Terminal Permit
Local and national environmental groups filed a petition Friday claiming Oregon erred in granting an air quality permit to Oregon’s largest oil train terminal. Their petition claims the Department of Environmental Quality should have considered pollution from the trains and ships that move oil in and out of the terminal, rather than just the terminal itself. Columbia Riverkeeper, the Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, Neighbors for Clean Air and the Northwest Environmental Defense Center jointly filed the petition challenging the permit for the facility at Port Westward, about 60 miles west of Portland. Tony Schick reports. (EarthFix)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT MON OCT 20 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 15 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE
 AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 11 FT AT 14 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY AND A SLIGHT CHANCE OF TSTMS IN
 THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS 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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10/17 Gorst Cr. Dump, Site C dam, Meadowdale Beach salmon, BC fracking

(Kitsap Sun)

EPA to Navy: Fix issues at former dump
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered the Navy to fix problems associated with a former hazardous waste dump near Port Orchard The EPA says its records show that a substantial amount of the waste in Gorst Creek Ravine is from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The landfill was the main dumping ground for shipyard waste between 1969 and 1970, when the site was not permitted by local authorities to take waste, the agency said. It later took waste from local residents before closing in 1989. (Associated Press)

Industry group urges B.C. to invest in 'clean energy' instead of Site C
With the clock ticking on a government decision on Site C, an industry group has released a study that claims the province could save up to $1-billion by investing in multiple, small “clean energy” facilities instead of one, massive dam. Along with saving money, a stable of smaller energy projects would provide other advantages, including more opportunities for First Nations involvement and more flexibility to adapt to changing technology or markets, the study concludes. The report, prepared by London Economics International, a Boston-based consulting firm, and released Thursday by Clean Energy B.C., adds to a continuing debate around Site C, which BC Hydro bills as the cleanest and most cost-effective way to meet future energy needs and opponents decry as an environmental and social disaster in the making. Wendy Stueck reports. (Globe and Mail)

Meadowdale Beach Park makes way for salmon
To make life a little easier for salmon, Snohomish County Parks and Recreation has removed the pedestrian metal grate walkway at Meadowdale Beach Park under the railroad tracks that are on top of the stream during low flow conditions. “Now, foot traffic access to Meadowdale beach is closed,” says Parks Director Tom Teigen. “While that is going to be an inconvenience for park visitors, it is critical, that we make way for returning salmon.” Lunds Gulch Creek supports resident and sea-run cutthroat trout, as well as Coho and Chum salmon. (Edmonds Beacon)

Natural gas fracking: repeated short-term water permits legal, judge rules
A judge will not stop the flow of fresh water from British Columbia's lakes and rivers to hydraulic fracking operations, but did recognize the issue as a growing public concern. The Western Canada Wilderness Committee and the Sierra Club filed a petition against the B.C. Oil and Gas Commission and energy company EnCana Corp. over the commission's decision to grant repeat short-term water approvals to the company. (CBC)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI OCT 17 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT...RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT DURING THE MORNING. SEAS 11 OR 12 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 12 SECONDS IN
 THE AFTERNOON. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SW SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SAT
S WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS IN THE MORNING.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING S 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS.

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"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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10/16 Rockfish, Site C dam, orca talk, vessel deconstruction, Navy warfare, Oregon frog, Oly GBH

Dr. Milton Love and friends

Do otters eat a lot of rockfish?
Here's some irony. Rebounding rockfish populations have created a concern that river otters may be eating enough to hamper continuing population growth. “It's more of a lack of information,” said Joe Gaydos, director and chief scientist of SeaDoc Society. Predation on rockfish populations is poorly understood. “It's better to take a look at the issue.” Banning commercial fishing for rockfish on the U.S. side of the Salish Sea and creation of several marine protected areas probably have been effective in boosting the number of rockfish. But then there are those hungry otters. Sharon Wootton reports. (Everett Herald)

