OLYMPIA – Fifteen of Washington’s 115 commercial shellfish growing areas may face harvest restrictions because of increased fecal bacteria levels in the water. Every year, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) evaluates the state’s commercial shellfish growing areas. DOH analyzes water sample data and assesses potential sources of pollution. A restriction is a change in harvest classification which could lead to a seasonal, environmental, or year-round closure.
Based on data collected through 2023, portions of growing areas in Mason County’s Annas Bay and Clallam County’s Dungeness Bay did not meet the stringent public health water quality standards. The areas remain open, but the classification will be reevaluated.
SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA April 15, 2024 – UPDATE: San Juan County’s Department of Community Development (DCD) is postponing the public hearing examiner meeting for OPALCO’s Bailer Hill micro-grid and battery installation project while waiting for all additional information requested of the applicant on March 28, 2024. The future hearing examiner meeting date is to be determined (TBD).
Written public comment will continue to be accepted by the department, however the Hearing Examiner will not be able to open the record for verbal public testimony on April 24, 2024. Once DCD receives enough information to complete SEPA determination and continue with the review process, a new hearing date will be published where verbal testimony will be accepted.
Why is the hearing postponed?
DCD initially published a notice of application (with the expected Hearing Examiner Meeting date) on March 12 and 13. On March 28, DCD staff requested additional information from OPALCO based on comments received as of March 12, third party review received as of March 18, and recent SEPA review findings.
Between Wednesday, April 3 and Friday, April 12, OPALCO and DCD discussed reasonable timelines and procedural requirements related to the initially scheduled hearing date. OPALCO and DCD agreed to postpone the hearing without a specific rescheduling date while OPALCO gathers documentation in response to all items raised in the March 28 correspondence.
How does postponing impact public engagement?
Written public comment opened on March 13 and continues to be accepted for this project (see comments submitted as of April 3, 2024). Please continue to send public comments to
Anyone expecting to make verbal public testimony for this project on April 24, 2024 will need to wait until the hearing is rescheduled. Project documents will continue to be posted for public review using the links and references in this news flash (below).
How will I know when the hearing is rescheduled for?
Once outstanding requests for additional information have been sufficiently addressed, a new notice will be published in print as required by County Code. This news flash post will also be updated help the public keep apprised of this ongoing review process.
An updated Summary of Important Information and Resources is available at the bottom of this news flash. Also, the original release has been corrected regarding what ‘SEPA’ stands for. ‘SEPA’ is an acronym for State Environmental Policy Act.
Scientists have proposed two new species of killer whales which are currently considered a single species. Bigg’s killer whales (seen here), also known as transients, would be designated as Orcinus rectipinnus and resident killer whales as Orcinus ater. Photo: Copyright Melissa Pinnow, used with permission
By: Christopher Dunagan
Originally Posted Here
A scientific paper, published on March 27th, spells out the unique physical and genetic characteristics that should make each group a separate species, with the proposed scientific names Orcinus ater for residents and Orcinus rectipinnus for Bigg’s.
Since the 1970s, scientists in the Puget Sound region have been studying the differences between two types of killer whales: the so-called residents, which eat salmon, and the Bigg’s or transient killer whales, which eat seals, sea lions and other marine mammals. Even though the two groups of whales have different behaviors, vocal calls and social structures — along with distinct body styles and genetic traits — the two types are still considered a single species, Orcinus orca.
In fact, killer whales in every ocean of the world are grouped together as a single species. Until now, scientific discussions and debates have yet to resolve whether any orca population or group is different enough to be declared its own species.
This single-species convention could soon undergo a decisive change, thanks to advanced genetic techniques used to discern evolutionary patterns. Following years of study and consideration, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have proposed two new species of killer whales, Orcinus ater for residents and Orcinus rectipinnus for Bigg’s.
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