Take a minute to inform Marine Spatial Planning in Washington

Washington State is seeking public comments on marine spatial planning through an online survey. Make sure recreational users voices are represented and take a minute for this survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9W2ZXQY

The results of this survey will assist state agencies in developing a process for engaging in marine spatial planning (MSP) in Washington. MSP is a public process to better understand how our oceans are being used and to identify areas where certain uses may or may not make sense when considering ecological, economic and social objectives. In short, MSP will help keep non-compatible uses, such as wave energy production and surfing, separate.

Surveys will be accepted until June 22, 2010.

The state agencies involved summarized draft goals and objectives for MSP. You are also invited to review these and provide your comments and any additional recommendations to jennifer.hennessey@ecy.wa.gov by June 22, 2010.

For more information on marine spatial planning, check out Surfrider's website: http://surfrider.org/a-z/MarineSpatialPlanning.php

And to learn more about the state’s efforts, go to: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/msp/index.html.

Puget Sound's slow oil spill -- Kevin Ranker and David Dicks op-ed in the Seattle Times

Puget Sound is at risk from petroleum and chemicals, write guest columnists Kevin Ranker and David Dicks. While the U.S. Gulf coast is threatened by a calamitous oil spill, Puget Sound is threatened by a slow-moving spill of petroleum and chemicals from our roads and backyards.

By Kevin Ranker and David Dicks

Special to The Times

AS the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history unfolds in the Gulf of Mexico, it's tempting to rest comfortably on our success avoiding a similar calamity here in Puget Sound.

Our success, so far, is not the result of good luck. The state has vigorously worked to prevent oil spills, providing a rapid-response system, stringent oversight of oil companies, and a tugboat dedicated to rescuing distressed ships before they crash and spill hazardous cargoes.

The bad news is, even though its glistening waters look pristine, Puget Sound is in a crisis most of us don't see: a slow-moving spill of millions of gallons of petroleum and chemicals carried by stormwater.

Our famed Northwest rain, which washes our homes, driveways, roads and parking lots, picks up oil from car leaks, toxins, pesticides, fertilizers and bacteria from pet waste and livestock.

This toxic wash water flows down ditches and storm drains into our streams, rivers and, eventually, into Puget Sound. Scientists estimate that 75 percent of the toxic chemicals entering the Sound are carried by stormwater runoff.

The days are past when we could point to a pipe coming from a factory as the source of our problems. The problem now comes from our own backyards and neighborhoods — roughly 140,000 pounds of toxic chemicals each day.

The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is the equivalent of an environmental stroke. Our own personal oil spill is the equivalent of an environmental cancer slowly eating away at the health of our precious Puget Sound.

Our oil spill doesn't produce 24-hour news headlines or dramatic images of oil-soaked wildlife. Instead, it produces the slow and chronic destruction of one of our nation's most valuable ecological resources.

As a result, we have 21 species listed as threatened or endangered, more than 500 Puget Sound rivers, streams and lakes that exceed water-quality standards, and dozens of beaches closed due to pollution.

The time to attack this problem is now.

The Puget Sound Partnership has provided a game plan, an Action Agenda for Puget Sound. Through a coordinated, regional approach that challenges each of us to make small but important changes in how we live, work and use the land, we can drive this problem into remission.

The Agenda has already gone a long way to align government action. Fixing this problem means retrofitting municipal drainage systems. It means different development standards. It means a fundamentally different approach to managing our water.

Our local communities cannot be expected to bear this burden alone. This year in Olympia, while significant steps were taken, much was left unresolved. We must find a way to fund these critical investments.

Cleaning up and protecting Puget Sound will take time, money and commitment. The current recession may reduce funding in the short term, but it will not diminish our determination or the urgency of our task.

Progress is being made, but this is just a beginning. Puget Sound is too important to us and to our children.

We can be the generation that perpetuated the problem or we can be the generation that solved the problem. The choice is up to us.

Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-San Juan, left, represents the 40th Legislative District in the state Senate, is a senior fellow at The Ocean Foundation and a senior adviser for the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative. David Dicks is the executive director of Puget Sound Partnership.

West Coast Senators Introduce Bill to Protect the Pacific Coast from Offshore Oil Drilling

This morning, Washington Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray joined U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in introducing legislation to permanently prohibit offshore drilling on the outer continental shelf of California, Oregon and Washington State. Read the full press release.

Surfrider Foundation has an action alert asking President Obama and Congress to reinstate the offshore drilling moratorium. Please click on the alert and take a brief moment to demonstrate the strong grassroots support for protecting our coasts from new offshore oil and gas development and exploration.

If you have another moment, then please drop Senators Cantwell and Murray a quick thank you.

Updates and information on the Deepwater Horizon spill

If you're like me and you can't stop surfing the web for the latest information on the tragic oil spill in the Gulf, check out our blog:

nottheanswer.org

According to updated oil spill estimates, 1,092,000 gallons are spilling every day. The volume of this spill could surpass the Exxon Valdez spill before it's contained. Washington State is helping with the recovery effort and if you're interested in learning more about how, the Washington Department of Ecology has posted information on their website.

Photo: aerial view of crews placing boom around Breton Island off the coast of Louisiana trying to protect a Brown Pelican nesting colony.

Not enougth muscle to pass Clean Water bill

The votes were very close, but our leadership in Olympia didn't flex the muscle necessary to pass the Clean Water bill which would have collected funds from the oil industry to help clean up stormwater pollution and prevent it from draining into Washington's rivers and ocean. This is an enormous missed opportunity. Despite the fact that stormwater pollution mostly comes from oil, property owners are still expected to pay for its management without much help from industry. And as a result, struggling local governments are not likely to make much headway against the number one threat to Puget Sound.

This is a loss for Surfrider Foundation and for clean water. But don't think for a second that your actions this session -- your letters, emails, phone calls, tabling, and other outreach -- were not invaluable. They were. And our continued push to educate the masses about the impacts of stormwater pollution remains critical. The take away from this session is that we need to be louder and we need to be more clear about how important clean water is -- for us, for our communities, and for Washington.

If you haven't already, take a moment to watch The Cycle of Insanity, The Real Story of Water and then send the link to your friends: http://knowyourh2o.org

Our broken water cycle

Timing couldn’t be better for the release of The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water, a short, animated film made by creative and dedicated Surfrider Foundation volunteers. With the Working for Clean Water Bill still being debated in an extended session of the Washington State legislature, now is the time to spread the word on how stormwater is polluting our oceans. Take 20 minutes to watch this important video on our (broken) water cycle. Then call the legislative hotline and ask your legislators to vote yes on the Clean Water Act of 2010 HB 3181/SB6851: 1-800-562-6000.

The Cycle of Insanity: The Real Story of Water from Surfrider Foundation on Vimeo.

Last set for Clean Water -- legislators need to hear from you

The Working for Clean Water Bill is still alive in a special session. The vote is very very close and with just a few more yes votes, we can win this fight to tackle stormwater -- Washington's biggest source of water pollution.

This is likely my last chance to ask you to take action and the last chance that you will have to help us win on the clean water bill, so please, yes, one more time -- CALL YOUR LEGISLATORS! Just dial the hotline and leave a message for all three of your legislators asking them to vote yes on the Clean Water Act of 2010, HB 3181/SB 6851 right now: 1-800-562-600.

The oil industry is fighting dirty to stop this bill. Their latest scheme has been to file a law suit challenging the Hazardous Substance Tax. This tax was approved by voters 22 years ago to help tackle oil pollution and has been collected without legal challenge this entire time. According to legal experts, this lawsuit has no merit. The timing of this suit during the special legislative session is a scare tactic designed to discouraged votes. So, all the more reason why need to make the citizens' voice loud and clear to our legislators who represent us, not big oil.