11/23 Jellies, humpbacks, crabs, Dungeness Bay, climate, coal, LNG, Alaska drill, Gulf dolphins, salty sewer

Lion’s mane jellyfish (Alexander Semenov/Daily Mail)

Pull, not push, propels jellyfish and lampreys, according to new study
Jellyfish suck, but that’s not what most people believe about their method of locomotion. It seems more likely that jellyfish thrust themselves through the water by pushing the water behind them. But complex experiments in fluid dynamics suggest that jellyfish, as well as eel-like lampreys, actually pull themselves forward by creating a low-pressure region ahead…. The new findings were published this month in Nature Communications. Christopher Dunagan reports. (Saving Our Water Ways)

Humpback comeback: They're ‘popping up everywhere’
The influx of whales in waters near Victoria is being hailed as a “humpback comeback,” as it represents one of the biggest upticks in cetacean activity in recent years. Researchers, marine scientists and whale-watching guides who cover the water between Victoria and Seattle have all reported significant humpback activity as the species begins to repopulate the Salish Sea, which includes the Strait of Georgia, Juan de Fuca Strait and Puget Sound. Mike Devlin reports. (Times Colonist)

Oregon and Washington delay crab season because of toxin
Oregon and Washington have joined California in delaying the start of their commercial crab seasons after dangerous toxin levels were found in the crabs. Officials say elevated levels of domoic acid were found in crabs in all three states. The toxin is naturally produced by microscopic algae in the Pacific Ocean, but the massive bloom of algae caused by warming ocean conditions this year has led to more toxins produced and consumed by shellfish. California had already delayed the Nov. 15 start of its season after finding dangerous levels of the toxin. (Associated Press)

Agencies honored for cleanup of Dungeness Bay, upgrading of shellfish beds
Collaboration among many agencies improved shellfish harvesting in Dungeness Bay, said the director of the Puget Sound Partnership at a ceremony honoring those who worked to clean up the bay. Members of the Sequim-Dungeness Clean Water Work Group were recognized Friday afternoon for their work to upgrade 728 acres of harvestable shellfish beds in Dungeness Bay. Chris McDaniel reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

King County judge denies kids’ petition on climate change
A judge has denied an appeal by eight young activists who petitioned Washington state to adopt stricter science-based regulations to protect them against climate change. King County Superior Court Judge Hollis Hill affirmed some of the children’s arguments, saying the state has a duty to protect natural resources for future generations. But she said the Washington Department of Ecology is already working on meeting that obligation by writing new rules for greenhouse-gas emissions ordered by Gov. Jay Inslee. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Coal export terminals: A source of jobs, or coal dust and climate change?
Two proposed coal export terminals in Washington are now undergoing environmental reviews. During an Oct. 19, 2015, visit to the proposed terminal site in Longview, a local resident explains why she opposes the coal terminal being built. Meanwhile, lawmakers from Washington, Wyoming and Montana told reporters at a press conference at the site that they need the jobs and economic boost the coal terminal would bring. Melissa Santos reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Coal not going away anytime soon despite renewables push
Coal: Can’t live with it and can’t live without it, at least not yet. It is the biggest source of heat-trapping greenhouse gases that negotiators around the world hope to limit in an agreement soon to be thrashed out in Paris. Demand for coal is leveling off, but it will remain a key energy source for decades, no matter how many billions of dollars of investment go into cleaner energy like wind and solar. Too much of the world depends on it for heating and power generation to suddenly live without it. Louise Watt reports. (Associated Press)

Analysis: Pressure to cut climate gases poses challenges for LNG
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s new Liberal government and Christy Clark’s B.C. government get more serious about reducing carbon emissions, the nascent liquefied natural gas sector could face new challenges. Trudeau is meeting with premiers Monday to discuss the country’s strategy at climate talks in Paris next month, where countries will set new emissions targets. He has said his government will put a price on carbon, set emission-reduction targets and adopt tougher environmental reviews for energy projects. Gordon Hoekstra writes. (Vancouver Sun)

ConocoPhillips approves $900 million project in National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska
ConocoPhillips has approved funding for its Greater Mooses Tooth development on Alaska's North Slope, a $900 million project expected to yield 30,000 barrels of oil daily at its peak. Production is expected to begin in 2018 at the field in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, an Indiana-sized Arctic reserve. Production at the field would be the first time oil has flowed from federal lands on the reserve. Oil also recently began flowing from the oil company's CD5 project within the reserve boundaries, but that was on land owned by Alaska Native corporations. Alex DeMarban reports. (Alaska Dispatch News)

Births Down and Deaths Up in Gulf Dolphins Affected by Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
…. This trend of reproductive failure and death in Gulf dolphins over five years of monitoring after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill is outlined in a November 2015 study led by NOAA and published in the peer-reviewed journal Proceedings of the Royal Society. Of the 10 Barataria Bay dolphins confirmed to be pregnant during the 2011 health assessment, only two successfully gave birth to calves that have survived. This unusually low rate of reproductive success—only 20%—stands in contrast to the 83% success rate in the generally healthier dolphins being studied in Florida's Sarasota Bay, an area not affected by Deepwater Horizon oil. (NOAA)

Costco says it won’t sell genetically modified salmon
Costco said Friday it does not intend to sell genetically modified salmon at this time, joining a list of retailers that say they will not sell the fish despite the approval Thursday by the federal Food and Drug Administration of such fish for human consumption. “Although the FDA has approved the sale of GM salmon, Costco has not sold and does not intend to sell GM salmon at this time,” the warehouse store chain said in a statement Friday. (Seattle Times, Associated Press)

Shell fined $77,000 for incident that caused odor
Shell Puget Sound Refinery was fined $77,000 on Nov. 10 for a February incident that brought numerous complaints of an odor. The state Department of Labor & Industries fined the refinery for two violations relating to improper operation of a flare, a gas combustion device that burns off substances that shouldn’t go airborne. The flare also prevents fires or explosions. The more serious violation alleges the refinery skipped decontamination steps when shutting down a flare for maintenance. Skipping those steps exposed workers to toxic substances, according to Labor & Industries. Aaron Weinberg reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Metro composting company seeks permit for higher emissions
Organics composter Harvest Power is seeking an air quality permit to increase its “authorized emissions” after significantly exceeding air and odour emissions for the past two years. The Richmond-based company, which composts most of Metro Vancouver’s food scraps, has asked the regional district to approve a permit based on “characterization studies” over the past two years that show emissions were more significant than expected, in some cases 11 times higher for certain compounds. Kelly Sinoski reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Bremerton: Sewer saltwater coming from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard
More saltwater is flowing into city sewers from the Navy’s home base, putting the city’s sewers at risk, the Kitsap Sun reported. While saltwater is not unusual in a sewer system surrounded by Puget Sound, the increased amount of saltwater could increase corrosion, rust and increase odors in the city’s system, the paper reported. The saltwater amounts are double their usual levels, Pat Coxon, the city’s wastewater treatment manager told the Sun. City and Navy officials have not been able to solve the problem, the Sun reported. John White reports. (KCPQ)

