Excellent overview of the issues with stormwater. If you don’t know why folks are so concerned about cleaning it up, especially if you live in a county that is about to work on it’s Shoreline Master Program (SMP), then read this.
Saving the Sound from Stormwater
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If anyone needed a reason, it’s clear that the work that environmentalists are doing to protect the Straits and Sound is urgent and cannot be taken for granted. The fiasco of the Gulf oil spill was a disaster waiting to happen for over 50 years. So now, here we are, with the entire shoreline of the southern US likely to become a dead zone. Millions of years of ecological development is being destroyed. Wasn’t the Exxon Valdez enough? It’s all too painful to watch, frankly.
So what’s your excuse for not joining the many groups out there working to stop oil spills from tankers and freighters by demanding escort tugs for all ships? And putting additional protection into place?
Join People For Puget Sound if you want to join the group that has the largest reach, or join your local watershed protection group, or Marine Resource Committee if you want to work locally.
Just do it. Time is running out, as the folks on the Gulf, who have tolerated this drilling and now are being wiped out by it have found out. It’s up to all of us.
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Our friend the Salmon has a message for us… time to clean up our act…
Salmon Says, “Fight Pollution!” from People For Puget Sound on Vimeo.
Salmon Says, “Fight Pollution!” from People For Puget Sound on Vimeo.
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Sunday, April 18 — Visit Ken and Sue Sweeney’s beautiful Serenity Farm, 10 a.m.-noon, 1005 Gellor Rd. (turn left off Blue Mountain Rd.)
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Saturday, April 17 — Bike tour of 5 properties North Olympic Land Trust protects, departing at 9 a.m. from Robin Hill Park’s Pinnell Road parking lot and returning about 2 p.m.
In Sequim, come to the Boys and Girls Club for a demonstration on proper irragation techniques from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Also, In a cooperative effort with Olympic Theater Arts at 414 N. Sequim Avenue, there will be free public showings of two environmentally oriented films. Showings at 10 and 11 a.m. and 1 and 2 p.m. And, at the Community Organic Garden of Sequim, a project of Friends of the Fields, participants can learn about the joys and heartache of composting from Jack Caldicott, master composter.
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Friday, April 16 — Film night at Peninsula College’s Little Theater: Socializing, snacks and book sales/signing (From the Air, Olympic Peninsula by Dave Woodcock, aerial photographer and Tim McNulty, writer), 6 p.m.; local arial images by aerial photographers Woodcock and Russ Mellon, 6-6:30; feature film Home with aerial photos from many parts of Earth and narration by Glenn Close; discussion moderated by Greg Good with panelists McNulty, Mellon and Woodcock.
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Huge news. Our representative with the most clout, Lynn Kessler of Hoquim, is choosing not to run next year. Who can replace her and win? Michelle Sandoval maybe?
Kessler served as chairwoman of the Energy & Utilities committee, minority whip and minority floor leader before becoming majority leader.
Here’s her local paper’s take..
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/04/13/local_news/doc4bc4b0a608c8d048871199.txt
We will miss her. She has done a great job as a moderate democratic voice balancing economic growth with environmental needs over the last 18 years, and in my dealings with her, she was always interested and had solid concerns that she knew she would be asked about. Good luck, Lynn.
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Aground on the Great Barrier Reef
The Shen Neng has been refloated off the reef, and is being towed to safe anchorage. It appears that a major giant spill has been averted but oil is on the beach in nearby NW Island, which is a spawning ground for turtles and other marine species. Baby turtles are hatching this week. Oil on this island is considered a disaster, as it is the most significant bird hatchery on the reef.
for more see
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/04/14/2872001.htm?section=justin
Older posts:
Oil pumping continues to offload the Shen Neng 1 with the hope of refloating the boat later in the week. If weather cooperates, the major spill may be averted.
http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/story/2010/04/12/oil-pumping-continues-from-stricken-carrier/
Pumping of fuel oil from the Shen Neng 1 continued overnight, following the
successful commencement of the delicate oil transfer operation on Friday
morning.Under the guidance of salvage experts, the oil transfer began at 10:56am
Friday morning and has continued to plan, Maritime Safety Queensland
General Manager Patrick Quirk said today.“With weather conditions on our side, pumping has progressed through the
night however we expect variations in pumping rates as we continue,” Mr
Quirk said.“If current conditions hold, we anticipate finishing the operation by Monday,
however safety, not speed, is our focus.”