First Nations challenge to Site C approval could make dam a test case
BC Hydro has cleared major environmental hurdles for its Site C megaproject, but opposition from First Nations is almost certain to result in new court action. And that could make the dam a test case for the thorny legal question of when and how public interest can trump aboriginal claims. Wendy Stueck reports. (Glboe and Mail)

Protected zone for orcas? Find out about it at The Whale Trail’s upcoming Orca Talk
The Whale Trail brings Bruce Stedman of Orca Relief to C&P Coffee Company in West Seattle to discuss a a proposal for “A Protected Zone for Puget Sound Orcas,” 7 pm Thursday, October 30th. $5 suggested donation, kids free. Tickets at Brown Paper Tickets http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/902186

Ecology creates new permit for over-water vessel deconstruction
Marine vessels may now be disassembled over water under the terms of a new state permit that’s designed to protect water quality and prevents pollution. The Department of Ecology recently finalized the new Vessel Deconstruction General Permit. Businesses and boat owners who plan to dismantle older vessels while they are still in the water will need the permit prior to starting work. (Skagit Valley Herald)

West End residents line up to express worries to Navy over warfare range proposal
A plan to conduct electronic warfare training along the Pacific Coast and on the West End brought out more than 100 area residents for a community meeting with officials from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Forest Service. More than two dozen residents at the Tuesday night gathering expressed their environmental and safety concerns with the Pacific Northwest Electronic Warfare Range proposal, which calls for using one fixed and three mobile electronic emitters to help train aviators from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in electronic warfare.  Mark Couhig reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Rare frog species takes leap into new life in Pierce County
Two dozen people were gathered in a Pierce County wetland to watch the newcomers begin their new lives. Then more than 150 dark green and mottled frogs – rare Oregon spotted frogs – took their first leaps into the wild at the end of September. Valery Jorgensen reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Land purchase will help protect great blue herons in Olympia
An Olympia woman has purchased land containing the city’s lone great blue heron colony in an effort to protect the birds from a nearby townhome development. This month, Alicia Elliott bought the 1.84-acre wooded parcel at the end of Dickinson Avenue Northwest on the city’s west side. The site includes the colony – also known as a heronry or rookery - with about 15 nests perched high in the trees. Andy Hobbs reports. (Olympian)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT THU OCT 16 2014
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 6 FT AT 9 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 8 FT AT 10 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN
 LIKELY.
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"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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10/15 Bay View SP, Seaport Alliance, Kevin Campion, mudslide planning, hospital seafood, Site C dam

Ray Troll ( store.trollart.com )

Bay View State Park undergoes beach restoration  
Crews are finishing up the first phase of a two-part beach restoration project at Bay View State Park this week. The project is aimed at repairing erosion and preventing further damage, State Parks Environmental Engineer Gary Cray said.... Crews built a new rock revetment, removed some non-native rocks and covered the beach with natural materials between Sept. 15 and Tuesday, which fell outside the park’s busy season and within a time-frame least harmful to fish, Cray said. They are now building a fence to narrow beach access to four distinct paths, and will then hydro-seed bare areas. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Tacoma, Seattle port commissions vote to support Seaport Alliance
Two rival ports, Tacoma and Seattle, Tuesday officially declared an intent to end their destructive competition over maritime customers. In a historic joint session in Auburn the two ruling port commissions each voted unanimously to ask the Federal Maritime Commission to grant them permission to operate their waterfront terminals jointly. The two bodies had announced their intent to form an operating alliance last week. Tuesday’s vote made it official. John Gille reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Ballard Captain directs documentary about Salish Sea
Ballard resident Captain Kevin Campion recently directed a new documentary film entitled The Unknown Sea: A Voyage on the Salish. The film was recently premiered during a 10 day film and music tour aboard the historic racing yacht Orion through the Salish Sea. Captain Campion has been working as a marine biologist and mariner for over a decade and has a deep passion for marine education. Through the Deep Green Wilderness education program on the Orion he takes students out on the Salish Sea and teaches ecology and traditional sailing skills. Danielle Anthony-Goodwin reports. (My Ballard)

