Should be good. See you there!
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Inslee vs. McKenna: Down to the wire on environmental issues–KPLU
Posted on October 26, 2012 by Al Bergstein
For residents of The Evergreen State, the economy and the environment are two of the most important issues. They’re shaping arguments in the hotly-contested race for Washington’s next Governor. So, if you’re choosing a candidate, who’s the greenest? Current Attorney General Rob McKenna and former U.S. Congress
Belamy Pailthorp reports.
http://www.kplu.org/post/inslee-vs-mckenna-down-wire-environmental-issues
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Judge Betty Fletcher Passes – A hero to many
Posted on October 24, 2012 by Al Bergstein
Our hearts and thoughts go out to Kathy Fletcher, Founder and ex-Executive Director of People For Puget Sound. Her mother, Judge Betty Fletcher, who passed away yesterday, was one of the most important legal figures in the Pacific Northwest for a generation. She sat on the Court of Appeals, was responsible for many important legal decisions, was the first woman to make major partner at Pacific NW law firm. She worked right up to the end. Read her fascinating life story at the link below.
http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019504689_fletcherobit24m.html
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Port of Port Angeles to get millions to lift cleanup burden – PDN
Posted on October 23, 2012 by Al Bergstein
Nice to see that our state taxes are being spread around to help defray the burden on Port Angeles residents for cleaning up this toxic site. This is a good example of why cleaning up toxic sites shouldn’t be just left up to the local economy.
The Port of Port Angeles will not have to go it alone on an estimated $4.4 million-$6.4 million environmental cleanup of the former Peninsula Plywood mill site. A $2 million state grant is available to help soften the financial blow, a state Department of Ecology official said Monday. Paul Gottleib reports. Port of Port Angeles to get millions to lift cleanup burden.
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Pesticide protections for Pacific salmon head to court. – KPLU Pesticide protections for Pacific salmon head to court.
Posted on October 23, 2012 by Al Bergstein
An East Coast court case could have big impacts on West Coast fish, and farmers too. Chemical manufacturers are suing the federal government to get a rule restricting pesticide use wiped off the books. In 2008 the National Marine Fisheries Service ruled a certain class of pesticides is a mortal threat to salmon and steelhead populations. Organophosphates are common on farms, and used to be widely used in gardens before regulators phased them out. Gabriel Spitzer reports.
http://kplu.org/post/pesticide-protections-pacific-salmon-head-court
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Washington set to begin phase-out of copper, other toxics from brakes pads – Bremerton Patriot
Posted on October 23, 2012 by Al Bergstein
The Washington Department of Ecology has been working collaboratively for two years with the brake manufacturing industry, automobile part distributors, environmental groups, and others to develop a certification process for environmentally friendly brake pads and shoes. Ecology has announced it has adopted rules to complete this process and move forward to carry out a groundbreaking state law. In 2010 Washington state became the first place in the world to pass a law — Chapter 70.285 RCW, known as the Better Brakes Law — regulating the content of brake friction material because of its impact on the environment. The law phases out copper, asbestos, and several heavy metals from brakes sold in Washington.
http://www.bremertonpatriot.com/news/175342481.html
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DSP shellfish closure extends to Seabeck – Kitsap Sun
Posted on October 23, 2012 by Al Bergstein
Shellfish closures extend down Hood Canal. An emerging shellfish toxin, diarrhetic shellfish poison, has resulted in an expanding closure area in central Hood Canal — with the latest closure covering shellfish beaches in the Seabeck area.
Read more: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/oct/22/dsp-shellfish-closure-extends-to-seabeck/
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Sol Duc River Photos by John Gussman
Posted on October 22, 2012 by Al Bergstein
John,a friend and fellow filmmaker/photographer, was out on the Sol Duc at Salmon Cascades this weekend. Great shots of the salmon jumping. No need to go to Alaska to watch this.
For those unfamiliar with the Sol Duc, it is part of the largest watershed drainage 0in the North Olympic Peninsula.
Flash is needed to view this, so it likely won’t view on an iPad or iPhone.
http://www.dcproductions.com/solduc/
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Biomass meet in Sequim draws a crowd of protesters–PDN
Posted on October 17, 2012 by Al Bergstein
The battle over whether the biomass experiments at Port Angeles and Port Townsend continue to generate a lot of controversy. These experimental plants, and that’s how the legislature defined them in the law that authorized them in 2005/06, are going to be with us a long time, and will affect our air. The problem is, no one really knows how, and the State is fast tracking these plants with little concern for what happens once they are in and we have to breath their particulate. That the public has to fight to get any decent monitoring in, is indicative of how blind our state representatives have been on this. It’s all about jobs jobs jobs.
