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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015- July 4.. File Copy '" °. • 40 411114 ', , ,ma k �,; ' .,' i IN WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Pro "_ "' - gram (FMNP) was established by moi' 'JIM 4• • — t. ,! ;),,,' NP in 1992, to provide fresh, „.. unprepared, locally grown fruits- _r and vegetables to WIC participants, difolisitt ii, -.,, and to expand the awareness, use ���-v.**HL201010011.ilk �` of, and sales at farmers' markets. It )0, .0\10\0 is part of the Special Supplemental � Nutrition Program for the Women, r ., Infant and Children (WIC) Nutrition } % - Program. WIC offers Healthy foods, Nutrition Education and referrals to health and social services. Funded by USDA. ill, 2015 Gimme 5 is aro r m p g a of the Jeffer WICFARMERS MARKET son Co. Famers Market that dou- bles the buying power of WIC NUTRITION PROGRAM FMNP checks. People can also young_families eating more vegetadts boost their Senior FM checks as well as SNAP Ed (formerly Food stamps) Gimme 5 is funded with support from Jefferson Healthcare, United Good neighbors and local Partnering for healthy eating donations. VIDINAMSONOSIMANNOMINNWINO 6ff-ason WI(©Seg ,!.FARM ", e' 2014 4MA ,: $3600 WIC FMNP checks issued Public Hea p airw.a.woriw.n+ . Redemption rate = 86% or $3010 United Good Neighbors of Jefferson County Total of $6020 in Giving Fiom The Heart • fresh local produce Jefferson for young families in Jefferson Co. Healthcare • Jefferson County Public Health Agenda & Minutes . fir 0 t iTaSart Public Health July 16, 2015 0 • Public HbJff • Board of Health Meeting July 16, 2015 JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH • July 16, 2015 Jefferson County Public Health 615 Sheridan Port Townsend, WA 2:30—4:30 PM DRAFT AGENDA I. Approval of Agenda II. Approval of Minutes of Board of Health Meeting of June 18, 2015 III. Public Comments IV. Old Business and Informational Items 1. Measles Death in Clallam County 2. California Adopts Strict Vaccination Laws Removing Religious and Personal Exemptions 3. WIC Newsletter: SmileMobile Returns to Jefferson County 4. Board's Official Business: John Austin appointed to Jefferson County Board of Health for term ending May 31, 2018 • V. New Business 1. Public Hearing—Adoption of a Civil Infraction Ordinance 2. Proposed Food Safety Program Fee Revisions, Part 1 3. Solid Waste Code Enforcement— State Budget Cuts and Local Impacts 4. Kitsap-Jefferson-Clallam Behavioral Health Organization Update 5. Chimicum Prevention Coalition Strategic Plan Update 6. Public Health Policy Issues and Consumer Use of Fireworks VI. Activity Update VII. Public Comments VIII. Agenda Planning Calendar: IX. Next Scheduled Meeting: August 20, 2015 2:30—4:30 pm Jefferson County Public Health 615 Sheridan St. Port Townsend, WA 98368 • - f JEFFERSON COUNTY BOARD OF HEALTH • MINUTES Thursday, June 18, 2015 Jefferson County Public Health, 615 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend WA 98368 Board Members Staff Members Phil Johnson,County Commissioner District#1 Thomas Locke,MD,Health Officer David Sullivan,County Commissioner,District#2 Jean Baldwin,Public Health Dir Kathleen Kler,Vice-Chair,County Commissioner,District#3 Julia Danskin,Public Health Manager Kris Nelson,Port Townsend City Council Jared Keefer,Env.Health Dir Sheila Westerman,Chair,Citizen at large Veronica Shaw,Public Health Deputy Dir Jill Buhler,Hospital Commissioner,District#2 Michael Dawson,Water Quality Dir Chair Westerman called the June 18, 2015 meeting of the Jefferson County Board of Health to order at 2:30 p.m. A quorum was present. Members Present: David Sullivan, Kathleen Kler, Phil Johnson, Kris Nelson, Sheila Westerman, Jill Buhler Staff Present: Tom Locke, Jean Baldwin, Jared Keefer, Julia Danskin, Michael Dawson, Philip Morley • APPROVAL OF AGENDA Chair Westerman added item 8, Report from Jill Buhler on Reproductive Task Force, to New Items. Chair Westerman asked for approval of the June 18, 2015 Agenda. Member Nelson moved to approve the agenda; the motion was seconded by Member Kler. No further discussion. The motion passed unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Member Kler asked that a period be added to the end of the list of restaurants in item 1, Public Health Outstanding Food Safety Awards, under Old Business and Informational Items. Chair Westerman called for approval of the minutes of the May 21, 2015 meeting of the Board of Health. Member Nelson moved to approve the minutes as presented; the motion was seconded by Member Sullivan. No further discussion. The motion passed unanimously. • PUBLIC COMMENT No public comment. OLD BUSINESS AND INFORMATIONAL ITEMS 1. Pertussis Update Dr. Tom Locke, Health Officer, JCPH, reviewed the WA State Dept. of Health Weekly pertussis update with the Board and reported that 23 cases have been confirmed in Jefferson County, which is the highest rate in the state. The increase of cases in Washington is due to low rates of vaccination in adults and adolescents and the decline in immunity in children immunized with the current acellular vaccine. Dr. Locke explained to the Board that Pertussis typically causes mild illness in adolescents and adults and that the public health strategy is to focus on the protection of infants and pregnant women by encouraging vaccination of their families, caretakers, and health care providers. He explained to the Board that it is not feasible to completely eradicate Pertussis from the population until a better vaccine is available. 