Land-use planners ready to apply lessons from mudslide
Snohomish County has yet to change any permanent land-use rules about what people can build near steep, unstable slopes after the deadly Oso landslide. Policy makers expect to take a first run at applying the lessons of Oso to the county's land-use code between now and mid-2015. The work is to occur as part of an update of the state-mandated critical areas regulations, which the county must complete in June. Noah Haglund reports. (Everett Herald)

Hospitals dig into sustainable seafoods
Kathy Pryor sits in the lobby at Bellevue's Overlake Hospital, one of the few in the state committed to serving what is called “sustainable” seafood, an amorphous concept that means everything from local fish caught with hook and line, to healthy wild stocks, to avoiding fish caught with bottom trawling or from stressed marine ecosystems. Pryor is at the hospital as a representative of Washington Healthy Food in Health Care. The effort is a national initiative of Health Care Without Harm whose mission is to get hospitals to use their purchasing power to invest in foods that heal. Martha Baskin reports. (Crosscut)

Site C dam granted environmental assessment approval
The federal and B.C. governments have issued an environmental assessment certificate to B.C. Hydro for the Site C Clean Energy Project, located seven kilometres southwest of Fort St. John. In a statement issued Tuesday, the B.C. forest and environment ministers said they had decided that Site C, a proposed $8-billion hyrdoelectric dam on the Peace River in Northern B.C. is in the public interest and that the benefits provided outweigh the risks of significant adverse environmental, social and heritage impacts. Later in the afternoon, the federal government issued its own environmental approval in a separate statement. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 249 AM PDT WED OCT 15 2014
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE MORNING. A CHANCE OF TSTMS.
 SHOWERS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS. SHOWERS IN THE EVENING...
 THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS 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

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

10/14 BC sockeye, WA sockeye, Polley mine

Adams River sockeye (CBC)

If you like to watch: Adams River sockeye salmon run near Kamloops draws crowds
Millions of sockeye salmon are returning to the Adams River near Kamloops in one of the most spectacular displays of natural beauty in the world. The salmon return to spawn every year, but every four years during the dominant run in the four-year cycle, millions of sockeye turn the water crimson with spawning fish drawing more than 250,000 people. (CBC)

Cedar River's Restored Habitat Provides Ideal Spawning Conditions For Chinook
About five miles from the clogged freeways, shopping malls and airplane hangars at the south end of Lake Washington, the Cedar River starts winding its way through Maple Valley. It’s here, along some 30 miles of streambeds, some just a few paces off the highway, where life begins and ends each fall for hundreds of Lake Washington chinook. The land adjacent to the riverbed is undeveloped. Water flowing at just the right speed and depth over gravel that’s protected by a shady forest makes this habitat ideal for the spawning nests, called redds, that salmon create. A trained eye can spot them in an instant. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

B.C. didn’t inspect Mount Polley mine in 2010, 2011
A reorganization within the B.C. government four years ago led to a precipitous drop in the number of engineering inspections of tailings dams at the province’s mines, new figures released Monday by the province show. In 2010 – the same year that a huge crack was reported in the dam at the Mount Polley gold and copper mine – the government’s geotechnical engineers conducted just three inspections across the province, down from 22 the year before. The following year, in 2011, only two inspections were completed. Justine Hunter reports. (Globe and Mail)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 254 AM PDT TUE OCT 14 2014
TODAY
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
TONIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS AND A
 CHANCE OF TSTMS 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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10/13 Oil trains, oil cost, quakes, Samish watershed, Cadboro sewage, e-warfare, dam snafu, Hood Canal bridge, breeding ban

