How much money could Trump take from science in WA? – KUOW

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Al Bergstein

And this is only some of it.  The Trump recession that is coming as he dismantles science funding will affect us a lot here in the Puget Sound area. Behind the dollars are high paying white and blue collar jobs at these places.

A quick glance around Lake Union and you can tell there’s a lot of science happening in our state. With the Trump administration threatening cuts to research funding, we examined how much money this could mean for Washington state.

First of all, it’s difficult to lasso all the federal dollars going to science. So we zeroed in on two big agencies to get an overview: the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, looking at their reports for the 2016 fiscal year.

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Staff cuts under way at EPA – KUOW

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Without the budget even being passed, or negotiated, Trump’s minions are cutting away at the people who protect our water and air.

The Trump administration has lifted its hiring freeze for the federal government. But the Environmental Protection Agency remains frozen, according to internal documents obtained by KUOW.

http://kuow.org/post/staff-cuts-under-way-epa

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Muri’s bill supporting Puget Sound Partnership signed into law – Suburban Times

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Good news, albeit a small thing.

The governor signed a bill sponsored by Rep. Dick Muri, R-Steilacoom, that would help the on-going efforts of the Puget Sound Partnership…. Every two years, the Puget Sound Partnership is required to produce a State of the Sound science work plan. The plan identifies recommendations for improvements to their ongoing work in Puget Sound. Because of the short interval for updates, they are in a continuous planning mode. Muri’s bill changes the frequency of the report from every two years, to four years. By reducing the frequency of the updates, the proposal would help free up the Puget Sound Partnership’s resources. This would allow them to focus on meeting restoration performance targets. (Suburban Times)

http://thesubtimes.com/2017/04/20/muris-bill-supporting-puget-sound-partnership-signed-into-law/

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Britain could see its first full day without coal – Seattle Times

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Al Bergstein

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s National Grid says Friday may be the first full 24-hour work-day since the Industrial Revolution in which the nation doesn’t depend on electricity generated from coal.

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/britain-could-see-its-first-full-day-without-coal/

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Earth Day on Saturday includes old events plus new March for Science – Chris Dunagan

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Chris Dunagan in Watching Our Water Ways writes: “With Earth Day falling on a Saturday this year, all sorts of environmental activities have been scheduled for this weekend. On top of your typical Earth Day activities, there will be a March for Science in Washington, D.C., as well as in Seattle and hundreds of other communities across the country. It just seems like a great time to get out and do something…. The National Weather Service predicts that warm weathertomorrow will give way to a low-pressure trough moving over Western Washington on Saturday. That weather system might be traveling slowly enough that the rains won’t appear until later in the day when most activities have been wrapped up in the Puget Sound region….”

http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2017/04/20/earth-day-on-saturday-includes-old-events-plus-new-march-for-science/

See also: Organizers Of Seattle’s March For Science Expect It To Be 2nd Largest In U.S. http://knkx.org/post/organizers-seattles-march-science-expect-it-be-2nd-largest-us Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

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Job openings at the PT Marine Science Center

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Got notified that there are openings right now. Check them out!

There are three jobs listed:
Summer Camp Assistant
Summer Intern
Marketing and Development Coordinator
and another soon to be announced.

http://ptmsc.org/get-involved/employment

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Reminder of mandatory no spray zones

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Dear Watershed Councils:

As spray season gets underway, we are writing with a request that you notify your contacts about the mandatory no-spray zones along salmon-supporting waters in Oregon, Washington, and California.

The attached graphic files are designed for quick reference, and are a reminder that these buffers are required specifically for salmon and steelhead protection. No-spray buffers along designated salmon-bearing waterways in Washington, Oregon and California are currently required to be 60 feet for ground applications, and 300 feet for aerial applications of pesticides containing any of the following active ingredients (some common trade names are shown in parentheses):

 

bromoxynil     (Buctril, Maestro, Moxy)

carbaryl         (Sevin, Duocide, Liquid Fruit Tree Spray)

chlorpyrifos    (Dursban, Lorsban, Nufos)

diazinon         (Diazinon)

malathion       (Fyfanon, Malathion)

methomyl       (Annihilate, Corrida, Lannate)

metolachlor    (Bicep, Cinch, Dual, Me-Too-Lachlor, Parallel)

prometryn      (Caperol, Vegetable Pro)

1,3-dichloropropene    (Telone, 1,3-D)

 

The attached pdf has live links that get people to the EPA Salmon Mapper site (https://www.epa.gov/endangered-species/salmon-mapper) which helps identify exactly where the buffers apply. Links to the state pesticide regulatory agencies are also provided.

