4/14 L95, #SSEC16, storm surge, methanol plant, PSE LNG, rainwater, Vic sewer, oyster seeding
 |
| L95 (PHOTO: Dave Ellifrit) |
The recent appearance of two dead whales off Vancouver Island — one infant and one young adult — has whale researchers concerned about the population. Of the two, researchers are mostly worried about the death of the adult, a male known as L95, which at 20 was just entering prime breeding age. The death of the calf, a female about two weeks old, is not unusual. John Ford, whale research scientist with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, said the loss of any adult of breeding age is worrisome, with the overall population of southern resident killer whales down to about 82. Richard Watts reports. (Times Colonist)
New data dampens prospects
Confirmation that baby orca J54 is a male has dropped a bitter pill into the otherwise sweet news of a seeming population boom for the southern resident killer whale population over the past year. Naturalists working with the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island recently captured photographic evidence of markings on the calf’s belly that prove earlier suspicions that J54 is male. The information is concerning to wildlife biologists because there is only one known female of eight surviving calves born between Dec. 30, 2014 and Jan. 18, 2016. The sex of two calves is still to be determined, but one of them is also suspected to be male. Elizabeth Nolan reports. (Gulf Islands Driftwood)
New blog: #SSEC16— Hold On To That Blue Marble
Canadian astronaut and scientist Roberta Bondar gave an inspired and inspiring keynote address to kick off the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Vancouver, BC, on Wednesday. Capacity attendance of 1200 folks will be sharing information and experiences during the three-day meeting…
National climate change report warns of risk of storm surges on B.C.'s coast
Flooding from storm-surges — an abnormal rise of sea water generated by a storm — is a greater threat to communities along B.C.'s coast than the rising sea level alone. That is one of the findings from Canada's Marine Coasts in a Changing Climate, a new national report from Natural Resources Canada exploring the impacts of climate change on Canada's coasts. Nathan Vadeboncoeur, the lead author of the West Coast chapter of the report, said that the height of waves is related to water depth, so as the sea level rises the waves generated during a storm are going to be higher and more powerful. Cavin Fisher reports. (CBC)
Study lays out economic impact of methanol plant
The backer of a methanol plant for the Tacoma Tideflats has released an economic impact study that shows the plant will be an economic boon for the region during its five-year construction phase. Once it’s up and running, the Northwest Innovation Works plant will support jobs above the living wage, the report states. The study, conducted for Northwest Innovation Works by ECONorthwest, says the company expects local spending of $1.3 billion of the $3.6 billion cost of the plant in 2018 dollars. ECONorthwest is a consulting firm with 41 years’ experience in economics, finance and planning. Kate Martin reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)
PSE seeks court assist to prevent release of gas-storage records
Citing fears of a terrorist attack, Puget Sound Energy has filed a legal complaint that would prevent the city of Tacoma from disclosing records related to the siting of a planned liquid natural gas terminal on the Tacoma Tideflats. The complaint filed Monday in Pierce County Superior Court names the city and environmental activist John Carlton, who sought city-held records of a hazard assessment associated with the storage facility. PSE is seeking a temporary restraining order and an injunction to stop the city’s planned release of the records to Carlton. A hearing on the restraining order is set for Wednesday afternoon (April 13). Sean Robinson reports. (Tacoma News Tribune)
Vancouver looks into collecting 90 per cent of rainwater
The City of Vancouver is looking into a plan to capture and treat 90 per cent of the rain that falls in the city, turning it from a nuisance to a resource. Staff are seeking $1.5 million to create a green infrastructure team that would push for a citywide network of rain gardens, permeable pavements and green roofs to capture rain before it pollutes nearby waters. Matt Robinson reports. (Vancouver Sun)
Province assigns facilitator to build sewage ‘road map’
The B.C. government has assigned a former deputy minister to help the Capital Regional District develop a detailed sewage plan. Peter Milburn, an ex-deputy minister of finance and transportation, will act as a “facilitator” on the project, Community Minister Peter Fassbender said Wednesday. (Times Colonist)
Tidelands near Sequim Bay's John Wayne Marina to be studied, seeded with native Olympia oysters
Tidelands near John Wayne Marina will be studied and parts of them seeded to create a new Olympia oyster bed in Sequim Bay. In a 2-1 vote, the commissioners agreed to allow the Clallam County Marine Resources Committee to study a portion of Sequim Bay tidelands, adjacent to the south side of the jetty, and seed it with oysters beginning in 2017. Commissioners Colleen McAleer and Steve Burke voted in favor of the oyster beds, while Commissioner Connie Beauvais voted against the use of the property. Arwyn Rice reports. (Peninsula Daily News)
Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 258 AM PDT THU APR 14 2016
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING
TODAY E WIND 5 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. W SWELL 12 FT AT 14 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS.
