5/10 Give Big, BC election, coal-lease suit, quake, Hanford tunnel, N Dakota spills, razor clams

Give Big Day May 10 2017
Now more than ever, we are called to support the nonprofits that shape our community and uphold the values that make Seattle so special. Give today to ensure these organizations can continue and strengthen their work to make Seattle a stronger, more vibrant community for all. Donation to the participating non-profit organization of your choice will be matched to double the impact of your gift. Do it today and make a difference.

B.C. Liberals hang on to win minority government
he B.C. Liberals have retained their hold on power — but the final result could change in the weeks to come. As of midnight PT Wednesday, Christy Clark and her Liberals had won a minority government, elected in 43 of B.C.'s 87 ridings, compared to 41 for the NDP and three for the Green Party. It takes 44 seats to form a majority in B.C. It is B.C.'s first minority government result since 1952. But several ridings will have recounts — including Courtenay-Comox, where the NDP lead by just nine votes — and absentee ballots have not been counted. It means that everyone's focus will go to the final count by Elections BC, which will happen between May 22 and 24. Justin McElroy reports. (CBC)

Washington state suing over Trump decision to restart coal-lease program
Four U.S. states, including Washington, filed a lawsuit Tuesday over President Donald Trump’s decision to restart the sale of coal leases on federal lands, saying the Obama-era block of the leasing program was reversed without studying what’s best for the environment and for taxpayers. The attorneys general of California, New Mexico, New York and Washington, all Democrats, said bringing back the federal coal-lease program without an environmental review risks worsening the effects of climate change on those states while shortchanging them for the coal taken from public lands. Matt Volz reports. (Associated Press)

3.4 magnitude earthquake shakes Puget Sound region
A small earthquake centered near Bremerton shook the central Puget Sound area early Wednesday. The quake registered at 3.4 magnitude and occurred about 1:15 a.m. It was centered about two miles northeast of Bremerton, in the channel just off the small community of Enetai, according to the U.S. Geological Survey earthquake website. The earthquake was about 25 kilometers deep. Gil Aegerter reports. (KUOW)

Thousands of Hanford workers take cover after cave-in of tunnel with radioactive waste
Thousands of workers at the Hanford nuclear reservation in Richland were forced to take cover indoors after a tunnel containing radioactive waste collapsed Tuesday morning, government officials said. Nearly 4,800 workers at the nuclear site were told to shelter indoors, an Energy Department spokeswoman said. At around noon Tuesday, workers outside of the facility where the cave-in occurred were cleared and sent home early. David Gutman reports. (Seattle Times)

North Dakota Has Experienced More Than 700 Oil Spills in The Past Year Alone
With the highly controversial Dakota Access Pipeline expected to start operations this week, the latest reports on the state's oil spill record do not bode well. According to the North Dakota Department of Health, they've experienced more than 700 oil spills in the past 12 months alone. Not only that, but reports of a major spill last December were found to be grossly underestimated - three times more oil leaked into the environment than we thought, making it one of the largest oil spills in North Dakota history. (Science Alert)

Washington state coastal razor clam season comes to an end
The 2016-17 coastal razor clam season has come to an end after testing for marine toxins showed they had increased beyond the action level at Mocrocks Beach. Test results on razor clams gathered from Long Beach and Twin Harbors last week found domoic acid levels had exceeded the 20 parts per million action level set by state Department of Health, but Mocrocks was still under the cutoff. Mark Yuasa reports. (Seattle Times)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PDT WED MAY 10 2017  

TODAY  NW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT  AT 12 SECONDS.
TONIGHT  NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING E TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A SLIGHT  CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE EVENING THEN SHOWERS LIKELY AFTER  MIDNIGHT.

--
"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. To subscribe, send your name and email to msato (@) salishseacom.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told