A plan to place four temporary air-quality monitors in Port Angeles and Sequim in 2013 and monitors in Port Townsend in 2014 doesn’t go far enough, according to many at a packed Olympic Region Clean Air Agency board meeting in Sequim. Many among the more than two dozen Port Angeles, Sequim and Port Townsend residents who gave maximum-three-minute comments at the meeting Monday night were concerned about biomass expansion projects under construction in Port Angeles and Port Townsend. Paul Gottlieb reports.
Filed under: Jefferson County, Olympic Peninsula | Tagged: Biomass Cogeneration, Clallam County, Olympic Peninsula | 1 Comment »
Climate Change Lecture–18 October–PT Marine Science Center
Posted on October 13, 2012 by Al Bergstein
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Crab fishery to open Saturday
Posted on October 9, 2012 by Al Bergstein
Fall and winter Dungeness crab fishery will open this Saturday The Seattle Times
31 in most of Puget Sound and Hood Canal except closed in central Puget Sound (Marine Catch Area 10) and south central Puget Sound (11).
<http://seattletimes.com/html/reeltimenorthwest/2019376631_fall_and_winter_dungeness_crab.html
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Island drought imperils salmon-spawning grounds
Posted on October 8, 2012 by Al Bergstein
Rivers and streams throughout Vancouver Island are drying to trickles after a two-month drought and fears are growing that salmon will not be able to reach spawning grounds. Andrew Thomson, federal Fisheries and Oceans south coast area director, said his department, helped by volunteers, salmon enhancement societies and First Nations, are searching for ways to help the fish if rain doesn’t fall.
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Island+drought+imperils+salmon+spawning+grounds/7354934/story.html
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: british columbia, drought, Puget Sound, Salmon | Comments Off on Island drought imperils salmon-spawning grounds
Washington Gubernatorial Candidates On The Environment
Posted on October 8, 2012 by Al Bergstein
The Washington gubernatorial nominees are in the final weeks of campaigning. Republican Rob McKenna and Democrat Jay Inslee are touring the state for photo opps and debates. There’s usually a question thrown in about environmental issues, but overall, the environment hasn’t been a major focus in this election. One expert in Washington politics says that’s because the economy is dominating the list of priorities for Washington voters. Ashley Ahearn reports.
http://earthfix.kcts9.org/communities/article/washington-gubernatorial-candidates-on-the-environ/
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Tatoosh Island used as research lab into ocean acidification
Posted on October 7, 2012 by Al Bergstein
NY Times article today about the research being done at Tatoosh on the affects of ocean acidification and global warming on our sea life. Not good news here folks.
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Management plans approved for Mystery, South Port Townsend bays–PDN
Posted on October 4, 2012 by Al Bergstein
I believe that this was driven by an international agreement that limits ‘marinas’ too close to commercial shellfish beds. Without it, we may have compromised our ability to sell our shellfish on the commercial markets.
The Jefferson County commissioners have approved management plans to decrease traffic and accommodate shellfish harvesting in Mystery Bay and South Port Townsend Bay. The two plans, both approved Monday, control boat moorings and accommodate people harvesting shellfish for both commercial and personal ventures. Charlie Bermant reports.
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Safety board rejected new explosive wharf at Bangor–Kitsap Sun
Posted on October 2, 2012 by Al Bergstein
As we assumed, there is nothing we can do to stop this continued expansion of military presence in the Canal. Not even their own internal review staff can stop it. So they shop around until they find a supportive board. This should be investigated by Norm Dicks, or our Senators, but it’s likely to just be swept under the rug.
While the Navy was assuring people that a second explosives handling wharf at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor wouldn’t create new safety concerns, the military’s explosives safety board was refusing to grant a permit for it. The Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board approved the location and separation distances for three EHWs in Bangor’s 1975 master plan, but wouldn’t endorse the decision now that the Navy wants to build a second wharf 37 years later. The scenario had changed, it said in papers responding to a lawsuit filed in federal court by the group Ground Zero for Nonviolent Action. The safety board’s rejection hasn’t stalled the $715 million project. Construction began last week. The Navy apparently chose another avenue — the Secretary of the Navy Explosives Safety Certification — that allows it to deviate from DOD standards if it assumes all risks for exposed sites and potential explosion sites that don’t meet DOD safety criteria.
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/oct/01/safety-board-rejected-new-explosive-wharf-at/
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Off topic – Amazing video of Dolphin super pod off South Africa
Posted on September 29, 2012 by Al Bergstein
While many of you know that I try and focus on the Olympic Peninsula, occasionally something from elsewhere really catches my eye. In my interviews for Voices of the Strait, I was told of super pod sitings off our coast of Orcas. I’ve sailed quite a bit on Puget Sound, not a lot outside the Straits. I like many of you, have had dolphins chase my bow.