2. Jefferson County Family Planning Client Data Jean Baldwin, Director, JCPH, provided the Board with WA State Family Planning and Jefferson County Client Data sheets for 2014. Julia Danskin, Public Health Manager, • JCPH, pointed out that a high number of our clients are aged 17 and under, which is probably due to the School Based Clinics. It was pointed out that clinic visits have decreased while birth control use has increased, which can be explained by women getting long-acting birth control and then choosing not to get screened every year. Ms. Baldwin explained to the Board that the clinic has a comment box and receives a high number of positive comments each month and invited the Board to review them. 3. Michael Dawson, WQ Director Jared Keefer, Environmental Health Director, JCPH introduced Michael Dawson to the Board. Mr. Dawson is now the Water Quality Director for JCPH. Mr. Dawson started working at JCPH in 2009, and was an Environmental Health Specialist II (Lead)prior to this position. 4. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Dr. Locke provided the Board with a provider bulletin about MERS-CoV, which was distributed by the WA State Dept. of Health. Dr. Locke explained what MERS-CoV is and informed the Board that there currently is no significant threat of an outbreak in the US. The bulletin went out to providers who might have contact with someone who has traveled to the Arabian Peninsula or South Korea where the outbreaks have occurred. NEW BUSINESS 1. Certificate of Appreciation—Ruth Merryman Chair Westerman, on behalf of the Jefferson County Board of Health, presented Ruth Merryman with a certificate of appreciation and commended her for her"hard work and dedication as an advocate for women's rights, particularly in the areas of reproductive health and economic advancement." 2. Public Hearing: Environmental Health Fee Update Mr. Keefer presented the Board with a revised fee schedule, modified to reflect adjustments to services affected by the hourly rate adjustment(Ordinance 03-0319-15). The public hearing was opened for comment and no one was in attendance who wished to testify. The public hearing was then closed. Member Buhler moved that the changes to the Environmental Health Fee Schedule be adopted; Member Johnson seconded the motion. No further discussion. The motion passed unanimously. 3. 2014 Performance Measures: Maternal Child Health,Targeted Clinical Health Services, and Solid Waste Ms. Danskin presented the Board with the Community Health Department Budget, the 2014 Family Health Services Program Performance Measures, and the Targeted Clinical Health Services Program Performance Measures. Ms. Danskin pointed out the following indicators from the Family Health Services Program: Goal 1 is to improve pregnancy and • birth outcomes, which includes completing Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) assessments; 544 Family Health encounters occurred and children with special health care needs increased from 60 to 147; WIC numbers staying about the same, and supporting breastfeeding numbers are high. Ms. Danskin reviewed the Targeted Clinical Health Services Performance Measures and informed the Board that numbers are slightly down (statewide) due most likely to more people getting on full-scope (Medicaid)healthcare. Ms. Danskin also pointed out that the breast and cervical health program will and potentially go away in a couple years as more women qualify for Apple Health and the need lessens. Mr. Keefer presented the Board with the 2014 Solid and Hazardous Waste Program Performance measures as they relate to Small Business Technical Assistance Program, Waste Reduction and Recycling Outreach, Solid Waste Permitting and Enforcement, and Hazardous Waste Investigations. Mr. Keefer will keep the Board informed on what will happen with solid waste complaints and junk vehicles after a state budget is passed, and anticipates coming to the Board with a prioritized list of what programs to cut. 4. Policy Discussion: Re-adoption of a Jefferson County Public Health Civil Enforcement Code • Dr. Locke informed the Board that the Civil Infraction code appears to have been accidentally repealed when the latest version of the Solid Waste Code was adopted. The • County attorney, David Alvarez, has recommended that it be reenacted and has drawn up a draft resolution to accomplish this. Member Nelson motioned to hold a public hearing at the July 16, 2015 Jefferson County Board of Health meeting concerning adoption of the proposed civil infraction code resolution. Member Buhler seconded the motion. No further discussion. The motion passed unanimously. 