BP Cherry Point will allow only newer-model train cars at its crude oil terminal
BP Cherry Point has announced its rail terminal will no longer accept or unload any Bakken region crude oil from pre-2011 standard tank cars. By the first week in October, the facility had stopped using older DOT-111 cars for crude, BP spokesman Bill Kidd said. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Oil price at $85 costing provinces and economy billions
The sudden new reality of oil at $85 US a barrel is a jarring wake-up for the three oil-rich provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador. Oil prices touched new lows Friday, down almost $1 to $84.90 a barrel. That's the lowest price seen since April 2013. The price for the main North American oil benchmark, known as West Texas Intermediate, is now down more than 20 per cent from recent highs — which means oil has met the technical definition of a price correction. Peter Evans reports. (CBC)

Pacific Northwest rocked by two earthquakes
A pair of strong late night earthquakes hit the Pacific Northwest Thanksgiving Weekend. The first quake registered a magnitude of 3.5 and was centred about 15 kilometres to the northeast of Olympia, Washington, roughly 60 kilometres below the surface. The shaking began at around 11:25 p.m. The second earthquake, centred due west of Nanaimo about 180 kilometres off shore was far more powerful, registering a magnitude of four. It came about four hours after the first quake at about 3 a.m. Matt Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Officials tour Samish watershed, note progress and next steps
Skagit County’s rich soils, expansive pastures and marine shorelines support a variety of agricultural industries, from dairies, beef and shellfish to berries, potatoes and corn. In the Samish Watershed, shellfish harvest in the bay hinges on clean water in the river, which has been contaminated for years by upstream livestock manure and sewage from failing septic systems, particularly during heavy rain. Although a soggy spring resulted in high measurements of fecal coliform in Samish Bay this year, county officials and community members say that does not indicate failure on behalf of the Clean Samish Initiative. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Cadboro Bay Beach closed after sewage overflows in rain
The Capital Regional District issued the advisory and erected warning signs after discharges lasting about 30 minutes at a pair of outfalls. About 2,600 cubic metres of sewage was spilled. The public is advised to avoid contact with the water. (Times Colonist)

Navy to face public next week on proposed West End electronic warfare program; deadline extended for public comment
The deadline has been extended to Oct. 31 for public comment on the U.S. Navy's environmental assessment for an electronic warfare training proposal. The development comes as the U.S. Forest Service considers issuing a special-use permit for the Navy to use its roads during the exercises. Michael J. Foster reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

If you like to listen: Legos Wash Ashore The Cornish Coast After 17 Years In The Atlantic
Marcie Sillman speaks with retired oceanographer Curtis Ebbesmeyer, publisher of the newsletter Beachcombers' Alert!, about the afterlife of nearly 5 million maritime-themed Lego pieces. (KUOW)

Cause of Capitol Lake dam malfunction identified and fixed
A degraded electrical connection on the Capitol Lake dam in Olympia is the reason the barrier malfunctioned a week ago, causing an accidental draw down of the man-made waterway. Department of Enterprise Services spokesman Jim Erskine said Friday the electrical connection had been fixed and "the dam is fully operational. No further repairs are needed.’’ Brad Shannon reports. (Olympian)

Climate change forcing fish stocks north: study
A study has produced the strongest evidence yet that climate change is forcing hundreds of valuable fish species toward the poles. The paper, published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science on Friday, concludes that Canadian and Arctic waters may end up with more species and greater abundance. But fisheries in the tropics, where people depend more heavily on seafood, may become hollowed out. (Canadian Press)

Hood Canal bridge may be death trap for steelhead
While 16,000 cars a day travel swiftly across the Hood Canal bridge, young steelhead trout swimming in the waters below seem to encounter a deadly barrier when they arrive at the floating structure. New research suggests that in some years more than a third of the migrating steelhead never make it past the bridge and into the more expansive waters of Admiralty Inlet. Chris Dunagan reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Vancouver Park Board defends breeding ban at city aquarium
The Vancouver Park Board acted reasonably and within its authority when it banned the breeding of captive cetaceans at the city aquarium, it says in court documents. In its response to a lawsuit filed by the aquarium in B.C. Supreme Court, the board says it made a reasonable decision with a valid municipal purpose. It calls the aquarium’s suit premature, because the resolution and clauses that were passed have not been finalized. Sunny Dhillon reports. (Globe and Mail)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 250 AM PDT MON OCT 13 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 8 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN THE MORNING... THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 9 FT AT
 12 SECONDS. 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.

