12/11 Oil train rules, Growlers hushed, Kinder Morgan slammed, warming waters, Ed Ricketts, sage grouse

Pond Transformations (PHOTO: Laurie MacBride)

Finding Fascination in Confusion
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "This photo of our partly frozen pond is never going to win any awards. It’s visually chaotic, with lines running every which way, a jumble of geometric shapes, and no clear focal point. Not to mention, my shivering hands were probably shaking when I pressed the shutter. Nevertheless, I can’t resist looking at it. I zoom in on the details, drawn one moment by the network of slow, meandering ridges of slush, and the next by the straight, decisive tracks made by the floating sticks and twigs…."

Federal budget bill sets January deadline on safety rules for oil tanker cars
Hidden away in Congress’ big spending bill, designed to fund the federal government through FY 2015, are stern marching orders to the U.S. Department of Transportation: Deliver a final rule for new, safer oil tank car design standards by Jan. 15, 2015, and require that all rail carriers put in place comprehensive oil spill response plans. The budget provisions, inserted by Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, are prompted by an oil train disaster in Quebec, and the rapid increase in trains carrying volatile Bakken crude oil from North Dakota to four refineries on northern Puget Sound. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)

'Hush house' for Growlers backed by Larsen, Murray
The amount of noise emanating from Whidbey Island's fleet of navy jets may be muffled to a significant degree if navy officials heed a request of two senior members of the Washington state's congressional delegation. Sen. Patty Murray and Congressman Rick Larsen last week asked the Navy to consider a funding recommendation earmarked for construction of a so-called "hush house" hangar at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, ground-zero in a rising controversy over the impact of noise created by air and ground testing of the naval station's fleet of EA-18G Growlers. (San Juan Journal)

U.S. report slams Kinder Morgan’s enviro transgressions, including on Burnaby Mountain
The Seattle-based think-tank Sightline Institute released a report Tuesday highlighting Kinder Morgan’s enviro-transgressions across the energy giant's continent-wide network of pipelines and export terminals. The company's recent troubles on Burnaby Mountain in Canada were cited as a major reason for updating the second edition of this report.  More than 100 people were arrested last month -- including scientists, environmentalists, First Nations and other people young and old -- for disobeying a court order designed to protect the company's drillers on the mountain. Mychaylo Prystupa reports. (Vancouver Observer)

Study: Warming West Coast will send fish north
Warming seas will likely send West Coast fish species northward by about 20 miles a decade, and some species probably will disappear from southern ranges off California and Oregon, a new study says. The study, in the January issue of Progress in Oceanography, projects how 28 West Coast species ranging from sharks to salmon will react as greenhouse gases warm the surface of the Pacific Ocean. Warm-water species such as thresher sharks and chub mackerel will become more prominent off British Columbia and in the Gulf of Alaska, the study predicted.  (Associated Press)

Pacific Grove filmmakers champion Ed Ricketts’ contribution to science
The history of Ed Ricketts the scientist can be summed up by three books laid out on a stack of large, note-covered newsprint paper in the office of two Pacific Grove filmmakers. All three are different editions of Ricketts’ seminal 1939 book “Between Pacific Tides,” in which he documented in comprehensive detail the creatures found in tidepools and rocky shores along the coast from Sitka, Alaska, to northern Mexico…. In their half-hour documentary “The Great Tidepool: The Story of Ed Ricketts’ Scientific System,” the Alberts demonstrate Ricketts’ holistic approach to research. At a time when scientific texts described marine animals divorced from their surroundings, Ricketts documented how the animals related to their habitats and each other. That approach helped set the stage for the practice of marine ecology. Jeannie Evers reports. (Monterey Herald)

Flap over sage grouse spurs Congress to intervene
Congress is poised to make an end-run around the Endangered Species Act with a legislative rider on a massive spending bill that would delay protections for several struggling bird populations in the Western U.S. The rider blocks the Interior Department from spending money on rules to protect greater sage grouse and three related birds. The chicken-sized sage grouse has been on a collision course with oil and gas companies, agriculture and other industries in recent years. The Obama administration was up against a September 2015 deadline to either turn around the bird's fading fortunes, or propose protections that could mean severe restrictions on industry. Matthew Brown reports. (Associated Press)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 305 AM PST THU DEC 11 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM PST THIS MORNING THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
 STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING
TODAY
E WIND 10 TO 20 KT...RISING TO 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT...BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FT IN THE
 AFTERNOON. W SWELL 12 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
E WIND 30 TO 40 KT WITH POSSIBLE GUSTS TO 50 KT...BECOMING SW 15 TO 25 KT LATE. SEAS 12 TO 15 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 14
 SECONDS... SUBSIDING TO 9 TO 11 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 15 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN 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.