5. Update on Access to Naloxone as a Heroin Overdose Dr. Locke provided the Board with a copy of ESHB 1671, a recently enacted law that clarifies and expands "Good Samaritan" uses of the heroin overdose antidote naloxone. He also reviewed two Peninsula Daily News articles on this subject, and spoke about the availability of Naloxone in Jefferson and Clallam Counties. Dr. Locke informed the Board that Naloxone is currently available through EMS, at the ER, and at the Safeway in Port Angeles. The QFC in Port Hadlock is interested in carrying it in their pharmacy. JCPH has pre-printed prescriptions for the medication and is prepared to provide them as authorized by the new law. Dr. Locke will keep the Board informed of progress made in making drug overdose antidotes more widely available in the community. Ms. Danskin provided the Board with a handout on the safe disposal of hypodermic needles at a board members request. • 6. Legislative Session Update Dr. Locke informed the Board that state agencies are planning for a shutdown, and are faced with a large number of programs being closed or layoffs. The Environmental Health side will look at the general fund to fill gaps. 7. Application for SSAB Ms. Danskin provided the Board with an application from David Stanko, Jefferson County Sheriff, to become a member of the Substance Abuse Advisory Board (SAAB). Member Sullivan motioned to approve Mr. Stanko to the Substance Abuse Advisory Board. Member Nelson seconded the motion. No further discussion. The motion passed unanimously. S. Report from Jill on Reproductive Task Force Member Buhler informed the Board on the history of abortion services at Jefferson Healthcare (JHC), and the request from the ACLU, received in February, asking them to look into providing on-site, on-demand abortions. Member Buhler reported the Reproductive Task Force is composed of: three family practitioners, two ARNPs (one from JCPH), three RNs, one Health Care Administrator, one Birth Center representative, one Patient Advocate, two Community Reps and the director of JCPH. The Reproductive Task Force recommended JHC develop protocols for miscarriage management and after training, it is recommended JHC develop an elective medication • abortion program. Additional program development, and provider resources are needed to • develop first medical abortions and then elective surgical abortion services. JHC will look into implementing these recommendations. They are in the process of looking for a gynecologist willing to perform elective surgical abortions. The JHC Board will vote on adoption of these recommendations at its July 15, 2015 Board meeting. Member Buhler told the Board the public is welcome to attend this meeting and provide comments. ACTIVITY UPDATE There was no activity update. PUBLIC COMMENT There was no public comment. AGENDA PLANNING CALENDAR The Jefferson County Board of Health has called for a public hearing on adoption of an ordinance authorizing Environmental Health Civil Enforcement at the upcoming Board meeting on July 16, 2015. NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING • The next Board of Health meeting will be held on Thursday, July 16, 2015 from 2:30—4:30 p.m. at Jefferson County Public Health, 615 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend, WA. ADJOURNMENT Chair Westerman adjourned the June 18,2015 Jefferson County Board of Health meeting at 4:34 p.m. JEF ' ', C'/$ o ► NTY BOARD OF HEALTH Phil o1949 , . •-r Jil uhler, ember f E),,,„eal Davi �. . h an, *em•er Sheila Westerman, Chair kj iiih, \VA k -4. . ,, is Nelson, Member Kathleen Kler, Vice-Chair Respectfully Submitted: Ill Natalie Crump Board of Health IV Old Business Item 1 Measles Death in Clallam County 4 „s, � wn. Public July 16, 2015 • Washing torr State* Hea1th ewsReleaseDeartment of For immediate release: July 2, 2015 (15-119) Contacts: Donn Moyer, Communications Office 360-236-4076 Measles led to death of Clallam Co. woman; first in US in a dozen years Tragic outcome for immunocompromised patient shows need for community protection OLYMPIA—The death of a Clallam County woman this spring was due to an undetected measles infection that was discovered at autopsy. The woman was most likely exposed to measles at a local medical facility during a recent outbreak in Clallam County. She was there at the same time as a person who later developed a rash and was contagious for measles. The woman had several other health conditions and was on medications that contributed to a suppressed immune system. She didn't have some of the common symptoms of measles such as a rash, so the infection wasn't discovered until after her death. The cause of death was pneumonia due to measles. This tragic situation illustrates the importance of immunizing as many people as possible to provide a high level of community protection against measles. People with compromised immune systems often cannot be vaccinated against measles. Even when vaccinated, they may not have a good immune response when exposed to disease; they may be especially vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Public health officials recommend that everyone who is eligible for the measles, mumps, and rubella(MMR)vaccine get vaccinated so they can help protect themselves, their families, and