12/24 Happy holidays, train derail, Nestucca, climate action, Kistsap sewage, Navy training

 

Salish Sea News and Weather wishes you happy holidays.  I'll be back in the new year, January 4, 2021. Be well, stay safe, stay sane. Mike

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No damage to wildlife, environment detected outside of Whatcom County derailment and oil spill site, officials say
Oil spilled from a train that derailed in northwest Washington on Tuesday appears to be contained around the crash site, with little or no harm so far detected to the public or environment, officials said Wednesday. “There have been no wildlife impacts and most importantly no injuries to the public or responders to this incident,” Dave Byers, the state ecology department’s on-scene coordinator, said during a Wednesday morning press conference.But officials say they still don’t know what caused a 108-car BNSF Railway train carrying Bakken crude oil to go off the tracks, sparking a fire and forcing temporary evacuations in the Whatcom County town of Custer. A stretch of Interstate 5 also was temporarily shutdown Tuesday. Lewis Kamb reports. (Seattle Times)

Is carrying crude oil by rail worth the risk? This expert says no
In Whatcom County on Tuesday, a mile-long oil train derailed and caught fire as it was rolling toward a refinery in Ferndale. No one was hurt, and state officials say there have been no wildlife impacts. Eric de Place is an expert on oil trains and derailments. He's director of energy policy at the Sightline Institute -- a non-profit think-tank based in Seattle. Paige Browning and Eric Hurst report. (KUOW)

The Nestucca: How a devastating event shaped today
n 1988, an oil spill from the barge Nestucca resulted in one of the largest, most damaging environmental incidents in the history of Washington. But the knowledge gained from the spill also led to dramatic change in oil spill regulations, prevention methods, and response tactics that have maximized environmental protection. (WA Dept of Ecology)

Climate Action For Christmas? Omnibus Bill Includes Biggest Policy Shift In Years
The massive spending package just passed by Congress includes the most significant climate legislation in more than a decade, along with significant changes in energy policy. It was easy to miss, nestled among pandemic relief payments, the annual spending bill, new Smithsonian museums and protection from surprise medical billing. But pull out the energy provisions alone, and the bill is remarkable: It includes $35 billion in funding for basic research, extensions of tax credits for renewable energy companies, and a long-delayed mandate to reduce the use of a particularly damaging greenhouse gas. The fact that Congress managed to pass climate legislation at all is noteworthy in and of itself. For years, thanks to gridlock and an administration actively hostile to climate action, legislators have struggled to set new climate policy, even on measures that enjoy widespread bipartisan support. Camila Domonoske & Jeff Brady report. (NPR)

Multiple sewage spills prompt no-contact advisory for Dyes Inlet, Port Washington Narrows and Liberty Bay
No-contact advisories have been issued for Dyes Inlet, Port Washington Narrows and Liberty Bay after torrential rains sent thousands of gallons of sewage flowing into local waterways earlier this week, according to the Kitsap Public Health District. Sewage spills in Bremerton (34,300 gallons), Silverdale (5,000 gallons), Poulsbo (6,700 gallons) and Keyport (25,000 gallons) prompted health officials to issue the advisories Monday. Christian Vosler reports. (Kitsap Sun)

Naval Special Operations Training in Western Washington State
The United States Naval Special Warfare Command has requested a real property agreement from Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission to conduct special operations training in twenty-eight state parks throughout western Washington. A Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance has been issued under the State Environmental Policy Act and State Parks will not act on this proposal until the comment period has ended on January 6, 2021. To  read the MDNS and to comment online, go here.

Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  201 AM PST Thu Dec 24 2020   
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE  FRIDAY NIGHT   
TODAY  SE wind 5 to 15 kt. Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell  9 ft at 14 seconds. 
TONIGHT  SE wind 5 to 15 kt becoming E 10 to 20 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 1 to 3 ft. W swell 9 ft at 14 seconds. A  chance of rain after midnight.

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