8/12 BNSF fined, orca play, drought, Growlers, sustainable seafood, 'blob,' humpback, Omni Processor

BNSF no-no (Skagit Valley Herald)

BNSF Railway fined for treated railroad ties in water
The Washington State Department of Ecology has fined BNSF Railway $86,000 for placing creosote-treated railroad ties and other materials from maintenance projects in Whatcom and Skagit county water bodies. (Associated Press)

If you like to watch: Orca whales aug 9 2015 in Active Pass from Galiano Island
Orcas in Active Pass Aug 9 2015. An excellent show today of J and L pods shot from Galiano Island. Our guest Kim saw them for the first time today and was very excited as you can hear! (and who wouldn't be seeing them like this for the first time!) Gary Cullen shares.

Drought Worsens: Seattle Area Asked To Cut Water Use
Residents of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett are being asked to cut back on their use of water by 10 percent. That’s because the summer’s historic high temperatures and lack of precipitation have worsened the region’s water supply outlook. In addition, water supply managers are worried about forecasts for drier than normal conditions this fall. Deborah Wang reports. (KUOW)

Judge declines to stop the Growler overflights on Whidbey Island
Judge says citizens of Ebey’s Reserve failed to show the impact of Growler overflights was significantly worse than predicted by the Navy in 2005. Mike Carter reports. (Seattle Times)

Sustainable label confusion thrives in lack of regulation
No one goes to the supermarket deliberately intending to destroy the planet. Which is why labels can make shopping such a life-affirming experience: proudly rejecting that suspiciously cheap piece of cod in favour of officially approved salmon; choosing anything with the words 'Organic', 'Wild' or 'Fresh' stamped on the side; purchasing yet another ancient grain to join the untouched heaps already moulding in your pantry. Most of us want to be good global citizens. And labels provide a kind of shortcut to help us get there. So what is a consumer supposed to make of the decision by SeaChoice to end its partnership with Overwaitea? Or of the grocery giant's promise of a yet-to-be-announced partnership with another "national sustainable seafood program"? Jason Proctor reports. (CBC)

Weather Scientists Want Your Help To Understand 'The Blob'
It’s an unusually warm patch of water off the West Coast that has flummoxed climatologists. “It’s still rearing its ugly head,” said Nick Bond, Washington state climatologist and regular contributor to KUOW. He first detected The Blob in 2013. The Blob is 1,000 feet wide and 300 feet deep. Climatologists and oceanographers want to know its effects, and if it’s to blame for the drought that has gripped the West Coast. Oceanographers wonder if it’s to blame for the largest bloom of toxic algae in more than a decade. Jeannie Yandel reports. (KUOW)

Humpback whale likely killed by entanglement near Klemtu
A humpback whale that washed up dead on the North Coast of B.C. likely died because it was entangled by rope, according to those who have seen it. Last Friday Spirit Bear Adventures wildlife guide Philip Charles got a call that a humpback whale was drifting close to the community of Klemtu. He set off with a team from Pacific Wild Conservation to Nowish Bay where they found the massive animal washed up dead on the rocks. (CBC)

Janicki Bioenergy’s Omni Processor drawing interest
With Janicki Bioenergy’s Omni Processor fully operational in east Africa, interest is pouring in from potential buyers. The Omni Processor turns sewage sludge into drinking water and electricity. The electricity is used to run the machine and could eventually supply power to homes. Shelby Rowe reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 851 AM PDT WED AUG 12 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 7 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS AND ISOLATED TSTMS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.

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