6/24 Hairy cat's ear, 'vital sign' indicators revised, wetlands rule, LNG by rail, ocean trash, faux fish

Hairy cat's ear [Harry Rose]

Hairy cat's ear Hypochaeris radicata
Hairy cat's ear is a perennial herb introduced from Europe. It is found in roadsides, lawns, pastures and disturbed ground most common in low elevations and around settled areas. It is listed as a noxious weed by Washington state and thought to be poisonous.

Puget Sound Leadership Council revises list of 'Vital Sign' indicators
It was ten years ago this summer that the Puget Sound Partnership first established what it called Puget Sound’s ‘Vital Signs,’ 25 indicators of Puget Sound health ranging from levels of toxic chemicals in fish to the abundance of Chinook salmon and southern resident orcas. Those indicators have now been revised and expanded, setting off a new chapter for Puget Sound recovery efforts.  Jeff Rice reports. (Puget Sound Institute)

'Firing up the bulldozers': Revamped WOTUS is here
The Trump administration's rule narrowing the scope of which wetlands and waterways are protected under the Clean Water Act takes effect in most of the country today [Monday], opening the door to developers eager to get to work ahead of a change in administration or future legal action. In the latest legal battle, a coalition of Native American tribes and environmental groups filed two lawsuits today [Monday] challenging the rule. EPA first unveiled its Navigable Waters Protection Rule in January. The regulation, also known as the Waters of the U.S., or WOTUS, rule, which is now the law of the land in every state but Colorado, pulls back federal oversight of up to half the nation's wetlands and 18% of streams — many of which had been protected since the Reagan administration.  Hannah Northey and Jeremy P. Jacobs report. (E&E News)

LNG Shipments by Rail Approved in US Amid Pipeline Battles
The Trump administration has taken the final step to allow rail shipments of liquefied natural gas, a new front in the movement of energy products that had been opposed by environmental groups and 15 states. The U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration published the rule late last week for shipments of the flammable and odorless liquid known as LNG. The rule comes amid foundering prices for natural gas in the U.S., as court and regulatory battles over pipeline projects have slowed movement of the nation's world-leading gas production to markets. Marc Levy reports. (Associated Press)

Ocean Voyages Institute hauls in record 103 tons of trash from Pacific Ocean
The Ocean Voyages Institute [Tuesday] morning pulled into Pier 29 in Honolulu with more than 100 tons of marine trash hauled from the middle of the Pacific Ocean, mission completed despite the ongoing pandemic. The Sausalito, Calf.-based nonprofit once again chartered the locally-based, sailing cargo ship Kwai for the 48-day expedition that set out in early May. Crews early this morning unloaded the trash — 103 tons of it — from the ship, heralding it as a record amount ever to be collected from within the depths and surface of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Nina Wu reports. (Star-Advertiser)

The Faux Fish Coming to a Restaurant Near You
Alternative fish has arrived on the market. Can it help save marine life and feed a hungry world? Brian Payton reports. (Hakai Magazine)



Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  238 AM PDT Wed Jun 24 2020   
TODAY  Light wind becoming W 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon. Wind  waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of  showers. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt becoming SW to 10 kt after midnight.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 4 ft at 9 seconds.




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