UK Guardian update: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/11/arrests-ship-great-barrier-reef
Australian authorities arrest members of another ship that was found cutting through the Great Barrier Reef, just days after the grounding of the ship documented below. It appears that the government has decided to become hard core about stopping the practice.
NY Times update: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/08/world/asia/08reef.html
Short story, one fuel tank puntured but it appears that there has been little leakage, yet. Work proceeds to get the fuel off the ship. Refloating the ship will be unlikely. Envionmental anger is mounting in Australia for major changes to protection of the Reef from shipping.
From BBC correspondent Nick Bryant’s blog, discusses the lack of shipping control along the Great Barrier Reef, something that we have implemented here for decades. Additionally, no local pilots are used there, and there is a huge economic incentive to ‘cut the line’ and run closer to the reef to save money. See Nick’s blog here…http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/nickbryant/2010/04/monitoring_the_sea_lanes_on_th.html
As if we don’t need another reminder of how fragile the whole shipping situation is, this COSCO ship (we get lots of them here) has run aground at full speed on the Great Barrier Reef. You don’t need me to tell you what kind of disaster this could be if they can”t get this oil and coal off this thing. The latest is that officials are saying they may be able to get this ship off the Reef without huge spill, though the current spill is 3km long x 100m wide already.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100405/ts_nm/us_australia_ship
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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. — Iron Mountain Quarry has sued Jefferson County for denying it a permit to develop a gravel mining operation near Port Ludlow.
The Peninsula Daily News reports that the county wants the company to do a full review of the project’s impact on traffic, habitat and noise.
County development director Al Scalf says the company hasn’t proven that the operation won’t negatively affect the environment.
The company says the county’s decision not to grant a stormwater permit is “arbitrary and capricious.”
Iron Mountain attorney Keith Moxon says the company has provided all the information required.
A hearing is set for April 30 in Jefferson County Superior Court.
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Apparently the oil barge that was having problems with it’s locking pins has abandoned efforts to cross the Columbia Bar, and has gone in for repairs in Port Angeles under tug escort to get repairs. Given the crisis of the coal ship leaking bunker fuel and coal onto the Great Barrier Reef, it is a good idea to remember that caution on these things is critical. Thanks to the Coast Guard, and the WA. State DOE for their support in this.
The Update:
ASTORIA, Ore. – The Coast Guard is keeping a watchful eye on the ATB Corpus Christi and the barge Petrochem Supplier as the vessels wait out severe weather near the coast of Astoria, Saturday.
The Coast Guard was notified by the crew of the Corpus Christi, Friday, that the vessel was experiencing problems with the mechanical locking pins that connect the tug to their barge. The vessel was transiting the Oregon coast en route from Anacortes, Wash., to Long Beach, Calif.
The Corpus Christi is mechanically connected to the barge Petrochem Supplier, which is carrying a cargo of approximately 150,000 barrels of Vacuum Gas Oil (VGO.)
The Coast Guard is requiring the vessel to maintain station 20 miles from the Oregon coast until conditions permit safe transit on the Columbia River Bar.
The vessel owners have coordinated with Washington State Department of Ecology to have the 7200 hp Tug Hunter rendezvous with the Corpus Christi and remain on scene to escort the vessel across the bar. At no time was there a loss of propulsion. Neither the Corpus Christi or the Petrochem Supplier were ever in danger and there has been no pollution.
Even if the locking pins were to fail completely, the Corpus Christi is fully capable of taking the barge in tow using an emergency tow cable. Having a second tug on scene allows the Corpus Christi to retain positive control of the barge.
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This goes along with the statewide ban on BPA that the governor recently signed into law. This is good news as it will help keep this one chemical, which has been widely found in the waters around here, out of circulation. – Editor
3/29 NY Times
New E.P.A. Scrutiny Is Set for a Chemical in Plastics
By JOHN M. BRODER
WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency plans to add bisphenol-A <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/b/bisphenol_a/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier> , or BPA, a plastic widely used in food packaging and plastic bottles, to its list of chemicals of concern because of potential adverse impacts on the environment and human and animal health.
