4/11 Vic sewer, Vaughn Bay, Jericho Lands, wetlands bank, fossil fuel terminals, gray whales, leaded water

(PHOTO: David Horemans/CBC)

In bloom: A look at cherry blossom season around the world
Cherry blossom season is in full bloom around the world. From the gardens of Tokyo to Vancouver's Stanley Park, it's a sea of eye-popping pink and white. (CBC)

City of Victoria’s sewage focus wrong, critics say
Everything from dust to design will be under consideration as Victoria moves to develop policies for siting a sewage treatment plant in the city. But Coun. Geoff Young says the city is putting the cart before the horse and by developing policies on how to site a treatment plant, it will be perceived as advocating for it rather than adjudicating whether it’s the right fit…. Mayor Lisa Helps, however, said the hope is to put a set of principles into the process. The Capital Regional District’s latest sewage-treatment plan has identified Victoria’s Clover Point and Esquimalt’s McLoughlin Point/Macaulay Point as sewage-treatment sites and has asked the two municipalities to consult their residents about the areas’ suitability.  Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist) See also: Clover Point sewage plant push vexes nearby residents  Richard Watts reports. (Times Colonist)

Shellfish restrictions in Vaughn Bay force Pierce County to act
The rocky shoreline in front of Dale Skrivanich’s house is peppered with empty oyster shell clusters and other marine debris. Her home overlooks Vaughn Bay, a relatively calm saltwater cove on the eastern shore of the Key Peninsula…. Fluctuating bacteria levels over the years have prompted regulators to adopt a patchwork of shellfish harvesting restrictions. The most recent were issued Aug. 5 by the state Department of Health. That’s when 55 acres of commercial shellfish beds were downgraded from an “approved” status to “conditionally approved.” The downgrade means Goodro Shellfish and Dabob Bay Oyster, the two commercial entities that harvest shellfish from the affected area, must first consult the rain gauge before digging. If an inch or more of rain falls in a 24-hour period, the area is closed to harvesting for five days, according to state regulations. It also triggered a state requirement that the county form a Shellfish Protection District to focus on cleaning up the water that feeds the bay. Brynn Grimley reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

After First Nations purchase, what's in store for Jericho Lands?
Three British Columbia First Nations have paid nearly half a billion dollars for a prime piece of real estate on the west side of Vancouver. However, it's still unclear what plans are in store for one of the largest undeveloped parcels of land on the city's pricey west side.  The Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh nations nations purchased the 15.7-hectare parcel known as the Jericho Lands from the province for $480 million. The First Nations said in a news release that the property overlooking Jericho Beach Park in the West Point Grey neighbourhood was once the site of a First Nations village. (Canadian Press)

What the heck is that? Port’s wetland bank near Puyallup repays development elsewhere
The 40-acre site between River Road and Pioneer Way draws curious glances from passing commuters. It’s a $9 million mitigation project by the Port of Tacoma, the result of a settlement with the EPA. The site design restores historic channel of Clear Creek while building fish-friendly habitat. Sean Robinson reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

‘Fat Lady About To Sing’ On Gateway Pacific Export Terminal Permits Near Bellingham
The next few months will be crucial in determining whether the West Coast serves as a gateway to the Pacific Rim for U.S. exports of fossil fuels. Anti-coal- and oil-train activists say their work, combined with global economic realities, is pointing increasingly toward a future free from energy exports that move through Northwest ports. After years of heated debate, only two of six coal export facilities that were originally proposed for the Northwest are still in play. Many of the energy companies backing them have gone bankrupt or sold off their interests as the overseas markets for U.S. coal and oil products have deteriorated. Now, only the plans for Longview in Southwest Washington and Gateway Pacific near Bellingham’s Cherry Point remain. And earlier this month, the company behind the Gateway Pacific proposal suspended work on its environmental impact statement.  Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

On Whidbey and Camano, the whales are a sight to behold
Despite being packed with more than two dozen people, the deck of the Mystic Sea was dead silent. No one made a whisper. Suddenly, tick, tick, tick — the silence was broken with snapping cameras and excited yells. Gray whales. They’d found them. The cycle of silence and snapping repeated again and again. Whale season is in full swing, and the ruckus is a common occurrence on whale watching boats running out of Langley’s little marina, South Whidbey Harbor. The gray whales, or Saratoga grays as they are often called, have nearly iconic status on Whidbey and Camano Islands due to their annual visits to the Saratoga Passage and Possession Sound to feed on their favorite snack — ghost shrimp, also known as mud or glass shrimp. Kyle Jensen reports. (Whidbey News-Times)