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12/10 King tide, methane, Victoria sewage, creosote removed, WA budget, native claims, Oso slide, tidal power

Supporting Climate Research with the NASA Earth Exchange
The NASA Earth Exchange (NEX) is an innovative platform that provides the Earth science community with key collaboration and knowledge-sharing capabilities…. To support NASA's goals in climate science research, the NEX science team and collaborators in the Climate Analytics Group have created a new, high-resolution climate dataset, the NASA Earth Exchange Downscaled Climate Projections (NEX-DCP30) and made it available to the community. (NASA)

Vancouver places 30,000 sandbags along waterfront as 'king tide' looms
Some 30,000 sandbags line a stretch of low-lying waterfront land in Vancouver, placed by city workers in a bid to protect local homes from an anticipated king tide. The task was completed by about 45 workers in advance of Wednesday’s forecasted weather event, which could coincide with the same type of high winds and heavy rains that have already cut power to thousands of residents across the south coast and flooded streets. Justin Smallbridge reports. (Canadian Press)

Warming Ocean May Be Triggering Mega Methane Leaks Off Northwest Coast
As the waters of the Pacific warm, methane that was trapped in crystalline form beneath the seabed is being released. And fast. New modeling suggests that 4 million tons of this potent greenhouse gas have escaped since 1970 from the ocean depths off Washington’s coast. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix)

View Royal site ‘ideal’ for sewage plant, investors say
Investors who own a 3.4-hectare waterfront site at Thetis Cove in View Royal have wasted no time in trying to reignite interest in their property for a regional sewage treatment plant. In a full-page ad in the Times Colonist Tuesday directed at Capital Regional District directors and concerned citizens, the ownership group touts the former Victoria Plywood mill site as “ideal for Victoria’s sewage treatment and biosolids energy centre.” The property at the end of Hallowell Road is zoned for residential development. Bill Cleverley reports. (Times Colonist)

Toxic Creosote Pilings Removed From Thatcher Bay
Twenty-eight creosote pilings were recently removed from the waters of Thatcher Bay on Blakely Island to improve water quality for fish and other marine organisms…. The Blakely piling removal was just one component of extensive habitat restoration efforts conducted in Thatcher Bay and on its beaches by Friends of the San Juans, Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group and the private landowner. (San Juan Islander)

Talk of taxes: Inslee to propose $1B in new revenue
Gov. Jay Inslee will propose a mix of spending cuts and at least $1 billion in new revenue next week when he releases his proposed budget, according to David Schumacher, director of the state Office of Financial Management. Jim Brunner and Joseph O'Sullivan report. (Seattle Times)

Native group lays claim to Stanley Park, Galiano and Saltspring Islands
Large pieces of Stanley Park, Galiano Island and Saltspring Island are being claimed by a small Indian band that has largely been ignored in British Columbia, although its main village once came under fire from the British Navy. In a notice of claim filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Chief Raymond Wilson and a group he identifies as the Hwlitsum First Nation seek the return of key lands and financial compensation for loss of access to what it claims as its traditional territory. Mark Hume reports. (Globe and Mail)

Study of timber harvest near Oso mudslide inconclusive
An investigation into a possible link between a 2005 timber harvest on the hill above the Steelhead Haven neighborhood and the deadly Oso mudslide in March has come up empty. The logging exceeded the approved size by an acre, but state officials could not determine if it complied with a permit to avoid the adjoining watershed of the landslide-prone area, according to the report released Tuesday by the state Department of Natural Resources. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Everett Herald)

FERC upholds Admiralty Inlet tidal project; developer might resume
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has rejected challenges to the pilot hydrokinetic license of the 600-kW Admiralty Inlet Pilot tidal project and said licensee Snohomish County Public Utility District does not intend to surrender the license. Less than three months ago, Snohomish PUD said it would no longer pursue Admiralty Inlet because Department of Energy funding dried up, materials costs have increased, and various entities have mandated increasing amounts of studies and monitoring requirements for what was to be a pilot project in Washington's Puget Sound…. FERC said Snohomish rebutted challenges to the project's economic viability by noting its focus is testing new hydrokinetic technology and not economic value for power generation. (Hydroworld)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 230 AM PST WED DEC 10 2014
STORM WARNING IN EFFECT TODAY
 STORM WATCH FOR THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT
TODAY
S WIND 35 TO 50 KT. SEAS 18 FT AT 15 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
S WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 16 FT AT 14 SECONDS. 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.