 

These no-spray zones will remain in place for carbaryl, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, malathion, and methomyl until EPA implements any necessary protections for Pacific salmon and steelhead based on reinitiated consultations with the National Marine Fisheries Services.  Buffer zones for the remaining four chemicals will remain in place until final Biological Opinions are completed by National Marine Fisheries Service.

 

We appreciate your help in distributing this information to your contacts. Posting this information on your website, as well as distributing by email, Facebook, Twitter, or newsletter would all be great ways to get the reminder out. We’re attaching the graphic as a jpg file, as well as pdf.

 

Thank you for your assistance. Please contact us or your state pesticide regulatory agency with any questions.

SalmonBuffersLiveLinks

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Port Townsend mill fined $30,000 for air pollution – WA Department of Ecology

Posted on April 20, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Washington Department of Ecology – NEWS

April 20, 2017

Contact:

Andrew Wineke, communications, 360-407-6149, @ecologyWA

Corrosion led to leak in duct; stuck damper allowed second release

PORT TOWNSEND – The Port Townsend Paper Corporation has been fined $30,000 by the Washington Department of Ecology for two incidents in 2016 that led to emissions from the plant bypassing its control systems.

The first release happened in August after corrosion created a 1-inch hole in a duct at the plant, allowing small-particle pollution and other emissions to escape. The leak represented less than 1 percent of the plant’s emissions, and an assessment by an Ecology toxicologist indicated it did not pose a threat to human health. Because of the difficulty in reaching and repairing the leak, it was not fixed until the plant shut down for scheduled maintenance in September.

The second release occurred in November, when a damper in one of the plant’s main exhaust stacks became stuck, allowing some of the emissions to escape. Routine testing revealed the issue, and the plant corrected the problem after receiving the results.

“Proper maintenance and oversight of emissions equipment is an essential part of operating a pulp and paper mill,” said James DeMay, manager of Ecology’s Industrial Section, which regulates the plant. “Port Townsend Paper has made improvements to its procedures that should help to prevent similar problems in the future.”

The company may appeal Ecology’s penalty within 30 days to state’s Pollution Control Hearings Board.

“These issues were corrected in a timely manner and we have made the necessary improvements to prevent a reoccurrence,” said Mike Craft, mill manager at Port Townsend Paper. “We appreciate Ecology’s cooperation and acknowledgment that the release did not pose a threat to human health.”

 

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Where is the leadership?

Posted on April 14, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Here we sit, four months into the most destructive Presidency of all time, as it relates to the environment. Where are the leaders to ask us to head into the field to take up the banner and stop this insanity? We are watching as laws are getting passed, and we are helpless to come to the table and demand a stop to this. We are asked to participate in an Earthday Science March, but really, this will  change nothing. Where are the leaders that will demand us to put ourselves in harms way to stop this insanity?  Who is willing to step up and show the way forward, the Martin Luther King, or Alice Paul, to help us define what is needed to slow the machine? Phone banks won’t win, though they help. But, point me to the person. We need leadership now more than ever.

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

Atlantic Salmon Net Pen Recommendations Comments

Posted on April 12, 2017 by Al Bergstein

From the Wild Fish Conservancy. Support their efforts!

The public has been asked to provide comments on early scoping decisions regarding the Department of Ecology’s effort to develop new recommendations for managing commercial net pen aquaculture in Washington. We appreciate the Department’s interest in hearing from the public about this contentious issue, and we provide comments specific to Ecology’s scoping effort in the following document starting on page 7. However, we believe it is necessary to step back and first address some broader questions about the wisdom of allowing for-profit companies to produce non-native fish in state waters. This preface to our specific comments focuses on the inherent impacts and risks associated with industrial scale aquaculture in public waters, noting that Washington is the only state on the West Coast that has not forbidden Atlantic salmon net pens in its marine waters.