JBLM suspends proposal to send helicopters to North Cascades 
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is putting a controversial helicopter training proposal back in the hangar while it looks for high-altitude sites in the state where its aviation crews can train without disrupting hikers and campers. Its initial proposal drew strong criticism from outdoors advocates who especially opposed the Army’s selection of a site in a wilderness area near Leavenworth. The Army received 2,350 written comments about the plan, including a coordinated campaign from small-business owners in Leavenworth who worried that military helicopters would drive away tourists. Adam Ashton reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

More than 60 Northwest water systems exceed federal lead limits
More than 60 water systems in Oregon, Idaho and Washington have reported samples above federal lead limits during the last three years, according to an Associated Press analysis of test results reported to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A total of eight water systems in Washington have reported water samples above the limit since 2013, including the Washington State Patrol Academy, according to the analysis. Keith Ridler reports. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  231 AM PDT MON APR 11 2016  

TODAY  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 6 FT  AT 12 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN OR DRIZZLE IN THE MORNING.

TONIGHT  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER  MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 15 SECONDS. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS  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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

4/8 Bulkheads, SSEC16, feeder bluffs, restoration, ag pollution, oil spills, saving Blanchard Mt

Common horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

Ancient Romans ate young, fertile common horsetail shoots as if they were asparagus. They also used them to make tea and as thickening powder. Common horsetail is one of the most widespread plants in the world, and often turns up as a bad garden weed (sometimes called 'devil guts'). It was the first vascular plant to send green shoots up through the debris of the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. (Plants of the Pacific Northweat Coast)

Studies point to gap in permits for shoreline armoring  
A significant number of Puget Sound property owners have been altering their shorelines without required permits, according to studies. A new report suggests that state and local regulators should increase enforcement and make penalties more costly for violators. Chris Dunagan reports. (Encyclopedia of Puget Sound)

New blog: Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference 2016— What Do You Know?
It’s been just about two years since the last Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference brought together scientists, governments and activists and in a week we’ll see how much smarter and resolute we’ve become in preserving and restoring the health of the shared waters of Washington state and British Columbia….

Sources of sand: maps show crucial “feeder bluffs”
For more than a hundred years, property owners have seen shoreline erosion as the enemy. But it turns out that in many cases erosion is actually a good thing — crucial, according to scientists — because it provides the sand and gravel needed for healthy beaches. Chris Dunagan reports. (Encyclopedia of Puget Sound) For more: Puget Sound restoration depends on shorelines  Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

New Report Details Path to Improve Puget Sound Water Quality–and Recover Wild Salmon Populations
The Western Environmental Law Center announces a new report, Agricultural Pollution in Puget Sound: Inspiration to Change Washington’s Reliance on Voluntary Incentive Programs to Save Salmon. Puget Sound’s poor water quality is a problem for ecosystem health, wild salmon and shellfish. Our state and federal government spend taxpayer money on programs designed to fix the pollution problem, but recently only two of 17 reporting regions in Puget Sound showed any improvements in water quality. The Washington Department of Ecology acknowledges significant declines in Puget Sound water conditions and the Puget Sound Partnership reported in 2015 that of 27 vital sign indicators, only 10 show improvements and “few are at—or even within reach of—their 2014 interim targets.” (eNews Park Forest)

Oil spill fears remain one year after bunker fuel fouled Vancouver beaches
When the MV Marathassa leaked at least 2,700 litres of bunker fuel into Vancouver’s harbour one year ago, the effects of the spill reached far beyond the city’s picturesque waters and beaches. Delays in clean-up and notification of the city sparked public outrage, drew attention to Conservative cuts to the Canadian Coast Guard and prompted a flurry of campaign promises from the New Democrats and Liberals. The miscommunication and uncertainty of roles that caused the delays were revealed months later in an independent report, which made a number of recommendations that the coast guard says it is implementing. But city manager Sadhu Johnston says despite improvements made by the federal government — including reopening the Kitsilano coast guard base and working toward a regional response plan — fears about oil spills still loom large. Laura Kane reports. (Canadian Press)

Fishermen face federal charges for dumping waste in Blaine waters
The owner and captain of a commercial fishing vessel have been indicted on federal charges of conspiracy for dumping oil and other pollutants into Blaine Harbor and ocean waters, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Bingham Fox, owner of the fishing vessel Native Sun, and his son Randall Fox, the boat’s captain, first dumped the waste in 2011 and continued to do so into 2013, according to DOJ. The alleged discharges also were violations of the Clean Water Act and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. Kyle Mittan reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Millions still needed to protect Blanchard recreation areas
The state Department of Natural Resources failed to receive the $7.7 million it sought from the Legislature to prevent logging in parts of Blanchard State Forest. That will likely mean more logging in the forest after July 1, 2017. Several conservation and recreation groups are concerned that logging may take place in popular recreation areas. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  250 AM PDT FRI APR 8 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON PDT TODAY THROUGH THIS  EVENING  

TODAY  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W  SWELL 5 FT AT 11 SECONDS.