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12/9 Forage fish, storm, BC plants, refinery fines, BP settlement, tsunami debris

Pacific Sand Lance (PHOTO: Jon Gross)

If you like to watch: Forage Fish Matter
Forage fish are the backbone of a healthy Puget Sound. They provide the food base for endangered chinook which in turn are relied on by the endangered Southern Resident Orcas. Little Fish + Big Fish = Orca. Laura James produced this piece for Sound Action.

B.C. storm roars on with ferries cancelled, more rain, wind in forecast
A second wave of a powerful subtropical storm is set to pound the West Coast today with high winds on Vancouver Island, and another round of heavy rain for Metro Vancouver and Howe Sound. Environment Canada is forecasting wind gusts will hit 90 km/h across large sections of Vancouver Island, including Victoria. In Metro Vancouver, winds of up to 60 km/h are in sight, with another  25 mm of rain expected by Tuesday afternoon. The heavy rain that fell overnight caused flooding in some sections of Vancouver Island, and the Lower Mainland. (CBC) See also: Flooding, landslides possible as downpour continues  (KING)

Three B.C. plants declared endangered by federal panel of scientists
The limber pine, phantom orchid and toothcup have been listed as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada in its annual conservation review released Monday. Larry Pynn reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Anacortes refineries pay, accrue fines in November  
The Tesoro Anacortes refinery and offloading facility paid a collective $150,000 settlement to the Northwest Clean Air Agency in November for oil discharged to the on-site wastewater system between September 2012 and September 2013. The regional air agency fined the refinery and offloading facility, which are separate companies, $75,000 each for violation. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

High court rejects BP appeal of spill settlement
The Supreme Court is leaving in place BP’s multibillion-dollar settlement with lawyers for businesses and residents over the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The justices did not comment Monday in rejecting the London-based oil giant’s arguments that lower courts misinterpreted settlement terms and put BP on the hook to pay inflated and bogus claims by businesses. (Associated Press)

More Japanese Tsunami Debris Will Wash Up This Winter On Northwest Shores, Scientists Predict
Winter storms off the Oregon and Washington coastlines are expected to bring a new wave of debris from the 2011 tsunami in Japan. Scientists say objects are already washing ashore – with potentially invasive organisms riding along. In March, 2011 an earthquake and tsunami devastated a large swath of eastern Japan. The tsunami reached heights of over 100 feet in some places, washing large quantities of manmade materials out to sea. Japanese officials estimate that about 1.5 million tons of debris floated out into the Pacific. Jes Burns reports. (EarthFix)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST TUE DEC 9 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING
TODAY
S WIND 30 TO 40 KT...BECOMING SW 20 TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 14 TO 17 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13 SECONDS.
 RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 15 TO 17 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 14 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF
 RAIN IN THE EVENING...THEN RAIN 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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12/8 Rhapsody, storm, Growlers, coal air, enviro careers, pit-to-pier, Clearwater R., Mountains-to-Sound, bird flu

Rhapsody, J-32 (CBC)

Necropsy on killer whale J-32 reveals orca had full-term fetus
Canadian marine mammal scientists who spent most of Saturday performing a necropsy on killer whale J-32 say the female orca had been pregnant with a full-term fetus. The whale, nicknamed Rhapsody, was dissected as she lay on a concrete boat ramp at Bates Beach near Courtenay, B.C. However, Department of Fisheries and Oceans spokeswoman Lara Sloan said tests to determine the cause of death were inconclusive. She said more tests will be done on the whale, which scientists say would have contributed to its pod for decades. (CBC) See also: Killer whale J-32's teeth removed, prompts investigation into dead orca  (CBC)