TONIGHT W WIND 10 TO 20 KT...BECOMING 5 TO 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 12 FT AT 14 SECONDS...SUBSIDING TO 10 FT AT 13 SECONDS 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
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2016
4/13 #SSEC16, Shell, dying reefs, plastics, Kinder Morgan, oil terminal, neonics, crab fine
 |
| Spotted Towhee (Pat Gaines/BirdNote) |
Among the most welcome features of spring is the renewal of bird song. Can you imagine a spring without the voices of birds? The silence would -- as they say -- be deafening, the absence of their songs like the loss of one of our primary senses. Rachel Carson's 1962 book, Silent Spring, helped found the modern environmental movement. When you hear the birds (like this Spotted Towhee or its cousin, the Eastern Towhee) sing this spring, remember Rachel Carson, and be grateful. (BirdNote)
2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem ConferenceWatch for updates and stories about the 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference inSalish Sea Currents. We are sending ten science writers to Vancouver to cover key stories—from the fascinating to the decision-critical—emerging from the more than 450 talks scheduled for this week's conference. These stories will appear on the pages of the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound over the next several months, but if you want a sense of what is happening during the week, our writers and others will be posting to Twitter using the hashtag #SSEC16. You'll also be able to identify us by the signature #EoPS. (UW Puget Sound Institute)
Clean Air agency alleges multiple failures by Shell chemical release
Shell Puget Sound Refinery allegedly took shortcuts in shutting down and decontaminating its east flare system, leading to the release of chemicals on Feb. 20, 2015, that affected hundreds of people, according to a press release Tuesday from Northwest Clean Air Agency. “This incident sickened many people in the community, and people felt unsafe in their homes and at work,” said Mark Asmundson, Northwest Clean Air executive director. NWCAA mailed a notice of violation to the Shell refinery April 8. Shell has 30 days to respond to the allegations before the agency can begin to consider what the penalty will be. (Anacortes American)
A Radical Attempt to Save the Reefs
What will it take to save the world’s reefs and forests? Conservation-minded researchers are trying to “assist” evolution in order to produce hardier coral and tougher trees. Elizabeth Kolbert reports. (The New Yorker) See also: Warming waters bring coral bleaching across the globe (World Wildlife Fund Global)
Plastics dominate debris washing up on state’s coastal beaches
Several times each week, Russ Lewis and a few friends pick up litter that washes ashore on a 7-mile stretch of ocean shoreline, and most of it is plastics of one kind of another. Some of the stuff, such as the strapping akin to what Northwest crabbers use to wrap around bait — most likely comes from close by. Other items, such as a mannequin head with Japanese writing — are presumed to be part of the detritus from the March 2011 Japanese tsunami that continues to wash ashore in the Pacific Northwest…. Plastics are one of the most ubiquitous products of the petrochemical industry. One study estimates the oceans receive nearly 6 million to almost 13 million metric tons of plastics each year. This debris takes a huge toll on birds, fish, marine mammals and other sea life, either through entanglement or ingestion of degraded bits and pieces. Hal Bernton reports. (Seattle Times)
Tsleil-Waututh has message for Trudeau: no to Trans Mountain project
The Tsleil-Waututh Nation said Tuesday they have no intention of backing down in the face of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recently revealed support for Kinder Morgan’s $5.4-billion Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project. The National Post reported Monday that the prime minister has told his senior lieutenants to draw up plans to make the Energy East pipeline and the Trans Mountain expansion a reality. But during last fall’s election campaign, Trudeau had promised First Nations more say in natural resource development. First Nations in B.C. have also become emboldened in pushing land rights after multiple court wins, including a historic Supreme Court of Canada decision in 2014 that granted the Tsilqhot’in title to 1,740 square kilometres of traditional territory in the Interior. The ruling pushed consultation obligations for the government to a higher threshold. Gordon Hoekstra reports. (Vancouver Sun)
Vancouver Port Hears From Public On Oil Terminal Lease
Commissioners at the Port of Vancouver are weighing whether or not to breathe new life into what could be the nation’s largest oil-by-rail terminal. The project’s backers, oil company Tesoro Corp. and logistics firm Savage Industries, have asked the port to extend the terms of their lease by two years. Port leaders slogged through hours of public testimony Tuesday, hearing from tribal officials, business interests, community members, elected officials and medical professionals, each with their own take on whether the port should grant the Vancouver Energy Project’s request. Conrad Wilson reports. (OPB)
Hundreds of baby dolphin deaths tied to BP’s Gulf oil spill
Researchers looking into the largest dolphin and whale die-off on record in the Gulf of Mexico following the 2010 BP oil spill have tied a spike in the number of dead babies and stillbirths to the massive spill. Since the spill, more than 1,400 dolphins and whales have been found dead in the northern Gulf of Mexico, the most ever documented. Last year, researchers with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that dead adults found in areas hardest hit by the oil between 2010 and 2012 suffered damage to their adrenal glands or had bacterial pneumonia. Such ailments have been previously documented in animals exposed to oil. Jenny Staletovich reports. (Miami Herald)
Coal slump sends mining giant Peabody Energy into bankruptcy