the vulnerable people in their community. Measles is highly contagious even before the rash starts, and is easily spread when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. If you're not protected, you can get measles just by walking into a room where someone with the disease has been in the past couple of hours. Children should be vaccinated with two doses of MMR vaccine, with the first dose between 12 and 15 months and the second at four-to-six years. Adults born after 1956 should have at least • one measles vaccination; some people need two. The state Department of Health immunization program has online information about measles and measles vaccine. —More— Measles-related death; community prevention July 2, 2015 Page 2 • The measles diagnosis for the Clallam County woman brings the state's case count to 11, and is the sixth in Clallam County for the year. The last active case of measles in Washington this year was reported in late April. Within about three weeks of exposure to someone with measles, it's possible to develop the disease. Since more than three weeks has already passed since the last active measles case, no one who had contact with one of the known cases is any longer at risk for developing measles from those exposures. The last confirmed measles death in the United States was reported in 2003. More information about measles nationwide is available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) website. The Department of Health website (www.doh.wa.gov) is your source for a healthy dose of information. Also, find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. ### • • Board of Health IV Old Business Item 2 California Adopts Strict Vaccination Laws A{ 4 ,o.. • jp Public Hea It July 16, 2015 • difo nia Gov. Jerry Brown signs new vaccination law, one of nation's toughest-LA Times Page 1 of 5 i PolitiCal IINews and analysis on California politics California Gov. Jerry Brown signs new vaccination law, one of nation's toughest By PHIL WILLON AND MELANIE MASON JUNE 30, 2015, 9:11 PM I REPORTING FROM SACRAMENTO Adopting one of the most far-reaching vaccination laws in the nation, California on Tuesday barred religious and other personal-belief exemptions for schoolchildren, a move that could affect tens of thousands of students and sets up a potential court battle with opponents of immunization. California's weakened public health defenses against measles and other preventable diseases led to the adoption of the measure, signed Tuesday by Gov. Jerry Brown,intended to stem the rising number of parents who opt not to inoculate their children. Public health officials said a proliferation of waivers, many sought because of unfounded concerns about the sail of vaccines,helped fuel a measles outbreak that started at Disneyland in December and quickly spread across the West,infecting 150 people. "I think it's a great day for California's children.You're living in a state that just got a little safer,"said Dr. Paul Offit,chief of the division of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and an advocate of immunization. California joins Mississippi and West Virginia as the only states to ban vaccination waivers based on religion.All 5o states require immunization of children starting school, although about 20 allow exemptions based on personal beliefs. Beginning with the 2016 school year,the new law could affect more than 8o,000 California students who annually claim personal belief exemptions. Only medical exceptions will be allowed for those entering day care and kindergarten. Children with physician- certified allergies and immune-system deficiencies,for example,will be exempted. Parents can still decline to vaccinate children who attend private home-based schools or independent studies off caus. >://www.latimes.com/local/political/l a-me-ln-governor-signs-tough-new-vaccination-law-2015 063 0-story.... 7/2/2015 alifornia Gov. Jerry Brown signs new vaccination law, one of nation's tougnest- i Imes 1 agc 3 The Disneyland measles outbreak—the worst in California in 24 years—was a catalyst for further legislative action. Public health officials warn that California remains at high risk of another outbreak because immunization levels in some communities remain so low. Dr. Gil Chavez,the state epidemiologist, said in April that immunization • rates in some schools are at 50%or lower, creating an ideal environment for the virus to spread. Last fall, 13,592 kindergarten students — 2.54%of California's kindergartners—had personal-belief exemptions on file.That is a sharp increase from 1998,when 4,032 kindergartners, or 0.77%, had them. The new vaccination law goes into effect a year from now. On July 1, 2016, newly enrolled children in day care and school will need to be immunized absent medical waivers. Children who have a personal-belief exemption on file before Jan. 1, 2016 will have more time to comply with the law. Such children who are in nursery school or preschool must comply to enroll in kindergarten; those in elementary school must do so by 7th grade.Those already in junior high and high school will remain exempt. Leah Russin, a Palo Alto mother who worked