Seattle video professional Chase Jarvis was onboard the sailboat of the adventurer Mike Horn off the coast of South Africa about two months ago. Equipped with some great professional gear and a lot of help, they ended up accidentally sailing into a dolphin super pod. As Mike says, “After sailing tens of thousands of nautical miles, over a lifetime, I’ve never seen anything like this.” It is an amazing window into a little seen part of life in the oceans.
Enjoy. With your efforts, perhaps we will see a return of a super pod here in the Salish Sea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwBP4_hdMqY&feature=player_embedded
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Marine sanctuary gains two new members–PDN
Posted on September 28, 2012 by Al Bergstein
The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary has gained a new primary member and a new alternate member to serve on its advisory council. The sanctuary, based in Port Angeles, is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Christopher Clark will serve as the primary member, and Alan Rammer has been named as the alternate and will fill a new Marine Resource Committee seat.
http://peninsuladailynews.com/article/20120928/news/309289982/marine-sanctuary-gains-two-new-members
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Taylor Shellfish: The belle of Puget Sound’s oyster ball–Crosscut
Posted on September 28, 2012 by Al Bergstein
Congratulations to Taylor Shellfish.
Taylor Shellfish has raised the bar on the oyster experience with an award-winning variety that’s not-so-local. In a blind tasting four years ago, sponsored by the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, those "west coast" Virginicas were judged number one. "Stunning," said Rowan Jacobsen, author of The Geography of Oysters. Ronald Holden writes.
http://crosscut.com/2012/09/28/food/110723/taylor-shellfish-oysters-virginica-melrose/
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Dems come out for Commissioner of Public Lands
Posted on September 27, 2012 by Al Bergstein
Democrats, supporters and otherwise curious, came out last night at the Upstage in Port Townsend to hear from Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark . Commissioner Goldmark, up for re-election, in what appears to not be a tight race at this point, discussed his role for the crowd. He outlined that the Commissioner position handles a huge range of issues, from managing the state forest lands that are used to help fund the public schools (“about 40% of the money comes from us” he said), to fighting forest fires in eastern Washington. He is also in charge of the bottom lands of the Sound, Strait and out to 3 miles offshore on the Pacific Coast. He also manages the rivers of the state.
Closer to home, his agency is in charge of state tidelands, and as such, was responsible for helping put in place the aquatic reserves, that now protect almost 64k acres of sea bottom off Protection Island and Minor and Smith Islands. This act, which was proposed by People For Puget Sound, was championed by DNR. The purpose of this was to protect those areas from commercial exploitation, such as tidal turbines, and pipelines. They help to produce the fisheries that many of the pelagic birds of Protection Island feed on. The act has not affected fishing off these locations.
Commissioner Goldmark has done, to this reporter anyway,a great job of running an efficient agency, selling off numerous non-needed assets such as airplanes (the job entails traveling all over the state frequently, and in the past, most Commissioners flew in small planes for efficiency), and laying off staff where needed to help balance the budget, which unfortunately was left in disarray by his predecessor. He supported and got put in place the Aquatic Reserves proposals. He supported and forced the ending of the Maury Island quarry project, which was not wanted by the people of Vashon and King County, and could have had negative impacts on key salmon rearing habitat. He reversed the disastrous approval of the Pit To Pier, that was put in place in the lame duck days of his predecessor, over the objections of Jefferson county politicians. He lobbied the Governor to get money to cash strapped timber counties, including the Olympic Peninsula. This money was put back into local economies. He spearheaded the Puget Sound Corps, which has provided jobs to returning veterans and young people at time when jobs are very scarce.
The difficulty of his position is that, by it’s very nature, it is a position that forces the decision of industry over ecology. His stand on biomass is one area that needs greater clarification, and perhaps another look by him based on locale. Coming as he does from Eastern Washington, with the incredible destruction done by invasive pine beetles, it is natural that he look at biomass as a way to clear the forests so they don’t burn. We support the notion of experimenting with biomass to clear highly flammable underbrush and downed trees in Eastern Washington. However, he seems ignorant of issues faced here, as his own study from WSU, done for the Legislature in 2006, showed that there was not enough biomass to fuel the two proposed plants here on the Peninsula. Whether we are subjected to worsened air pollution by these plants, and whatever fuel they eventually burn, is something that he seemed to not be fully understanding.
But the evening belonged to him, (and his campaign manager wife, Wendy) as the Democrats presented him with a sizable check, and the questions were polite and comments were supportive.
Today, there are too few politicians that actually get positive things done for our environment. While we may not agree with all Commissioner Goldmark’s stands, we have found him to be a most effective Commissioner and highly support his candidacy for re-election.
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