Salish Sea News Week in Review December 15 2023

Aloha Bill of Rights Friday!
On December 15, 1791, Virginia ratified the first ten amendments of the Constitution. Known as the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments outline the rights of citizens vis-à-vis the federal government. They guarantee that citizens have civil rights and liberties such as freedom of speech, press, and religion; they establish rules for due process of law; they confirm that citizens have rights beyond those spelled out in the Constitution; and they affirm that powers not delegated to the federal government are left to the people and states. It is on today's anniversary of the ratification and implementation of the Bill of Rights that we celebrate Bill of Rights Day.

Washington State residents ask: What is our wildlife agency for?
Public backlash over a new policy reveals a deeper divide over the future of conservation.

How WA’s king tides amp up flood risks amid global sea level rise
Last winter, when the king tide rolled in with heavy rains and an extreme low-pressure system, water from the Duwamish River rushed into Seattle’s South Park neighborhood, flooding homes, sparking broader evacuations and catching the city off guard. Decades ago that flood would have been thought unlikely, perhaps even statistically impossible, But no more. 

Olympic Pipeline leak released 25,000 gallons of gasoline
A small tube between the main portion of the Olympic Pipeline and a pressure-check valve failed Sunday in the Skagit Valley, spilling gasoline into nearby creeks not far from Mount Vernon. About 30,660 gallons were released when a tube — 3/8 of an inch in diameter — failed.

18 California children are suing the EPA over climate change
Eighteen California children are suing the Environmental Protection Agency, claiming it violated their constitutional rights by failing to protect them from the effects of climate change. This is the latest in a series of climate-related cases filed on behalf of children. 

Dredging Neah Bay Entrance Channel will improve Strait of Juan de Fuca, Salish Sea oil spill response
A hydraulic pipeline dredge will deepen the 4,500-foot entrance channel to -21 feet from its current depth, allowing unrestricted access for ocean-going tugs, barges, and larger ships transiting Neah Bay during low tide.

Mlitary testing reveals hundreds of drinking water wells contaminated with PFAS in WA
Hundreds of drinking water wells near military bases or other facilities in Washington have been contaminated by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, according to a Seattle Times analysis of the past two years of test results published by the military.

Climate talks end on a first-ever call for the world to move away from fossil fuels
In the final weeks of the hottest year in recorded history, the international body responsible for limiting global warming and its disastrous effects called on countries to transition away from the chief cause of climate change – fossil fuels – for the first time.

Arctic "report card" points to rapid and dramatic impacts of climate change
The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the global average as a result of human-caused climate change, driven primarily by burning fossil fuels, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's annual Arctic Report Card, released Tuesday.

Washington raises $2B in first year of carbon pollution auctions
Washington raised another $373.6 million in its final carbon auction of 2023, bringing the total to slightly more than $2 billion in the first year of the state cap-and-invest program, the Ecology Department announced Wednesday.

The future of ‘cap-and-trade’ carbon markets could hinge on Washington state
Washington state is facing backlash over the program’s perceived contribution to high gas prices. A voter initiative that’s likely to be on the ballot next year, stoked by anger over prices at the pump, threatens to repeal it altogether.

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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