The Whale Trail’s next West Seattle gathering: ‘Find light in the dark for the whales’
With the heartbreaking news these past few days of the death of pregnant Puget Sound-resident orca J-32, many wonder, can anything more be done to keep the Southern Resident Killer Whales’ numbers from dwindling further? Come hear and talk about them at The Whale Trail‘s next West Seattle event, 6:30 pm December 17th at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor). Tickets at  Brown Paper Tickets  (West Seatte Blog)

Storm warning: 'Incredible' subtropical storms bearing down on B.C.
Environment Canada warns resident to brace for 3 to 4 days of 'extraordinary' rainfall (CBC) See also: When is normal not normal? And the coming heavy rains  .... Very few days are normal and averaging conditions for a month, a year or whatever can be very deceptive.  This is going to be a very wet week for the Northwest and northern California, with a deep trough over the eastern Pacific that will bring very moist, warm air and the jet stream right into us. Cliff Mass explains and predicts. (Weather Blog)

Hundreds gather, speak minds at Port Townsend open house for proposed Growler jet additions
An open house focusing on a proposal to add up to 36 Growler jets to the 82 currently based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island was heavily attended, with many expressing opposition to both the project and its presentation. According to Navy spokesman Ted Brown, 377 people were counted entering the open house at Fort Worden Commons on Thursday. Charlie Bermant reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

Crowdfunding goal met for Bellingham coal train air-pollution study
A scientist who launched an online fundraising campaign for a coal-train pollution study met his monetary goal on Friday, Dec. 5, and will begin collecting data along the railroad tracks in Bellingham as soon as possible. According to Dan Jaffe’s Web page on experiment.com, he had received $13,172 in contributions as of Friday. Jaffe, a professor of atmospheric and environmental chemistry at the University of Washington-Bothell, had set his goal at $12,000 to cover student and staff salaries, equipment and travel. Ralph Schwartz reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Padilla Bay visit shows students environmental career options
Students involved in various environmental clubs at high schools from around the Puget Sound region convened Friday at the Breazeale Interpretive Center to explore environmental science, sustainability and related career paths. University of Washington oceanography professor Deb Kelly said during her keynote speech that today’s youth can look forward to opportunities for environmental exploration and discovery. Kimberly Cauvel reports. (Skagit Valley Herald)

'Pit-to-pier' claims against state back in county superior court
A month after a U.S. District Court judge dismissed its claims against state officials, the developer behind the controversial “pit-to-pier” project filed Nov. 21 an amended complaint against the state in Jefferson County Superior Court…. In October, U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle dismissed with prejudice Hood Canal Sand and Gravel's claim that state officials violated federal law and its Fifth and 14th Amendment rights when granting the U.S. Navy an easement for tidelands along the Hood Canal shoreline, effectively blocking its plan to build a pier. Settle found the private developer has no right to sue a state agency and its officials in federal court. Nicholas Johnson reports. (Port Townsend Leader)

Nature Conservancy’s 2,538-acre land purchase conserves rain forest on Clearwater River in Jefferson County
he Nature Conservancy has purchased nearly 4 square miles of Jefferson County forestland along the Clearwater River from Fruit Growers Supply Co. The 2,538-acre sale, which closed last Wednesday, is part of an initiative to increase salmon populations, promote sustainable economies and restore temperate rain forest along coastal salmon streams, officials said last week. Combined with earlier acquisitions, The Nature Conservancy is now managing nearly 8,000 acres of forestlands along the Queets and Clearwater rivers in West Jefferson County. Rob Ollikainen reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

House passes Mountains to Sound legislation
The U.S. House of Representatives passed U.S. Congressman Dave Reichert’s Mountains to Sound Greenway Heritage Act on Thursday. The act would expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area and designate a stretch of scenic landscape from Seattle to Ellensburg as a National Heritage Area. A National Heritage Area is a large, lived-in area designated by the U.S. Congress where historical, natural, recreational and cultural resources combine to form a landscape worthy of national distinction. (Daily Record)

Seven countries impose restrictions on Canadian poultry due to avian flu
Seven countries have imposed trade restrictions on Canadian poultry as a fifth farm in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley was put under quarantine for avian influenza, officials said Saturday. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said that more than 140,000 turkeys and chickens from the affected farms will be euthanized. Jeremy Hainsworth reports. (Associated Press

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST MON DEC 8 2014
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT...RISING TO 25 TO 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 10 TO 12 FEET WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 10 SECONDS.
 RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 25 TO 35 KT...BECOMING S AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 11 TO 14 FT WITH A DOMINANT PERIOD OF 13 SECONDS. 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