Feiro Marine Life Center preparing to say goodbye to Ursula the octopus as time for her release nears
Ursula, a giant Pacific octopus has been living at the Feiro Marine Life Center for over a year and a half, but now it’s time to go. Ursula has been living at the center on City Pier since February 2014 when she was caught at Freshwater Bay. Mark Swanson reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Anacortes fifth-graders help restore Bowman Bay
Bracing against the wind at Deception Pass State Park’s Bowman Bay, 10-year-old EmmaLee Grove put the force of her entire body into digging a hole on the beach’s newly restored shoreline. When the hole was sufficiently deep, EmmaLee and her best friend Kadence Yonkman placed the roots of a small, leafless tree — which they had named Wilbur — into it, then covered the roots with rich, dark gray mud. Kera Wanielista reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 232 AM PST MON NOV 23 2015
TODAY
LIGHT WIND...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT THIS AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY IN
 THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 13 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 10 FT AT
 11 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN LIKELY IN THE EVENING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT.

--
"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.

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11/20 'Frankenfish,' murrelet, storm sewage, Mt. Polley, oil rules, train safety, Inslee on refugees

“Frankenfish” AquAdvantage salmon (LA Times) 

Genetically engineered salmon is fit for dinner, FDA says in first decision of its kind
Perhaps that last breed does not evoke images of ancient and frigid headwaters in Alaska or Arctic Canada, where wild salmon spawn every year, or even the humble hatcheries that produce less expensive species consumed by millions of people. But on Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration announced that the AquAdvantage salmon — developed using growth hormone from Chinook salmon and a gene from an eel-like ocean fish that makes it reach market size twice as quickly as other salmon — has become the first genetically engineered animal approved for American consumption. AquaBounty Technologies Inc., the Massachusetts company that created the fish, calls it "the world's most sustainable salmon." Opponents call it "Frankenfish." The FDA, which was accused of delaying the decision for years amid public concern, now says you can call it dinner. William Yardley reports. (LA Times)

State considers conservation options for marbled murrelet
The state Department of Natural Resources is reviewing conservation plan options for the marbled murrelet, a seabird that is found along the state’s coast, including several bays on Skagit County’s shoreline. The state agency worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to draft five strategies to conserve the bird’s habitat. The options would protect between 594,000 and 734,000 acres of land managed by Natural Resources. The marbled murrelet is considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act, meaning it is likely to become endangered. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Deadly storm flushes sewage into Seattle's waterways
Heavy rains means heavy runoff making its way into bodies of water around Seattle. But that's not all that's making its way into area lakes and the Puget Sound. The recent storms that moved over Seattle and the Pacific Northwest and knocked out power to thousands, also sent rivers of stormwater into underground pipes. As pipes became overwhelmed, they were flushed into local bodies of water, carrying not only stormwater, but sewage as well. Richard Oxley reports. (MyNorthwest.Com)

Critics warn of another disaster at Mount Polley
 Rapidly rising water levels in a vast containment pit at the Mount Polley mine are now a scant six metres below the level where they could seep into groundwater and the Quesnel River system. Bigger worries loom for spring. Winter snow melt could overwhelm storage capacity causing another catastrophic spill like August 2014, when a breach dumped 10 billion litres of water and 4.5 billion litres of slurry into Polley Lake. Stephen Hume reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Ecology working on new rules for movement of oil
he state Department of Ecology is developing new rules for transporting oil by train and pipeline. The changes could require companies moving oil through the state to improve accident response plans and provide advanced notice about the movement of oil. The changes could go into effect as early as 2016. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

No more breaks on positive train control, agency chief tells railroads
The nation’s rail safety chief told a group of railroad officials she expects them to complete a long-delayed collision-avoidance system by the end of 2018 and to not count on Congress to give them an additional reprieve. Recent legislation approved by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama gives them a three-year extension to complete positive train control, though with some wiggle room to seek an additional two years if necessary. Sarah Feinberg, who heads the Federal Railroad Administration, encouraged attendees of the Rail Trends conference in New York Thursday to make 2018 their goal. Curtis Tate reports. (McClatchy)

Why My State Won’t Close Its Doors to Syrian Refugees
OVER the last week, a growing number of governors, representatives, senators and presidential candidates have demanded that America slam shut our borders to refugees who are fleeing unspeakable horrors at the hands of the Islamic State. On Thursday the House passed a bill containing impossibly onerous vetting procedures for new refugees from Syria. The American character is being tested. Will we hew to our long tradition of being a beacon of hope for those chased from their homelands? I have always believed that the United States is a place of refuge for those escaping persecution, starvation or other horrors that thankfully most in America will never experience. Governor Jay Inslee writes. (NY Times)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI NOV 20 2015
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT
E WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING E 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 11 SECONDS.
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"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.

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4/3 Pipeline hearings, steelhead hold, landslide fish, GMO fish, ocean reserves

Seal in moonlight (Grant Auton/BBC)

If you like to watch: Mammal Photographer of the Year
Winning images from The Mammal Society’s second annual competition (BBC)

NEB criticized for culling list of participants for Trans Mountain pipeline review
The National Energy Board has come under fire for restricting the number of people permitted to participate in the review process for the proposed Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project in British Columbia. More than 2,100 individuals, aboriginal groups, companies and organizations applied to participate in the coming hearings, which will examine the suitability of a project that will twin an existing line, increasing capacity from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels of oil per day. In announcing the list of participants Wednesday, the NEB stated it “considered each application and has determined that 400 will participate as intervenors and 1,250 as commenters.” That might sound like a lot of people got approved, said NDP MP Kennedy Stewart, whose Burnaby riding will be crossed by the expanded pipeline. He thinks far too many got rejected or got limited status. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail) See also: Trans Mountain pipeline hearings set for January 2015 (Vancouver Sun)

Wash. Puts Release Of Hatchery Steelhead On Hold
State fish managers are halting their plans to release juvenile steelhead into Puget Sound rivers this spring. This decision comes in response to a lawsuit filed by wild fish advocates. The Wild Fish Conservancy sued the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, contending that the agency’s planting of early winter hatchery steelhead violates the Endangered Species Act. In response, agency officials have decided not to release more than 900,000 juvenile Chambers Creek steelhead in Puget Sound rivers. Katie Campbell reports. (EarthFix)

