11/30 Vic sewer, climate summit, orcas, BNSF spill, BC LNG, karst, fishers, water trade, pay-to-read

Mr. Floatie is engaged (KCTS9)

Victoria's Royal Flush: Lack of Sewage Treatment Still Creating a Cross-Border Stink
After three decades of promises, Victoria, British Columbia, is still pumping raw sewage into shared waters and is nowhere near a treatment solution. In November, heavy rains hit Vancouver Island, and the beaches in and around Victoria, British Columbia, became health hazards. Storm water and sewage overflowed, which happens in Seattle, too. But in Victoria, it’s a more urgent situation because the metropolitan area of 340,000 citizens doesn’t treat its sewage. This is not the vision that people have of Victoria, the elegant and proper capital of British Columbia. “Most people, when they visit Victoria and they are told we don’t have sewage treatment, are shocked,” says Jim McIssac, who heads up the T Buck Suzuki Environmental Foundation. Jenny Cunningham reports. (KCTS)

Bill Gates to commit billions for clean energy
Bill Gates will announce the creation of a multibillion-dollar clean-energy fund Monday at the opening of a Paris summit intended to forge a global accord to cut planet-warming emissions, according to people with knowledge of the plans. The fund, which one of the sources described as the largest such effort in history, is meant to pay for research and development of new clean-energy technologies. It will include contributions from other billionaires and philanthropies, and a commitment by the United States to double its budget for clean-energy research and development, according to the sources, who asked not to be identified. Coral Davenport reports. (NY Times) See also: Gov. Inslee takes climate-change campaign to Paris conference  Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times) And: Olympia mayor headed to Paris for climate summit  (Olympian)

Vancouver's Climate March takes over downtown with thousands
British Columbians turned out in the thousands to walk in Vancouver's Global Climate March. The grassroots movement was led by various environmental groups and First Nations. (CBC) See also: Gregor Robertson talks climate change strategy with Justin Trudeau in Paris  (CBC)

Killer whale salmon catches all in the family, B.C. study finds
A single salmon may represent a mere morsel to a killer whale, but it is still worth sharing with the family, according to a federal Fisheries study of B.C.’s northern resident orcas. “We watched these animals take salmon, break them apart and then share them with one another,” said Brianna Wright, a federal fisheries technician with the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo. “That increases your overall fitness because your DNA is shared with everyone and is being passed on. You’re helping your relatives to reproduce and survive.” Speaking at a weekend marine mammal symposium at the University of B.C., Wright noted that neither sex of the killer whales leaves the matriarchical line into which they are born. “It’s highly unusual,” she said. “They’re one of the most … stay-with-family groups of animals that exist.” Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Deal cuts BNSF’s potential hazardous spill fines by 90 percent
Burlington Northern Santa Fe would be fined $71,700 for failing to timely report several hazardous materials spills, including two in Everett, under a settlement reached with Utilities and Transportation Commission staff. Under the proposed deal, commissioners would suspend $40,000 of the penalty as long as the company commits no new violations of the statewide accident reporting rules in the next year. A final order accepting the agreement and imposing the penalty could be issued by the commission before the end of the year. The proposed penalty would be a fraction of the $700,000 in potential fines the company originally faced following an investigation of 14 spills which occurred between Nov. 1, 2014 and Feb. 24, 2015. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

Malahat First Nation's new leadership mulls LNG plant
It is still unclear what a new Malahat First Nation chief and council will mean for a contentious floating liquefied natural gas plant proposed for its land on Saanich Inlet. A few weeks after electing Caroline Harry as chief, the First Nation isn’t saying much about any new direction or concern it has about the project that was undertaken in partnership with Steelhead LNG by the previous leadership. Malahat chief executive officer Lawrence Lewis said the new chief and council are being briefed. Andrew Duffy reports. (Times Colonist) See also: B.C. LNG sector opposes fast increase in carbon tax Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Inside a fragile landscape
A network of magnificent canyons of marble and limestone known as karst dot B.C.’s coastline — and advocates worry logging is putting them in danger. Justine Hunter reports. (Globe and Mail)

Endangered fisher to be reintroduced into Cascade Mountains
A weasel-like predator that disappeared from Washington state decades ago will soon be reintroduced to the Cascade Mountains. State and federal wildlife officials are preparing to re-establish fishers into Mount Rainier and North Cascades national parks and surrounding areas as part of an effort to restore the state-listed endangered animals to their previous range. The dark brown forest-dwelling mammals historically were found throughout much of the forested areas of the state. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Cantwell measure allows more irrigation in return for fish, land protections
Getting U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell’s bill through committee was definitely a milestone — but whether it marked progress forward toward a more rational and cooperative future or back toward a discredited past will get you an argument. Either way, S. 1694, the Yakima Basin Water Enhancement Project Phase III Act of 2015, sponsored by Cantwell and co-sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray, has been passed by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, a significant step toward enactment. Daniel Jack Chasan reports. (Crosscut)

Can we be persuaded to pay for online news?
Got any idea of how to make money from news in the online era? Well prepare for the media giants to beat a path to your door, as they struggle with plunging print advertising revenues and an audience that seems to think news should be free. Rory Cellan-Jones reports. (BBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON NOV 30 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 15 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 14 SECONDS BUILDING TO SW 11 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY.
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