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Serving Orcas, Lopez and San Juan County
WEDNESDAY, October 29, 2014 VOL. 47, NO. 44 75¢ islandssounder.com
Ruth Moody in concert – page 9
Modern message in a bottle: ‘this could be oil’ by EMILY GREENBERG Journal Reporter
Emily Greenberg/staff photo
Friends of the San Juans Director Stephanie Buffum with a drift card.
A tanker carrying hundreds of tons of fuel lost power close to the shores of Haida Gwaii, a northern British Columbia archipelago, Thurs., Oct. 16. The vessel, nearing the shoreline, in danger of running aground and spilling fuel into the water, was rescued by a U.S. tug boat after the Canadian Coast Guard was unable to tow it to safety. Three environmental organizations from the U.S. and Canada, including Friends of the San Juans, have dropped drift cards labeled “this could be oil,” over the past year, with the most recent drop Aug. 25. The cards were dropped along oil tanker routes from the Burrard Inlet in southwest B.C., through the Gulf Islands and San Juan Islands, and out into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The goal is to model the likely path where oil would travel, in the event of a major spill. Out of 700 cards dropped, six
were found in the Haida Gwaii archipelago. Three were dropped at Turn Point on Stuart Island and the other three in Georgia Strait. “If it can get there, it could likely get back,” Friends Director Stephanie Buffum said, alluding to the likelihood of fuel drifting into the Salish Sea, if spilled off the Haida Gwaii shorelines. The drift card project came to life after the third largest energy company in North America, Kinder Morgan, proposed the expansion of its Trans Mountain Pipeline, which transports crude and refined oil from points as far away as Alberta and California. If approved, the expansion of the pipeline would increase the amount of Alberta tar sand oil transported to the Vancouver, B.C. area from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels per day, and likely boost tanker traffic in the Salish Sea from five tankers per month to 34. Islands’ Oil Spill Association is preparing. “Because of the potential and likelihood of increased shipping
Conversation about teen drug use by MEREDITH M. GRIFFITH Contributor
How can we reduce drug and alcohol use by Orcas Island teenagers? This week a group of concerned islanders gathered to dialogue on the topic, led by marriage and family therapist Beth Jenson. “I don’t know how bad the problem is,” said Jenson. “But … teens use drugs here. They talk about it.” About 25 people showed up – a mix of parents, two of the island’s five deputies, Funhouse Commons staff, teachers, physicians and counselors. Jenson asked each attendee to write notes under two headlines: “Why I did drugs when I was a teen” or “Why I didn’t do drugs as a teen.” Analyzing the results, the group found that top reasons given for using drugs and alcohol included fun, excitement, easier socialization with peers, relaxation, availability of drugs and alcohol and having older friends or romantic partners. Top reasons for not using included oversight by parents, lack of participation by friends, fears of rape or a bad trip, not personally enjoying drugs or alcohol, lack of access
and having goals or interests that were viewed as more important. Jenson noted that lack of knowledge was not a top reason for using, even though many prevention programs tend to focus on disseminating information. One parent proposed an approach that focuses on reducing risky behaviors and potential harm to teens. She said a good goal might be delaying use until teens are old enough to make a mature decision. “The problems my kids face are very different than the problems I faced as a kid, she said. “To tell kids not to use drugs... it’s not gonna happen. It’s not reasonable,” she said. A 2012 “Healthy Youth Survey” for Orcas Island School District found that 20 percent of 12th graders were smoking cigarettes, with percentages below 5 percent for sixth, eighth and 10th graders. Forty percent of 12th graders and 20 percent of 10th graders were using alcohol, but just 3 percent of sixth and eighth graders were. About 25 percent of 12th graders reported binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks in a row in the past two weeks. Nearly 30 percent of 12th graders and 20 percent of 10th graders reported using pot, but just 8 percent
of eighth graders and around 3 percent of sixth graders. About 21 percent of 12th graders and nine percent of 10th graders reported abusing prescription painkillers, with under three percent of eighth graders and 0 percent of sixth graders abusing. Use of illegal drugs not including marijuana, alcohol and pot was lower, about eight percent for 12th graders; 4 percent for 6th and 10th graders, and zero for eighth graders. Most of these statistics show that use by Orcas 10th graders was lower than state averages but use by Orcas 12th graders was significantly higher than state averages. The issue of access was also raised: who are the adults providing Orcas teens with drugs and alcohol, and how can they be discouraged from doing so? A deputy encouraged community members to be observant and present when suspicious activity occurs. “I guarantee a community can get rid of a drug dealer faster than law enforcement can,” he said. “They know when they’re not wel-
SEE DRUG, PAGE 7
vessels, we're focusing on the westside of the islands,” IOSA's Jackie Wolf said. “We have supplies throughout the islands, but the reality is in the event of a big spill, we’d need help.” IOSA is a first-responder that implements strategy and deploys booms (a temporary floating barrier) to contain spills and protect environmentally sensitive areas. IOSA and its volunteers have had recent training exercises at False Bay, Mitchell Bay and on the westside of Orcas Island, focusing on the west side of the islands in the assumption that any increase in tanker traffic will travel through Boundary Bay and into Haro Strait, Wolf said. Nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil spilled into Alaska's Prince William Sound when The Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef in 1989. The catastrophic spill marked the beginning of the end for a small group of transient killer whales (the AT1s) that made the Sound and surrounding waters their home. With the Salish Sea’s own southern residents struggling to survive, Buffum believes the risks of an oil spill outweigh any
SEE DRIFT, PAGE 7
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