1/10 Trident wharf, Langley whales, Pt Angeles science, geoducks, BC cougars, ravens, Bayview Ridge, BPA risks

Das Boot USS Nebraska

Judge rejects suit to halt dock addition at Trident base
A federal judge in Tacoma has dismissed a lawsuit seeking to halt construction of a nuclear-missile handling wharf at Naval Base Kitsap Bangor, clearing the way for the contested $650 million Pentagon project to proceed. The ruling Wednesday by U.S. District Court Judge Ronald Leighton emphatically rejected every major argument by a group of anti-nuclear activists, who contended the Navy withheld required public information and failed to consider alternatives to building a new munitions wharf.... Leighton said any information the Navy kept from the public during its environmental-impact-review process was justifiably exempt, and that the plaintiffs were seeking “release (of) information detrimental to national security.” Kyung M. Song reports.

Langley welcomes whales/tourists with new center
Hoping to boost tourism, Langley leaders have plans to lure people to town with a new whale-watching center. At the Langley City Council meeting Monday, Fred Lundahl said a lease has been signed and $5,000 doled out to pay for startup costs. The center, essentially a museum for Puget Sound whales, will be located on the corner of Second Street and Anthes Avenue in the building — owned by former mayor Paul Samuelson — that houses the Langley Main Street Association. The organization provided the seed money for the new whale center in the hopes of bringing people into Langley, adding yet another draw for the Village by the Sea. Ben Watanabe reports.

Oak Street property eyed for marine science, conference center in Port Angeles
The long-dormant downtown Front and Oak streets waterfront property is being eyed as the site of a new, 63,000-67,000-square-foot, two-building marine science and conference center with additional space for retail activity. Alaska-based Neeser Construction Inc. has made an offer on Olympic Lodge owner Tod McClaskey Jr.’s property... The 1.96-acre waterfront site — a former log yard — could be the new home for the Feiro Marine Life Center and a 5,800-square-foot shared conference center, said Deborah Moriarty, director of the center now housed in a city-owned building on City Pier. Paul Gottlieb and Arwyn Rice report.

Geoducks test OK, but what’s behind Chinese ban?
Now it is up to Chinese officials to decide upon shellfish imports to their country, as uncomfortable as that may be for U.S exporters. I’ve begun to learn about international trade policies to better understand the confusing actions of Chinese health authorities. Chris Dunagan blogs on the intricacies of international trade warfare.

Cougar family snapped strolling Sunshine Coast beach  
 A couple living on the Sunshine Coast of B.C. caught a rare glimpse of three fully-grown cougars strolling together on a beach one morning last week. Greg and Mary Carter glanced out the window of their waterfront property in Roberts Creek and spotted the cats travelling west along Flume Beach — about 45 metres from their house.

Power line nests put US ravens in pole position for prey
Ravens in the US are building their nests on electricity power lines and using the height to target their prey, according to new research. The scientists say the majority of ravens in the study area were now living on transmission poles and posed a bigger threat to endangered species. Raven numbers in western states have increased by more than 300% in the past 40 years, say the researchers. The study is published in The Condor: Ornithological Applications. Matt McGrath reports.

The end for Bayview Ridge?
Skagit County’s 17-year effort to plan for 5,600 new residents at Bayview Ridge faces yet another hurdle Friday even before the county approves the project. The plan has hit other major roadblocks in the past few months. The additional residents would create a need for a new school. But recently-expanded airport traffic zones effectively eliminated any potential school sites. Business growth in the county has created more demand for industrial land around the airport. On Friday, the Port of Skagit will consider a resolution that recommends Skagit County adopt the expanded air traffic safety overlay zones recommended by the state Department of Transportation. Those expanded zones would render about 30 to 40 percent of the land proposed for Bayview Ridge residential development unusable for housing. Rachel Lerman and Kera Wanielista report.