The landslide's fish fallout: Collateral damage on the Stillaguamish
he Stillaguamish River's runs of Chinook salmon and steelhead, ­­both species listed as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act, could become two more unforeseen casualties of March's Oso, Wash. landslide. "It's sort of a wait­-and-­see situation right now," said Craig Bartlett, a spokesman for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The landslide killed the eggs in the nests buried deep underneath its mud, but it will take years before the impact on the Chinook and steelhead runs can be determined. That's because this year's fry, which typically spawns both up and downstream of the mudslide, has yet to return to the river, according to Bartlett. John Stang reports. (Crosscut)

Engineered salmon may be a tough sell
Don't expect to find genetically modified salmon -- or any other engineered fish or meat -- on store shelves anytime soon. The Obama administration has stalled for more than four years on deciding whether to approve a fast-growing salmon that would be the first genetically modified animal approved for human consumption. During that time, opponents of the technology have taken advantage of increasing consumer concern about genetically modified foods and urged several major retailers not to sell it. So far, two of the nation's biggest grocers, Safeway and Kroger, have pledged to keep the salmon off their shelves if it is approved. Mary Clare Jalonick reports. (Associated Press)

Should We Close Part Of The Ocean To Keep Fish On The Plate?
For lovers of fatty tuna belly, canned albacore and swordfish kebabs, here's a question: Would you be willing to give them up for several years so that you could eat them perhaps for the rest of your life? If a new proposal to ban fishing on the open ocean were to fly, that's essentially what we might be faced with. It's an idea that might help restore the populations of several rapidly disappearing fish – like tuna, swordfish and marlin — that we, and future generations, might like to continue to have as a food source. The novel conservation plan, introduced recently in a paper in the journal PLoS Biology, would close international waters – where there's currently pretty much a fishing free-for-all — to all fishing and restrict commercial fishermen to coastal areas managed by individual nations. The authors, Crow White and Christopher Costello, suggest turning the open ocean into a worldwide reserve for the migratory species that travel huge distances. (NPR)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 254 AM PDT THU APR 3 2014
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS. RAIN
 LIKELY THIS MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 12 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 6 FT
 AT 16 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY AFTER MIDNIGHT
--
"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.

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1/20 Mud, MLK, SPU, BC pipe, Cherry Pt coal, Sliver Cr, BC enviro ed, GMO salmon, state parks, derelict ships

American avocet and chick (PHOTO: Ingrid Taylar)

Why Mud Matters: Chatting with Geomorphologist Jeremy Lowe
Jeremy Lowe is serious about mud. We caught up with the senior scientist from San Francisco-based environmental planning firm ESA to discuss why lowly mud and sediment are critical pieces of Bay habitat — and why we should worry about a world without them . Beth Slatkin reports.

New blog: MLK Day and the Way to Win
"We’re celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day again this year and I’m happy that Scott Miller, who runs the environmental communications consultant group Resource Media, addressed the issue of real diversity in the environmental movement in a thoughtful blog last week, Changing with the times..."

SPU's plan to get Seattle out of deep sh*t
Last year, Seattle spilled more than 154 million gallons of stormwater and untreated sewage into our lakes and streams. SPU plans to fix that. Martha Baskin reports.

Northern Gateway pipeline report draws lawsuit
A coalition of environment groups has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court alleging serious flaws with the Joint Review Panel's final report that recommended the pipeline be approved because “Canadians will be better off with this project than without it.” The group is seeking a court order to prevent the federal cabinet from acting on the panel's report to approve the proposed pipeline. Ecojustice lawyers representing ForestEthics Advocacy, the Living Oceans Society and the Raincoast Conservation Foundation allege the Joint Review Panel's 419-page report contains legal errors and that its approval is based on insufficient evidence. See also: Neil Young's anti-oilsands tour draws fierce reaction in Calgary


Cherry Point coal port study process remains on hold
Almost six months after regulatory agencies made their decision on the scope of environmental study for a proposed Whatcom County coal export terminal at Cherry Point, the study process itself has yet to begin. Tyler Schroeder, Whatcom County planning manager, said the work on the first draft of the wide-ranging environmental impact statement for the Gateway Pacific Terminal won't start until the companies proposing the coal project sign off on a contract they are now reviewing. John Stark reports.

Coal spill feared a risk to aquatic life in Burnaby's Silver Creek
John Preissl can hardly believe his eyes. The Burnaby resident and amateur nature photographer walks the shoreline of Burnaby Lake pretty much every day and is disturbed to see that sediments and coal have created a small island at the mouth of Silver Creek where endangered western painted turtles are hibernating. A set of logs utilized by the turtles outside of winter sits beached on the new island. “This is brand new, never been here,” the 51-year-old painter and finish carpenter remarks. “It’s sad. It shocks me. The turtles are right underneath, wintering in the mud.” A Canadian Pacific train operated by a Canadian National crew on CN tracks derailed a week ago Saturday just north of Burnaby Lake, spilling metallurgical coal into rain-swollen Silver Creek. Larry Pynn reports.

New B.C. curriculum eroding environmental education, critics fear
Critics fear that environmental education could be losing its place as a prime topic of study in B.C. schools. And that’s especially bad at a time when issues like sewage, Alberta oilsands and pipelines are front-and-centre, said elementary-school teacher Lenny Ross. Ross, who teaches at Strawberry Vale Elementary School and helps organize environmental-education programs throughout the Greater Victoria school district, is part of a grassroots effort to ensure the importance of the environment is retained during the ongoing review of the curriculum. Jeff Bell reports.

House panel hears debate on modified salmon
Last year’s ballot battle over genetically modified food got a rerun in a legislative committee Friday as some fishing groups called for a ban on re-engineered salmon and others said the idea was unnecessary fear-mongering. The House Agriculture Committee considered but did not vote on HB 214, which would also require any genetically modified salmon sold in Washington stores to be labeled. Rep. Cary Condotta, R-East Wenatchee, the bill’s sponsor, said it was narrower than Initiative 522, which would have required many genetically modified foods to be labeled if it passed last year. It failed but got about 49 percent of the vote. Jim Camden reports.

Ads in state parks explored
Washington officials are looking to end the ban on commercial advertising in state parks in hopes of generating much-needed dollars for the cash-strapped agency. But visitors won’t be subjected to gaudy displays of corporate logos anytime soon, insist lawmakers and leaders of state parks. House and Senate bills introduced this week aim to generate revenue from advertising on the agency website and expanded private investment in Washington’s 117 parks, plus a like number of undeveloped properties. Jerry Cornfield reports.