Read the rest at:

http://wildfishconservancy.org/atlantic-salmon-net-pen-recommendations-comments

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

Job Opening in PT

Posted on April 11, 2017 by Al Bergstein
From Amy Leitman:
I am looking to hire someone to help fill some of my shoes here at Marine Surveys & Assessments. The position that I need to fill here in PT needs to have some experience working with agencies and/or clients and have worked through project conflicts. Biology background  required.  I am mostly looking for someone to pick up some of my responsibilities…
1. project management
2. RFP/RFQ Grant applications
3. Client/Agency interactions
4. Misc critical area site visits
5. Misc ESA and Critical Area report writing
I need someone who will not shirk from conflict and is happy to work in a dynamic and fluid work environment with lots of perks, team work, and interesting ecological puzzles.
Obviously, I would need someone to live near PT and/or at least come in 3 days a week.
Lots more information available. I would ideally like to see:
1. A cover letter
2. A resume
3. A short sample of writing
Call or email for more information as I look for my cinderell/a.
Thanks so much for passing the word around to qualified folks.
Amy Leitman
marine.surveys.inc@gmail.com

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EVENT: Day of Science in Port Angeles – APRIL 22nd.

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Science Celebration Flyer final

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Dear Scott Pruitt, you’re making a mockery of the EPA – Crosscut & KING 5

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Al Bergstein

A strong letter to the  new EPA leader by a long time senior staffer, who just resigned.

However, I, and many staff, firmly believe the policies this Administration is advancing are contrary to what the majority of the American people, who pay our salaries, want EPA to accomplish, which are to ensure the air their children breath is safe; the land they live, play, and hunt on to be free of toxic chemicals; and the water they drink, the lakes they swim in, and the rivers they fish in to be clean.

Read the whole short piece at Crosscut. By the way, while you are there, donate a small bit to help continue their efforts. They run this great news source on a shoestring.

http://crosscut.com/2017/04/epa-worker-seattle-letter-to-scott-pruitt/

 

 

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Graphene-based sieve turns seawater into drinking water – BBC

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Huge breakthrough. Need to see if this pans out. If successful this is the kind of invention that could change everything. But there is still a long way to go to produce this at commercial scale. But this is a breakthrough.

A UK-based team of researchers has created a graphene-based sieve capable of removing salt from seawater. The sought-after development could aid the millions of people without ready access to clean drinking water. The promising graphene oxide sieve could be highly efficient at filtering salts, and will now be tested against existing desalination membranes. Paul Rincon reports. (BBC)

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-39482342

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

New EPA documents reveal even deeper proposed cuts to staff and programs – Washington Post

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Al Bergstein

The dismantling of programs that protect our health at a Federal level, along with international cooperation for environmental protection with Mexico are on the chopping block.

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a new, more detailed plan for laying off 25 percent of its employees and scrapping 56 programs including pesticide safety, water runoff control, and environmental cooperation with Mexico and Canada under the North American Free Trade Agreement…. The spending plan, obtained by The Washington Post, offers the most detailed vision to date of how the 31 percent budget cut to the EPA ordered up by President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget would diminish the agency. The March 21 plan calls for even deeper reductions in staffing than earlier drafts. It maintains funding given to states to administer waste treatment and drinking water. But as a result, the budget for the rest of EPA is slashed 43 percent. Juliet Ellperin, Chris Mooney and Steve Mufson report. (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/31/new-epa-documents-reveal-even-deeper-proposed-cuts-to-staff-and-programs

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‘Job-killing regulations’ mantra and reality – Seattle Times

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Regulations don’t kill jobs as much as shift them around. That doesn’t mean rules can’t cause pain locally. But an ill-advised rollback of regulations likely wouldn’t create many jobs, though it would increase dangers to health and the planet. Jon Talton writes. (Seattle Times)

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/job-killing-regulations-mantra-and-reality/

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EVENT: Farm Bureau to present on Hirst Decision 4/12 @7PM Chimicum Grange

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Al Latham just alerted me that a fellow from the Farm Bureau will be doing a presentation on the Hirst Decision (on building permits and water rights) and current legislative activity around exempt wells at the Chimacum Grange, 7pm Wed April 12.

What is the Hirst Decision? It’s an extremely important new ruling that addresses an ongoing battle over development vs. water rights. Let me copy from the Dept of Ecology web site:

“A recent Washington State Supreme Court decision has changed how counties decide to approve or deny building permits that use wells for a water source.