BPA Increases Risk of Cancer in Human Prostate Tissue, Study Shows
Fetal exposure to a commonly used plasticizer found in products such as water bottles, soup can liners and paper receipts can increase the risk for prostate cancer later in life, according to a study from the University of Illinois at Chicago published Jan. 7 online in the journal Endocrinology. Bisphenol A, or BPA, is widely used to soften plastics. Steering clear of the chemical is nearly impossible, says Gail Prins, professor of physiology at UIC and lead author of the paper.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
FRI
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING S IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 13 SECONDS...BUILDING TO 12 FT
 AT 14 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON.
FRI NIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW 25 TO 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. COMBINED SEAS 11 TO 13 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF
 15 SECONDS.
SAT
W WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 19 FT.
SUN
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 15 FT.

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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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1/9 B'ham Bay toxins, Canada ESA, Roberts Bank port, oil train fire, B'ham coal, China coal, crab bust, GOP on WA climate, Vic sewage, Naki Stevens

PHOTO: Pacific Northwest Seasons

If you like to watch: Seattle Sunsets: Many Shades of Awe  
Jill at Pacific Northwest Seasons blogs: "Do you ever stop to watch the sunset? While we don't see so many here in western Washington during winter, when we do it's often a spectacular display. (For you early birds, same can be said for the sunrise.) Throughout the year I'm drawn to Puget Sound beaches to witness the sun slipping behind the jagged spine of the Olympic Mountains.  Like a serrated knife facing skyward, these mountains slice the western horizon and provide a dramatic backdrop for day's end. I can't get enough."

Study shows alarming decline in Bellingham Bay marine life
Creatures that live on the bottom of Bellingham Bay are showing clear signs of stress that is probably linked to toxic pollution. So says a new report from the Washington Department of Ecology, relying on extensive survey of bay sediments and the creatures that live in them. The survey tests found "unusually low" numbers of clams, snails, sea stars, crabs, shrimp and other sea life, according to an Ecology press release. The surveys also found that organisms least sensitive to pollutants were the most abundant, while the most sensitive organisms were scarce. "This is a strong indicator that the sediment quality in the bay is declining," said Valerie Partridge, lead author of the Ecology report. The survey involved samples of the top inch of sediment at 30 locations in the bay. The sediment samples were checked for chemical content, toxicity, and population of marine life. About two-thirds of the samples had some degree of toxicity, Partridge said. John Stark reports. Sediment study pdf.

Failure to protect endangered species lands feds in court
Environmental groups are in federal court in Vancouver today trying to force the federal government to abide by its own Species At Risk Act. Ecojustice is arguing on behalf of five other groups — including the David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace Canada, Sierra Club B.C., Wilderness Committee and Wildsight — that Ottawa has failed to prepare timely recovery strategies for endangered wildlife threatened by proposed resource development projects, including the Northern Gateway pipeline.

If you like to watch: A Confounding Beauty
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "In the summer, overnight fog forms frequently along much of the BC coast, and it often doesn’t dissipate until the next afternoon. Even if you have radar and GPS, navigating is tricky, especially when time constraints or distance require you to make a morning passage...."

Environmental review ordered for Roberts Bank port expansion
An independent panel will review plans by Port Metro Vancouver to build a major shipping-container facility in Delta. The port wants to build a three-berth, marine-container facility next to the existing Deltaport and Westshore terminals that can handle an additional 2.4 million units every year at Roberts Bank. Current capacity is 1.8 million units.  Federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq says the panel will have 14 months to submit a report to the minister, who will have five months to make a decision.