TONIGHT  W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND  WAVES 2 TO 4 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W SWELL  8 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

SAT  SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING E IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES  1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 11 SECONDS.

SAT NIGHT  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING SW TO 10 KT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS...  SUBSIDING TO 5 FT AT 9 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT.

SUN  SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 9 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. 
 
Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

4/7 Peter Goldmark, Vic sewage, oil trains, illegal bulkhead, sick whale, water year, PSP closure

Lady's Mantle (Laurie MacBride)

Transformed by the Rain
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: 'Early each spring, when I begin cleaning up and weeding our garden beds, I tell myself that as soon as the sodden clay soil in the perennial bed dries out just a bit, I should dig up most of the Lady’s Mantle. For despite its genteel name, in our garden this muscular plant is highly invasive. Its roots take hold with superglue strength, its foliage spreads like wildfire, and it readily self-sows if its flower heads aren’t cut off quickly. No matter how hard I’ve tried to keep it in check, Lady’s Mantle has had the nasty habit of crowding out other, more delicate flower species that I’d hoped would flourish. So each spring I say to myself, “Enough!” But then it rains – and I can’t help but notice the sheer beauty that emerges when water droplets shine like strings of pearls along the edges of the Lady Mantle’s water-repellent leaves….'

Goldmark declines to say why he’s halting bid for third term at state lands office
Peter Goldmark’s surprise decision to end his bid for a third term in office as state lands commissioner leaves the race open for the key position that leads the Department of Natural Resources. Goldmark announced his withdrawal from the race Tuesday evening with a brief posting on Facebook that said he had decided — after talking with his family — not to run. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Public advised to stay out of Ross Bay waters after sewage malfunction
The public is being warned not to swim or wade in Ross Bay after raw sewage went into the water off Clover Point. Capital Regional District officials said unscreened sewage was discharged through a short outfall for about 30 minutes early Wednesday. A mechanical failure at the Clover Point pump station is to blame. (Times Colonist)

Ecology taking comment on potential oil transportation rules
The state Department of Ecology announced Wednesday it is taking public input on two proposed rules to improve oil transportation safety. One of the rules would require facilities receiving crude oil by train — including the Tesoro and Shell refineries near Anacortes — and pipelines delivering oil to provide notices to Ecology…. The other rule would require railroad companies that transport oil in bulk, such as BNSF Railway, to have contingency plans in place showing the company is prepared to respond to potential oil spills. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Reports of illegal armoring on Blakely Island
A potentially illegal bulk head built at Armittage Cove on Blakely Island has caught the attention of the local Community Development and Planning department and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Over the winter of 2010 winter storms caused bank blowouts along the driveway of a property owned by Whaleback LLC and the Runstad family of Seattle. They allegedly began work without local or state approval on a rock armoring wall along the beach bank adding up to more than 500 feet, with a few breaks due to natural rocks. In 2011 the Department of Community Development and Planning office informed the owners they would need a shoreline permit for the bulkhead. In 2012 they submitted an application for a permit, after the bulk head was completed but their site plan was deemed incomplete, according to Lee McEnery, Planner III for the Community Development and Planning office. In 2015 the property owners applied for an exemption from the shoreline permit. In the meantime their plan is still inaccurate as the armoring was omitted from the plan though, according to McEnery, the owners say their surveyor is working on it. The planning office gave them a deadline of April 1 to turn in the corrected paperwork. As of press time the paperwork had not been corrected. (San Juan Journal)

Gray whale spotted in Ballard Locks may be ill
A gray whale took an unusual swim through the Ballard Locks on Wednesday, exciting onlookers and catching the attention of scientists, who believe the mammal is sick. The emaciated whale spent hours Wednesday in the busy Seattle waterway. Tens of thousands of grays migrate this time of year from Mexico to Arctic waters, said NOAA Fisheries spokesman Michael Milstein. Some grays spend time in Puget Sound. But this whale’s route through the locks, a popular spot for boaters and tourists, is unusual, he said, suggesting the animal is unhealthy and struggling. Jessica Lee reports. (Seattle Times)

It’s been a wet ride through the first half of the 2016 ‘water year’
Chris Dunagan in Watching Our Water Ways writes: "With half of our “water year” in the record books, 2016 is already being marked down as one of the wettest years in recent history. The water year, as measured by hydrologists, runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 each year, so we will be in WY 2016 for nearly six more months. If things keep going as they are, we will see some new lines plotted on the rainfall charts…."