In the Whatcom County vs. Hirst, Futurewise, et al. decision (often referred to as the Hirst decision), the court ruled that the county failed to comply with the Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements to protect water resources. The ruling requires the county to make an independent decision about legal water availability.

Background

We protect rivers and streams across the state by creating instream flow rules, which set the amount of water necessary for protecting fish, wildlife and recreation. In 1985, we adopted an instream flow rule for the Nooksack River (WAC 173-501) in Whatcom County. This rule closed most streams in the watershed to new water right permits but allowed landowners to use permit-exempt wells in most of the area. Whatcom County’s development regulations followed our instream flow rule.

A reliable, year-round supply of water is necessary for new homes or developments. Before the Oct. 6, 2016, court decision, many counties relied on what the Department of Ecology said about whether year-round water was available. This court decision changes that – counties now have to make their own decisions about whether there is enough water, physically and legally, to approve a building permit that would rely on a well.

Impacts

The case directly relates to Whatcom County but appears to set legal precedent that applies in other counties where there are instream flow rules that were not intended to regulate permit-exempt water uses. It is unclear how the decision affects areas of the state where there are no instream flow rules. Counties are working to review the decision and what it means for them. Contact your county’s building, planning or health departments if you have questions about how the Hirst decision may affect you.

Key points

  • Science has shown that rivers and streams are generally connected to groundwater. The Washington State Supreme Court said that water is not legally available if a new well would impact a protected river or stream, or an existing senior water right.
  • If your county determines that water is not legally available for your new use, the county would not be able to approve your building permit – even if you have already drilled a well.
  • We are providing technical assistance to counties as they determine their next steps. Our priority will be to provide information about the status of stream closures and instream flows.
  • Anyone with questions about how the decision affects them should contact their county government.

 

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A Forgotten Hero’s Shipwreck Imperils Washington’s Oysters – Earthfix

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Al Bergstein

A slow moving ecological disaster is happening in Willapa Bay. While crews work to do what they can, our underfunded state budget for derelict vessel removal is unable to mount the funds necessary to do a quick removal. Can the Governor step in with a one time funding?

Global Diving and Salvage, a Seattle-based company contracted by the state of Washington, has been helping with daily cleanup. Workers are using booms in the water and absorbent pads to soak up the materials. So far, they’ve removed about 1000 gallons of oily water and more than 60 gallons of diesel fuel and petroleum.

http://kuow.org/post/forgotten-heros-shipwreck-imperils-washingtons-oysters

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If Canada ups its oil shipping, should we worry?- Crosscut

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Would be nice to think this bill has a chance, but appears that it doesn’t. There is always next year.

 

…. The House Finance Committee in Olympia is set to vote Thursday on a measure to require tug escorts for articulated oil barges. HB 1611 aims to address some shortcomings in the state’s oil spill prevention program. It would improve safety requirements for water transport, including mandating tug escorts for oil-transporting vessels. It also would tighten safety standards for pipelines and provide additional funding for the oil spill program administered by the Department of Ecology. Strong opposition from Republicans in the Senate means the bill faces a steep uphill climb, its sponsor, Rep. Jessyn Farrell, D-Seattle, acknowledges. She failed to get similar legislation passed two years ago, instead passing a bill that improved safety only for oil transport by rail. Adiel Kaplan reports. (Investigate West)

http://crosscut.com/2017/03/if-canada-ups-its-oil-shipping-should-we-worry-trans-mountain-pipeline/

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House votes to restrict EPA’s use of science – The Hill

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Al Bergstein

The attack on science continues by the far right wing of America. Already passed by the Senate, this new bill would likely severely stymie science based regulations. Why? Because often the EPA uses industry’s own scientific data to write regulations, done with the agreement that the science will remain unpublicized due to trade secrets or other proprietary information. Read the article at “The Hill” to get a better understanding of this anti-science bill. What is happening is a concerted, across the board attack on scientific study that doesn’t fit industry’s needs.

The House voted Wednesday to restrict the kind of scientific studies and data that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can use to justify new regulations.

The Honest and Open New EPA Science Treatment Act, or HONEST Act, passed 228-194. It would prohibit the EPA from writing any regulation that uses science that is not publicly available.

House votes to restrict EPA’s use of science

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