Salish Sea News Week in Review January 22 2021

 

Aloha Roe v. Wade Day
On this day in 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court recognized a woman's right to choose and legalized abortion.

Female resident orcas especially disturbed by vessels, new research shows
Female orcas are most thrown off from foraging when boats and vessels intrude closer than 400 yards, according to new research — troubling findings for the endangered population of southern resident orcas that desperately needs every mother and calf to survive.

Report lays out bleak picture of Northwest salmon 'teetering on the brink of extinction'
Washington’s salmon are “teetering on the brink of extinction,” according to a new report.

Oil train derailment in Whatcom County drives home transport risk concerns
When an oil train derailed in a fiery crash in Custer in December, about 29,000 gallons of the cargo was spilled.

Human-caused ‘dead zones’ threaten health of Puget Sound
One of the most common nutrients that boosts these algae blooms is nitrogen, and according to the Washington State Department of Ecology, wastewater treatment plants contribute significantly to low oxygen levels.

Power outages cause massive wastewater spill into Puget Sound, Lake Washington
Power outages last week caused a few of King County’s wastewater treatment facilities to spill more than 10 million gallons of untreated overflow into the Puget Sound and Lake Washington, according to the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. EPA loans King County $96.8 million to prevent untreated water from spilling into Puget Sound
The Environmental Protection Agency has given King County a $96.8 million loan to improve water treatment infrastructure and reduce harmful spillovers into the Puget Sound its tributaries.

President Biden's 17 Executive Orders in Detail
Among executive orders signed on his first day in office, President Biden:
-signed a letter to re-enter the United States in the Paris climate accords in 30 days;
-revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline;
-reversed the rollbacks to vehicle emissions standards;
-undid decisions to slash the size of several national monuments;
-enforced a temporary moratorium on oil and natural gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;
-re-established a working group on the social costs of greenhouse gasses;
-and issued a freeze on all new regulations put in motion by his predecessor to give his administration time to evaluate which ones it wants to move forward.

Discovery Islands salmon farms seek judicial review of federal phase out
Two salmon farming operations have applied to the Federal Court of Canada in Vancouver for a judicial review of a decision made by Fisheries Minster Bernadette Jordan to phase out fish farms on B.C.'s Discovery Islands.

Toxic Pesticide Faces New Scrutiny From Biden Administration
President Biden's initial wave of planned executive actions includes an order to reexamine one controversial, but widely used, pesticide called chlorpyrifos.

Puget Sound Partnership proposing ‘Desired Outcomes’ for ongoing ecosystem recovery
Puget Sound Action Agenda, often referred to as Puget Sound Partnership’s blueprint for ecological recovery, continues to evolve.

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These news clips are a selection of weekday clips collected in Salish Sea News and Weather which 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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