Train carrying oil derails, catches fire in Canada
Officials in Canada said a derailed freight train carrying crude oil and propane continued to burn Wednesday, and about 150 residents remained evacuated from their homes. There were no deaths or injuries. Of the 17 cars that derailed late Tuesday in New Brunswick province, five contain crude oil and four contain liquefied petroleum gas, officials said. Later Wednesday, the Canadian National Railway said two of the cars carrying liquefied petroleum gas and one car carrying crude oil were on fire. "It is contained, but it is evolving," said Claude Mongeau, the chief executive of CN. The derailment in a sparsely populated region, roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) from the U.S. border and northern Maine, again raised concerns about the increasing use of rail to transport oil throughout North America. In July, 47 people were killed in Lac-Megantic, Quebec, when a train carrying crude oil derailed. See also: Oil-train accidents prod regulators to look at tank-car safety

Bellingham coal port: One financial giant exits, another enters
Ownership of the proposed coal port at Cherry Point north of Bellingham shifted abruptly Tuesday, with a Goldman Sachs subsidiary dropping out and a major Mexican businessman stepping in. The developments led opponents of the proposed Gateway Pacific Terminal to point to questions about the financial viability of exporting coal for power generation in Asia. But the supporters of the project appear to be moving forward. Floyd McKay reports.

Meanwhile: China approves massive new coal capacity despite pollution fears  
China approved the construction of more than 100 million tonnes of new coal production capacity in 2013 - six times more than a year earlier and equal to 10 percent of U.S. annual usage - flying in the face of plans to tackle choking air pollution. The scale of the increase, which only includes major mines, reflects Beijing's aim to put 860 million tonnes of new coal production capacity into operation over the five years to 2015, more than the entire annual output of India. While efforts to curb pollution mean coal's share of the country's energy mix is set to dip, the total amount of the cheap and plentiful fuel burned will still rise. David Stanway reports.

The Magnuson Line
‘"Congress passes Senator Warren Magnuson's amendment banning supertankers in Puget Sound." That was the headline on Oct. 5, 1977. Sen. Warren Magnuson had, just a day before, taken to the United States Senate floor and quietly proposed "a little amendment" to the reauthorization of his 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act.... I was thinking about Magnuson's "stealth bill" (as it came to be known) the other night as I watched our third string of cheap, Chinese-made Christmas tree lights go kaput while listening to the whistle of the 110-car coal (or oil) train leaving from downtown. From here, it's over to the north Puget Sound and then — lots of it, anyway — off to China. I had one of those "let me get this straight" moments: We put our environment at risk (remember the aquifer); we completely throw Amtrak's Empire Builder line off schedule (two to four hours is typical) during the year when Amtrak is showing its best ridership ever; we permit noise pollution throughout the downtown, night after night; and we do all this so corporate America can make big bucks while we get to buy these cheap Christmas tree lights from China?’  Robert Herold reflects.

Wildlife cops bust black market crab ring
Washington State Fish and Wildlife officers and Lummi Tribal police teamed up this week to bust an alleged illegal seafood ring that involves distributors, commercial outlets and fishermen in three counties. Officers simultaneously swooped in on 16 commercial fishermen, two wholesale fish companies and 10 retail establishments in Whatcom, Snohomish and King Counties. Investigators said the fishermen captured undocumented and undersized crab and sold them through the back doors of businesses that included some restaurants and nail salons. The crab were taken before they could mature enough to spawn, stealing a future generation from a delicate and wild population. Gary Chittim reports.

Republicans on climate panel want more time  
After a state climate panel missed a deadline to deliver recommendations on reducing carbon emissions, two Republican members on the group said Wednesday they want another year to study the economic costs of proposals. Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, and Rep. Shelly Short, R-Addy, said the five-member panel should continue to meet to examine the costs and benefits before undertaking some costly carbon-reducing proposals, such as a cap-and-trade program or carbon tax. Phuong Le reports.

Greater Victoria politicians debate extension of sewage project deadline
Greater Victoria politicians are once again debating whether to extend the deadline for the region’s sewage treatment megaproject. The Capital Regional District should ask the B.C. government if it will consider pushing back a 2018 deadline for the $783-million project until 2020, Victoria Coun. Marianne Alto said Wednesday. The extra two years may not be needed, but formally asking the province would “explore the notion of having a bit of a cushion” on the controversial project, Alto told the CRD sewage committee during a meeting. Rob Shaw reports.