The agency will require new studies of concentrations of the plastic in surface water, groundwater and drinking water to determine where it exists in levels requiring action. More than a million pounds of the chemical, used to harden plastics, are released into the environment each year, the agency said.
The environmental agency will also require manufacturers that use BPA to provide test data to help evaluate effects on growth, reproduction and development in aquatic organisms and wildlife.
More at
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Department of Ecology News Release – March 26, 2010
10-055
OLYMPIA – Spill responders and vessel inspectors from the U.S. Coast Guard and Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) are closely monitoring the Crystal Ocean, a 570-foot cargo vessel that lost propulsion this morning, three miles off the mouth of Grays Harbor in the Pacific Ocean.
At this point, there’s no report of oil or other pollutants being released.
The vessel was in-bound to the Port of Grays Harbor when the mechanical failure occurred. The vessel is currently at anchor approximately three miles southwest of Ocean Shores. As a precaution, a tug was dispatched from Grays Harbor and is currently alongside the Crystal Ocean.
The vessel is estimated to be carrying about 140,000 gallons of bunker fuel and 23,000 gallons of diesel fuel in its tanks to run its engines.
The Crystal Ocean has reportedly regained full operational capability. However, federal and state authorities are waiting for tests to be completed, including more information about why the failure occurred, before the vessel will be allowed to proceed to the port during daylight hours with tug assistance.
The Coast Guard and Ecology are prepared to immediately respond if it is determined the vessel poses any pollution or maritime safety threats.
FOLLOW UP
http://www.thedailyworld.com/articles/2010/03/27/local_news/doc4badaf24c9cd2309930340.txt
It seems that the vessel was able to anchor 3 miles offshore, and was able to regain power, according to a conversation with the DOE. Tugs were on hand standing by for the duration, but ultimately it all worked out for the best.
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North Olympic Land Trust has announced an opening for a full-time person that will fill dual roles. The Conservation and Development Specialist will be in charge of both farmland conservation and general fundraising and outreach activities. The position has two job descriptions, Farmland Conservation Specialist and Development Specialist. The position is 40- hour/week with approximately twenty hours dedicated to each. For more information click here. Please send cover letter, resume and salary requirements to Greg Good, Executive Director at greg@nolt.org.
Application deadline: April 16, 2010
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As reported in the “Island Tides” newspaper out of BC, the government of BC has been forced to release records of sea lice infestation in salmon farming. A lawsuit by two environmental groups that took four years to adjudicate has been won in their favor. As the information is released, I’ll publish it here, as it affects possible tribal efforts to establish more salmon farming.
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Wednesday, March 24th, 6:30pm
Port Angeles Library (2210 South Peabody Street, Port Angeles, WA)
Al Bergstein lives and works in Port Townsend. He is on the board of People for Puget Sound, a leading environmental group working to restore and cleanup the Sound and Strait. He was the environmental representative to the Jefferson County Shoreline Master Program (SMP) from 2005 to 2009. He spent hundreds of hours involved in helping craft the SMP as part of the Shoreline Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC). In addition to his work with the SMP, he participated in numerous public meetings for the Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) and is currently working on a video documentary called, “Voices of the Strait”, funded by the Puget Sound Partnership.
This is going to be a hot topic on the peninsula, hope to see you there!
Questions: Contact Group Chair, Josey Paul, 360.925.0116 or josey@starband.net
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Curtis Tanner, Local Project Manager for the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project, will present the results of PSNERP’s change analysis along the shorelines of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The presentation will include changes to Clallam County marine shorelines and nearshore environments. PSNERP’s analysis provides important input to the evaluation and update of the Clallam County Shoreline Master Program for marine shoreline and nearshore areas.
PSNERP is a partnership between federal, state, local, and tribal governments, as well as non-governmental organizations, academia, and others. It is working to deliver a comprehensive understanding of the nearshore ecosystem restoration and protection priorities for Puget Sound, and the capacity to deliver solutions to the region.
Mr. Tanner is a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, where he has spent over 18 years working on coastal habitat restoration projects and issues in Puget Sound. He is currently on assignment to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010, in the Clallam County Courthouse at 223 E. Fourth Street, Port Angeles. The meeting will be in the Commissioners’ Meeting Room (Rm. 160).
