11/23 BC pipe, tanker risk, Tacoma LNG, acid waste, climate contempt, Salish Orca ferry

Elwha nearshore 11/16/16 (Tom Roorda/CWI)

Yes could still be no as Kinder Morgan awaits Trudeau's nod on its multi-billion dollar pipeline expansion
There is growing expectation, even among those who oppose Kinder Morgan’s $6.8-billion expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, that Justin Trudeau’s government will approve the project. The prospect of a yes has been bolstered by a five-year, $1.5-billion marine protection plan announced by Prime Minster Trudeau in Vancouver on Nov. 7, intended to help allay fears of a tanker spill. A yes on the project also was reinforced by a statement last week from Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr that the election of Donald Trump, who supports TransCanada’s proposed Keystone XL pipeline to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries, doesn’t reduce pressure on Ottawa to approve other pipeline projects to the B.C. and Atlantic coasts. The Trudeau government must make a decision on the controversial Kinder Morgan project by Dec. 19. Gordon Hoekstra repairs. (Vancouver Sun)

Engineers Call for B.C. Tanker Risk Assessment
A group of engineers is petitioning for a full risk assessment of tanker traffic through Vancouver's Second Narrows, traffic that would increase to a ship a day if Kinder Morgan's Transmountain pipeline expansion is approved.  The Second Narrows has two bridges – a low railroad drawbridge and a highway. The engineers are concerned that a rudder failure could send a loaded Aframax drifting into a rail bridge span, then carry that span's tower into the highway bridge 400 feet to the west.  While this worst-case scenario sounds unusual, they note that it is not unprecedented: in 1979, the 25,000 dwt freighter Japan Erica struck the rail bridge at low speed, knocking the north tower span off its footing and pulling the north lift tower off at an angle. The Aframax tankers lifting crude from Transmountain’s Westridge terminal are about four times larger than the Erica. (Marine Executive)

Tacoma natural gas plant met with protests
Inside the Greater Tacoma Convention Center, officials from Puget Sound Energy were wholly confident their liquid natural gas plant project was fine. It had gone through public and environmental review, plus gotten approval from city hall…. Nonetheless, a public forum Monday night was set up to educate concerned citizens, many of whom were wearing red and protesting the project outside. John Langeler reports. (KING)

Nature’s Path fined $22K for disposing acidic wastewater into Blaine sewer system 
An organic food producer has been fined $22,000 for disposing acidic wastewater into the city’s sewer treatment system, the Washington State Department of Ecology said Tuesday. Nature’s Path, a Richmond, B.C.-based company that makes organic granola, cookies and cereal, made 39 violations over the last two years at its Blaine facility, Ecology said. The company’s water quality permit states it must pretreat its wastewater before disposing it into the sewer to avoid dumping acidic water, which can damage sewer lines and cause health hazards for sewer plant workers, Ecology said. The department found out about the violations from discharge-monitoring reports the company had filed. Kyle Mittan reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Young activists seek tougher action on climate change
Eight children are asking a Seattle judge to find Washington state in contempt for failing to adequately protect them and future generations from the harmful effects of climate change. A King County Superior Court judge is hearing arguments Tuesday afternoon in the case brought by the petitioners, between 12 and 16 years old, who allege the state has violated its duties to take action to address climate change. The petitioners' lawyer says a state rule adopted in September to cap emissions from large carbon polluters doesn't do enough to protect young people. They contend that the state is violating prior court orders by not doing more. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

New Salish Orca ferry en route to B.C.
The first of three new vessels in the BC Ferries fleet is now en route from Poland. The Salish Class ships will be the first in BC to be powered by liquid natural gas. The Salish Orca started the journey of more than 10,000 nautical miles Tuesday from a shipyard in Gdansk, Poland, to B.C. The trip will take between 45 and 55 days. Megan Thomas reports. (CBC)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PST WED NOV 23 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS  AFTERNOON
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE  TONIGHT  
TODAY  S WIND TO 10 KT...RISING TO 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W  SWELL 12 FT AT 15 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.  TONIGHT  SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 30 KT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 13 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN.

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