And if you missed it: Veteran Puget Sound activist Naki Stevens will join the environmental watchdog group Sound Action as a lobbyist this upcoming Washington state legislative session. Sound Action.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 900 PM PST WED JAN 8 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT
THU
SW WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING S IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 10 FT AT 11 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
THU NIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 10 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN...THEN SHOWERS 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

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1/8 Partnership director, Goldman Sachs folds, safe geoducks, BP no pay

Puget Sound “dead zones” (World Resource Institute/KPLU)

Puget Sound Partnership gets new director
Gov. Jay Inslee has appointed a new executive director to lead the Puget Sound Partnership, the state agency tasked with cleaning up Puget Sound. Inslee on Tuesday announced the appointment of Sheida Sahandy. She has worked for the city of Bellevue since 2006, where she worked as assistant to the city manager. She'll take over an agency with 47 employees and an annual budget of $9.4 million in state and federal money. She begins her job Feb. 4. Sahandy would be the fifth executive director of the partnership since it was created by the Legislature in 2007.

Wall Street Giant Backs Away From Washington Coal Export Project
A multinational banking giant is backing away from a proposal to build the West Coast’s biggest coal export project near Bellingham, Washington. New York-based Goldman Sachs has sold its stock back to the companies proposing to build the Gateway Pacific Terminal. If built it would transfer 48 million tons of Wyoming coal each year from trains to ocean-going vessels bound for Asia. The move comes less than six months after a Goldman Sachs published a research paper titled, "The window for thermal coal investment is closing." Before the stock transfer, Goldman Sachs had a 49 percent stake in the Gateway Pacific project. The company proposing the project is SSA Marine. Its parent company is Carrix, Inc. David Steves reports.

Wash. Officials Say Shellfish Is Safe For China To Import
Washington state officials said Tuesday they found lower contamination levels when they tested geoduck clams than those alleged by China when it said geoduck imported from Puget Sound had high levels of arsenic. China cited its findings in December when it imposed the largest ban on shellfish imports from Northwest waters — as well as from California and Alaska — in the region’s history. Chinese officials said they found inorganic arsenic levels of .5 parts per million in the shellfish they tested in October. But Washington officials’ tests produced different results. Ashley Ahearn reports.

BP, claiming fraud, wants to stop oil-spill payments
The Deepwater Horizon settlement agreement is in turmoil, with BP attempting to stop the payments and saying money shouldn’t have gone to an adult escort service, a global nuclear consultant and others that haven’t proved the monster 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico cost them business. BP is waging an aggressive campaign in the courts and the news media against the settlement it signed two years ago. The company agreed to the settlement under pressure as claims mounted from the oil rig explosion that killed 11 workers, led to the biggest environmental disaster in U.S. history and did major economic damage to businesses in the region. Sean Cockerham reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 858 PM PST TUE JAN 7 2014
WED
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN.
WED NIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING SW 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN.

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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

1/7 BC pipe, DFO library, snow geese, shellfish harvest, Edgewater Beach

Northern Gateway pipeline route (CBC)

Northern Gateway not a sure thing, Harper says
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says his government’s drive to diversify Canada’s energy markets doesn’t make cabinet approval of the controversial Northern Gateway pipeline project a foregone conclusion. During a 30-minute Q&A session hosted by the Vancouver Board of Trade, Mr. Harper said on Monday that his cabinet will balance economic and environmental interests as it makes a final decision on whether to approve the $6-billion project to link the Alberta oil sands with Kitimat, B.C. Oil would then be shipped to foreign markets by tanker. Ian Bailey reports.

