1/26 BP Cherry Point, BC rainforest, GasLink penalized again, quake alert, gray whales, BC forestry, Blueberry River First Nations

Moonglow anemone [Jordan Roderick/CC]

 
Moonglow anemone Anthopleura artemisia
Anthopleura artemisia is a species of sea anemone known by a number of common names, including burrowing anemone and moonglow anemone. It was first described to science in 1846 in a volume by James Dwight Dana, reporting on the animals found on the United States Exploring Expedition. Dana attributes the description to Charles Pickering, who was a naturalist on the expedition. (Wikipedia)

Federal government blocks BP Cherry Point north wing, limits crude oil volume
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will require BP to limit the volume of crude oil handled at its Cherry Point terminal to 191* million barrels per year and prohibit handling crude oil at its north wing dock unless authorized. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will modify its 1996 permit to comply with the Magnuson Amendment’s restrictions regarding the handling of crude oil at Puget Sound facilities, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other legal requirements, according to a January 23 Corps press release. The Corps are also requiring BP to report the number of vessel calls and the volume of crude oil handled at the terminal each year to ensure compliance. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesperson Andrew Muñoz said BP will be required to report its vessel calls and crude oil volume annually. Ian Haupt reports. (The Northern Light) *Per Friends of the San Juans:"BP’s 2021 Atmospheric Crude Distillation Capacity (barrels per calendar day) is 242,000 – that’s 88,330,000 barrels/year."

‘Rarest of the rare’: B.C’s newest conservancy protects globally imperilled rainforest
The move will permanently protect at-risk species and biodiversity — including rare lichens, grizzly bear and wolverine — in an area Premier David Eby describes as ‘one of B.C.’s greatest treasures.’ Sarah Cox reports. (The Narwhal)

Coastal GasLink fined a 3rd time for environmental violation
The company behind a contentious natural gas pipeline project in northern B.C. has been fined a third time for non-compliance with environmental orders, according to the provincial government. The Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) has fined Coastal GasLink (CGL) $213,600 for what the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy described as "continued deficiencies with erosion and sediment control measures" identified during inspections of pipeline construction in February 2022. (CBC)

Quake early-warning system coming next year
System could give coastal communities several minutes of warning of a mega-thrust earthquake that results in major shaking and damage. Darron Kloster reports. (Times Colonist)

In Graphic Detail: Gray Whales in Flux
The number of gray whales in the eastern North Pacific Ocean was a cause for celebration a few years ago. What happened? Marina Wang reports. (Hakai Magazine)

Canfor shuts down operations in Chetwynd and Houston, B.C., cutting about 400 jobs
Canfor has announced the permanent closure of its Chetwynd, B.C. operations, as well as a temporary closure of its Houston sawmill, creating further challenges for forestry industry workers. Though the company did not say how many jobs would be cut, the union representing workers at both locations estimated at least 400 people would be out of a job. Andrew Kurjata reports. (CBC)

Blueberry River First Nations beat B.C. in court. Now everything’s changing
New agreements between the province and Treaty 8 nations are a first step towards healing land devastated by decades of heavy industrial activity. Matt Simmons reports. (The Narwhal)

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Now, your tug weather--
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  231 AM PST Thu Jan 26 2023 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH  FRIDAY MORNING   
TODAY  W wind to 10 kt becoming 5 to 15 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 2 ft or less. W swell 6 ft at 13 seconds. 
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 15 kt rising to 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 2 ft or less building to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight. W swell 5 ft at 12 seconds. A chance of rain in the  evening then rain likely after midnight.

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