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10/10 Navy jets, Vic CRD, BC fish farm, Governors Pt., Grace Islet

Sun dog (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

Navy raises number of jets proposed at Whidbey Island base, raising more East Jefferson noise issues
The controversy over the noisy jets at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island likely will soon grow in volume. U.S. Fleet Forces Command spokesman Ted Brown said this week that the Navy is looking at “the potential addition of up to 36 EA-18G Growler aircraft” at the station. An earlier proposal called for an additional 14 jets.  Mark St.J. Couhig reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Capital Regional District to consider First Nations representation
The Capital Regional District will consider giving First Nations a voice in CRD decision-making, despite concerns raised by Metchosin Mayor John Ranns that it could amount to “representation without taxation.” Directors agreed to a motion recommending the incoming board consider establishing a committee with First Nations representation. They also directed staff to report on options for more First Nations involvement. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Federal report on B.C. salmon farming delights industry
The B.C. aquaculture industry says new federal figures on the health of B.C.’s farmed salmon sends a positive signal about the industry’s performance. The information comes two years after Justice Bruce Cohen, in a $37-million report on the state of the Fraser River sockeye fishery, called on Ottawa to be more open with its scientific data. While one critic called the latest disclosure inadequate and misleading, the B.C. Salmon Farmers Association said it provides evidence that contradicts criticism from environmentalists about fish farming. Peter O'Neil reports. (Vancouver Sun)

125 acres of 'hallowed ground' on Puget Sound for sale, could fetch $19M
For the first time in more than half a century, a large Whatcom County property that juts out into Puget Sound is on the market. Brokers in the Seattle office of real estate company Cushman & Wakefield Commerce said they've been hired by the Sahlin family to find a buyer for the timbered Governors Island, which is actually a peninsula. Twenty-five houses could be built on the 125-acre property just south of Bellingham. Based on a price of $2,000 per lineal foot of shoreline, Governors Island could fetch $19 million, said Cushman broker Gary Danklefsen. Marc Stiles reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Owner of controversial Grace Islet in Ganges harbour drops trespassing lawsuit
The owner of a controversial island in Ganges harbour, where a luxury home is being built over a First Nations burial site, has dropped a trespassing lawsuit against protesters. Barry Slawsky, an Edmonton-based businessman, said in a statement through his Victoria lawyer that he was dropping his request for a no-trespassing injunction on Grace Islet, off Saltspring Island, because it no longer appears necessary. Sarah Petrescu reports. (Times Colonist)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT FRI OCT 10 2014
TODAY
S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 17 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.
TONIGHT
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 19 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
--
"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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10/9 Bainbridge shores, Vic sewer, nearshore restoration, stormwater, BC LNG

(PHOTO: Lori Tingey/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: The Bird Is the Word 

Bainbridge hit with second legal challenge to SMP
A group of shoreline property owners announced they had filed a challenge to the city of Bainbridge Island's new Shoreline Management Master Program this week. Richard "Dick" Haugan, a founder of Preserve Responsible Shoreline Management and coordinator of the appeal, said the petition claims that the city's new plan violates the state's Shoreline Management Act and the updated SMP will hurt property owners with homes on the island's coast. The petition is the second legal challenge filed against the city's SMP this week with the state's Growth Management Hearings Board, a group set up by the Legislature to handle disputes that arise from the Growth Management Act and the Shoreline Management Act. Brian Kelly reports. (Bainbridge Review)