Fisheries and Oceans library closings called loss to science
Irreplaceable science research may be lost when Department of Fisheries and Oceans libraries across the country are closed down, researchers fear. Fisheries and Oceans Canada hopes to close seven of its 11 libraries by 2015. Already, stories have emerged about books and reports thrown into dumpsters and the general public being allowed to rummage through bookshelves.... Fisheries and Oceans Canada told CBC News that all of its copyrighted material has been digitized and that the rest of its collection will be soon. Max Paris reports.

Snow geese visit Bow
Thousands of snow geese dined Monday in a large field just north of the Bow village. The geese made a loud racket as the moved en mass, eating as they waddled in unison. Occasionally, a bald eagle would fly overhead flushing the geese into the air. After a few minutes they regrouped on the ground and resumed filling their bellies. Residents taking photographs and videos seemed not to bother the ravenous birds. Scott Terrill reports.

Most Whatcom County beaches safe for shellfish harvesting
Most Whatcom County beaches have been reopened to shellfish harvesting after levels of the biotoxins that cause paralytic and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning dropped to safe levels, according to the state Department of Health. Beaches in southern parts of the county have been closed to harvesting since mid-September. Northern ones reopened in November after being closed in October. However, Portage Bay remains closed to harvesting of all species. All of Sandy Point south to the Whatcom/Skagit border is open to all harvesting except butter and varnish clams.

Path planned for access to Mukilteo's Edgewater Beach
It's the public beach that no one can reach. The city of Mukilteo is planning to build a path to Edgewater Beach, a small point of sand near the Everett-Mukilteo border. The beach was designated for public use in 2008 by the Port of Everett when it opened the adjacent Mount Baker terminal, a pier that receives aircraft parts for Boeing. Parking spaces for the beach were installed. Bill Sheets reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 851 PM PST MON JAN 6 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON
TUE
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN.
TUE NIGHT
S WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 9 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

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

1/6 Eagles, Bakken crude, oil train, native solar, coal dust, tracking orcas, murrelet count, starfish, Navy jets, Mima mounds

Bald eagle (Skagit Valley Herald)

An Endangered Species Act success story
With the forested North Cascades in the east, coastal waters to the west, and the Skagit and Samish rivers delivering snow melt from the peaks along winding paths to the bays, Skagit County is an ideal home for bald eagles. Some eagles nest and breed in trees near the river banks year-round. Hundreds more swoop in from Alaska and Canada for a winter stay timed around salmon that climb the rivers each year. Of the state’s rivers that attract the foraging raptors, the Skagit usually draws the highest numbers with abundant chum salmon and some coho and steelhead, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife’s 2007 Status Report for the Bald Eagle. Kimberly Cauvel reports. See also: Annual eagle count shows healthy population

Bakken Crude Pegged as More Dangerous Imperils Boom in Shale
Safety rules will probably be tightened on crude oil shipments from North Dakota following a string of railway explosions, threatening to damp an energy boom that has boosted the region’s economy. U.S. regulators yesterday issued a safety alert after a train carrying oil crashed and caught fire earlier this week in North Dakota, where surging production has helped lead a renaissance in domestic energy and driven the state’s unemployment rate to the nation’s lowest. The type of oil pumped from the shale formations of North Dakota may be more flammable and therefore more dangerous to ship by rail than crude from other areas, the Transportation Department said in the alert. Regulators are considering imposing tougher rules on railcar construction, among other things, potentially raising the costs of moving the crude to market. Mark Drajem, Angela Greiling Keane and Lynn Doan report.

Oil by rail? B.C. and Alberta report done, not yet public
A task force report that examines the idea of transporting crude oil from the Alberta oilsands to the B.C. coast via rail has been handed in to the British Columbia and Alberta governments. The joint provincial working group was announced by premiers Christy Clark and Alison Redford in July to develop recommendations related to energy exports and the opening of new export markets for products like bitumen for the two provinces, including pipeline and rail transport.

