September 17 - 23, 2015
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Community Newspaper of Blaine and Birch Bay HHHECRWSSHHH Postal Customer
IN THIS
ISSUE
9/11 memorial ride in Peace Arch Park, page 2
Northwest Pipeline could expand in Whatcom County
Pet care special section, pages 8-9
PRSRT STD U. S. Postage PAID Permit NO. 87 Blaine, WA 98230
Edaleen celebrates one year in Blaine, page 13
Ready, aim, corn
By Steve Guntli A major liquefied natural gas (LNG) pipeline may be growing in Whatcom County and throughout the state. The Northwest Pipeline, which runs south out of Sumas, could expand to help supply a proposed terminal in Oregon. If approved, the expansion would add 140 miles of 36-inch pipeline in 10 different spots along the existing structure. The expansion would call for an additional 11 miles of pipeline in Whatcom County. The pipes would be built in loops to add capacity while conserving space. Every county along the pipeline’s route from Sumas to the proposed facility in Warrenton, Oregon would add capacity. Cowlitz County will get the largest upgrade, with about 35 miles of pipeline added to the existing pipe outside of Longview, according to Williams pipeline manufacturers. The Warrenton facility would be used to supercool natural gas into LNG form and transport it to Portland and other locations throughout the Pacific Northwest. Williams, the company that owns and operates the Northwest Pipeline, submitted forms for the project with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in 2013. FERC has published a 970-page draft on the potential environmental impacts of the project, and is now looking for input from the public. According to the report, FERC believes the environmental impacts will be kept to a minimum if Williams and partners at Oregon LNG follow the stated guidelines. This project is unrelated to another recently proposed pipeline expansion, reported last week, which would connect two Canadian LNG stations via Custer and Cherry Point. Both projects are un(See Pipe, page 3)
s Joella Ortega launches an ear of corn from a pressurized cannon at Bellewood Acres on September 12. Ortega stopped off at Bellewood as part of the Whatcom County Farm Tour, a self-guided look at what local agriculture has to offer. See more photos on page 9.
Photo by Steve Guntli
Blaine adopts stricter codes for derelict buildings By Ian Ferguson On Valentine’s Day 2013, Blaine Bouquet’s sewer outflow pipe backed up during their busiest time of the year, and a plumber informed the owners that the deteriorating building next door was the likely culprit. This story and many others like it have prompted Blaine city staff to address the numerous buildings in down-
town Blaine that have fallen into disrepair. Following unanimous approval by Blaine City Council members at their last meeting, Blaine has adopted stricter code enforcement for derelict buildings and nuisance properties. City council voted 7–0 on September 14 to approve three new ordinances amending the Blaine Municipal Code (BMC) and update the unified fee schedule for 2015. Ordinance 15-2864 deals with public nui-
Research group praises NEXUS program in new study By Steve Guntli NEXUS users get a lot of bang for their buck, according to the authors of a new study. On September 14, researchers at Western Washington University’s Border Policy Research Institute (BPRI) released the study, “Monetizing some benefits of participation in NEXUS.” The study found that people with NEXUS and other Trusted Traveler passes experience dramatical-
ly shorter wait times than non-NEXUS users, which leads to more money saved in personal time, decreased fuel use and other environmental benefits. The authors, Christopher Dingman of the Federal Highway Administration and Daniel Edgel of BPRI, used data collected at the Peace Arch border crossing to determine average wait times. More than 10,000 people cross the border in Whatcom County daily, and more than 75 per-
cent of that traffic comes through the two Blaine crossings, leading to some long and unpredictable wait times. According to the study, the average delay at the border Monday through Sunday is 16.4 minutes for a non-NEXUS user. In comparison, a NEXUS user’s average delay is 1.3 minutes. When looking solely at weekend travel, the difference becomes (See NEXUS, page 15)
sances such as piles of garbage, junk vehicles and attractive nuisances that might be hazardous to children. Ordinance 15-2868 applies to “unfit, improperly maintained or substandard structures or premises.” Ordinance 15-2869 sets forth administrative procedures to enforce the BMC, including notification, voluntary correction, stop-work orders, abatement, hearings (See Code, page 3)
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