11/13 King Eider, microplastics, Kalama methanol, sturgeon, sewage nutrients, Extinction Rebellion, fixing septics, bullet train, Vi Fernando

King Eider [Glen Tepke]

King Eider Somateria spectabilis
This large seaduck resides all around the northern hemisphere, breeding on tundra near coasts north of the Arctic Circle and wintering far enough south to escape winter ice, often at sea. It is a rare winter visitor along the West Coast outside Alaska. Washington has 11 accepted records ranging from late October to mid-May, all but one of them from inland marine waters; the other is from Westport (Grays Harbor County). British Columbia has about 30 records, California close to 40, and Oregon, 13. King Eiders are often found in the same places as other diving seaducks, especially Surf and White-winged Scoters.(BirdWeb/Seattle Audubon Society)

PSU study finds microplastics in majority of razor clams and oysters collected on Oregon coast
The synthetic fibers that make up much of our modern clothing are making their way into the stomachs of the animals we eat, according to a new study from researchers at Portland State University. The vast majority of razor clams and oysters that were collected along the Oregon coast tested positive for microplastics, the researchers found. The results of the study, conducted by Britta Baechler, a student in the university’s Earth, Environment and Society program, and Elise Granek, a professor of environmental science and management, were published in the journal Limnology and Oceanography Letters.  Kale Williams reports. (Oregonian)

Federal Lawsuit Aims To Kill Stalled Methanol Refinery Project Along Columbia River
A federal lawsuit filed Tuesday aims to keep one of the world’s biggest methanol refineries from being built along the Columbia River in Washington state. Plans for the $2 billion refinery, shipping terminal and pipeline project in the small city of Kalama are already stalled after a state board required further environmental review. Conservation and public health groups, including Columbia Riverkeeper, the Sierra Club and Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, sued in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to invalidate key federal permits as well. Gene Johnson reports. (Associated Press) See also: A small Washington town may build the world's largest methanol plant, but do locals want it?  In Kalama, the promise of jobs and the peril of greenhouse gas emissions are keeping neighbors divided over a proposed methanol plant to be built along the Columbia. Ian Edwards reports. (Crosscut)

Saving Sturgeon
Sturgeon are one of the more imperiled fish species in the world. Beloved of anglers, caviar fans, and Indigenous groups who have had a long relationship with this big prehistoric-looking fish, sturgeon have a confounding life history. We don’t know a lot about them, whether they’re swimming in Russian or Canadian waters. Writer Laura Trethewey gives readers a glimpse into the life of this enigmatic species in her new book The Imperiled Ocean: Human Stories from a Changing Sea, and that glimpse is lovely. (Hakai Magazine)

Wastewater 'nutrients' knocking Puget Sound ecosystem out of balance
Clean water experts say treated wastewater discharged into Puget Sound is harming fish, orcas, and the entire ecosystem. That’s why the Washington Department of Ecology is considering elevating water quality standards for sewage plants in Puget Sound. “This is coming from human waste," Alyssa Barton said. "This is coming from our toilets, our drains." Barton is a Policy Manager for Puget Soundkeeper Alliance – a non-profit that focuses on water quality. She, along with Washington Ecology, are concerned that treated wastewater funneled into Puget Sound has excessive levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in it. These chemicals are also called "nutrients" and in high levels, they can harm wildlife and the whole ecosystem in Puget Sound. Abby Acne reports. (KOMO) See also: Washington Water Pollution Clean-up Program Needs Fixing  (Northwest Environmental Advocates)

Extinction Rebellion UBC to stage week of protests starting today
Extinction Rebellion UBC (XRUBC) will kick off a week of climate action on campus beginning Tuesday to urge the university to divest from fossil fuels and achieve carbon neutrality within the next six years...Members of Extinction Rebellion UBC are hoping a divestment plan can be struck by 2020 and that carbon neutrality can be achieved by 2025. (Canadian Press)

Jefferson County to offer cost-sharing on sewage system fixes
Jefferson County Public Health has launched a cost-sharing program to help homeowners repair or replace their on-site sewage systems. The agency will focus on areas in Discovery Bay and along the Hood Canal near commercial shellfish operations to help improve water quality... The federal Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program is funding about $300,000 through the state Department of Health.. The program will run until the funds are spent or through June 2021. Brian McLean reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Fish America Foundation Awards Four Habitat Improvement Grants
The FishAmerica Foundation, in conjunction with the Brunswick Public Foundation, has selected four grassroots organizations that are working to improve water quality and aquatic habitat for funding under this cooperative partnership...The Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, located in Seattle, Wash., will use its funds to remove marine debris from the shorelines of the San Juan Islands area of the Salish Sea as well as marine debris and garbage throughout the San Juan Islands waters. Staff, volunteers and partners will remove the debris brought in by the large winter storms. (ASA News Release)

Bullet train for Cascadia urged on despite electorate's anti-tax mood
Tuesday's vote in Washington state to roll back car registration fees has scrambled transportation budgets. But Pacific Northwest rail advocates are undeterred in pursuing their vision of a bullet train connection between Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, Canada. Microsoft hosted a high-power meeting of state policymakers, train manufacturers and rail supporters at the software giant's headquarters Thursday in conjunction with the U.S. High Speed Rail Association. At the Cascadia Rail Summit, enthusiasm to build a bullet train capable of going from Seattle to Portland -- or to Vancouver -- in one hour rubbed against an anti-tax message from the passage of Washington Initiative 976. Tom Banse reports. (NW Neews Network) See also: Does Cascadia High-Speed Rail have a future after Initiative 976? Gregory Scruggs reports. (Crosscut)

Upper Skagit tribal elder Violet 'Vi' Fernando dies at 97
Violet “Vi” Fernando, an integral part of the community fabric of the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, died Saturday. At 97, she was the oldest living elder of the tribe, with five generations of descendants and many others in the tribal community who called her “Gramma.” Fernando lived an adventurous and storied life that began in Marblemount, took her to farm worker camps as far as California, and ended back in the Skagit Valley. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)


Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  235 AM PST Wed Nov 13 2019   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming 10 to 20 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 6 ft at 11 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 10 to 20 kt. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell  5 ft at 10 seconds.



--
"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