Monitor: Island First Nation grasps potential of alternative power
While oil pipeline debates, anti-fracking protests and increasing fossil fuel demands embroil the country from coast to coast, a small Vancouver Island First Nation is leading the way on a different path. In the past five years, the seaside T’Sou-ke nation has become a world-renowned leader in solar energy. Their projects are the model for others in the capital region and around the province. They also have a massive wind-energy partnership in the works that could augment power for all of Vancouver Island, on a power grid connected to the mainland. Sarah Petrescu reports.

Environmentalists win a round in coal dust lawsuit vs. BNSF
While it may not be the "major victory" that environmental groups are trumpeting in their press release, the Thursday, Jan. 2 ruling by a Yakima federal judge certainly avoids a major defeat in their lawsuit targeting coal dust emissions from BNSF rail cars rolling through Washington state. Lonny Suko, Senior U.S. District Judge, denied a motion to dismiss the July 24, 2013 lawsuit filed against BNSF by a coalition of environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and Bellingham-based Re Sources for Sustainable Communities. The lawsuit charged that BNSF coal trains were discharging coal dust into Washington waterways. Those discharges are a violation of the Clean Water Act because the railroad has no permit for them as the act requires, the lawsuit says... Crina Hoyer, ReSources executive director, hailed that ruling and contended that coal dust pollution could increase dramatically if the Gateway Pacific Terminal project is built to export coal from Cherry Point. John Stark reports.

Killer whale tracking study continues this year
Killer whale researchers are using satellites to track the movements of J pod this year, as part of an ongoing effort to understand where Puget Sound’s orcas travel in winter. The day after Christmas, a satellite transmitter was attached to L-87, a 22-year-old male. The whale, named “Onyx,” has been traveling with J pod for at least three years. Researchers caught up with the pod Dec. 26 in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where the satellite tag was attached by shooting a dart into L-87’s dorsal fin. Chris Dunagan reports.

New mission, new manager, new $325K grant for derelict vessel removal program  
.... Marc Forlenza is taking over (San Juan) county's derelict removal program from Joanruth Baumann, who founded the program as a county employee and ran the program for the past three years under contract with the county. He's also charged with coordinating a new Derelict Vessel Prevention program, using a $325,000 grant from the Puget Sound Partnership. After the county defunded the program during the fiscal crisis, Forlenza, as then-commander of the Friday Harbor Power Squadron, raised $6,500 from boaters and other private sources as part of the matching fund, which Baumann used to convince the county to chip in $5,000, which in turn convinced the state's Department of Natural Resources to resume funding the program in San Juan County. Steve Wehrly reports.

Marbled Murrelets Show 30 Percent Decline? It’s Not That Simple
A couple of years ago, a research team from the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released a report showing marbled murrelet populations declined 30 percent between 2000 and 2010.... But after three more years of monitoring and gathering data, those researchers no longer claim that same downward trend. When they run the numbers for 2000-2010, they do get the 30 percent decline, according to Martin Raphael, a wildlife ecologist with the Forest Service and member of the monitoring team. But when they run the numbers for a longer period of time, 2000-2012, the statistical significance of that trend disappears. Instead, they’re left with data that could be a trend or could be just the natural ups and downs of a population that is not in the midst of a larger decline. Tony Schick blogs.

Devastating starfish disease turns up in Nanaimo area
A sea star-wasting disease that decimated the population of sunflower stars in the Vancouver area in a matter of weeks has been recently uncovered in Nanaimo. Researchers are still puzzled about what is causing sea stars, commonly known as starfish, to go limp, have limbs fall off and crawl away, and within a matter of days or weeks, essentially turn to "goo" and rot. The melting sea stars were first spotted in September in the Burrard Inlet/Howe Sound area, and then spread up the Sunshine Coast, said Dr. Jeff Marliave, vice-president of marine science at the Vancouver Aquarium. Julie Chadwick reports.