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12/5 Quake fault, Rhapsody dead, Navy Growlers, WA wetlands, Everett sewer, Vancouver birds

(USGS/KPLU)

Study: Offshore Fault Where The 'Big One' Originates Eerily Quiet
…. The fault zone expected to generate the next big one lies underwater between 40 and 80 miles offshore of the Pacific Northwest coastline. Earthquake scientists have listening posts along the coast from Vancouver Island to Northern California. But those onshore seismometers have detected few signs of the grinding and slipping you would expect to see as one tectonic plate dives beneath another, with the exception of the junctions on the north and south ends of what is formally known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone…. The bottom line: Even with more sensitive instruments, it’s still eerily quiet out there. Which leads the researchers to conclude the dangerous Cascadia fault zone is stuck  — or in science-speak, it is fully “locked.” …The evidence pointing to the colliding tectonic plates being completely stuck has serious implications for earthquake risk on land in the Pacific Northwest. Tom Banse report. (NW Public Radio)

Endangered killer whale found dead in Strait of Georgia
A member of B.C.’s endangered southern resident killer whale population has been found dead of unknown causes in the Strait of Georgia. The 18-year-old female member of J pod died sometime in the last couple of days, according to Howard Garrett, co-founder of the Washington state-based Orca Network…. The young whale, known as Rhapsody, has never produced a calf, but Garrett said many orca-watchers believed she was in the later stages of pregnancy because of her large size when she was seen breaching this summer. Bethany Lindsay reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Hundreds turn out for Navy Growler EIS Scoping Meeting in Port Townsend Thursday
Hundreds of people from the North Olympic Peninsula came to Fort Worden in Port Townsend Thursday afternoon to hear the Navy explain their plans for expansion of the Growler air fleet. The Navy had subject matter experts with signage to help explain their plans, which in some cases did clarify issues. (more on that later). Additionally, the Navy provided scribes and the ability for people to get their comments logged to the official record of public comment. Opponents of the expansion were out in force, and had stations with question banks so people could ask knowledgeable questions. The opposition groups have a great deal of concern about noise pollution, jet pollution, the tie in of this expansion with the Electromagnetic warfare training that the Navy plans to use these planes to test over the west end of the Olympic National Park and Clallam County. (Olympic Peninsula Environmental News)

Ecology wants comments on state wetland plan
The state Department of Ecology is seeking public comment on a proposed statewide plan for the management of wetland areas. Comments will be accepted through Dec. 31. The plan was developed using a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant, Ecology said in a news release. It includes creating a wetland monitoring program and assessment strategy, providing support for local governments in need of wetland expertise, and streamlines the permitting process in an effort to better protect Washington’s wetland areas. (Skagit Valley Herald)

$320M fix prescribed for Everett’s aging sewers
The city has unveiled a 10-year plan for its aging flood-prone sewer system. The Comprehensive Sewer Plan, revealed Wednesday at a meeting of the City Council, will cost more than $320 million over the next decade, with sewer and stormwater rates nearly doubling in that time. Chris Winters reports. (Herald of Everett)

City of Vancouver hopes new bird strategy will take flight
The City of Vancouver has produced a draft “bird strategy” to give wing to a better environment for birds. It recommends a number of things people can do to improve habitat, reduce unnecessary deaths through cat predation and strikes to buildings, and generally enjoy the avian world. Jeff Lee reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Now, your weekend tug weather--
 WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST FRI DEC 5 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
TODAY
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 10 SECONDS. RAIN.
SAT
S WIND 20 TO 30 KT...BECOMING SW 10 TO 15 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT...SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT. SW SWELL 5
 FT AT 9 SECONDS. SHOWERS LIKELY...MAINLY IN THE MORNING.
SAT NIGHT
SW WIND TO 10 KT...BECOMING SE AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 5 FT AT 12 SECONDS.
SUN
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 4 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

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12/4 BC LNG, tribes & coal, BC oil, G-P cleanup, Gabriola bridge, Clean Marine, Dungeness habitat, WA stormwater

Southgate Sentinels (Laurie MacBride)

Transformed by the Tide
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environment writes: "The Southgate Group lies close to the BC mainland, at about the spot where the wide open and treacherous waters of Queen Charlotte Sound meet the only-slightly less exposed waters of Queen Charlotte Strait. With huge waves often pounding in from the Pacific Ocean, these islands provide a bit of welcome protection for boaters along this stretch of coast…."