North Whatcom beaches closed to recreational shellfish harvesting
The state Department of Health has closed beaches in northern Whatcom County to recreational shellfish harvesting because of unsafe levels of the biotoxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning on beaches in Birch Bay and Drayton Harbor. The ban affects beaches from Sandy Point north to the Canadian Border, including Point Roberts. (Bellingham Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  244 AM PDT THU APR 7 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON  

TODAY  SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 6 FT  AT 11 SECONDS.

TONIGHT  S WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING W AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES  1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 11 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

4/6 Restoration, green transport, Vic sewer, Skagit water, save KPLU, Burnaby Cr salmon, Black oil

Skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanum)

'In the ancient days, they say, there was no salmon. The Indians had nothing to eat save roots and leaves. Principal among these was the skunk-cabbage. Finally the spring salmon came for the first time. As they passed up the river, a person stood upon the shore and shouted: "Here come our relatives whose bodies are full of eggs! If it had not been for me all the people would have starved. "Who speaks to us?" asked the salmon. "Your uncle, Skunk Cabbage," was the reply. Then the salmon went ashore to see him, and as a reward for having fed the people he was given an elk-skin blanket and a war-club, and was set in the rich, soft soil near the river.' (Kathlamet story related in Haskins 1934, Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast)

Nature Unbound: Restoration on the banks of the Snoqualmie River outside of Seattle
One of the most important rivers in the fertile Snoqualmie Valley, east of Seattle, is the Snoqualmie River. The river once boasted record salmon runs for the Snoqualmie and Native American tribes who first lived here. But climate change and population growth have negatively impacted the river's ability to be sustainable. Today restoration is underway along its banks to ensure its healthy for salmon, farmland and generations to come. Martha Baskin reports. (Green Acre Radio/PRX)

Morse Creek's restoration raises questions on salmon, property
A presentation on the North Olympic Salmon Coalition's work in restoring Morse Creek salmon habitat turned into an informal debate between those focused on restoration and those concerned that restoration results in the loss of private property. “We have a 200 percent increase in fish use [of Morse Creek],” Kim Clark, project manager for the Salmon Coalition, told about 30 members of the Port Angeles Business Association at Tuesday's breakfast meeting at Joshua's Restaurant. Morse Creek was restored in 2010 and now runs as it existed in about 1930 prior to the installation of a dike…. However, logjams and a creek freed to meander and flood triggered concerns among members of the business association. Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Greening Up Transportation, The Northwest's Biggest Source Of Climate Pollution
Many of the West Coast’s top transportation innovators and policy experts are convening in Tacoma this week for the Green Transportation Summit and Expo. They’re looking at ways to cut back on emissions that harm public health and cause climate change. They're also showing off some of the newest equipment and alternative fuel technologies. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Esquimalt puts off approval of new sewage plan
Esquimalt wants assurances it will get some respect when sewage treatment within its municipality is considered, Mayor Barb Desjardins says. “Esquimalt wants to participate,” Desjardins said Tuesday. “But we want to do it in a manner that we have some sense that our participation will be meaningful and we’ll be listened to.” On Monday, a long and raucous meeting erupted at Esquimalt council when bureaucrats from the Capital Regional District, which is chaired by Desjardins, asked Esquimalt for “conditional approval” on a plan for sewage treatment. After a lengthy discussion, including input from the public, Esquimalt councillors tabled the idea to a future date. Richard Watts reports. (Times Colonist)

Inslee signs water study bill
A bill commissioning a study on water storage in the Skagit River basin was signed into law Friday by Gov. Jay Inslee. Senate Bill 6589, sponsored by state Sen. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, directs the Department of Ecology and other state and local agencies to study the possibility of storing water at the heads of Skagit River tributaries so streams can be recharged when they fall below a certain level. (Skagit Valley Herald)

The Save KPLU Campaign Reaches Halfway Point With More Than $3.5M!
Friends of 88.5 FM writes: "The SAVE KPLU campaign is now halfway to its goal of raising $7 million by June 30, thanks to the generosity of over 9,000 donors—including a recent $500K listener challenge that was met in just nine days.  As of the morning of April 5, the campaign has raised $3,525,746!  SAVE KPLU is on track to raising the money needed for 88.5 FM to become an independent, community-licensed station…."

Salmon released into recently restored Burnaby creek
A group of daycare children joined Mark Angelo the chair emeritus of the BCIT Rivers Institute to release thousands of juvenile salmon into Burnaby's Guichon Creek Tuesday, demonstrating how successful creek restoration efforts have been in recent decades. "This creek was severely damaged a few decades ago. It could not sustain any fish, but there's been a real effort to bring it back," said Angelo. "That we can release salmon today, back into this creek, I think that highlights the fact that we can, in fact, restore a waterway if there's a will." Rafferty Baker reports. (CBC)

How media mogul David Black is pushing to keep his $22-billion oil refinery plan in play
Far from being worried about the setbacks faced by proposed energy projects in British Columbia, David Black is growing more optimistic his $22 billion refinery/rail plan will be the only one left standing. The Victoria-based newspaper publisher has been saying it for years. His challenge remains to convince the Alberta-based oil community that they don’t have a monopoly on good ideas, including that refining their oil on the West Coast beats building bitumen pipelines and shipping it on tankers. Claudia Cattaneo reports. (Financial Post)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  258 AM PDT WED APR 6 2016  

TODAY  S WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING NE TO 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT 12 SECONDS.