Rep. Hansen proposes new bill to safeguard waterways and protect marine jobs by cleaning up derelict vessels
Rep. Drew Hansen of Bainbridge Island is sponsoring a new bill to further fight the problem of derelict and abandoned boats in the waters of Washington state... Hansen worked over the summer with Rep. Norma Smith, a Whidbey Island Republican, on the bipartisan proposal to speed up the removal of derelict vessels. The bill also aims to increase accountability for owners of high-risk boats and encourage boat owners to dispose of vessels safely. n the 2013 legislative session, Hansen successfully helped to author and push a bill to protect jobs in the marine industries by strengthening the state’s derelict vessel program. That measure, House Bill 1245, was approved last year with overwhelming bipartisan support. Hansen’s follow-up proposal, House Bill 2457, would go further to address the problem. It focuses on the bigger, older vessels that are most likely to decay and become derelict.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON JAN 20 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 17 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 18 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.

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4/1 Culverts, fuel tax, climate science, Pacific Trails pipeline, Belcarra Park, Union R., Bakken crude

Ah, Spring (PHOTO: Les Bazso, Vancouver Sun)

New blog: “Outgoing Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will lead ceremonies in Anacortes Monday morning and on Lopez Island Monday afternoon celebrating establishment of the San Juan Islands National Monument. The public is invited to both events. Event organizers learned over the weekend that the Secretary will be unveiling three monument possibilities at the Monday celebrations. The options include a Stonehenge model, an Easter Island model, and a Fremont Troll model....” Salazar Brings Gift of ‘Monument’ to San Juans

A federal judge on Friday ordered the state of Washington to fix culverts that block salmon from reaching their habitat, setting a timeline and pressuring officials to find the money needed to do the job. U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo S. Martinez's ruling was the result of a decades-old legal battle tied to treaties dating back to the mid-1800s. Tribes have said the state has blocked salmon passage and contributed to the decline of fish harvests. Under the ruling, the state must first fix culverts on recreational lands by fall 2016. The state would have 17 years to provide fish passage through Transportation Department culverts. Martinez said in his decision that the tribes have been harmed economically, socially, educationally and culturally because of reduced salmon harvests caused by state barriers that prevent fish passage. Manuel Valdez reports. Judge orders Washington to fix culverts blocking salmon  See also: Tribes’ court win may flow beyond culvert repairs to protect fish  

Democrat Jay Inslee makes no secret he wants to promote high-tech and clean-energy jobs in a long-term economic shift away from fossil fuels. And he says he wants to funnel more taxpayer cash into K-12 public schools. So when he laid out a plan Thursday to close nearly a dozen tax breaks or shrink them, a $40.2 million per biennium tax break tapped by the region’s five oil refineries stood out. Closing what is known as the “extracted fuel” tax would let Inslee move toward both goals in one fell swoop. But the first-year Democratic governor is in for a political fight, if history is a guide. Past legislative attempts to raise taxes on oil refinery products met with fierce opposition from the oil industry – and the industry says it will fight again this time. Brad Shannon reports. Oil refiners gird up to do battle over state's ‘extracted fuel' tax plan

Western Washington geology profs take strong exception to recent testimony provided by Don Easterbrook to a state Senate committee chaired by Sen. Doug Erickson (R-Ferndale). "We, the active faculty of the Geology Department at Western Washington University, express our unanimous and significant concerns regarding the views espoused by Easterbrook, who holds a doctorate in geology; they are neither scientifically valid nor supported by the overwhelming preponderance of evidence on the topic. We also decry the injection of such poor quality science into the public discourse regarding important policy decisions for our state's future; the chair of the committee was presented with numerous options and opportunities to invite current experts to present the best-available science on this subject, and chose instead to, apparently, appeal to a narrow partisan element with his choice of speaker." Amen.  WWU faculty find overwhelming scientific evidence to support global warming

Nearly one hundred costumed demonstrators marched to Chevron's North Burnaby refinery on Saturday, protesting the company's involvement in the proposed Pacific Trails Pipeline. The pipeline will run more than 450 kilometres through the B.C. Interior from Prince George to Kitimat, transporting liquefied natural gas to be sold to foreign markets. The $1 billion project was originally approved back in 2008 and has been plagued with opposition since. Demonstrators protest Pacific Trails Pipeline  

Belcarra Regional Park is considered the crown jewel of the Tri-Cities. Now both the city of Port Moody and the Village of Belcarra are teaming up in hopes of keeping the shine on Admiralty Point in Belcarra Regional Park. Both municipalities have passed motions asking the federal government to either transfer the lands to Metro Vancouver or lease the space in perpetuity to ensure the lands are preserved for park use. Jeremy Deutsch reports. Development fears sparked as 99-year lease at Coquitlam's Belcarra Park expires

A $220,000 cost overrun for a project to restore the Union River estuary has left officials scrambling to find additional money to complete what has become a $2 million restoration. Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, the prime sponsor of the project, has sent a letter to funding agencies explaining the “unanticipated issues” that drove the costs beyond the original budget. They included design changes, bids that came in higher than expected and site conditions encountered at the last minute. Chris Dunagan reports. Union River project delayed as money runs out

In an effort to keep up with competing refineries rapidly turning to North Dakota’s Bakken formation as a major source of crude oil, the Shell Puget Sound Refinery in Anacortes is considering building a rail offloading facility for Bakken crude on its property on March Point. Thomas Rizzo, general manager for the refinery, said his company is currently in negotiations with the Army Corps of Engineers and state Department of Ecology about what permits and mitigation would be necessary to build a rail loop and offloading site east of the Shell refinery fences while remaining on company-owned property. The loop would have to be large enough to hold the 100-unit car trains used to transport crude oil from North Dakota’s Bakken formation. Mark Stayton and Kate Martin report. Shell considers rail loop for Bakken crude

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 246 AM PDT MON APR 1 2013
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT...BECOMING W IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG THIS
 MORNING.
TONIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NE TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. PATCHY
 DRIZZLE AFTER MIDNIGHT.

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"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.


