Fracked gas pipeline, Nooksack flooding, solitary confinement, outstanding state leaders



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West Coast leaders condemn federal commission approval of expanded fracked gas pipeline
Gov. Jay Inslee and other Pacific Northwest leaders denounced federal approval of a gas pipeline expansion.

Gov. Jay Inslee and other Pacific Northwest leaders denounced federal approval of a gas pipeline expansion Thursday.

On Thursday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved a proposal by a Canadian energy company to expand its GTN Xpress fracked gas pipeline in the Pacific Northwest. The expanded pipeline will pump 750,000 homes? worth of additional gas every day for 50 years. By 2050, the pipeline?s output would comprise about half of emissions from all sources in the region. Gov. Jay Inslee, regional attorneys general, and federal lawmakers all rebuked the decision [ [link removed] ].

?This decision essentially digs the hole deeper,? said Gov. Jay Inslee in a statement [ [link removed] ]. ?Expanding this fossil fuel pipeline for 50 years?until 2073?saddles our children and their children with climate harm and fossil fuel costs. This fight isn?t over.?

State leaders point out the proposal runs contrary to state laws requiring a transition away from fossil fuels. Washington state?s Clean Energy Transformation Act requires the state?s grid to be powered exclusively by renewable energy by the year 2045. The state?s new statutory greenhouse gas limits require the state to reduce emissions by 95% by 2050. Oregon?s Climate Protection Program requires a 90% reduction in emissions by 2050.

?TC Energy?s project would increase rates for consumers, cause over $8.8 billion in climate damages and undermine our states? efforts to combat the climate crisis just so that a Canadian company can increase the shipment of Canadian fracked methane gas,? wrote senators Jeff Merkley, Patty Murray, Ron Wyden, and Maria Cantwell in a statement [ [link removed] ].

TC Energy, the pipeline?s operator, has a spotted record. The company owns the now-abandoned Keystone XL pipeline that was embroiled in controversy for 16 years and spilled nearly 600,000 gallons of bitumen oil in Kansas last winter, in addition to prior notable spills in 2011 and 2016. Another TC Energy project, the Columbia Gas Transmission pipeline, exploded in Virginia [ [link removed] ] last year.

?Today?s decision by FERC flies in the face of what is morally and economically necessary to protect our communities from the worsening impacts of climate change,? said Inslee. ?We are more resolved than ever to keep this pipeline from increasing fossil fuel use.?

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Governments come together to build flood resilience in Nooksack, Sumas watersheds
A coalition will address flood risks and restore habitats in the Nooksack and Sumas watersheds.

Representatives from nine governments and sovereign nations co-signed an agreement this week to address flood risks and restore habitats in the Nooksack and Sumas watersheds.

In November 2021, devastating floods caused widespread damage in Whatcom County, Wash. and Fraser Valley in British Columbia. On Friday, an international, multi-government agreement was finalized to address flood risks and restore salmon habitat in the area of the Nooksack and Sumas rivers.

The agreement was signed this week by representatives of nine governments ? including B.C. Premier David Eby and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee ? and by the Sumas, Matsqui and Leq??:mel First Nations, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, Lummi Nation, the City of Abbotsford and Whatcom County, Wash.

?The 2021 flooding devastated communities on both sides of the border and made clear we must plan for more disasters like this one fueled by climate change,? said Gov. Jay Inslee. ?We must work collaboratively with Tribes and local governments on both sides of the border to comprehensively address flooding in the Nooksack and Sumas watersheds, restore salmon habitat, and build community capacity against climate change. I appreciate the leadership and commitment by all parties to work collaboratively on this vital issue.?

The initiative?s goals are to collaboratively manage the flood risk from the Nooksack and Sumas rivers, while restoring important habitat and ecosystem function for fish and other critical aquatic species, and to advance cooperation and collaboration with Indigenous governments. It will work collaboratively to evaluate flood hazard, share data and research, and leverage funding opportunities to advance flood-mitigation projects.

*Read the full story and background information here.* [ [link removed] ]

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Washington adopts nation-leading standard to reduce practice of solitary confinement
A group of incarcerated individuals plays cards at a table.

?Today I?m 54 years old but I still go back and think about 30 years ago, how I felt when I was in that place. It still has an effect on me today,? said one formerly incarcerated person in a DOC-published video.

The Washington state Department of Corrections (DOC) committed this year to reduce the use of solitary confinement by 90% over the next five years. The agency has just published its plan to accomplish that vision [ [link removed] ] with a goal to reduce recidivism. By adopting strategies to ?build better neighbors," the agency intends to reduce the odds that released individuals reoffend and return to prison.

?This plan will serve as a roadmap as we develop a nation-leading standard for the use of solitary confinement,? said DOC Secretary Cheryl Strange. ?We believe these reforms will create a safer environment for both staff and the incarcerated. It will also reduce recidivism by setting up individuals for a greater chance of success when they are released.?

Most incarcerated people will walk free one day. But nearly half of those released will come right back to prison. The United States spends $52 billion on corrections each year, only to lead the world in recidivism. Solitary confinement is statistically associated with hostility, self-harm, and even mortality. At present, 400 people inside Washington prisons sit in solitary confinement on a given day.

