Salish Sea News Week in Review June 26 2020

[PHOTO: Harvard Gazette]

Aloha Stonewall Riots Friday!
The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay community in response to a police raid that began in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village in New York City.  Patrons of the Stonewall, other Village lesbian and gay bars, and neighborhood street people fought back when the police became violent. The riots are widely considered to constitute one of the most important events leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights in the United States.



Trump’s toxic torrent of environmental rollbacks impedes social justice
At this point, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that the White House is pursuing a massive rollback of our nation’s environmental protections. Given everything going on in the world today, many people probably don’t realize that the most critical — and most egregious — of these rollbacks has been finalized just in the last three months.

Arctic Circle sees 'highest-ever' recorded temperatures
Temperatures in the Arctic Circle are likely to have hit an all-time record on Saturday, reaching a scorching 38C (100F) in Verkhoyansk, a Siberian town.

How a salt marsh could be a secret weapon against sea level rise in B.C.’s Fraser delta
An often-underrated ecosystem supports millions of migratory birds, provides critical habitat for young salmon, absorbs carbon and plays an essential role in flood prevention.

Washington’s water quality standards back in court after EPA rollback
A coalition of environmental groups, commercial fishermen and the Makah Tribe are suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency over its decision to roll back water quality regulations in Washington state. At issue are human health standards that the EPA itself forced the state to adopt just a few years ago.


State officials scramble to protect streams and wetlands in wake of federal rule
Federal protections for millions of small streams and wetlands across the country were eliminated on Monday, following an unsuccessful legal effort to block new regulations that redefine “waters of the United States.”


Port makeover of old mill property loses $15.5 million grant
A key piece of financing is in doubt in the Port of Everett’s plan to build a cargo terminal on waterfront real estate that once was the site of a paper and pulp mill. The U.S. Department of Transportation has rescinded a $15.5 million grant for the project on the former Kimberly-Clark property due to what port officials are calling a technicality.

Ocean Voyages Institute hauls in record 103 tons of trash from Pacific Ocean
The Ocean Voyages Institute [Tuesday] morning pulled into Pier 29 in Honolulu with more than 100 tons of marine trash hauled from the middle of the Pacific Ocean,

LNG Shipments by Rail Approved in US Amid Pipeline Battles
The Trump administration has taken the final step to allow rail shipments of liquefied natural gas, a new front in the movement of energy products that had been opposed by environmental groups and 15 states.

Monsanto to pay $95 million over PCB pollution in Washington state 
The agrochemical giant Monsanto has agreed to pay Washington state $95 million to settle a lawsuit that blamed it for pervasive pollution from PCBs.

Roundup Maker to Pay $10 Billion to Settle Cancer Suits
Bayer agrees to pay more than $10 billion to settle tens of thousands of claims while continuing to sell the product without adding warning labels about its safety.


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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Salish Sea News Week in Review June 19 2020

Aloha Juneteenth Friday!
Although Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, it was not until after the war was over that slaves became free in Texas, possibly because the Proclamation could not be enforced there, or because news of the Proclamation had not been spread there. The war ended in April of 1865, but word did not reach Texas until the following month, and it was not until June that the Confederate Army in the area surrendered. On June 19th, Union General Gordon Granger read “General Order No. 3” in Galveston, which said all slaves were free.


How blooms of northern anchovies are helping bring more sea life back to Burrard Inlet
It's not easy to spot northern anchovies in murky sea water, but a school of these 10-centimetre-long fish can often set off a frenzy of hungry seabirds and sea mammals that reveals their underwater dance.

Trans Mountain Pipeline spill in Abbotsford estimated at up to 190,000 litres of crude oil
A spill of light crude oil on Saturday from the Trans Mountain Pipeline in Abbotsford, B.C. has now been estimated at between 150,000 to 190,000 litres, or up to 1,195 barrels. Trans Mountain oil spill bolsters Sumas First Nation opposition to twinned pipeline  An oil spill at a Trans Mountain pipeline pump station in Abbotsford, B.C., over the weekend has bolstered the Sumas First Nation's opposition to seeing the pipeline twinned through its territory..

Scientists say the last of British Columbia’s old-growth trees will soon be gone, if policies don’t change 
Most of British Columbia’s old-growth forests of big trees live only on maps, and what’s left on the ground is fast disappearing, a team of independent scientists has found.

Governments commit $3M to projects restoring B.C. salmon habitat
The B.C. and federal governments have announced funding for seven projects that will help restore salmon habitats in the province.

Coastal GasLink ramps up pipeline work, 4 months after Wet'suwet'en land conflict sparked rail blockades
Coastal GasLink is ramping up construction across northern B.C, just months after a high profile conflict over Wet'suwet'en land rights sparked RCMP raids on the pipeline route and rail blockades across the country.

Canada-U.S. border to remain closed to non-essential travel for another month
An agreement has once again been reached between Canada and the United States to keep the border closed to all non-essential or "discretionary" travel for another month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced.

Washington shellfish growers reeling after judge throws out general permit
A federal judge has thrown out a general permit for the shellfish industry in Washington that has reduced the regulatory burden on them for decades. Now, growers will have to apply individually to continue existing operations.

Transformation of North Shore's MacKay Creek takes seven years 
Restoring MacKay Creek and estuary in North Vancouver has meant removing at least 16 tonnes of invasive species and debris since 2013.

