8/13 Totem pole, Kinder Morgan, bad oysters, dairy regs, Mukilteo terminal, crow battle, killing cormorants

(PHOTO: San Juan Journal)

Native art comes alive: Totem pole blessing ceremony on Henry Island
The 9,000 pound totem pole was carved from a single tree, and started out weighing seven tons. The pole features an eagle at the top with its wings outstretched, a seal, sea lions, salmon eggs, a raven and an orca whale, as well as a bubble man, a traditional figure in Kwakwaka’wakw Nation artwork. Anna V. Smith reports. (San Juan Journal)

Kinder Morgan pipeline review by NEB loses 35 participants over 'flawed' process
Dozens of participants have dropped out of the controversial National Energy Board review of Kinder Morgan's proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, saying they can no longer support a "biased" and "unfair" process. Thirty-five commenters and interveners, including the Wilderness Committee and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, sent a letter to the board Wednesday announcing their immediate withdrawal. (Canadian Press)

Raw oysters lead to 31 cases of sickness: health authority
Vancouver Coastal Health has asked restaurants to take increased precautions when serving oysters as more illnesses are reported. Public health officials have ordered eateries to cook all oysters harvested from B.C. waters and to only serve oysters from outside the province raw. The order was issued in response to a naturally occurring bacterium found in B.C.'s coastal waters that causes a gastrointestinal illness. (Canadian Press)

State proposes more regulations for dairy farms
Most dairies in Washington state would be required to get a water quality permit under a proposal the state Department of Ecology released Tuesday, August 11. That’s because for the first time, the agency proposes treating seepage from manure storage lagoons as pollution…. The permit applies to confined animal feeding operation, or CAFOs for short, a category that includes large dairies and feedlots for cattle, pigs and chickens. Kate Prengaman reports. (Yakima Herald-Republic)

Work on new Mukilteo ferry terminal begins with tank farm pier demolition
Demolishing a World War II-era pier to make way for a new $129 million ferry terminal isn't easy work. The pier opened in 1940, serving the nearby U.S. Air Force's bulk fuel storage facility, which closed in 1989. Just a little more than a month into the pier removal project, workers are still trying just to clear the top of the structure. That's involved removing 12,000 feet of fuel lines, 800 40-gallon bags of asbestos, several tons of grass and other organic material that grew on the pier during the 26 years since it was closed, as well as railings, catwalks and mercury-filled lights. Sharon Salyer reports. (Everett Herald)

As the lawsuit flies: Portage Bay crow battle lands in court
The Great Crow Battle of Portage Bay that pitted one family feeding the birds against neighbors now has resulted in a $200,000 civil suit. Erik Lacitis reports. (Seattle Times)

Conservationists Say Feds Ignored Evidence That Killing Cormorants Won't Save Salmon
Conservation groups are accusing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service of withholding research showing a federal plan to kill seabirds on the Columbia River would not actually benefit salmon and steelhead. Earlier this year, the agency approved a controversial plan to shoot around 11,000 double-crested cormorants to protect threatened and endangered fish. Studies show the birds eat up to 20 percent of young salmon and steelhead as they swim down the river to the ocean. But documents distributed Wednesday to news media show the agency’s own analysis concluded those fish would die in the ocean anyway before they returned to the river to spawn as adults. Thus, the analysis found, killing cormorants would have no effect on the overall survival of protected fish. Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 249 AM PDT THU AUG 13 2015
TODAY
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 8 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
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