?The research is clear on solitary confinement,? says Strange. ?It causes long-lasting harm. While it can be an effective way to deter violence, spending prolonged periods of time in isolation has devastating effects on an individual?s mental and physical health long after they leave our facilities.?

The new plan quadruples meaningful out-of-cell time for incarcerated individuals in restrictive housing, and establishes new programming and staffing ratios to support alternatives to isolation. The plan does allow for solitary confinement to be used in exigent circumstances.

?We have some extremely violent individuals in our care and custody, and in some cases there is no safe alternative for housing them other than in conditions constituting solitary confinement,? said Strange. ?In most cases though, we think we can avoid having to resort to using it.?

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Inslee recognizes outstanding state leaders
Gov. Jay Inslee poses for a picture with honorees from this year?s Governor?s Outstanding Leadership Awards ceremony.

Gov. Jay Inslee poses for a picture with honorees from this year?s Governor?s Outstanding Leadership Awards ceremony.

Since 1986, governors of Washington state have acknowledged excellence in public service with the Governor?s Outstanding Leadership Awards [ [link removed] ]. The awards credit managers and leaders who have either sustained excellent performance or achieved extraordinary accomplishments. On Tuesday, Gov. Jay Inslee honored the latest cohort.

Celeste Monahan from the state Department of Labor and Industries pushed for improved rights for gig workers. Joe Norwood from the state Department of Enterprise Services has improved diversity in state contracting by engaging with small businesses, especially those owned by women, veterans, and proprietors of color. Tedd Kelleher has helped guide the state Department of Commerce?s response to homelessness. These three leaders were among the 22 honored Tuesday.

The honorees represent a variety of state agencies and commissions, and they perform a variety of job duties.

?Recent years brought new challenges to our agencies, and they?ve been met with ambition, innovation, and a commitment to public service from leaders at all levels of each agency.? Inslee said, ?I could not be prouder of how state employees have led by example.?

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News you might have missed:

?Ice, Ice, baby!? WSDOT has tips for winter preparedness

Winter weather has its perils ? especially on the roads. WSDOT published a set of winter weather reminders [ [link removed] ] this week. As snow and ice return, so does ?chain season.? Tire chains are often required by signage on mountain passes and other roadways during the winter, so now is a good time to grab a set and store them in your vehicle. WSDOT also encourages travelers to ?Know Before You Go? by checking the official WSDOT app for road conditions, and by following regional WSDOT social media accounts.

Commerce asks for opinions about EV chargers, broadband equity

The state Department of Commerce is requesting public comments on the state?s strategy to electrify transportation [ [link removed] ], and on the state?s Internet For All plans to equitably expand access to?high-speed broadband service [ [link removed] ]. For the electrification strategy, comments are accepted through Oct. 30. Digital equity plan comments are welcome through Oct. 31.

WSDA programs curbed hunger during the pandemic, says new report

Nearly one in three Washingtonians had a hard time affording food during the pandemic. The state Department of Agriculture deployed nearly $133 million in combined state and federal emergency funding to prevent hunger, and according to a new report, the campaign helped many Washingtonians stay fed and healthy [ [link removed] ]. The agency?s We Feed WA emergency program distributed nearly 15 million pounds of food [ [link removed] ] during the height of the pandemic from June 2020 through June 2021.

DOL offers new mobile licensing program

The state Department of Licensing?s new DOL2Go program [ [link removed] ] offers onsite ID card printing and other licensing services ? no need to trek to the DMV. Lack of identification is a significant barrier for many Washingtonians, and the new DOL2Go vans will deploy to communities where licensing services are sorely needed. The program does not make individual house calls, but it does allow communities to organize licensing events [ [link removed] ] close to home.

New DOH Strong Start dashboard supports child development

The state Department of Health this week launched a new screening system [ [link removed] ] where parents, caregivers, and providers can securely store and track developmental screening information for children through age 5. The Strong Start dashboard allows caregivers and medical providers to collaborate to best support children?s needs. The dashboard notes important milestones, charts speech and motor skills, and allows easy sharing with medical providers so that they can best serve the child. Caregivers may set up an account through Secure Access Washington today [ [link removed] ].

Coastal crab pot season is over, reminds WDFW

The season for using crab pots in coastal marine areas has been closed for several weeks now, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is reminding crabbers about lawful gear during the fall season. Crab snares and foldable traps are legal at this time. Read WDFW?s blog post for more information [ [link removed] ] about what?s right, and what?s wrong this time of year.

DOC doggies celebrate graduation from narcotics detection program

Five dog-and-handler duos from the state Department of Corrections graduated this week [ [link removed] ] from a rigorous 200-hour training program to detect dangerous drugs in correctional facilities. The dogs? keen sense of smell helps them track down even trace amounts of illicit substances.

Five narcotics dogs pose with their handlers at a DOC graduation ceremony.

Five narcotics dogs pose with their handlers at a DOC graduation ceremony.

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