U.S. coal giant Peabody Energy Corp. filed for bankruptcy on Wednesday, the most powerful convulsion yet in an industry that's enduring the worst slump in decades. The company voluntarily filed petitions under Chapter 11 for the majority of its U.S. entities in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, according to a statement dated April 13. All of Peabody's mines and offices are continuing to operate in the ordinary course of business and are expected to continue doing so for the duration of the process, it said. Tiffany Kary and Tim Loh report. (Bloomberg)
Home And Garden Giant Ditches Class Of Pesticides That May Harm Bees
A leading brand of home and garden pest-control products says it will stop using a class of pesticides linked to the decline of bees. Ortho, part of the Miracle-Gro family, says the decision to drop the use of the chemicals — called neonicotinoids, or neonics for short — comes after considering the range of possible threats to bees and other pollinators. "While agencies in the U.S. are still evaluating the overall impact of neonics on pollinator populations, it's time for Ortho to move on," says Tim Martin, the general manager of the Ortho Brand. Allison Aubrey reports. (NPR)
Illegal crab fishermen fined $3,300 for North Vancouver haul
Fresh crab can be expensive, but two Vancouver men have paid a very high price for the delicacy, and they never even got to taste their catch. North Vancouver RCMP say the men were fishing for crab off the pier of Cates Park in North Vancouver in early January when their catch was seized and they were charged with several violations. The pair have now been fined $3,300 for offences including illegal possession of crabs, having undersized Dungeness crabs, possessing female crabs and using more than two crab traps. (Canadian Press)
Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 224 AM PDT WED APR 13 2016
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON
TODAY SE WIND 5 TO 15 KT...BECOMING 10 TO 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS...BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. W SWELL 12 FT AT 13 SECONDS. A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE MORNING...THEN RAIN LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON.
TONIGHT E WIND 20 TO 30 KT...BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. W SWELL 12 FT AT 14 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
Follow on Twitter.
Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2016
4/12 Green-Duwamish, Upthegrove, oyster coop, NW Stream Center, oil port, coal port, Lake Whatcom, BC trees
 |
| Howard Hanson Dam (Parker Miles Blohm/KPLU) |
For the first time, a river that connects Seattle and Tacoma has been included on a list of the 10 most endangered waterways in the country. American Rivers is highlighting the Green-Duwamish watershed this year. The national conservation group says the issue it wants addressed is outdated dams that lack passage for endangered fish. The territory this river covers provides a rich study in contrasts. The headwaters start in the steep peaks of the Cascade Mountains, near Stampede Pass. From there, the Green winds down through forested foothills and carves its way into a lush river valley. It then passes through rich farmland that yields to a sprawling warehouse district before it reaches the heart of Seattle, where it ends in Puget Sound’s Elliot Bay. Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KPLU)
New blog: The Salish Sea— What’s In A Name?
It’s not a good idea to read a Wikipedia entry and think that makes me smart, but it’s not a bad idea to read an entry to remind myself that I don’t know everything. For example, about how the Salish Sea officially got its name...
Upthegrove jumps into Land Commissioner race as "environmental champion"
King County Council member Dave Upthegrove has jumped into the race for State Land Commissioner less than a week after incumbent and fellow Democrat Peter Goldmark opted not to seek a third term. Upthegrove is running as an out-and-out environmentalist for a post that oversees timber harvest in 2.1 million acres of state-owned forests, as well as commercial management of state aquatic lands. Specifically, he is aligning with opponents of the big proposed Gateway Pacific coal export terminal at Cherry Point north of Bellingham. Joel Connelly reports. (SeattlePI.Com)
"How We Save Whales from Space"The Whale Trail presents Oregon State University's Bruce Mate, a leader in the development of satellite-monitored radio telemetry, speaking about tracking critically endangered marine mammals. His work has led to the discovery of previously unknown migration routes and seasonal distributions (wintering and summering areas), as well as descriptions of diving behavior to better understand feeding effort. This Earth Day event will be held at 7 PM on April 21 at The Hall at Fauntleroy, 9131 California Ave SW, Seattle. Tickets are $10 adults and $5 kids under 12; brownpapertickets.com
Oyster lovers become oyster farmers
It's harvest time at the only oyster farm in Puget Sound where the customers also are the harvesters…. Operating since 2010, the Port Madison Community Shellfish Farm produces between 1,200 to 1,500 oysters for its 70 members each year. The farm is a community supported agriculture program — commonly known as a CSA, and most often used by small, land-based farms. The basic idea: You buy a share and get a portion of the harvest. Depending on the week, a typical CSA share might be a box filled with lettuce, kale, eggs, raspberries and maybe more kohlrabi than you know what to do with. Tristan Baurick reports. (Kitsap Sun)
Northwest Stream Center close to opening
More than 20 years after drawing up a master plan, the Northwest Stream Center is preparing to open this summer. The center, a project of the Adopt-a-Stream Foundation, has a few things left to do before formally opening its doors. That's probably news to the hordes of schoolkids who already have taken tours of the site and marveled at the underwater views of cutthroat trout or the blooming skunk cabbage in the 20-acre wetland in Snohomish County's McCollum Park. Chris Winters reports. (Everett Herald)
Port Of Vancouver Prepares For Hearing On Oil Terminal
Port of Vancouver commissioners are looking for input at a hearing Tuesday about how to move forward with the nation’s largest oil-by-rail terminal. The Port wants to hear from the public about how to proceed with a proposed lease amendment from the backers of the Vancouver Energy Project.
