5/9 Spring coral, nixing LNG and methanol, tsunami, Enbridge, gas price, orca bills, Everett cleanup, BC salal

Northwest spring coral [Wikipedia]

Northwest spring coral Ramaria rasilipora
This is one of the common spring corals. Its fruit bodies grow on the ground in coniferous forests. Fruiting occurs in spring and summer. The species was first described scientifically in 1974 by American mycologists Currie Marr and Daniel Stuntz. The specific epithet rasilispora is derived from the roots rasil- (shaved, scraped, or worn smooth) and spora (spore). It is commonly known as the "yellow coral". Common in western North America,its range extends south to Mexico. Edible but some people are adversely affected and suffer gastrointestinal upset. (Wikipedia, The New
Savory Wild Mushroom)

Gov. Jay Inslee speaks out against LNG plant in Tacoma, methanol facility in Kalama
Washington’s governor is changing course on his support of two fossil-fuel projects in the state. Following a bill signing Wednesday banning hydraulic fracking for oil and natural gas within Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee spoke out against projects tied to fossil fuels, including Puget Sound Energy’s liquefied natural gas site under construction in Tacoma and a methanol production facility in Kalama, which had been previously proposed for Tacoma. Inslee said emerging science on the rapid pace of climate change and the environmental effects of natural gas now mean the “state’s efforts and future investments in energy infrastructure should focus on clean, renewable sources rather than fossil fuels,” according to a news release Wednesday issued from his office. Debbie Cockrell reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

The oral history wasn't a myth. Tsunamis hit this tribal village five times, new study shows
A legend about a great flood has been passed down through the centuries among the Klallam people on the north side of Washington's Olympic Peninsula. As re-told by Klallam elder Ed Sampson on a recording preserved by a University of North Texas linguist, the people noticed the fresh water turning salty -- a detail from which we infer a tsunami. In the story, a wise man warned the people to get ready. They scrambled into canoes provisioned with food and water. The survivors rode out the flood by tying cedar ropes to the tops of the tallest mountains of the nearby Olympic Range. Lower Elwha Klallam tribal chairwoman Frances Charles said now there's proof this story "is not a myth." tom Banse reports. (NW News Network)

Enbridge has no plans to resurrect Northern Gateway project, says CEO
The new government in Alberta wants Enbridge to bring back its proposed Northern Gateway oil pipeline, but the company's chief executive said there is little chance that will happen. In the campaign platform of the newly elected UCP government, the party vowed to fight for the re-start of the project, in addition to TransCanada's Energy East project. TransCanada has already said it has no plans to revisit its project. On Wednesday, Enbridge's CEO Al Monaco poured cold water on reviving Northern Gateway. Karl Bakx reports. (CBC)

B.C. drivers filling up jerry cans in the U.S., despite safety risks
B.C. drivers facing sky-high gas prices are not only filling their tanks stateside, but also filling containers to bring back with them, although one expert said the practice is potentially dangerous because gas is so flammable. Motorists tired of paying almost $1.70 a litre are flocking to the U.S. to pay as little as $1.13 Cdn a litre at Costco. That works out to more than $25 in savings on a 50-litre fill. One gas station employee said on Wednesday about half the Canadians who come for a top-up also fill extra containers to take home. There is nothing illegal about the practice because individuals are allowed to transport up to six jerrycans under an exemption in Transport Canada’s transportation of dangerous goods regulations. Susan Lazaruk reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Gov. Inslee signs range of bills aimed at helping orcas
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed several bills Wednesday designed to help the Pacific Northwest's endangered orcas, measures that he said gave him hope the species might be saved. The measures include requiring more oil shipments near the San Juan Islands to have tugboat escorts to prevent spills, allowing anglers to catch more walleye and bass that prey on young salmon, and giving state agencies the authority to ban toxic chemicals in consumer goods. Other important parts include improving the state's ability to enforce permit requirements for work that hardens shorelines, such as by installing bulkheads near homes, and making vessels stay farther away from orcas and go slower when they're near them. Gene Johnson reports. (Associated Press)

State commits $16M to clean former mill site of contaminants
One day, cargo ships stretching 1,000 feet in length could berth at Port of Everett’s South Terminal, where workers would unload shipments of large airplane parts destined for the Boeing factory. But first the port must deal with thousands of tons of contaminated sediment, a legacy of a century of sawmill and pulp mill operations, as well as enlarge the existing berth by 30 percent. While a little of the work is done, it’s going to cost in the neighborhood of $105 million and take three to five years to finish it all. Port officials don’t have all the money in hand. They did receive good news in April as lawmakers earmarked $16.25 million for the project in the next state capital budget. Those dollars will come out of the state’s Model Toxics Control Account, which was reformulated this year to enable the state to pledge bigger sums to larger cleanups — like this one. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

B.C.'s salal shrubs are dying and extreme weather could be the culprit
One of B.C.'s most abundant plants is in trouble: patches of hardy salal plants are turning up brown, crispy and dying. Richard Hamelin, a professor of forest pathology at UBC's Faculty of Forestry, knew something was seriously wrong when he started getting reports — from people in the Sea to Sky corridor, Vancouver Island, the Fraser Valley, and beyond — about the dying salal. "We thought right away that something really unusual is happening when we were getting calls from a lot of different areas of the province," Hamelin said. The evergreen, shrub-like plant is widespread across the province's forests and is known for its hardiness. That's partly why the sight of the dried, brown leaves was so noticeable and surprising, Hamelin said. Clare Hennig reports. (CBC)

Washington, Federal Officials Sign Agreement To Protect Forests
State and federal officials signed an agreement Wednesday to protect Washington’s forests and wildlife. The plan would combine resources to fight destructive wildfires, threats to forest health and challenges faced by salmon and orcas. “If we’re going to prevent the Evergreen State from turning brown, we must begin to coordinate, collaborate and work tirelessly to change the trajectory of these forests as one team,” said Hilary Franz, Washington’s lands commissioner and head of its Department of Natural Resources. The Shared Stewardship Agreement was signed by officials from DNR, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service and the regional forester. Courtney Flatt reports. (NW Public Broadcasting)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  300 AM PDT Thu May 9 2019   
TODAY  E wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 5 ft  at 9 seconds. 
TONIGHT  NW wind to 10 kt in the evening becoming light. Wind  waves 1 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 12 seconds.

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