4/22 Leaded water, ocean health, dilbit, BC pipe, Break Free, Vic Bird Sanctuary

New blog: How Many More Earth Days Until The Earth Is Saved?
Friday is the 46th Earth Day and hundreds of thousands of people young and old will be doing something good for the Earth. That’s a good thing because every act of recycling, reusing and restoring helps. But honestly, it’ll take a lot more to make our Earth a healthy place….

Western Washington water providers react to Tacoma finding some high lead levels
Water providers across the Western Washington were scanning their systems for lead Thursday after Tacoma Water announced it had found high lead levels in service lines at four homes in the city’s Lincoln District. Tacoma Water on Wednesday released the results of tests done to find short sections of lead pipe, known as goosenecks, that connect water mains to service lines outside of homes and can taint drinking water. All samples tested at 98 parts per billion or higher — and one tested at nearly 400 ppb. The Environmental Protection Agency requires action be taken if lead levels exceed 15 ppb. Kate Martin reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Port of Vancouver funds program to track health of ocean
The Port of Vancouver is providing $300,000 over two years to a Vancouver Aquarium program designed to track the health of the ocean on the B.C. coast. The PollutionTracker program will investigate pollutant trends by analyzing samples of sediments and mussels from a network of 10 sampling stations in Burrard Inlet, Strait of Georgia, and Gulf Islands. The program will document levels of contaminants such as as PCBs, dioxins, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and microplastics. The endangered southern resident killer whales in the Salish Sea are considered the most PCB-contaminated marine mammals in the world. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

New report tracks heavy oil shipments in Puget Sound
A report out Thursday tracks the movement of heavy oil known as diluted bitumen, or dilbit, through Puget Sound and raises questions about whether it is being transported as safely as possible. Fred Felleman, a consultant for Friends of the Earth, who also serves on the Port of Seattle commission, has been tracking tugs and barges traveling between the Westridge Marine Terminal in Burnaby, B.C. and the U.S. Oil refinery in Tacoma. "What we found is there's a regular service about three times a month carrying this heavy oil, this diluted bitumen," Felleman told KIRO 7. Dilbit can sink after it spills. Graham Johnson reports. (KIRO)

B.C. in no rush to approve Enbridge Northern Gateway oil pipeline
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley’s softening stance on the Enbridge Northern Gateway oil pipeline project has generated renewed optimism in the oil and gas sector, but it will be many months before the B.C. government may match her shift toward “yes” on the movement of more crude oil across the Rockies. Ms. Notley said this week her government is in negotiations with B.C. to pave the way for construction of an oil pipeline to the West Coast in exchange for a long-term contract to buy British Columbia’s surplus electricity. Ms. Notley indicated she is no longer strictly opposed to the construction of Northern Gateway. In a statement Thursday, B.C. Environment Minister Mary Polak confirmed negotiations with Alberta are running on parallel tracks – climate and energy – but played down any tradeoffs between the two provinces on those files. Justine Hunter reports. (Globe and Mail)

Protest planned for March Point refineries
More than 2,000 protesters are expected by organizers to rally against fossil fuels next month at March Point, the site of the Shell Puget Sound Refinery and Tesoro Anacortes Refinery. Break Free Pacific Northwest, a coalition of nearly 40 activist groups, is organizing the event for May 13-15. The demonstration is part of a worldwide effort that will take place in May. Aaron Weinberg reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Signs on the way for forgotten bird sanctuary
Too many of us are overlooking the unique natural areas of Greater Victoria and it’s about time to stop and take notice, according to local wildlife advocate Jacques Sirois. The retired employee who formerly worked for Wildlife Service Canada uses his kayak to cruise the shorelines from Cadboro Bay and Ten Mile Point, all the way to Portage Inlet. He spots birds of all varieties, anchovies and oysters thought to be nearly extinct from the area, all within metres of a tideline that is part of a diverse stretch of sacred waterways. It includes migratory bird nesting grounds and an estuary, and it was all captured under the federally created Greater Victoria Bird Sanctuary in 1923. But today, the health of the sanctuary is not earning its proper due. Travis Paterson reports. (Saanich News)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  258 AM PDT FRI APR 22 2016  

TODAY  NE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE  AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS.  SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE MORNING...THEN A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE  AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT  SW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT  AT 13 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 6 FT AT 16 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. A  CHANCE OF SHOWERS.

SAT  S WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NE 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT  13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS  LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.

SAT NIGHT  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL  7 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

SUN  NW WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND  WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

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