Near a dock at the Port of Vancouver where crude from the proposed oil terminal would be loaded onto ships. The hearing will be held at Clark College. It’s expected to last about 12 hours. Conrad Wilson reports. (OPB)
Coal exports stopped by Lummi Nation fishing rights?
Environmental reviews of a coal-export terminal that would be the largest in the nation were summarily suspended on April 1 — but it was no April Fool’s trick for the developers of Gateway Pacific Terminal or local, state and federal agencies working on the protracted review. A small army of scientists, researchers, bureaucrats, politicians, environmentalists and business executives are sitting on their plans, waiting for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to define a tiny Latin term: de minimus. It is tied to questions over whether the project would harm Lummi Nation fishing. Indeed, pushed by an impatient Lummi Nation to enforce 19th Century treaty rights that guarantee fishing in “usual and accustomed places,” the Corps is boxed in. On one side are sophisticated and well-funded tribal leaders, who know Indian law to the last phrase; on the other, angry but powerful coal-country Republican congressmen, who fear their chances to export coal to massive Asian markets will be shut off. Floyd McKay reports. (Crosscut)
EPA approves 50-year cleanup plan for phosphorous in Lake Whatcom
A 50-year plan to vastly reduce the amount of phosphorous flowing into Lake Whatcom has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. The cleanup is expected to cost an estimated $50 million in the first five years. It will require 87 percent of the developed area around the lake to store and filter water like a natural forest so phosphorous can seep into the ground instead of flowing into the lake. Put another way: 3,500 acres, out of 4,000, must function like a forest to hit the cleanup goal. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)
Climate change helping B.C. forests recover from pine beetle says study
The warming climate that helped trigger B.C.'s mountain pine beetle outbreak might also be helping the province's forests recover, according to new research led by federal government scientists in Victoria. That's because B.C. forests are responding to climate change by growing faster, said the lead author of the study published in Geophysical Research Letters…. The study says B.C. forests are regaining their status as "carbon sinks" — something the mountain pine beetle wiped out along with 18 million hectares of lodgepole pine. Lisa Johnson reports. (CBC)
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL STOP SCREAMING IN ALL CAPS
FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED ITS FORECASTS IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. But in the age of social media that’s considered yelling, so next month federal meteorologists are lowering their voices and their letters — except in dire emergencies. Weather service spokeswoman Susan Buchanan said the agency started using all capital letters in 1849 forecasts because of the telegraph. Twenty years ago, the agency tried phasing out the practice, but old equipment wouldn’t recognize lower-case letters. Starting May 11, weather service forecasts will no longer read like someone shouting in a hurricane — the agency will use both upper- and lower-case letters. Seth Borenstein reports. (Associated Press)
Now, your tug weather--
WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA- 227 AM PDT TUE APR 12 2016
TODAY S WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 3 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 13 SECONDS. RAIN.
TONIGHT W WIND 15 TO 25 KT...EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 7 FT AT 13 SECONDS... BUILDING TO 10 FT AT 12 SECONDS AFTER MIDNIGHT. 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
MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2016
4/11 Vic sewer, Vaughn Bay, Jericho Lands, wetlands bank, fossil fuel terminals, gray whales, leaded water
 |
| (PHOTO: David Horemans/CBC) |
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
FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016
4/8 Bulkheads, SSEC16, feeder bluffs, restoration, ag pollution, oil spills, saving Blanchard Mt
 |
| Common horsetail (Equisetum arvense) |
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
THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 2016
4/7 Peter Goldmark, Vic sewage, oil trains, illegal bulkhead, sick whale, water year, PSP closure
 |
| Lady's Mantle (Laurie MacBride) |
Laurie MacBride in Eye on Environmentwrites: '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
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2016
4/6 Restoration, green transport, Vic sewer, Skagit water, save KPLU, Burnaby Cr salmon, Black oil
 |
| Skunk cabbage (Lysichiton americanum) |
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment