Beaks and Bills

  July 2021

Pearrygin Lake 2021

by Joe Meche   Washington Pass on State Highway 20 was opened for cross-state travel in mid-May, triggering our traditional itch to spend a few days on the drier and typically warmer side of the Cascades. On a nice west … Continue reading

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  July 2021

County Climate Impact Advisory Committee Is Releasing Action Plan for Public Comment

by Izzie Lund The Climate Impact Advisory Committee (CIAC) announced during their June 3 meeting that they tentatively plan to release their draft of the county’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) to the public on June 29. The public comment period … Continue reading

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  July 2021

Outdated Wastewater Facilities Undermine Water Quality Gains

by Lorraine Loomis We’ve seen some real progress over the past few years in efforts to prevent human waste from damaging the health of Puget Sound and the Washington coast. Still, we face a chronic problem with outdated wastewater treatment … Continue reading

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  July 2021

Bellingham City Council

Action Taken at May 10, 2021 Meeting Update on COVID-19 Response Erika Lautenbach, Whatcom County Health Department Director, provided an update on Washington state’s Roadmap to Recovery. She explained that as a whole, Whatcom County is not seeing a slowing … Continue reading

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  July 2021

Whatcom County Council

Compiled by Barry MacHale Action Taken at May 4, 2021 Meeting Shall the council: 107. Authorize the executive to a sign a $240,000 four-month contract (amendment #3) with G6 Hospitality Property? The county leases Motel 6 at 3701 Byron Ave. … Continue reading

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  July 2021

Port of Bellingham Commission

Compiled by Bill McCallum Action Taken at May 4, 2021 Meeting Shall the commission: 56. Add certain administrative powers and duties to the executive director position? At the 1/19/2021 meeting, vote # 11, the commission authorized the executive director to … Continue reading

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  July 2021

Mercury Contamination Threatens Health of Lake Whatcom

Since January 2014, Whatcom Watch has been rerunning articles from issues printed 20 years ago. The below article appeared in the July 2001 issue of Whatcom Watch. Editor’s Note: Part I can be read at: http://www.whatcomwatch.org/old_issues/v10i6.  html#story1. The following article … Continue reading

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  July 2021

Supporting Those Living With Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

by Daniel Gray Editor’s Note: There are over 100 organizations in Whatcom County working to provide supportive services to those experiencing chronic poverty and its associated effects: addiction, homelessness, incarceration, mental illness, and unemployment. Whatcom Watch believes these organizations often … Continue reading

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  July 2021

High Levels of Biotoxin Found in Wiser Lake

Recent sampling at Wiser Lake detected microcystin, a toxin produced by algae, at levels that may be harmful to people and pets. Toxin levels are more than 20 times the maximum safe level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. … Continue reading

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  July 2021

City of Bellingham Candidates

Background: Lake Whatcom is the drinking water source for Bellingham and surrounding areas, such as Sudden Valley. Many activities – from logging and development, to pesticides and invasive mussels hitching rides on uninspected boats – threaten the quality of our … Continue reading

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