CRD takes new tack on sewage treatment
A proposal to develop sub-regional plans for sewage treatment has been endorsed by Capital Regional District directors. CRD directors approved creation of a subcommittee with representatives from Colwood, Saanich, View Royal, Esquimalt and the Songhees First Nation. With CRD assistance, the subcommittee’s job will be to evaluate options and develop a sewage-treatment plan and resource-recovery plan in their region. The goal is to produce a conceptual plan for treatment and resource recovery by March 2015 that optimizes existing infrastructure, is environmentally sound and minimizes costs. The first step will be to consult residents. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Comment sought on $1.1 billion Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project
Deer Harbor Estuary on Orcas Island is one of the 11 sites in the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Tentatively Selected Restoration Plan. The total $1.1 billion project will restore about 5,300 acres. The Corps and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officials are seeking public comments on the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project (PSNERP) Draft Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement. The 45-day public comment period runs Oct.10 to Nov. 24, 2014. Documents pertaining to the project are available for viewing online at bit.ly/PSNearshore. (San Juan Islander)

Storm water cleaning system clearing Puget Sound of toxins
…. A cleaning system, now installed in Burien, is designed to take in runoff from parking lots or streets where water mixes with oil and other chemicals before flowing down storm drains. Burien, the state and the port authority are all working together on a special project at a city park not far from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport's third runway. Michael Konopasek reports. (KING)

B.C. LNG Alliance says LNG boom for B.C. 'not a foregone conclusion'
The head of an industry group representing six of the liquefied natural gas projects proposed in British Columbia says the industry is not a foregone conclusion, and the window of opportunity is closing. David Keane of the B.C. LNG Alliance says the provincial and federal governments will have to make some "difficult choices" if they want the tens of billions of dollars of investment. Keane told members of the Vancouver Board of Trade that the fiscal and environmental framework expected from both levels of government in the coming weeks will be the deciding factor. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 858 PM PDT WED OCT 8 2014
THU
E WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING.
THU NIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 18 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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10/8 Elwha, big port, Bainbridge shore, Chinook smells, fish passages, artificial reef, microscopy

Mouth of the Elwha (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)

If you like to watch: The Peninsula keeps on growing: Stunning photo of new spits, sandbars at mouth of Elwha River
Silt released during the removal of the Glines Canyon and Elwha dams on the Elwha River continues to show up as new beaches and spits at the river's mouth as the river empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. (Peninsula Daily News)

Seattle, Tacoma link up to create North America’s third largest port
The Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, after lengthy secret talks, plan to combine management of their marine cargo terminals and form a single Seaport Alliance, so Puget Sound waters can better attract marine cargoes that have a choice of destinations. The Seaport Alliance will manage marine cargo terminal investments plus marketing, planning and operations, while existing government structures, taxing authority and ownership of assets remain in place.  For instance, the Port of Seattle will still own and run the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.com)

Environmentalist groups challenge Bainbridge's new Shoreline Management Program
A coalition of environmental organizations is challenging the city of Bainbridge Island's new Shoreline Management Program, and claims the updated rules open up the entire shoreline of Bainbridge to aquaculture. The groups — Bainbridge Alliance for Puget Sound, Association of Bainbridge Communities and Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat — announced Tuesday they would file a petition for review of the updated plan. "We have no alternative but to act to protect the shoreline environment, meet the [Shoreline Management Act] mandate of 'no net loss' and ensure the public’s right to the use of our public waters,” said Maradel Gale, a beach naturalist and member of the Bainbridge Alliance for Puget Sound. Brian Kelly reports. (Bainbridge Review)

