2/3 Evergreen violet, 'forever chemicals,' BC oil spill, large vessels, nuke exemption, WA Supreme Court, BC forestry, democracy watch

Evergreen violet

Evergreen violet Viola sempervirens
A creeping violet with evergreen leaves and yellow flowers with purple streaks on lower petals, blooming in early spring. This plant grows west of the Cascades crest and east in the Columbia River Gorge in Washington and from British Columbia to California. (WNPS)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Environmental bills to watch for

A crisis emerges across the US as ‘forever chemicals’ quietly contaminate drinking water wells
Forever chemicals get their name because they resist breaking down, whether in well water or the environment. In the human body, they accumulate in the liver, kidneys and blood. Research has linked them to an increased risk of certain cancers and developmental delays in children. Michael Phillis and Helen Wieffering report. (Associated Press) 

B.C. would struggle to contain oil spill off north coast, research suggests
Decades of research shows waves, wind and darkness would defeat containment efforts for much of the year, raising questions about new oil export plans. Stefan Labbé reports. (Times Colonist) 

Calling for Salish Sea protection: Victoria talks large marine vessels
Victoria city counselors Matt Dell and Jeremy Caradonna want the city to ask the federal government to undertake a series of actions to protect Canadian waters including: the phase-in of low-sulphur fuel by large marine vessels; developing regulations to prevent the discharge of scrubber wash water; ensuring all regulatory emissions requirements are being followed by large marine vessels. (Sooke News Mirror) 

The Trump Administration exempts new nuclear reactors from environmental review
The announcement comes just days after NPR revealed the administration had secretly rewritten safety and environmental standards. Geoff Brumfiel reports. (NPR) 

Another WA Supreme Court justice to retire
After Justice Barbara Madsen’s retirement, a third of the court will turn over by next year. Jake Goldstein-Street reports. (Washington State Standard) 

B.C. forestry review seeks overhaul, moving focus away from harvest volumes
A government-commissioned review of forestry in British Columbia is calling for the system to be razed and rebuilt with a focus on trust and transparency about the state of the province's forests, shifting away "from managing harvest volumes." Ashley Joannou (The Canadian Press) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump drops demand for cash from Harvard after stiff resistance (NY Times) 
• Trump wants to ‘nationalize the voting,’ seeking to grab states’ power (Washington Post) 

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Here's your tug weather—  West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  220 PM PST Mon Feb 2 2026    
TUE  SE wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: E 3 ft  at 4 seconds and W 5 ft at 12 seconds. TUE NIGHT  E wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: E  2 ft at 4 seconds and W 7 ft at 15 seconds.

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"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



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