5/19 Crow song, Shell drill, BC LNG, WY coal, John Dodge, Vigor Vigilant

(PHOTO: Marlin Harms/BirdNote)

If you like to listen: Do Crows Sing?
Yes! Each crow’s song is particular to its social group. It’s been said that if someone knows only three birds, one of them will be the crow. They’re common, easy to see, and even easier to hear. But crow voices are complicated. Altogether, crows may use 30 sound elements in different combinations, and one of the most intriguing is their song. Unlike many birds, crows don’t sing loudly to attract mates from a distance. Instead, they sing softly — and at close range — during courtship, with a mix of soft cooing, rattles, growls, bowing movements, and mutual nuzzling. (BirdNote)

Demonstrators leave peacefully after protest against Shell oil rig
Hundreds of people on Monday danced, sang, held protest banners and listened to speeches at a Monday protest billed as a “mass direct action” in front of the gates to the Port of Seattle’s Terminal 5. Some participants were willing to engage in peaceful, nonviolent civil disobedience. But there were no confrontations with police, no arrests and also no certainty about what disruptions were achieved by the time the protest finished in the early afternoon. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

City of Seattle Issues Violation Notice To Shell, Port And Foss
Seattle planning officials say the Arctic drill rig at the Port of Seattle has to leave or get a new permit by June 4th. The city issued a notice of violation to the Port of Seattle, Shell Oil and Foss Maritime Monday afternoon. The notice says the port's permit is only good for cargo ships, not oil rigs like the Polar Pioneer. "We think that is ridiculous and transparently political," said Foss spokesman Paul Queary.  The company appealed the city ruling last week and is continuing to work on the Shell oil rig. "We expect to prevail in the appeal." John Ryan reports. (KUOW)

Controversial LNG energy project faces environmental review
The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency has restarted its review of Pacific NorthWest LNG after an 11-week delay, putting the regulator in a position to issue a draft report on whether to grant conditional approval to the controversial B.C. energy project. The draft report by CEAA will serve as a regulatory road map for Pacific NorthWest LNG as it strives to construct a massive terminal to export liquefied natural gas, despite objections from the Lax Kw’alaams First Nation. Lax Kw’alaams members recently overwhelmingly rejected a $1-billion cash offer over 40 years from the LNG venture led by Malaysia’s state-owned Petronas, declining to give aboriginal consent to the project. Brent Jang reports. (Globe and Mail)

Wyoming governor pushes coal ports on Northwest trip
Faced with sliding domestic demand for coal, the governor of Wyoming has kept pressing for access to deep-water ports in the Northwest that would allow exports to Asian markets. Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead met Monday with Washington Gov. Jay Inslee in Olympia and plans to meet Tuesday with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown…. The stakes are high for Wyoming — the nation's leading coal-producing state — to find new markets. The state Infrastructure Authority released a study in March that predicts stricter federal regulations could force a decline of up to 45 percent in Powder River Basin coal production by 2030. The Wyoming Legislature this year authorized issuing up to $1 billion in state bonds if necessary to finance coal port construction. Ben Neary reports. (Associated Press)

Celebrate John Dodge’s career with The Olympian
Longtime environmental reporter and columnist John Dodge is retiring from The Olympian so he can finish his book on the 1962 Columbus Day storm. We’re throwing a party and inviting everyone. Come wish him well. The reception will run 4-6 p.m. Thursday, May 28, in the Community Room at The Olympian, 111 Bethel St., Olympia. Please join us. (Olympian)

Citizens Ask Island County commissioners to halt “irreparable injury” from jets
Island County Commissioners faced a room full of concerned and sometimes tearful Whidbey Island residents requesting specific actions be taken in response to documented proofs of on-going health harms. Proof of noise inflicted injuries were presented to the commissioners at their May 12 meeting in the form of declarations from medical experts, a local practicing physician, an acoustical expert, and victims suffering health problems attributed to the hazardous noise from low-flying Navy ‘Growler’ jets.  (Islands Weekly)

A mammoth floating rig — not for oil — sails into Seattle
One floating Goliath of the maritime industry arrived in Seattle’s Elliott Bay without controversy this week: a 528-foot-long dry dock for Vigor Industrial. The semi-submersible dock Vigilant, which can lift large ships of up to 14,000 tons out of the water so people can work on them, will double the capacity at Vigor’s main shipyard. Under prior ownership, the shipyard, on the north end of Harbor Island, was known as Todd. Steve Wilhelm reports. (Puget Sound Business Journal)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT TUE MAY 19 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.

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