11/5 BC salmon, fish farms, Snydar Farm, clean water rule, Keystone, Beth Doglio

Wild BC sockeye (Olga N. Vasik/istockphoto)

Millions of B.C. salmon mysteriously ‘just disappear’ in troubling year
Although spawning salmon are still returning to British Columbia’s rivers – including some, surprisingly, to urban streams – early returns indicate another troubling year, despite some bright spots…. There were good sockeye salmon returns to the Great Central Lake system on Vancouver Island and to the Nass River on the North Coast, he said. But contrasting that were very poor returns on the Fraser River, where only about two million sockeye returned, far short of the more than six million predicted in preseason forecasts. Even more dramatic was the collapse of the pink salmon on the Fraser, with only about five million fish showing up when more than 14 million had been forecast. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Lawsuit Claims Commercial Salmon Farms Harm Native Fish In Puget Sound
The Wild Fish Conservancy is suing federal environmental and fisheries agencies for inadequately monitoring the impact of commercial salmon farms in Puget Sound. The lawsuit filed Wednesday says commercial farms pose many risks to wild salmon. In 2011 the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Marine Fisheries Service found the opposite. They concluded that commercial salmon farms are unlikely to harm wild salmon. Kate O'Connell Walters (KUOW)

Fecal matter pollution in public water: The case of Snydar Farm
The Snydar Farm had a real problem with “raw manure,” that mix of feces and urine produced by livestock. Namely, the farm’s cows were creating a lot of it – in excess of 5,000 pounds every day. According to the Department of Ecology, it was ending up in public waterways, where it could impact everything from drinking water to the shellfish industry. The farm is located in Ferndale, a town 10 miles north of Bellingham in Whatcom County. Recently, its owners – Jim and Victoria Snydar – received Ecology’s first livestock-related water pollution fine in over three years. But the Snydars’ alleged environmental crimes were not new. Drew Atkins reports. (Crosscut)

Senate blocks legislation to undercut EPA clean water rules
Democrats have blocked a Senate bill that would have forced the Obama administration to withdraw new federal rules to protect smaller streams, tributaries and wetlands from development and pollution. Supporters of the legislation — and opponents of the rules — did not get the 60 votes needed Tuesday to stop debate and consider the bill. The vote was 57-41, meaning Democrats have blocked the bill, for now. Most Democrats argue that the Obama administration rules will safeguard drinking water for 117 million Americans and say they should remain in place. The White House threatened a veto of the bill, saying the regulations are "essential to ensure clean water for future generations." Mary Clare Jalonick reports. (Associated Press)

TransCanada's request to pause Keystone XL review rejected by U.S.
he U.S. State Department has rejected TransCanada's request to put the review of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline on hold. Spokesman John Kirby said the department wrote to TransCanada on Wednesday and "communicated our decision to continue our review." Mark Cooper, a spokesman for TransCanada, said that the company respects the State Department's decision. (CBC)

Environmental advocate running for state House
Olympia environmental activist Beth Doglio has launched a campaign for the state House. Democrat Doglio made her 2016 bid official with an announcement Thursday that she’s running for the seat opened by Rep. Sam Hunt’s decision to run for Senate. Doglio has been involved in Washington environmental advocacy for decades. She is the campaign director for Climate Solutions and directs the Power Past Coal coalition opposing coal exports. She said she previously worked as the first executive director of Washington Conservation Voters. Jordan Schrader reports. (Olympian)

Editor’s Note: Salish Sea News and Weather will not be posted on Friday, November 6.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PST THU NOV 5 2015
TODAY
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT THIS AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS. SCATTERED
 SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 SHOWERS.

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