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The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) Advisory Council’s next meeting will be Friday, March 19, from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm at the Department of Natural Resources meeting room in Forks (for directions, see http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/em_directions_to_oly_region.pdf).
This is going to be an exciting meeting, as OCNMS staff have been working intensely over the past six weeks to draft the action plans for the revised management plan. Staff have developed 20 preliminary draft action plans based upon the recommendations of the Advisory Council (and its working groups), the Olympic Coast Intergovernmental Policy Council and the public:
1. Collaborative & Coordinated Sanctuary Management Action Plan
2. Community Involvement in Sanctuary Management Action Plan
3. Sanctuary Operations Action Plans
4. Habitat Mapping & Classification Action Plan
5. Physical & Chemical Oceanography Action Plan
6. Populations, Communities & Ecosystems Action Plan
7. Data Management, Sharing & Reporting Action Plan
8. K-12 Education Action Plan
9. Higher Education Action Plan
10. Visitor Services Action Plan
11. Community Outreach Action Plan
12. Spills Prevention, Preparedness, Response & Restoration Action Plan
13. Climate Change Action Plan
14. Marine Debris Action Plan
15. Wildlife Disturbance Action Plan
16. Water Quality Protection Action Plan
17. Habitat Protection Action Plan
18. Marine Spatial Planning Action Plan
19. Maritime Heritage Action Plan
20. Socioeconomic Values of Sanctuary Resources Action Plan
On March 19, we plan to walk everyone through all the preliminary draft action plans. We have posted the Preliminary Draft Action Plans in one large pdf on the OCNMS management plan website (http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/mpr_currentstat.html). The document is long (~75 pages), but the individual draft action plans are relatively short (3-5 pages, in general). The easiest way to approach the document is to spend time reviewing those draft action plans that most interest you.
Additional information about the Advisory Council meeting, including the agenda, will be posted shortly on the Advisory Council meeting schedule webpage (http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/AboutUs/sac/sac_meetschedule.html). There will be opportunities for public comment at the meeting. Additional information about the management plan review process can be found at http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/welcome.html.
Thanks!
OCNMS Management Plan Review Team
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Growing low-oxygen zones in oceans worry scientists. Lower levels of oxygen in the Earth’s oceans, particularly off the Pacific Northwest
coast, could be another sign of fundamental changes linked to global climate change, scientists say. McClatchy Newspapers
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/03/07/89918/growing-low-oxygen-zones-in-oceans.html
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Congratulations to Ballard Diving and Salvage for getting the barge Nehalem off the La Push channel entrance without apparent fuel spillage.
La Push, WA (March 7, 2010) – In conjunction with the United States Coast Guard, and various other state agencies, the dredge Nehalem that sunk late last month in the channel entrance of La Push was raised late Saturday night.
“The Dredge sustained minimal damage in the sinking so it was imperative that the salvage team use care in raising the barge to keep the sealed fuel tanks intact and mitigate further damage to the vessel,” said Jesse Hutton, Salvage Master for Ballard Diving & Salvage. A combination of strong currents, undersea cables and a first for the divers and the dive company, a tsunami warning during early dives added an interesting twist to the operation this week.
The dredge barge was raised late Saturday night with a 135 ton capacity crane barge, the largest that could safely navigate the narrow channel entrance to La Push. Additional spill containment boom was placed to ensure no unplanned pollutants would be released as the entire operation was performed in the shadow of James Island, sacred to the Quileute Indian Tribe.
“The operation was completed successfully and safely,” Hutton said. The dredge will return to Oregon for repairs with expectations for it to be working in Alaska this spring according to Nehalem River Dredging President Vern Skovell.
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Got reports on Wednesday of two tugs assisting a freighter, but was in Sequim and missed getting a shot. Chris Dunagan reports on it in his column today, with a nice photo by Fred Felleman, the guy who spearheaded the legislative work on the tug. Thanks again to Kevin Van De Wege for helping get it passed last year. Now we need to get the funding finished. Still in limbo!
http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2010/03/03/container-ship-captain-calls-for-tug-assistance/
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