Back In Lake Washington, Chinook Stop Feeding, Rely On Smells To Find Way Home
One of the most intriguing questions about Lake Washington chinook is the mystery of how they survived after we replumbed the region with the construction of the Ship Canal, which was completed in 1916. It dropped the level of the lake by nearly 10 feet and cut it off from what used to be its southern outlet, the Green River. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Army corps ordered to improve fish passages
Federal fisheries biologists told the Army Corps of Engineers it must improve dam operations on the White River to protect endangered salmon, a report released Tuesday shows. NOAA Fisheries found that too many migrating fish, including endangered Chinook salmon, can’t make it safely down the White River or to spawning habitat upriver above Mud Mountain Dam near Enumclaw, Washington. The agency is requiring the corps by 2020 to build new fish passage facilities near Buckley to comply with the federal Endangered Species Act. It said the current structures are outdated, unsafe and routinely injure and kill endangered salmon, steelhead and other fish. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Group against sinking ship to create artificial reef off Sunshine Coast files petition in court
A group opposed to artificial reefs has filed a petition in court in a bid to stop a group from sinking a 115-metre warship off Gambier Island on the Sunshine Coast. The petition, filed in B.C. Supreme Court Aug. 3, by the Save Halkett Bay Marine Park Society asks the court to stop the provincial government from issuing a permit that would allow the former Canadian warship HMCS Annapolis to be sunk off the more than seven-hectare park, located about 10 kilometres north of Horseshoe Bay. Tiffany Crawford reports. (Vancouver Sun)

High-powered Microscopy in the Palm of Your Hand
That smartphone in your hand acts as many things—a telephone, a computer, a calculator, a social media enabler and now, thanks to 3-D printing, it can also be a high-powered, high-quality microscope. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have used a 3-D printer to develop a sleek, inexpensive way to turn a cell phone’s camera into a microscope, for just pennies on the dollar…. The cell phone microscopes have also found a home at another PNNL facility, the Sequim Marine Research Operations (MRO). … [W]hen volunteers go out to collect samples, they can take photos of the phytoplankton blooms along their route. These images can be instantly sent back to the Sequim MRO lab, and the volunteers can carry on with quantifying and identifying changes in the marine area. Citizen science at its best. Michelle Taylor reports. (Laboratory Equipment)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 824 PM PDT TUE OCT 7 2014
WED
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING E TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE
 MORNING.
WED NIGHT
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 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.

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10/7 Crude reporting, rail investment, Seahurst Beach, Hood Canal toxins

(PHOTO: Gene Blevins/Reuters)

Lunar eclipse tonight may highlight Draconid meteor shower
The full moon will darken and grow reddish tonight during a total lunar eclipse that may help a fall meteor shower shine. The edge of the Earth's shadow will begin to pass over October's full moon, traditionally called the Hunter's Moon, at 1:15 a.m. PT or 4:15 a.m. ET. It will cover the moon for a total lunar eclipse starting 3:15 a.m. PT or 6:15 a.m. ET and lasting 59 minutes. (CBC)

Rail industry pushes feds to drop crude-oil reporting rule
Two railroad industry trade groups have quietly asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to drop its requirement that rail carriers transporting large volumes of Bakken crude oil notify state emergency officials. The railroads have maintained that they already provide communities with adequate information about hazardous-materials shipments and that public release of the data could harm the industry from a security and business standpoint. But they haven’t been successful in convincing numerous states or the federal government. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

BNSF to invest $235M in Washington railroad system as debate over coal trains smolders
BNSF Railroad will invest $235 million in its system in Washington state this year, nearly double the amount invested in 2013. This suggests that the company is continuing to upgrade a system that supported $28.5 billion in state economic activity, according to a study released Monday. The investments are being made, and the report released, during a period of strong debate about the potential impact of coal export trains on the state's rail capacity, and its cargo-carrying capacity. Steve Wilhelm reports. (PS Business Journal)

Hundreds gather to celebrate reopening of Seahurst Beach in Burien
Hundreds of people gathered at Seahurst Beach this weekend for a public celebration of the park’s reopening after a major restoration project that spanned two years. Friday evening's Seahurst Beach Reopening Celebration was put on by the City of Burien’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services department and sponsored by the Environmental Science Center, which is located at the north end of the park, and Burien Press, a specialty coffee shop in downtown Burien. Matt Wendland reports. (Highline Times)