TONIGHT  NW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE 10 TO 20 KT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT AFTER  MIDNIGHT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 12 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

4/5 Ocean acid, toxin ban, CA coast guard, BP spill, aquarium film, forage fish, docks, heat wave

Long-billed thrasher (BirdNote)

Bird Songs of April
If you like to listen:  The month of April inspires poets, sometimes with contradictory results. Poet TS Eliot describes April as "the cruelest month." Shakespeare strikes an upbeat note, writing "April hath put a spirit of youth in everything." Let April speak for itself. Listen to the birds. In Southeastern Alaska, the exuberant voice of a Ruby-crowned Kinglet - - - In a Washington State marsh, a Common Yellowthroat - - - In South Texas, this Long-billed Thrasher - - - In a dense Midwestern shrub, a Brown Thrasher holds forth. And in the East, a White-throated Sparrow sings sweetly. Who's tuning up near you? (BirdNote)

Acidic Pacific: Act now, or West Coast pays dearly
Buildup of carbon dioxide is changing the chemistry of the world's oceans, threatening coastal economies and ecosystems -- nowhere more than on the Pacific Coast, according to an expert study released Monday. "Although ocean acidification is a global phenomenon, emerging research indicates that, among coastal areas around the world, the West Coast of North America will face some of the earliest, most severe changes in ocean carbon chemistry." Those were the findings published in a report produced by a 20-member team of experts, several from the University of Washington, called the West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel. It is blunt about human causes, and the urgency of action. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

New law will ban 5 chemicals from kids products, furniture
Five toxic chemicals will be banned from home furniture and children's products such as toys, car seats and nursing pillows under a bill Gov. Jay Inslee has signed into law. The legislation approved Friday bans five chemical flame retardants from children's products and furniture starting July 1, 2017. Flame retardants are commonly added to consumer products to slow the spread of fire. The legislation approved Friday bans five chemical flame retardants from children's products and furniture starting July 1, 2017. Flame retardants are commonly added to consumer products to slow the spread of fire. House Bill 2545 also directs the departments of Ecology and Health to review whether six additional flame retardants should be considered chemicals of concern to children and recommend whether their use in consumer products should be restricted. (Associated Press)

Report raises alarm over Canada's aging coast guard fleet
A report done for Transport Canada and quietly tabled in the House of Commons paints a grim portrait of the country's coast guard fleet, saying it is understaffed, desperately in need of new ships and without political support. The comprehensive analysis of the nation's transportation network was part of a statutory review submitted to the Trudeau government last December, but not tabled until the end of the February. Murray Brewster reports. (Canadian Press)

US judge OKs $20B settlement from 2010 BP oil spill
A federal judge in New Orleans granted final approval Monday to an estimated $20 billion settlement over the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, resolving years of litigation over the worst offshore spill in the nation’s history. The settlement, first announced in July, includes $5.5 billion in civil Clean Water Act penalties and billions more to cover environmental damage and other claims by the five Gulf states and local governments. The money is to be paid out over roughly 16 years. The U.S. Justice Department has estimated that the settlement will cost the oil giant as much as $20.8 billion, the largest environmental settlement in U.S. history as well as the largest-ever civil settlement with a single entity. U.S District Judge Carl Barbier, who approved the settlement, had set the stage with an earlier ruling that BP had been “grossly negligent” in the offshore rig explosion that killed 11 workers and caused a 134-million-gallon spill. Kevin McGill reports. (Associated Press)

Vancouver Aquarium wins injunction against critical filmmaker
The Vancouver Aquarium has won a temporary injunction forcing a North Vancouver filmmaker to remove nearly five minutes worth of contested material from his hour-long exposé of the facility. B.C. Supreme Court Justice Jeanne Watchuk ordered Gary Charbonneau to excise 15 segments from Vancouver Aquarium Uncovered pending a court battle over copyright. The aquarium claims the movie relies on images taken from the organization's website and blog. Jason Proctor reports. (CBC News)