Petronas puts B.C. LNG plant on hold
Petronas says it's delaying its proposed liquefied natural gas terminal near Prince Rupert, B.C. The Malaysian energy giant says although it has resolved its concerns with the B.C. government, the conditions aren't right to proceed. Petronas says the economics of the project don't work as costs remain high and oil prices have dropped below $70 US a barrel. (Canadian Press)

NW Tribes Bring Coal Concerns To National Conference
Northwest tribes took part in a national gathering Wednesday for native leaders in Washington, D.C., where federal leaders told them they stand together in opposing climate change and support treaty rights. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell was among those who addressed the annual White House Tribal Nations Conference…. Jewell’s comments were met with applause. But the Department of Interior has recently come under fire from environmental groups and tribes for leasing federal land in Wyoming and Montana to coal mining companies. Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix) See also: Could this lawsuit force Obama to fix his ridiculous coal-leasing program?  Ben Adler reports. (Grist) 

If you like to watch: Haida group animates pipeline opposition using stop motion and music
A new music video featuring the music of Kinnie Starr has stop-motion wood carved characters confronting Prime Minister Stephen Harper, depicted on a super tanker travelling around Haida Gwaii. Haida Raid 3: Save Our Waters was released this week. Kim Wheeler reports. (CBC)

First major cleanup of G-P site slated for design in 2015
The Port of Bellingham Commission has cleared the way for Aspect Consulting to start designing cleanup of the first half of the contaminated G-P West waterfront site near downtown. With the commission’s approval Tuesday, Dec. 2, Aspect will receive up to $216,333 to start preliminary design work in the first half of 2015. Half of that will be paid for by a grant from the Model Toxics Control Act, which is funded by taxes on crude oil and other potential pollutants that enter the state. The other half will be paid for by an insurance policy. Samantha Wohlfeil reports. (Bellingham Herald)

Feasibility study ordered for bridge that would link Vancouver Island, Gabriola
A $200,000 contract has been awarded to a Colorado-based company to study the feasibility of linking Gabriola Island and Vancouver Island by bridge. CH2M Hill Canada Ltd., which has offices across Canada but is based in Englewood, Colo., will study potential bridge locations, cost estimates and compare a fixed link with existing ferry service. (Canadian Press)

If you like to watch: 2014 Boating BC Spotlight Series - Clean Marine BC Program
The Georgia Strait Alliance's Clean Marine BC Program is featured in a Boating BC Association video prepared by filmmaker Laurent Goldstein. Good piece showing the successes of the program.

Dungeness watershed projects get a funding boost
Efforts at the Dungeness River watershed to reduce flood risk, conserve water and restore habitat will push forward into next year after receiving $7.5 million in state funding through the Floodplains By Design initiative. The grant administered by Adam Sant for the Washington Department of Ecology allows for officials with the North Olympic Salmon Coalition, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Clallam Conservation District, Clallam County and the North Olympic Lead Entity for Salmon to continue their collaborative work on the lower Dungeness restoration project. (Sequim Gazette)

Inslee touts stormwater treatment plant at port
About 100 people gathered Wednesday morning to hear and watch Gov. Jay Inslee christen the Port of Olympia’s new stormwater treatment plant, an $11.5 million project that was constructed over the summer and recently became operational. Rolf Boone reports. (Olympian) See also: State modifies industrial storm-water permits  The state Department of Ecology announced Wednesday an update to the storm-water discharge permit for industrial sites. The permit covers 1,100 facilities, 70 percent of which are in the Puget Sound region. Industries that use the permit include log yards, auto recyclers, marine terminals and manufacturing facilities. (Skagit Valley Herald)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST THU DEC 4 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON PST TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON
TODAY
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT...RISING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS. RAIN
 LIKELY.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 5 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN 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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12/3 Duwamish, climate, toxic soil, Shell air, Dodge Cove, BC LNG, dam safety, Dabob Bay shellfish

(1997 Mountaineer Books)*

(*There are a bunch of these stored in the garage; if you’d like one, let me know.)