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3/20 Coal export, Tethys water, BC herring, pesticide pollution, pipeline, Port Gamble, species-at-risk, harbor porpoise, giant squid, sage grouse, GM salmon

Pacific herring (NOAA)

Scoop Jackson didn’t have the Internet in mind when he wrote the Environmental Protection Act in 1969, but that marvelous invention has dramatically changed the way the Washington senator’s legacy has operated. The democratizing of information has given community activists a shot at the Big Guys, who always have had access to data. Floyd McKay reports. Coal Wars: Port opponents make big use of access to information

The Skagit County Growth Management Act Steering Committee today meets from 11 AM  to 1 PM at Burlington City Hall to discuss the city of Anacortes’ petition to modify its urban growth area (UGA) to include six parcels needed by Tethys to build a plant that could bottle up to five million gallons of water a day. Then: Anacortes Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer at a public meeting tonight at 7 PM in the Anacortes Public Library will make a presentation and answer questions about Skagit River water: how much water Anacortes draws from the river, what the “instream flow” rule means and why residents are occasionally asked to cut back consumption while new customers are brought on. Skagit water system questions answered  

Sierra Club B.C. and some fisheries scientists are calling for a moratorium on B.C.’s herring fishery because of fears declining stocks could affect the entire marine ecosystem. Herring are eaten by coho and chinook salmon, humpback, minke and killer whales, other marine mammals and seabirds. Herring roe is eaten by bears and wolves, and the roe-on-kelp fishery — which does not kill the fish — is important to coastal First Nations. Judith Lavoie reports. Advocates call for moratorium on B.C. herring fishery in wake of declining stocks

Scientists have discovered an overall improvement in the amount of pesticides flowing in Washington State streams. That announcement wouldn’t mean much in the past because the levels can change from year to year depending on rainfall, stream flows, temperature and dozens of other factors. But now, researchers with the state departments of Agriculture and Ecology have ten years of accumulated testing, enough to show a trend. State Agriculture officials said pesticide concentrations declined over the past decade in salmon bearing streams. They also said most were below levels of concern. But they did find 10 of the 74 pesticides they test for were increasing in concentrations. Gary Chittim reports. Pesticide detectives discover what's streaming our waterways  

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has named an envoy to defuse the tension between First Nations and the energy and pipeline industry that threatens his plan to quickly develop Canada's natural resources. Vancouver-based lawyer Doug Eyford will focus on energy infrastructure in Western Canada and submit a preliminary report directly to Harper by the end of June and a final report by the end of November. Envoy to deal with First Nations concerns on pipelines  

A community meeting seeking input for an upcoming environmental analysis of the Port Gamble revitalization project attracted more praise for the project than concerns. The meeting, which attracted about 40 people Monday to Poulsbo City Council chambers, is part of a public comment period known as scoping for an environmental-impact statement. Amy Phan reports.  Public generally upbeat about Port Gamble plans

The B.C. government released a draft species-at-risk plan Tuesday that was immediately dismissed by environmentalists as an empty pre-election gesture that offers little for conservation. The draft plan emphasizes that any efforts to save species at risk must “take into consideration social and economic interests.” Larry Pynn reports. B.C.’s draft species-at-risk plan criticized as ‘hollow’ conservation effort

Construction on Gig Harbor's scenic North Harborview Drive may be causing headaches for drivers, but locals remain in high spirits. The project, Donkey Creek Restoration, aims to clean up the intersection of Harborview Drive, North Harborview Drive and Austin Street. The project will also improve the local fish habitat. Migrating fish currently swim through 200 feet of buried pipe to get from Donkey Creek to the harbor. The pipe will be removed and a channel will be dug, creating open access to the harbor. Nathan Shoup reports. Gig Harbor road project a headache, but 'saving salmon is really cool'

What do you know? The 85 or so southern resident Orcas are doubtless the Sound’s most famous inhabitants. The movie stars of the maritime Northwest, our local paparazzi photograph and report their every move. We know a lot about them, as we should, given their iconic status. Yet of the Sound’s most populous whale or dolphin, we know only a little. As it turns out, local scientists are beginning to think that the Orca’s plebeian cousin, the harbor porpoise, may reveal much about the state of the Sound—and yet we scarcely bother to count or track them. Numbering more than 10,000 when last we checked a decade ago, harbor porpoises are genuine residents of the Sound. Unlike the jet-setting “resident” Orcas who in truth spend much of their time far from the Sound, a distinct population of harbor porpoises lives out their lives in the Salish Sea—eating, breeding, and raising their young solely in its waters. Eric de Place blogs. Should the Harbor Porpoise Be the New Orca?  

They're the stuff of myth and B-grade horror movies, giant tentacled sea monsters roaming the deep in search of prey. In recent years giant squid have made an appearance off the West Coast, and now new research is shining some light on the B.C. sea monsters and their siblings. A team headed by Danish researchers tested DNA samples from 43 giant squid from around the world — including a specimen from Newfoundland. They were stunned to find that there is likely just a single species of the massive squid that migrates to oceans around the world. B.C. sea monster research delivers more questions than answers, says scientist

Sign-ups have started for the next training session for Beach Naturalists. Beach Naturalist volunteers explore Kitsap beaches and learn about marine life and local water issues. They receive extensive in-class and on the beach training and, in return, give back to the community through a variety of volunteer projects. This year’s training begins March 28.  Registration begins for Beach Naturalist training

The federal government has pulled a veil of secrecy over its plans – or even whether it has any plans – to save the greater sage grouse, a critically endangered species known for its fantastical courtship rituals. In the Federal Court of Appeal, Tuesday, a panel of three judges listened while lawyers argued over whether Environment Minister Peter Kent has to reveal if he has made a recommendation to cabinet concerning the fate of the sage grouse. Mark Hume reports. Court weighs Peter Kent’s right to silence on endangered sage grouse  

Several supermarket chains have pledged not to sell what could become the first genetically modified animal to reach the nation’s dinner plates — a salmon engineered to grow about twice as fast as normal. The supermarkets — including Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s and Aldi — stated their policies in response to a campaign by consumer and environmental groups opposed to the fish. The groups are expected to announce the chains’ policies Wednesday.  Andrew Pollack reports. Markets pledge not to sell genetically-modified salmon

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PDT WED MAR 20 2013
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT
TODAY
SW WIND 20 TO 30 KT...BECOMING W 30 TO 40 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED SEAS 7 TO 8 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 9 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 14 TO 16 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 10 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. RAIN THIS MORNING...THEN SHOWERS AND A CHANCE OF TSTMS IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT
W WIND 25 TO 35 KT...EASING TO 20 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 18 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS.
 A CHANCE OF TSTMS. SHOWERS LIKELY.
--
"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

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3/6 Gravel, First Nation treaty, Lummi coal, fish boat sinking, orca tag, GM salmon, climate fight, shark face, clean water

Loading gravel (Aggregate Manager)

Dan McShane blogs about the Hood Canal Pit-to-Pier gravel extraction project, the supposed impetus to Senate Bill 5805 which bill sponsor Senator Hobbs says "is trying to assist Thorndyke Resources, which has spent a dozen years seeking approval to mine gravel and sand in Shine on the west end of the Hood Canal bridge."   A Bit More on Pit to Pier