Forage fish off West Coast get new protection from commercial fishing
A federal rule published Monday prohibits West Coast commercial fishermen from targeting eight types of forage fish that help support the broader maritime food chain. Forage fish are pursued in areas of the world where they may be put into feed products for aquaculture, livestock and pet food. This rule intends to preclude such harvests in the 200-mile federal zone off Oregon, Washington and California, so long as there is not enough science to assess the impacts of catching these fish on the marine ecosystem. The rule applies to round herring, thread herring, Pacific sand lances, Pacific saury, silversides and certain kinds of smelts and pelagic squids. Some of these species may currently be caught accidentally, as bycatch, by commercial fishermen, but there are no harvests that specifically target them. All of the species help sustain marine mammals, birds and other fish populations. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

B.C. Supreme Court upholds anti-docks bylaw on Bowen Island
A B.C. Supreme Court judge has upheld a bylaw that prevents new docks from being erected in Bowen Island’s majestic Cape Roger Curtis area, potentially bringing a close to a years-long battle that has pitted residents and municipal council against a development on the island’s rugged southwest coast. Shu Lin Dong and Zhen Wang, who each own a waterfront lot, had sought an order quashing the bylaw on several grounds. They argued the bylaw was inconsistent with the official community plan, was passed in haste and in bad faith, was discriminatory and had inadequate consultation. Sunny Dhillon reports. (Globe and Mail)

Navy’s pier project at Ediz hook could have big financial impact on fish farm
Building a new Navy pier at Ediz Hook could cost a Port Angeles Harbor fish farm $6 million in estimated lost earnings from the end of this year and into 2017, an Icicle Seafoods Inc. vice president said Monday. The company will take the financial hit by being forced to harvest 30 percent of its Atlantic salmon — about 240,000 fish — by Dec. 1, about two months earlier than usual, when construction begins on the $25 million ballistic missile submarine-escort-vessel dock on the south side of Ediz Hook, Icicle’s Alan Cook said in a telephone interview. As a result, each fish will lose significant mass at a time they are gaining about 1 pound a month. Paul Gottlieb reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

80 degrees later this week?!? Puget Sound area to get a summer preview
Seattleites were probably just getting used to a few 70 degree days last week, but now it looks like we'll zoom right past that and flirt with 80 degrees on Thursday as a brief one-day early spring "heat wave" pays a visit. A strong ridge of high pressure will build in this week after Monday's showers disappear, making for a gradual warming trend as we head through the week. That is, until Thursday, when "gradual" becomes "zooming to the top of the April temperature charts"! Scott Sistek reports. (KOMO)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PDT TUE APR 5 2016  

TODAY  S WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 8 FT AT  10 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 6 FT AT 10 SECONDS IN THE AFTERNOON. A  CHANCE OF RAIN.

TONIGHT  S WIND 5 TO 15 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND  WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 7 FT AT 10 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF RAIN IN  THE EVENING.

--
"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

4/4 Military plans, coal port pause, toxic budget, whale fight, grizzly hunt, xylene, black walls, Colstrip

EA-18G Growler at Whidbey NAS (Ken Lambert/Seattle Times)

Jets, helicopters, rockets: Military plans more uses of Northwest public lands
Visitors who pitch a tent or park their camper here [Deception Pass State Park] are warned that the late-evening quiet policy does not apply to the Navy jets practicing their takeoffs and landings at nearby Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. Some are able to embrace the noise. Others who play or live on north Whidbey and across the water on Lopez Island bridle at rumbling blasts that in summer may stretch past midnight. At Deception Pass, on a bad night, the park may refund $500 to $1,000 in camping fees from those who pick up stakes and opt for an early exit. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)

Backer of proposed coal port stops work amid Lummi Tribe concerns
The sponsor of a proposed Washington state coal port for shipments of the fuel to Asia is suspending work on an environmental review because of a Native American tribe’s concerns that the project could hurt its fishing rights. SSA Marine, which retains a 51 percent ownership of the project, said Friday it was halting the environmental review while it waits for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make a decision on the treaty rights of the Lummi Tribe. The Puget Sound port just south of the U.S.-Canada border would accommodate almost 60 million tons a year of coal and other commodities. (Associated Press)

Senate Republicans ax toxic-waste help for public
Senate Republicans scored a little-noticed but significant victory this week against grassroots environmental and community groups, zeroing out funding for the groups to help citizens monitor toxic-waste cleanups and prevent future pollution. Now, community-based organizations working on environmental issues from the Olympic Peninsula to Spokane and Bellingham to Olympia and out to the Tri-Cities are scrambling to figure out how they can continue to assist the public…. From early in the legislative session Republicans, led by Sen. Doug Ericksen, sought to help balance the books of state’s Model Toxics Control Act accounts by eliminating $3.8 million in “public participation grants” that were authorized by a citizens’ initiative nearly 30 years ago.  Ericksen, chair of the Senate Environment, Energy and Telecommunications Committee, argues that actual cleanup of toxic materials should take precedence over the public participation grants. Robert McClure reports. (Investigate West)

