4/28 Swim the Sound, coast protection, BC CG, BC pipe, quake, otters, Growlers, Vic sewer, owls, hatcheries

Wayne Kinslow swims (Patrick Robinson photo)

Swimming Puget Sound 1000 days in a row, Wayne Kinslow proves he's made of strong stuff
For some people Puget Sound is not a good choice for a swim. At 46 degrees it's very cold and frankly hypothermia will take over if you are in the water too long. But for Wayne Kinslow, it's all part of the fun. Kinslow somehow has willed himself to swim in the chilly waters 1000 days in a row, hitting that milestone on April 27. Normally he swims with a group of equally fearless swimmers but for the big number he chose to go solo. Patrick Robinson reports. (West Seattle Herald)

First Nations, province agree on plans to protect B.C. coast
The provincial government and 18 First Nations have agreed to plans for protecting and managing more than 100,000 square kilometres of B.C.’s coast, from northern Vancouver Island to Alaska. The deal covers issues that fall under provincial jurisdiction, but ignores key federal responsibilities such as fisheries and marine transportation, including tanker traffic. Lindsay Kines reports. (Times Colonist)

U.S. worried about Canada’s ability to respond to oil spills, records reveal
After the MV Marathassa spilled sticky, toxic bunker fuel into Vancouver’s harbour this month, Washington State officials noted in interviews with The Globe and Mail that the state’s oil-spill response regime was far advanced from Canada’s. One former maritime lawyer said if the U.S. Coast Guard ranked an eight or nine out of 10 worldwide, then Canada’s Coast Guard would rank a one or two. But the records obtained by The Globe under U.S. access-to-information laws show that American officials have been worried about Canada’s oil-response capabilities for years, dating back to Canada’s National Energy Board hearings into the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline and the proposed Kinder Morgan expansion project. Stanley Tromp reports. (Globe and Mail)

NEB launches public review into pipeline emergency response plans
Emergency response plans submitted by companies proposing to build pipelines in Canada are to be the subject of a public consultation overseen by the National Energy Board (NEB). Peter Watson, CEO of the energy board, announced the new review in a speech delivered to business leaders in Vancouver today [Monday] . "Canadians deserve to be consulted on the transparency of emergency management information for NEB-regulated pipelines," Watson said. "There may indeed be some specific information that should be kept confidential, but I believe that we have been too conservative in our approach to this issue to date." (CBC)

Deep part of Cascadia fault so slippery sun, moon trigger tremors
New research shows that the large fault off the Northwest coast is so weak and slippery in places that minuscule tidal forces produced by the sun and moon are enough to cause tremors. Sandi Doughton reports. (Seattle Times)

A Tale of Two Otters: Natural History of River Otters and Sea Otters
The Whale Trail presents naturalist Leo Shaw Leo Shaw who will discuss the natural history of river and sea otters in North America, with a special focus on the river otters of West Seattle! His talk will cover human interactions, population swings, social structure, anatomy and physiology  food preferences, legal status, and current threats. Thursday, April 30th, 7PM. C&P Coffee Company, 5612 California Ave SW. $5 suggested donation. (Kids get in free!); Brown Paper Tickets.

Whidbey citizens group in court over Navy Growlers noise
A Whidbey Island citizens group has revived the legal battle over noise from Navy Growler planes, filing a motion in federal court to block use of an off-base strip near Coupeville. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Public asked for input on Victoria-area sewage-plant sites
Victoria, Saanich and Oak Bay will launch an intensive public process Wednesday looking for input on where to build a sewage-treatment plant. It’s an ambitious agenda. The hope is to get public buy-in on where a sewage-treatment plant or plants should be sited by the end of June. It took four years for the Capital Regional District to settle on Esquimalt’s McLoughlin Point as a site for a regional sewage-treatment plant. That plan went off the rails last year, when Esquimalt refused to rezone the site and the province declined to overturn the decision. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Wise Guys
…. Tony Angell writes (and draws) with the absolute authority of one who has studied, rehabilitated, lived with and loved the animals his whole life. Watching owls simply being owls is his calling. Julie Zickefoose reviews Tony Angell's new book, The House of Owls. (Wall Street Journal)

Return of the fish wars: Hatchery pits environmentalists against tribe
Can anything wild still exist in a Washington river that has been plugged for 100 years? E. Tammy Kim reports. (Al Jazeera America)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE APR 28 2015
TODAY
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT BECOMING W LATE MORNING. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. NW SWELL 8 FT
 AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
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