Provincial politicians in B.C. have ratified a treaty that will give a Sunshine Coast First Nation thousands of hectares of land and millions of dollars. The Tla’amin (Sly-ah-mon) Nation Final Agreement still has to be ratified by the federal government before it becomes law. But the deal will give the Powell River nation $29.7 million, economic development funding of $6.9 million, a fishing vessel fund of $250,000 and more than 8,000 hectares of land. Aboriginal Relations Minister Ida Chong says the Tla’amin have become the ninth First Nation in B.C. to have their treaty passed in the last 13 years. B.C. ratifies treaty with Tla’amin First Nation  

Jay Julius is a fisherman and a member of the Lummi Nation tribal council. Lummi people have lived on the shores of Puget Sound north of Bellingham for thousands of years. Not far from their reservation lies Cherry Point, the proposed site for the largest coal export terminal in North America. Katie Campbell and Ashley Ahearn report. Tribal Fisherman Sees Coal Threat Looming  

A fishing boat has gone down in Georgia Strait, off Point Grey, west of Vancouver, but its two crewmembers are safe. The Rescue Co-Ordination Centre in Victoria says a mayday call was picked up at 5:15 a.m. and numerous coast guard, RCMP and commercial boats raced to the scene. By the time the first ship, a tugboat, arrived, the fishboat had already sunk but the two crewmembers were spotted in the water. 2 rescued from sinking fishing boat in Georgia Strait

A research team led by Brad Hanson of NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center has been tracking K and L pods off the coast of Oregon and California, most recently offshore of Washington’s Willapa Bay. The team left Newport, Ore., on Friday aboard the 209-foot research vessel Bell M. Shimada. The crew caught up with K pod the following day with the help of a satellite transmitter attached to K-25, according to reports. Most if not all of L pod was seen swimming with the K pod whales near Cape Blanco, off the southern coast of Oregon. The research team attached a new satellite tag to L-88, a 20-year-old male named Wave Walker. The new tag will provide another method of following the whales if the tag attached to K-25 should fall off, as expected sooner or later. It has already stayed attached for more than two months, about twice the average life of the satellite tags. Chris Dunagan reports. Researchers attach new tag to orca in L pod

The Food and Drug Administration is considering whether AquaBounty, a Massachusetts-based company with a lab on Prince Edward Island in Canada and growing facilities in Panama, may sell genetically engineered salmon to consumers in the United States. More than 33,000 fishermen, environmentalists, food safety advocates and others have written to the FDA with concerns about the agency's preliminary findings. Among the worries is that the genetically engineered fish might escape and mix with wild salmon. The company says that's unlikely, not only because the fish are sterile but also because of its production process. Activists fight FDA approval of genetically engineered salmon

Gov. Jay Inslee urged a legislative committee on Tuesday to take quick action to authorize an independent review of the state’s options for reducing carbon pollution. In his testimony on House Bill 1915 before the House Environment Committee, Inslee framed Washington as a state with the right mix of entrepreneurship, technological know-how and innovative talent to emerge as the global leader in the clean-energy field. Inslee also testified last month in the Senate on a similar proposal to invite the Legislature’s four caucuses to join him in a working group that can hire a consultant and consider what might be the state’s best, most cost effective strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. But this time the skepticism of some Republican members of the committee came through more clearly. Brad Shannon reports. Inslee: ‘We need to move' on climate  

Two vessels moored at a Guemes Channel pier at the west end of Seventh Street may be taken over by the state because of their instability and the instability of the pier they are tied to. Heavy winds on Monday, Feb. 25 caused part of the pier to break up. Some of the debris ended up on the beach at the Kiwanis Waterfront Park next to the Guemes Island ferry dock. Two pilings were floating some distance away from the pier. Joan Pringle reports. State may take over vessels moored at old cannery site  

Researchers in Idaho say they've finally solved a mystery surrounding a 270-million-year-old shark. After a century of guessing, scientists have put a face to the giant animal that once swam the region, back when the Northwest was underwater. The problem was that sharks are mostly made of cartilage, which doesn't keep well over millennia. So all scientists had from Helicoprion was a curious spiral of thin, serrated blades – which various scientists imagined to be from its dorsal fin, its tale, its nose ... Jessica Robinson reports. Idaho researchers reveal the terrifying face of prehistoric shark  

After two years of construction, Anacortes’ new Drinking Water Treatment Plant is preparing to go online after a series of systems tests are performed. Anacortes Public Works Director Fred Buckenmeyer said the $56 million plant should be operational by mid-April or as soon as late March, when the current water treatment plant would shut down. Buckenmeyer said the current water treatment plant was built in 1970. He said it has experienced reliability problems in the past because there was no back-up power supply. Mark Stayton reports. Testing begins at Anacortes’ new water treatment plant  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 730 AM PST WED MAR 6 2013
REST OF TODAY
NE WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING NW. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT AND THU
NW WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS. CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
--
"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

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12/24 Shipping noise, Idle No More, murrelet, GMO salmon, Tesoro report

From BirdNote.Org

Best of the season: A safe and happy holiday to you.  Cheers!

Salish Sea Communications blog: “Dan Inouye visited Iolani School in Honolulu sometime soon after becoming one of Hawaii’s first U.S. Senators in 1963. He exhorted our high school class of boys to become men our families, our state and our nation could be proud of...”  Aloha, Senator Dan

Some of B.C.’s quietest and most critical stretches of whale habitat could be transformed for the worse by increased shipping noise associated with Enbridge’s Northern Gateway and other planned projects on the north coast. A study headed by Christine Erbe, director of the Centre for Marine Science and Technology at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, predicts total underwater shipping noise could increase 10-fold in B.C.’s northern fiords if Northern Gateway proceeds. Larry Pynn reports. Gateway tanker noise could drive whales away from B.C.'s north coast

If you like to watch:  Local supporters of the Idle No More movement took to the Bay Centre with drums and dance to demonstrate their support for better communication and action between Canada's First Nations and federal government. Idle No More demonstration at the Bay Centre

The population of a reclusive Northwest sea bird has declined by about a third in just 10 years. That’s according to a new federal study of the marbled murrelet. The murrelet is a relative of the puffin that nests in coastal old growth forest. Trained observers on boats off the coast of Oregon, Washington, and California tallied the number of murrelets they saw each summer, for 10 years. Amelia Templeton reports. New Study: Threatened Northwest Seabird Numbers Drop 30 Percent

Federal health regulators say a genetically modified salmon that grows twice as fast as normal is unlikely to harm the environment, clearing the way for the first approval of a scientifically engineered animal for human consumption. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday released its environmental assessment of the AquaAdvantage salmon, a faster-growing fish that has been subject to a contentious, yearslong debate at the agency. Genetically-engineered 'Frankenfish' moves closer to dinner tables  

Nearly three years after the explosion at the Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes claimed seven lives, six members of Washington’s congressional delegation today called on federal investigators to complete their investigation. “As the third anniversary of the event is rapidly nearing, we note with growing concern that the one major report still outstanding is the one being conducted by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board. We are also very dismayed by reports that the Board has redirected personnel and resources from this investigation in order to work on other, more recent accidents and incidents.” the letter states. Final Tesoro explosion report demanded by congressional delegation

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 AM PST MON DEC 24 2012
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS. ISOLATED SHOWERS IN THE MORNING.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT BECOMING E 20 TO 30 KT LATE. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT LATE. SW SWELL 4 FT AT 9
 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN.