Rare whale attack in Puget Sound witnessed near Everett
A rare whale attack, a "clash of titans," in Puget Sound this week was captured on camera. According to Pacific Whale Watch Association officials [PWWA], the attack occurred between transient orcas [Bigg’s killer whales] and gray whales -- close to Everett, Washington…. PWWA officials say a crew saw four killer whales cross paths with two adult “Saratoga gray whales,” part of around a dozen grays that come to Puget Sound each spring to feed on ghost shrimp. One of the transients decided to engage with a gray whale -- “and the battle was on.” (KIRO) See also: SeaWorld pulled into long-running battle against Japanese whaling  Chris Dunagan reports. (Watching Our Water Ways)

B.C. grizzly bear hunt to include Great Bear Rainforest
B.C.’s spring grizzly bear hunt has opened for another year, with the government authorizing a limited number of bears to be killed in parts of the province – including the Great Bear Rainforest. That authorization exists despite an announcement in February in which the provincial government heralded a “globally significant” management pact for the Great Bear Rainforest and said, as part of the deal, that “the commercial grizzly bear hunt will cease in Coastal First Nations’ traditional territories.” Wendy Stueck reports. (Globe and Mail)

Commenters ask for broad study of Tesoro Anacortes Refinery project
The Tesoro Anacortes Refinery’s proposed $400,000 upgrade project has raised concerns among some in the region.  All 11 speakers during an open house and verbal comment period Thursday for the project’s environmental impact statement, or EIS, voiced concerns with the project and said they want to see a broad scope of issues addressed. The refinery’s proposed Clean Products Upgrade Project would include upgrading existing equipment so that it could produce xylene, a natural component of crude oil, during the oil refining process, as well as include new and upgraded emissions control systems. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Farmed salmon like their walls painted black, UBC study finds
Cage-free eggs and massages for dairy cattle represent ways farmers are trying to improve the comfort of the animals we raise for food. But what would comfort and humane treatment look like for farmed salmon? Scientists at the University of British Columbia say a key factor is the decor of their tanks. Salmon are traditionally housed in tanks with light blue walls. But Lee Gaffney, a master's student with the animal welfare program at UBC, wondered if that's really what salmon would prefer if they could choose the colours themselves…. What she and her colleagues found was that given the choice between black, white, light blue, light grey, dark grey or dappled walls, coho salmon chose to hang out near the black walls. Emily Chung reports. (CBC)

Against Montana governor’s wishes, Inslee signs coal-plant bill
Washington state’s largest utility will be able to set aside money to pay for the future shutdown of two coal-powered electricity plants it co-owns in Montana under a bill Gov. Jay Inslee signed Friday. However, before signing the bill, Inslee vetoed a section of the legislation that had said Puget Sound Energy (PSE), Colstrip’s largest owner, couldn’t use that money if it closed two aging units before Dec. 31, 2022…. Senate Bill 6248 lets Puget Sound Energy create a fund to cover future decommissioning and cleanup costs at the Colstrip plant in Montana. The Bellevue-based utility owns half of units 1 and 2, which were built in the mid-1970s. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PDT MON APR 4 2016  

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON  

TODAY  W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT  8 SECONDS. SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE  AFTERNOON.

TONIGHT  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT..W SWELL 8 FT AT  10 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY IN THE EVENING...THEN A  CHANCE OF SHOWERS 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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow on Twitter.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

4/1 Carbon tax, Colstrip, ice sheet, glass sponge, shoreline plan, Exxon Valdez, bat disease, salmon&whales

Today's words of wisdom

Carbon-tax initiative goes to November ballot
An initiative that would create a carbon tax in Washington state is now headed to the November ballot. Lawmakers adjourned the special legislative session late Tuesday without taking action on Initiative 732, thus sending the statewide ballot measure to voters. I-732 would impose a carbon tax of $25 per metric ton of emissions from fossil fuels such as gasoline, coal and natural gas. Meanwhile, it would lower the state sales tax by one point, virtually eliminate business taxes for manufacturers and provide rebates for working families. (Associated Press)

Inslee says he'll sign Colstrip bill with partial veto
Gov. Jay Inslee says he'll approve a bill allowing Washington state's largest utility to set aside money for the eventual shutdown of two coal-fired electricity plants in Montana. Inslee also said Thursday that he'll veto a section of the bill, though his office declined to specify which section. Senate Bill 6248 was originally scheduled for action Thursday. Inslee spokeswoman Jaime Smith says it was moved to Friday to give staff more time to review it. (Associated Press) See also: WA Utility Denies It's Seeking Fast Track Closure Of Colstrip Units 1 & 2  Jackie Yamanaka reports. (Yellowstone Public Radio)