Jet noise expected in Port Townsend, other areas of Peninsula, as Navy tests resume next week  
Jet noise from the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island is expected Monday and Thursday when field carrier landing practice is planned at the Outlying Landing Field in Coupeville. It may be heard in Port Townsend or other areas of the North Olympic Peninsula. The practice involving EA-6B Prowler and EA-18G Growler jets will take place during the late afternoon and early evening hours Monday and Wednesday, the Navy said. The schedule for the flights, which are expected to continue through the summer, will be released a week ahead so residents can know when — or if — tests are scheduled for community planning purposes, said Mike Welding, naval base spokesman. Charlie Bermant reports.

Virtual gophers dig up Mima mounds mystery
A California geology professor says he’s solved one of the enduring geological mysteries of the Pacific Northwest. Emmanuel “Manny” Gabet, a geomorphologist at San Jose State University, says prehistoric generations of pocket gophers created the vast fields of Mima mounds found in south Puget Sound and in other locations around the world. Gabet’s findings, aided by two co-researchers, were presented in December at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco. The conclusions have been reported by dozens of media outlets around the world, including the BBC, The Economist, Der Spiegel, Popular Science and public radio. Not so fast, say local geologists and wildlife researchers. Craig Sailor reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 854 PM PST SUN JAN 5 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING
MON
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 2 FT OR LESS IN THE AFTERNOON.
 W SWELL 3 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
MON NIGHT
SE WIND TO 10 KT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 11 SECONDS. RAIN LIKELY...THEN RAIN 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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1/3 Oil train fire, oil threat, 'plastisphere'

Bakken oil rail fire (Darrin Radermache/Time)

Warning issued about oil shipped from N. Dakota, Montana
Following a string of explosive accidents, federal officials said Thursday that crude oil being shipped by rail from the Northern Plains across the U.S. and Canada may be more flammable than traditional forms of oil. A safety alert issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation warns the public, emergency responders and shippers about the potential high volatility of crude from the Bakken oil patch. The sprawling oil shale reserve is fueling the surging industry in eastern Montana and western North Dakota, which is now the nation's second-largest oil producer behind Texas. Thursday's announcement declares that the Bakken's light, sweet crude oil may be different from traditional heavy crudes because it is prone to ignite at a lower temperature. Experts say lighter crudes, which contain more natural gas, have a much lower "flash point" — the temperature at which vapors given off by the oil can ignite. James MacPherson and Matthew Brown report.

Coal, oil threat shrouds image of frolicking orcas
One of my favorite, fanciful images from the past year revealed nearly three dozen splashing, tail-slapping orca whales encircling a Washington state ferry Oct. 29 as it approached the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal en route from Seattle. As if that image alone isn’t enough to make the spirit soar, there was even more to the story. The ferry was carrying about 500 Suquamish tribal artifacts from the Burke Museum at the University of Washington to their ancestral home on the island. The tools, decorative items and bits of rock and bone had been dug up some 60 years ago from a tribal winter village site that was once the home of Chief Sealth, also known as Chief Seattle. They were finally returned to the tribe to display in a tribal museum completed in 2012. John Dodge reflects.

Scientists study threat from man-made ocean ‘plastisphere’  
The plastisphere was six decades in the making. It’s a product of the discarded plastic — flip-flops, margarine tubs, toys, toothbrushes — that gets swept from urban sewer systems and river channels into the sea. When that debris washes into the ocean, it breaks down into bits that are colonized by microscopic organisms that scientists are just beginning to understand. Researchers suspect some of the denizens may be pathogens hitching long-distance rides on floating junk. Scientists also fear that creatures in the plastisphere break down chunks of polyethylene and polypropylene so completely that dangerous chemicals percolate into the environment. Louis Sahagun reports.