--
"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.  

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12/5 Oil trains, Spokane coal meet, bag ban, shark fin soup, frankensalmon, San Juan CAO, Elwha sewer, quakes

"Cartwheel Contest" (Meg McDonald)

If you like to watch: Meg McDonald captures Southern Resident Killer Whales at Point Robinson "The Cartwheel Contest" December 3, 2012

If you like to watch: Take an incredible voyage. "Nothing like this in the Salish Sea!!!" says Helen Engle. Crossing the Bar, Columbia River

The waters of Puget Sound were at the top of the stairs along the Alki Promenade as a high tide combined with high winds for dramatic scenes in West Seattle on Dec. 4.  SLIDESHOW: High tide and strong winds make for a dramatic combination in West Seattle  

As regulators in the region weigh the potential impacts of trains full of coal moving along the Columbia River and the shores of Puget Sound, trainloads of oil are quietly on the move. There are billions of barrels of oil in the Bakken shale formation – located in North Dakota and Montana mainly. And some of that oil is now making its way to refineries in Puget Sound. Dale Jensen, the spill program manager for the Washington Department of Ecology, says oil trains are a new concern for him. Ashley Ahearn reports.  Oil Trains On The Rise In The Northwest

A trade organization promoting coal shipments from Pacific Northwest ports hired about 30 temporary workers to stand in line at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center Tuesday morning to secure the limited number of cards that will be handed out for testimony this afternoon. Hundreds of people are converging on Spokane today for the fifth in a series of public meetings on a proposed coal terminal near Bellingham. Mike Prager reports. Coal backers hire temp workers to stand in line

Bainbridge Island became the first city in Kitsap County to ban plastic bags from checkout counters last month. The race to become the second is not a heated one. The mayors of Bremerton, Port Orchard and Poulsbo said they are following the new Bainbridge ordinance with interest, but have heard no proposals for similar bans in their communities. Tad Sooter reports. Kitsap towns in no rush to follow Bainbridge's bag ban

A recent court decision that struck down Toronto’s shark fin ban won’t stop Vancouver’s fight to restrict the product, said one Vancouver city councillor. Coun. Kerry Jang, who proposed a ban in September, said he’s confident the city can come up with a bylaw that will hold up in court. "The Toronto ban had a problem, as I see it, because they tried to ban consumption," Jang told CBC News. "It's sort of like saying someone can't breathe or look at something anymore. Whereas what we're trying to do in Vancouver is simply looking at the sale and trade of shark fin, which is something different and under municipal powers."  Shark fin fight continues in Vancouver

Salmon that's been genetically modified to grow twice as fast as normal could soon show up on your dinner plate. That is, if the company that makes the fish can stay afloat. After weathering concerns about everything from the safety of humans eating the salmon to their impact on the environment, Aquabounty was poised to become the world's first company to sell fish whose DNA has been altered to speed up growth. But more than two years later the FDA has not approved the fish, and Aquabounty is running out of money. Matthew Perrone reports. Fast-growing fish may never wind up on your plate  

The San Juan County Council on Dec. 3 puts its stamp of approval on revision of the final four sections of the critical areas ordinance. In a 5-1 decision, with Councilman Rich Peterson, North San Juan, opposed, the council approved an update of the CAO sections involving wetlands, fish and wildlife habitat and the "general" provisions that apply to all critical areas. The council approved without dissent revisions to the CAO sections that apply to geologically hazardous and frequently floods areas. Update of CAO blessed by county council in 5-1 vote  

Heavy loads of sediment and woody debris in a rain-swollen Elwha River are clogging filters and pumps at the Elwha Water Treatment Plant west of Port Angeles, Olympic National Park officials confirmed. “Basically, they're having to clean the filters a lot more frequently than anticipated,” park spokeswoman Barb Maynes said. Rob Ollikainen reports. Sediment, debris clog equipment at Elwha treatment plant

Research by Stanford scientists focuses on geologic features and activity in the Himalayas and Pacific Northwest that could mean those areas are primed for major earthquakes. The Cascadia subduction zone, which stretches from northern California to Vancouver Island, has not experienced a major seismic event since it ruptured in 1700, an 8.7-9.2 magnitude earthquake that shook the region and created a tsunami that reached Japan. And while many geophysicists believe the fault is due for a similar scale event, the relative lack of any earthquake data in the Pacific Northwest makes it difficult to predict how ground motion from a future event would propagate in the Cascadia area, which runs through Seattle, Portland and Vancouver. Pacific Northwest and Himalayas Could Experience Major Earthquakes, Geophysicists Say   And Russian Far East Holds Seismic Hazards: Potential to Trigger Tsunamis That Pose Risk to Pacific Basin

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED DEC 5 2012
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM PST EARLY THIS MORNING
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO NOON PST TODAY
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT FROM NOON PST TODAY THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
W WIND 25 TO 35 KT EARLY...EASING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE MORNING...THE BECOMING SW 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 5 TO 7 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 11 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SCATTERED SHOWERS.
TONIGHT
W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY.

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"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

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10/10 Lake Whatcom, Skagit coho, Ktisap shores, Oly shores

Chris Teren, Oct. 8 (Journal of the San Juans)

If you like to watch: Chris Teren captured the northern lights on Oct. 8 from Reuben Tarte Memorial Park on San Juan Island. Spectacle in the sky; Northern Lights over Waldron

Longview on the Columbia: Ecology, Cowlitz County, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers agree on joint environmental review of Millennium coal export proposal  

Do harbor seals chow down on rockfish? Check out the answer and other interesting research at SeaDoc Society's October Update.

