3/6 Shipworms, bag ban, water lawsuit, sewage spill, Wheeler's science, Green New Deal, defense on climate

Shipworms [Alchetron]

Shipworms Teredinidae
The shipworms are marine bivalve molluscs in the family Teredinidae: a group of saltwater clams with long, soft, naked bodies. They are notorious for boring into (and commonly eventually destroying) wood that is immersed in sea water, including such structures as wooden piers, docks and ships; they drill passages by means of a pair of very small shells borne at one end, with which they rasp their way through. Sometimes called "termites of the sea", they also are known as "Teredo worms" or simply Teredo, from the Greek language "τερηδων", via Latin. Eventually biologists adopted the common name Teredo as the name for the best-known genus.

Ban on single-use plastic bags passes Washington state Senate
A ban on single-use plastic bags passed the state Senate Tuesday, progress for an idea proposed in the Legislature as early as 2013. The bill would ban stores from giving out single-use plastic carryout bags, giving them until 2020 to use up existing stocks, and require an 8-cent charge for other bags handed out. Lawmakers voted 31-14 in favor of the measure, sending it to the state House for consideration. (Associated Press)

Whidbey Island water lawsuit moved to South Carolina court
A lawsuit between Whidbey Island residents and the manufacturers of firefighting foam that contaminated area drinking water has been transferred to a South Carolina court. The Whidbey Island case is one of dozens from states including Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania that have been transferred to U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina for review since September, according to court records. It is one of two cases in Washington, the other of which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Shipyard sewage spill prompts advisory for Sinclair Inlet
Health officials issued a no-contact advisory Tuesday for Sinclair Inlet and the Port Washington Narrows due to a 4,000-gallon sewage spill reported at Puget Sound Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. The spill occurred Saturday and Sunday, according to Kitsap Public Health District. Shipyard officials said a pressure sensor broke off a water line within a dry dock. The spill lasted little more than a day because a mechanic thought the leak was from a normal saltwater line and diverted the spill into a service galley that pumped it into the inlet. (Kitsap sun)

Andrew Wheeler Says He Will Implement Rule To Keep ‘Secret Science’ Out Of EPA
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler said the agency would “absolutely” move forward with a rule to keep so-called “secret science” out of the regulatory process. “We are absolutely going to follow through with the science transparency rule,” Wheeler told The Daily Caller News Foundation in an interview at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). “I think it’s very important,” said Wheeler, referring to a rule proposed by his predecessor Scott Pruitt that would require making underlying data EPA uses to craft regulations available to the public and other researchers. Pruitt proposed reversing EPA’s long-standing practice of relying on non-public scientific data in crafting rules in 2018. Republicans called such studies “secret science” and pointed out tens of billions of dollars in regulations have been based on non-public data. Environmentalists and Democrats opposed the rule, arguing it would expose confidential health and business information — a charge that was largely rebutted by proponents. However, since Pruitt’s departure from EPA, the fate of the “secret science” rule has been unclear. Michael Bastasch reports. (Daily Caller)

The Good News About a Green New Deal
Rapidly advancing technology and the falling costs of clean energy make the Green New Deal’s goal of transforming the U.S. economy to zero emissions by mid-century eminently achievable. John Cassidy writes. (The New Yorker)

Former Defense Leaders Warn White House It's 'Dangerous' To Downplay Climate Change
In a letter to President Trump, 58 former military and national security officials expressed deep concern about reported plans to create “a committee to dispute and undermine military and intelligence judgments on the threat posed by climate change.” “It is dangerous to have national security analysis conform to politics. Our officials’ job is to ensure that we are prepared for current threats and future contingencies. We cannot do that if the scientific studies that inform our threat assessments are undermined,” the letter stated. Signatories include former Secretary of State John Kerry, former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe Adm. James Stavridis, and former NASA Administrator Vice Adm. Richard Truly. Dalia Mortada reports. (NPR)




Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  235 AM PST Wed Mar 6 2019   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH  THURSDAY AFTERNOON   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming to 10 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 3 ft at 13 seconds. A slight  chance of rain in the afternoon. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 2 ft building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. W swell 3 ft at 14 seconds. A slight chance of rain in  the evening then a chance of showers 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