US Senate Passes Funding Boost To Conservation Fund, Help For National Parks
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would further protect public lands and recreation across the country. The legislation would also help relieve a massive maintenance backlog on federal lands.


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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow @savepugetsound

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 12 2020

Aloha Red Rose Friday!
Red Rose Day is dedicated to red roses, which represent love. It’s fitting that Red Rose Day takes place in June, as roses have just come into full bloom, and more weddings happen during this month than any other. They are the most popular cut flower, as well as the most popular flower to grow.


Big polluters are spending billions on controversial projects that protect forests and let them keep polluting 
As industrial polluters try to erase their greenhouse gas emissions, they plan to spend billions of dollars in the coming years on preserving and restoring forests to cancel out pollution they can’t directly eliminate with electric vehicles, energy efficiency improvements and wind and solar power projects.

As EPA Steps Back, States Face Wave Of Requests For Environmental Leniency
Some of the country’s most polluting industries have flooded state regulators with requests to ease environmental regulations, according to an NPR review of hundreds of state environmental records.

B.C. opens Sunshine Coast forest — home to some of Canada’s oldest trees — to logging
Local conservation group asks province to cancel cutblocks containing ancient yellow cedars and unofficial bear sanctuary.

New oil spill response base in Friday Harbor will address present — and growing — threat
A new response base to be built on San Juan Island will amp up the Islands Oil Spill Association's capability to help prevent oil spills when small-spill threats arise.

BC Ferries' first hybrid electric vessel begins service Wednesday
The first of BC Ferries' new hybrid-electric vessels is taking its maiden voyage on Wednesday.

'Almost complete loss' of salmon runs at Fraser River slide last year 
Early runs of sockeye and chinook salmon were devastated last year when they couldn’t make it past a massive landslide on the Fraser River, government officials said Tuesday.

Skagit River closing to sockeye fishing
There will be no fishing for sockeye salmon this season on the Skagit River.

Canada-U.S. border closure to be extended beyond June 21, sources say
The Canada-U.S. border closure to all non-essential traffic will be extended beyond the June 21 date set last month, sources tell CBC News.


New Seattle seawall improves migratory pathway for young salmon
Nobody with an understanding of marine life would describe Seattle’s downtown shoreline as a thriving ecosystem. Yet salmon habitat seems to be improving there, scientists say, thanks to new features installed during replacement of the downtown seawall.

Everett yanks Wood Creek acreage from surplus property list
The Wood Creek watershed will remain in its natural state for now. People rallied to keep 92½ acres of city-owned land just south of the Valley View neighborhood off the surplus property list last month.

2nd confirmed Asian giant hornet this year found 15 miles from 1st location
Officials with the Washington State Department of Agriculture reported today that the 2nd confirmed sighting of an Asian giant hornet this year has been made.

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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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow @savepugetsound

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told

Salish Sea News Week in Review June 5 2020

Aloha World Environment Friday!
In 1972, the first major conference on environmental issues took place. Organized by the United Nations, it was known as the Conference on the Human Environment and has also informally been known as the Stockholm Conference. Later that year, on December 15, the General Assembly adopted Resolution 2994, which created World Environment Day. The date of June 5 was chosen because that was the date that the Stockholm Conference had started on. World Environment Day was first held in 1974.

Bill James, hereditary chief at Lummi, master weaver, dies at age 75 
Bill Tsi’li’xw James, hereditary chief of the Lummi people, was a teacher of culture, language and art who passed on teachings until his last breath. Sharp in his mind until his passing June 1 at age 75.

New cruise ship restrictions will mean big hit to B.C. economy, industry says
There will be no cruise season in Canada this year, an industry representative says, after the federal transport minister announced new restrictions on vessels' ability to sail in Canadian waters.

County staff urges ‘no’ on Point Wells development proposal
Snohomish County planners have again recommended against the approval of a developer’s longstanding plan to turn an industrial site on Puget Sound, south of Edmonds, into thousands of condos.

Will orcas thrive in the coronavirus pandemic’s quieter waters? Scientists aim to find out  
The coronavirus pandemic has upended and refocused orca field research in Northwest waters this season.

Climate change an imminent threat to glass sponge reefs
Warming ocean temperatures and acidification drastically reduce the skeletal strength and filter-feeding capacity of glass sponges, according to new UBC research.

Trump, Citing Pandemic, Moves to Weaken Two Key Environmental Protections
The Trump administration, in twin actions to curb environmental regulations, moved on Thursday to temporarily speed the construction of energy projects and to permanently weaken federal authority to issue stringent clean air and climate change rules.

Whatcom County Council split on Cherry Point crude oil transshipments ban
Whatcom County Council members approved a six-month ban Tuesday, June 2, on filing, accepting or processing new applications for most new or expanded facilities for shipping unrefined fossil fuels that won’t be processed or used at the Cherry Point industrial zone.

Delicious and now endangered: Can the pinto abalone make a comeback? 
The pinto abalone was a popular sport catch for divers in the Salish Sea until its numbers plummeted to near extinction.

Port Angeles council co-signs Snake River dam letter
After seeing the Elwha River respond to dam removal in its own backyard, the Port Angeles City Council has voted to support the removal of four dams on the lower Snake River.

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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.

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate

Follow @savepugetsound

Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told