A vote on the transfer of 8,844 acres of land around Lake Whatcom for use as a county park could come in February, although the County Council left open the possibility of holding the proposal in committee indefinitely. The council decided on Tuesday, Oct. 9, to hold at least three committee meetings, each addressing one of county Executive Jack Louws' requests for more information, before the final vote is taken on the land transfer, or reconveyance.. Ralph Schwartz reports.  Vote on Lake Whatcom land transfer could come in February  

Starting Oct. 10, people are allowed to catch three coho salmon per day from the Skagit River, according to a rule change by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The increased limit is in effect through Dec. 31. It applies only to coho salmon in the Skagit River between the mouth and Cascade River Road. Gina Cole reports. Coho salmon fishing limits increased  

Shoreline experts will discuss the importance of healthy nearshore areas, with a special focus on Kitsap County, during a forum Saturday. The free forum is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Klahowya Secondary School, 7607 NW Newberry Hill Road. Speakers include Curtis Tanner, a biologist with the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project; Jeanette Dorner, director of Salmon and Ecosystem Recovery for the Puget Sound Partnership; Dennis Lewarch, historic preservation officer for the Suquamish Tribe; and Jeffrey Eustis, an environmental lawyer familiar with the history and application of the state's Shoreline Management Act. Chris Dunagan reports. Shoreline forum in Kitsap set for Saturday  

Olympia City Council members peppered city staffers with questions Tuesday night about aspects of the city’s draft Shoreline Master Program, which would tighten restrictions on development along the many of the city’s bodies of water, particularly Budd Inlet. The meeting came after the city met with business, environmental and other government interests, including the Port of Olympia, which objected to the plan last week. The state Department of Ecology is requiring the plan update and has final say once the council submits its recommendation, which appears likely to shift into next year.  Matt Batcheldor reports. Olympia council gets clarity on shoreline plan  

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
900 PM PDT TUE OCT 9 2012
WED
NW WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 17 SECONDS. PATCHY FOG IN THE MORNING.
WED NIGHT
W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT AT 15 SECONDS.

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"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

10/5 Gas tax, White House coal, Seattle trees, Oly restoration, RIP Theo, WQ grants, Shell drilling

Coastal Ballet (Laurie MacBride)

Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "I’ve cut my feet on them way too many times, and every spring we have to scrape them off the hull of our boat. Still, I can’t help but appreciate barnacles: they’re at the same time wonderfully simple and ever so complex. Simple, because they have few internal organs and, aside from their larval stage, spend their entire lives in a single place, upside-down inside their calcite shell. Complex, because they must withstand such a wide range of conditions, all the way from fully immersed in the saltchuck to high and dry for hours at a time...." Coastal Ballet: Barnacles at Work  

If you like to watch: check out Alan Berner's photos of Chinook and Coho returning to Issaquah Creek. Hatchery homecoming

The state Supreme Court unanimously ruled Thursday that a tax on gasoline to pay for toxic cleanup is constitutional. The decision came in a case testing the state’s 18th Amendment, which restricts gas taxes to “highway purposes” such as road maintenance and construction. At stake was tens of millions of dollars that go each year to removing toxic pollutants from places like Seattle’s lower Duwamish Waterway. The Automotive Trade Unions Organization and California-based Tower Energy Group challenged the tax as unconstitutional because money raised by the tax wasn’t going to roads. AUTO filed the lawsuit after a few years in which the state Legislature diverted millions from the tax to backfill the state’s general fund. Scott Gutierrez reports.  Supreme Court says pollution tax on gasoline is constitutional

The White House has intervened in an interagency review of industry proposals to ship millions of tons of coal to Asia through planned export terminals in the Pacific Northwest. The White House Council on Environmental Quality convened a meeting of senior agency staff in August to discuss the proposals, which come in the midst of a presidential campaign in which Republicans and business groups have tried to focus attention on what they assert is the Obama administration's “war on coal.” With the election looming and what appears to be conflict between the corps and EPA over the export terminal EIS process, the administration has declined to publicly define its position.  Paul Shukovsky reports. White House Intervenes in Dispute Over Plans To Export Coal to Asia Through Northwest

For the past two years the City of Seattle has worked to update its Tree Protection Ordinance. Last year the proposed ordinance was sent back to the drawing board by the City Council because it lacked even basic protections for trees. A new version was sent to the City Council this week. What’s the fuss? Green Acre Radio's Martha Baskin reports.  If Trees Like the Pacific Madrone and Zebra Cedar Could Talk, What Would They Say About Seattle’s Proposed Tree Protection Ordinance?

Coho, cutthroat trout, steelhead and other fish will have an easier time migrating in a small stream that flows out of Capitol Forest to the Black River, thanks to a state program that aids small-forestland owners with removal of barriers that block fish. The $130,000 project this week to replace a fish-blocking road culvert with a small bridge across Goliath Creek frees up more than four miles of upstream fish habitat. It’s a prime example of the kind of work the state Department of Natural Resources and its partners are poised to do. Since 2003, some 232 fish barriers – usually road culverts – have been eliminated on nonindustrial timberland, returning some 500 miles of stream habitat to migrating salmon and trout through the state Department of Natural Resource’s Family Forest Fish Passage Program.  Another fish barrier removed

A harbour porpoise that was rescued from a Vancouver Island beach has lost his fight for survival. The young porpoise — which rescuers named Theo — was found stranded and in grave condition in Esquimalt in July. Crews from the Vancouver Aquarium's rescue centre spent more than two months giving Theo around-the-clock care. Rescued B.C. harbour porpoise dies


Public entities have until Nov. 2 to apply for state Department of Ecology funding for water-quality projects. Ecology expects to offer about $138 million in grants and loans to local governments, public utility districts, federally recognized Indian tribes, conservation districts, universities, health departments and other eligible groups. Projects that might qualify for such funding include sewage system improvements, water re-use facilities, stormwater and groundwater projects, stream-side protection and restoration, and public education about clean water.  Funding available for water-quality projects

Royal Dutch Shell Plc has started drilling a well in the Beaufort Sea off northern Alaska, making good on exploration plans that had been stalled by floating ice, technical delays and problems with meeting oil spill-preparation requirements. Shell said it started drilling late on Wednesday at its Sivulliq prospect after getting clearance from Inupiat Eskimo whalers, who had just completed their autumn bowhead whale hunt. Under the plans, operations must cease by the end of October. As with the well it began last month in the remote Chukchi Sea off northwestern Alaska, Shell is permitted by federal authorities to drill only to shallow depths that are far short of oil-bearing reservoirs. The permits issued by the U.S. Bureau of Environmental Safety and Enforcement allow only "top-hole" drilling because Shell has not yet met oil-spill regulations. Shell begins drilling well at Beaufort Sea prospect  

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PDT THU OCT 4 2012
FRI
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 2 FT AT 8 SECONDS.
FRI NIGHT
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. NW SWELL 2 FT AT 7 SECONDS.
 SAT
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 2 FT.
SAT NIGHT
E WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 3 FT.
SUN
E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 3 FT.

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