Mammoth $342 million cleanup ahead for fouled Duwamish River
After 14 years of work, the Environmental Protection Agency shares a plan for cleaning up Seattle’s polluted waterway. But when cleanup is complete, how much fish and shellfish from their home waters will South Park residents be able to eat? Craig Welch reports. (Seattle Times) See also: EPA Releases Cleanup Plan For Seattle’s Polluted Duwamish River  Ashley Ahearn reports. (EarthFix) EPA's Final Plan Just A Start For Seattle Groups Watchdogging Duwamish Cleanup  Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)

Hotter, weirder: How climate has changed Earth
In the more than two decades since world leaders first got together to try to solve global warming, life on Earth has changed, not just the climate. It's gotten hotter, more polluted with heat-trapping gases, more crowded and just downright wilder. The numbers are stark. Carbon dioxide emissions: up 60 percent. Global temperature: up six-tenths of a degree. Population: up 1.7 billion people. Sea level: up 3 inches. U.S. extreme weather: up 30 percent. Ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica: down 4.9 trillion tons of ice. "Simply put, we are rapidly remaking the planet and beginning to suffer the consequences," says Michael Oppenheimer, professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University. Seth Broenstein reports. (Associated Press)

Metal contamination found in Vancouver community garden, brownfield sites
An eight-month study of Vancouver garden and agricultural soils has found levels of lead and other metals above the most stringent Canadian standards for human health. Samples taken from the 16 Oaks community garden averaged 219 parts per million of lead, which exceeds the standard of 70 to 140 ppm for agricultural, residential and park land set by the Canadian Council of Environment Ministers. Levels of lead — a potent neurotoxin — are five times higher than those measured at UBC Farm, a site remote from urban activity just a few kilometres away. Randy Shore reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Agency renews Shell refinery's air operating permit
The Northwest Clean Air Agency has renewed Shell Puget Sound Refinery’s air operating permit. The agency issued the renewal for the Anacortes refinery after receiving no comments from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during a 45-day review period…. Most of the permits do not get public attention. But because of a crude-by-rail proposal for the same facility, Shell’s permit renewal drew more than 70 people to a public hearing. (Skagit Valley Herald)

LNG terminal proposal could turn Dodge Cove, B.C. into ghost town
A small village on B.C.'s North Coast is on the verge of becoming a ghost town with news that a massive liquefied natural gas terminal will be built next door. Dodge Cove is situated on Digby Island, which is a short boat ride from Prince Rupert. About 40 people live in the community, and there are no paved roads, no cars and no stores. The international energy company Nexen Energy has picked Digby Island for a proposed $20 billion LNG terminal with the goal of shipping 10 to 20 million tons of LNG from B.C. to Asia each year. George Baker reports. (CBC)

B.C. in ‘good shape’ to close $10-billion LNG deal: Premier
B.C. is in “good shape” to lure Malaysia’s state-owned energy company into a final investment decision for a proposed $10-billion liquefied natural gas plant, says Premier Christy Clark. Clark said she would not publicly disclose the substance of negotiations Monday between her government and Petronas CEO Shamsul Azhar Abbas, who was in Vancouver for high-level meetings over his company’s proposed Pacific Northwest LNG export facility near Prince Rupert. Rob Shaw reports. (Vancouver Sun)

B.C. takes steps to post dam safety reports online
The B.C. government is taking steps to create a web-based system where dam safety inspection reports and other documents can be publicly posted. The government has awarded global engineering firm Hatch Ltd. a contract to review expedited dam safety inspections and third-party reviews of B.C.’s 60 mines ordered by the provincial government as a result of the Mount Polley tailings dam collapse. The $305,000 contract also requires Hatch to create a public webpage where the reports can be posted. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)

Jefferson's Dabob Bay opens for harvesting of some shellfish species
Dabob Bay has partially reopened to recreational shellfishing, although butter and varnish clamming remains closed because of the danger of potentially deadly paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), Jefferson County Public Health said Tuesday. The closure zone includes Tarboo Bay, the western shore of the Toandos Peninsula south to Zelatched Point and the eastern shore of the Bolton Peninsula to its southern tip near Red Bluff. Quilcene Bay, including Point Whitney, remains closed for all species. (Peninsula Daily News)

Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 300 AM PST WED DEC 3 2014
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY
SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT...EASING TO 15 TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. SW SWELL 3 FT AT 10 SECONDS.
TONIGHT
SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. SW SWELL 5 FT AT 14 SECONDS.
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