Hood Canal beaches closed from Dabob to Mason County because of high levels of toxin
A portion of Hood Canal shoreline never before closed to recreational shellfish harvesting due to the potentially deadly paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin is now off limits. The state Department of Health has closed Hood Canal beaches from Dabob Bay south to the Jefferson County-Mason County line, Michael Dawson, water quality lead for Jefferson County Environmental Health, said Monday. Leah Leach reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 835 PM PDT MON OCT 6 2014
TUE
LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 10 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING.
TUE NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

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10/6 Seabird food, coal dust, Capitol Lake, First Nation land, cove beaches, stormwater, marine mammals

(PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

The Shape Shifters
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "Maybe my imagination was running rampant that day, but when I stepped out of my kayak onto a beautiful little pocket beach, I saw what seemed like a trio of quirky faces at the head of the bay. When I looked back a bit later, they’d morphed into a large prehistoric fish looking out to sea – and by the time I left, I saw something else entirely. But of course, that’s the shape shifting nature of the sandstone rock that dominates our shorelines here in BC’s Gulf Islands…."

Stealing Fish To Study Seabirds
Seabird populations in Puget Sound have declined since the 1970s and scientists believe pollution is partially to blame. But how do you prove that? Study what the seabirds are eating. A new paper published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin found that seabirds in Puget Sound are eating fish that are two to four times more contaminated than fish on Washington’s outer coast. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

Coal dust seen as serious environmental threat: poll
The majority of Metro Vancouver residents polled in a new survey see coal dust as a serious environmental threat. The respondents are also concerned that coal dust from a recently approved loading facility at Fraser Surrey Docks will harm regional air quality, according to findings from an Insights West survey. Matthew Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Dam malfunction causes Capitol Lake to suddenly drain
A computer malfunction at the Capitol Lake dam Friday night caused the lake to unexpectedly empty into Puget Sound. No damage to fisheries was reported, according to Jim Erskine, spokesman for the Department of Enterprise Services, the state landlord agency that oversees the dam and adjacent park. The north lake basin around Heritage Park retained water but water was significantly lower in a southern basin, which is fed by the Deschutes River. By late afternoon, rising tides were pouring salt water back through the dam into the lake. Brad Shannon reports. (Olympian)

Land development deal with B.C. First Nations launches new era
The precedent-setting deal the federal government and local First Nations reached on the Jericho military base and former RCMP headquarters in Vancouver will launch a new phase of land development in the region. But, experts say, unlike development on local reserve lands, cities will have direct control over this new wave of First Nations-involved development through their city zoning laws Aboriginal-law specialists, developers, commercial brokers and city planners say the ability for First Nations to come to agreements – not just with the federal government, but with each other – is unlocking potential for many other sites in the region. Frances Bulba reports. (Globe and Mail)

Port Angeles gains two cove-like beaches as waterfront improvement project continues
Construction of the city's new beaches is complete. But residents won't be able to gaze at Port Angeles Harbor from them until spring. The areas, called pocket beaches, are the first step in creating a new city park between the Valley Creek estuary to the west and the waterfront esplanade. Keith Thorpe reports. (Peninsula Daily)

New era in stormwater management is here
Ready or not, low-impact development is coming to a neighborhood near you. Some midsize local jurisdictions in Western Washington, including Thurston County, Lacey, Olympia and Tumwater, have until Dec. 31, 2016, to change their development rules and regulations to require developers and builders to retain and treat on-site any stormwater their projects generate. John Dodge reports. (Olympian)

B.C.’s bounty of marine mammals saved by ‘shift in attitudes’
Whale research in British Columbia has come a long way from the days when the Department of Fisheries and Oceans mounted a 50-calibre machine gun at Seymour Narrows north of Campbell River with the aim of shooting Killer whales to save more salmon for anglers. That was back in 1960, but attitudes and practices towards marine mammals, especially whales, have changed greatly, said marine mammal scientist John Ford. Dirk Meissner reports. (Canadian Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT SUN OCT 5 2014
MON
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING W TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. AREAS OF DRIZZLE OR
 FOG IN THE MORNING. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
MON NIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. 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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