Salish Sea News Week in Review April 28 2023

 

[NPR]

Aloha Friday!
The Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd, recorded in Abbey Road Studios goes to number one on the US Billboard chart, beginning a record-breaking 741-week chart run.

 

Port of Vancouver's Roberts Bank Terminal 2: 6 things to know about the contentious $3.5B proposal
Federal approval of Roberts Bank Terminal 2 grants environmental green light for $3.5 billion project heralded as critical step in expanding container trade, but is decried by conservationists.

Washington Legislature unveils $69.2B two-year state budget
Completed with less than 36 hours left in the 2023 session, the budget boosts funding for state worker wages, special education and climate issues.  WA Legislature sends $13.4 billion transportation budget to governor for signature Washington state lawmakers on Saturday passed a $13.4 billion transportation budget for the 2023-25 biennium, with major investments in the ferry system, transportation workforce, traffic safety and keeping projects on track that are already in the works.

Biden to Create White House Office of Environmental Justice
A new executive order requires every federal agency to address the disproportionate impact of pollution and climate change on minority communities.

Tribe to fish for salmon on Elwha River a decade after dams fell
The Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Olympic National Park and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced Monday that the tribal ceremonial and subsistence fishery for coho salmon on the Elwha will open this fall.

Coast Salish youth reconnect with Indigenous lifeways, lands 
Children and teens from seven tribes gathered on Whidbey Island to explore the traditional food culture of their ancestors.

These Rare BC Reefs Are No Longer Threatened by Offshore Drilling
Two multinational oil companies, ExxonMobil and Chevron Canada, have voluntarily given up offshore exploratory oil and gas permits they held in B.C. after the environmental law charity Ecojustice, on behalf of environmental organizations the David Suzuki Foundation and World Wildlife Fund Canada, challenged the legality of the permits.

Oregon commission petitions to add southern resident orcas to the endangered species list
With Chinook salmon numbers dwindling along the Oregon Coast, the southern resident orcas who live in the Pacific Northwest increasingly face the risk of starvation. Oregon has listed the salmon as an endangered species, and now a state commission is petitioning to add the orcas to the same list.

Protected areas, fishery closures announced to help protect B.C.'s threatened southern resident killer whales
The federal departments of fisheries, environment and transport have outlined what they describe as a fifth consecutive year of strong action to protect and restore the southern resident population. But a scientist says the measures need to go much further to help the animals thrive.

‘Deeply troubling’: BC Hydro secretly handed out $430 million in Site C dam contracts
Beleaguered engineering firm SNC-Lavalin was among the big winners of no-bid contracts for the over-budget hydro project on B.C.’s Peace River, according to documents obtained by The Narwhal.

EPA proposal starts a new chapter in Duwamish Superfund cleanup
The Environmental Protection Agency released a long-awaited proposed cleanup plan last week for the East Waterway in Seattle.

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 at no cost to the weekday news clips, send your name and email to mikesato772 at gmail.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.

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