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 857 PM PST THU JAN 2 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING
FRI
NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT...BECOMING 15 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 9 FT AT 13 SECONDS.
FRI NIGHT
N WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT
E WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SAT NIGHT
E WIND 10 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT...BUILDING TO 2 TO 3 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL
 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 15 TO 20 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 3 FT AT 16 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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1/2 Oil train crash, BC coal terminal, Shell drill, Seattle seawall, Japanese Gulch, ivy puller

Brackett's Landing Polar Plunge (Genna Martin/The Herald)

Safety questions after ND oil train derailment
A fiery oil train derailment's near-miss of a small North Dakota town had its mayor angrily calling for federal officials to do more to guarantee the safety of the nation's growing shipment of oil by rail. Government regulators defended their record on moving hazardous materials by rail, noting that 2012 was the safest year in the industry's history. But oil trains have bucked that trend, thanks in part to the massive amount of oil being moved out of western North Dakota, where the industry's rapid growth is far outpacing pipeline development. No one was hurt when the mile-long BNSF Railway train derailed Monday afternoon near the eastern North Dakota town of Casselton, but the overturned tankers -- exploding and engulfed in plumes of flames and black smoke for more than 24 hours -- burned so hot that emergency crews didn't even attempt to put out the blaze. Most of Casselton's roughly 2,400 residents agreed to temporarily evacuate due to concerns about unsafe air. Dave Kolpack and James MacPherson report.

Activists plan to ramp up coal-terminal battle
In 2013, community groups pushed a proposed coal-export facility into the spotlight by raising questions about its environmental impact and the regulatory process through which it was to be reviewed. As the year drew to a close, the activists were gearing up for a fresh offensive: In 2014, they will try to push the proposed Fraser Surrey Docks direct-transfer coal facility on to the provincial government’s agenda. Wendy Stueck reports.

Shell Still Aims For Arctic Oil Drilling Despite Mishaps
Exactly a year ago, an oil rig being towed to Seattle ran aground on a remote island in the Gulf of Alaska. The New Year's Eve accident capped a year of trouble for Shell Oil in Alaska and in Puget Sound. Shell is still seeking federal approval to drill in the Arctic, and a critical ship in Shell’s Arctic fleet is still sitting idle on the Bellingham, Wash., waterfront. It took 700 people six tense days to get the drill rig called the Kulluk afloat again. Shell then towed the Kulluk to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, and eventually hauled it to Singapore for repairs. John Ryan reports.

Seawall-project estimates rise
Seattle transportation officials say the estimated costs of the waterfront seawall-replacement project have grown from $300 million to about $330 million over the past year as they refined projections for construction and labor, and for mitigation for waterfront businesses and Indian tribes over disruption to tourism and salmon migration. That’s still well within the contingency fund built into the voter-approved project, officials said Tuesday, but likely means the city will have to find more money to replace the public piers . Lynn Thompson reports. See also: Cause of Seattle tunnel machine stall unknown  

Sale to Mukilteo will preserve Japanese Gulch
The dream of preserving a large chunk of land in Japanese Gulch for recreation has finally been realized.
The city of Mukilteo recently completed a purchase of 98 acres on the west side of the wooded ravine for $5.4 million. The land, owned by Metropolitan Creditors Trust of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, was zoned for light industry. For several years, gulch enthusiasts feared the company would sell the property for development. The parcel borders areas popular with hikers and mountain bikers. Bill Sheets reports.

A Modern Greek Saga: Sisyphus And The Ivy  
Some causes just seem hopeless some days. Like world peace. Or ending poverty. Or in a different vein, getting rid of non-native plants. But you've no doubt met people who insist on tackling intractable problems here locally and around the world. One particularly dedicated fellow wages a solo fight each weekday morning against English ivy. Most of us have a workday morning routine. For some, a stop at the gym comes first. For others, it's two cups of coffee over the sports pages. In Olympia, teacher Kevin Head rises long before dawn on school days to go alone to a city park. Tom Banse reports.

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 849 PM PST WED JAN 1 2014
THU
SE WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING S 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 5 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON.
THU NIGHT
W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 8 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN...THEN SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told