Climate Model Predicts West Antarctic Ice Sheet Could Melt Rapidly
For half a century, climate scientists have seen the West Antarctic ice sheet, a remnant of the last ice age, as a sword of Damocles hanging over human civilization. The great ice sheet, larger than Mexico, is thought to be potentially vulnerable to disintegration from a relatively small amount of global warming, and capable of raising the sea level by 12 feet or more should it break up. But researchers long assumed the worst effects would take hundreds — if not thousands — of years to occur. Now, new research suggests the disaster scenario could play out much sooner. Continued high emissions of heat-trapping gases could launch a disintegration of the ice sheet within decades, according to a study publishedWednesday, heaving enough water into the ocean to raise the sea level as much as three feet by the end of this century. Justin Gillismarch reports. (NY Times) Also see: A Million-Dollar Question: As Sea Levels Rise, How Can Coastal Communities Adapt?  (KPLU)

Ancient glass sponge reef discovered off B.C. coast
A rare new glass sponge reef as old as the dinosaurs has been discovered near Prince Rupert, off B.C.'s northwest coast, CBC News has learned. The reef in Chatham Sound is twelve kilometres long, making it one of the largest in the world, second only to the prehistoric reefs in nearby Hecate Strait. The rare ecological find was made by Spectra Energy, during an environmental assessment for an underwater LNG pipeline route. Betsy Trumpener and Carolina de Ryk report. (CBC)

Pierce County’s draft shoreline plan praised, denounced at public hearing 
The rift between shellfish industry professionals and a group of Gig Harbor peninsula residents was on display this week as both sides testified about a long-awaited update to Pierce County’s shoreline plan. The plan imposes regulations over more than 1,000 miles of waterfront and associated animal habitat. Brynn Grimlely reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)

Shoreline owners are on the front lines of ecosystem protection
Chris Dunagan in Watching Our Water Ways writes: "Waterfront property owners are a special class of people, and I mean that in a good way. When it comes to sensitive shoreline habitat, they are the front lines of protection. When storms cause property damage, they see more than their share — and they pay handsomely for the privilege in both the cost of property and taxes…."

10 Photos Tell the Story of the Exxon Valdez
Before 2010, when the United States was fixated on a gushing oil well at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, most Americans could probably only name one spill: when the tanker Exxon Valdez released 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound on March 24, 1989. Here NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration has gathered 10 photos that help tell the story of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and its impacts, not only on the environment but also on science, policy, spill response, school kids, and even board games. It has become a touchstone event in many ways, one to be learned from even decades after the fact. (Marine Executive)

West’s first case of devastating fungus found in bat near North Bend
Scientists have detected the first known case of white-nose syndrome in a bat in Washington — a bleak revelation that could spell doom for populations of the flying mammals in this state and beyond. The deadly fungus — the first detection of the disease west of the Rockies — was discovered in a little brown bat found by hikers along an undisclosed trail near North Bend on March 11. Lewis Kamb reports. (Seattle Times)

Wild Fish Group Sues Over Impacts Of Northwest Hatcheries
The Wild Fish Conservancy filed a lawsuit Thursday that accuses two federal agencies of violating the Endangered Species Act by failing to consider the impacts of Columbia River Basin hatcheries on threatened and endangered wild fish and their habitat. The group says the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Department of Commerce should be considering the negative impacts of hatcheries on wild fish before it spends hatchery program funding authorized under a federal law known as the Mitchell Act. The filing argues the federal agencies are legally obligated to ensure that their actions are not likely to jeopardize threatened and endangered species of salmon, steelhead or bull trout, but they’re not doing the proper reviews to assess the damage hatcheries could be causing to wild fish. Cassandra Profita reports. (EarthFix)

Hungry killer whales waiting for Columbia River salmon
Some say it’s too late to turn this march toward extinction around. If you know these fish and these whales, like we do, then you understand that they are two of nature’s most resourceful species. We must not give up on them now. Deborah A. Giles and Giulia Good Stefani opine. (Seattle Times)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  300 AM PDT FRI APR 1 2016  

TODAY  W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 1 TO 3 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W  SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG IN THE MORNING.

TONIGHT  W WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT  AT 13 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG AND PATCHY DRIZZLE AFTER MIDNIGHT.

SAT  W WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING NW 5 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.  WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 4 FT AT 14 SECONDS. AREAS OF FOG  AND PATCHY DRIZZLE IN THE MORNING.

SAT NIGHT  W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...EASING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.  WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 FT OR LESS AFTER MIDNIGHT. W  SWELL 4 FT AT 13 SECONDS.

SUN  LIGHT WIND. WIND WAVES LESS THAN 1 FT. W SWELL 4 FT AT  12 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.

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told