with Vaccinate California, an advocacy group in favor of the legislation, said the new law helps assuage fears that many communicable diseases could afflict her 22-month- old son, Leo. "There are a lot of things to worry about when you have a little kid,"Russin said, "but I no longer have to worry that he's going to get measles at school." Twitter: @philwillon Twitter: @melmason Times staff writers Rong-Gong Lin II,Eryn Brown and Emily Foxhall contributed to this report. ALSO: Look up your California kindergarten's vaccination rate Look up vaccination rates at California child-care centers Q&A: Could California's proposed vaccine law be unconstitutional? Copyright©2015,Los Angeles Times UPDATES • 9:11 p.m.: This article was updated with additional reporting. p://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ln-governor-signs-tough-new-vaccination-law-2015063 0-story.... 7/2/2015 Pi? • June 30, 2015 Jerry Brown signs ns California vaccine bill By David Siders,Alexei Koseff and Jeremy B. White Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday signed one of the strictest schoolchild vaccination laws in the country, eliminating personal and religious belief exemptions for vaccines. The governor's signature came one day after the state Senate moved the bill to his desk, following months of protests and fierce debate at the Capitol. "The science is clear that vaccines dramatically protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases," Brown said in a signing statement."While it's true that no medical intervention is without risk,the evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community." The bill will make California the third state in the nation to require vaccines without religious and personal belief exemptions. Opponents of the measure said it unfairly restricts parent choice. They immediately vowed to challenge the law in court and potentially through a referendum at the ballot box, arguing it will deprive unvaccinated children of their constitutional right to an education. "We need to wait until someone actually gets thrown out of school until we can challenge it,"which would not occur until after the bill takes effect in 2016,said Christina Hildebrand,founder of the group A Voice For Choice. "But we will likely have a referendum on it." Proponents of the legislation, spurred by a measles outbreak at Disneyland, said unvaccinated children put kids who are too young or sick to be vaccinated at risk. "Parents do not need to worry, do not want to worry, about taking their children to the school,or to stores,to theme parks,"said bill author Richard Pan, a Democratic state senator from Sacramento. Of the possibility of a legal challenge, he said, "The courts have been very clear that you don't have a right to • spread a communicable disease,that there's a public interest in keeping our communities safe from disease." The bill allows any schoolchild with an exemption on file to remain unvaccinated until he or she starts kindergarten or, if already in elementary school, seventh grade. • place_quote'I Thousands of California parents protested the measure, Senate Bill 277, in recent months, including at a vigil outside the Capitol this week. When she heard at the vigil that Brown had signed the bill, Kimberly McCauley of Sacramento sat down on the steps and cried. McCauley carried pictures of her 2-year-old daughter Ella,whom she said she stopped vaccinating after Ella had adverse reactions to three immunizations, and a letter from her pediatrician denying Ella a medical exemption. "My daughter is the sweetest little girl, and every day she asks when she gets to go to school,"McCauley said, choking back more tears. "She doesn't deserve to be discriminated against." McCauley said Pan was"facilitating hate"against those who choose not to vaccinate their children, and she accused Brown of refusing to meet with opponents. "He signed this quick and dirty because he wants us to go away. We're not going away,"she said. "We're going to sue. I personally will take this all the way to the Supreme Court." • Despite passionate opposition to the bill, a poll by the Public Policy Institute of California this month found support for mandatory vaccines from 67 percent of California adults and 65 percent of public school parents. Brown's signature was expected. His office said earlier this year that Brown considered vaccinations "profoundly important,"and a senior adviser,though saying she was speaking on her own behalf,testified in favor of the measure. Three years ago, however, in a relatively mild precursor to this year's school vaccination bill, Brown made a special exemption for religious beliefs when he signed legislation requiring parents to consult a health professional before declining vaccinations for their schoolchildren. In his signing statement Tuesday, the Democratic governor noted that the bill exempts children whose family medical histories lead a physician to recommend against immunization. But unlike in 2012,the former Jesuit seminarian said nothing about religion. David Siders: 916-321-1215, :J davidsiders Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol- alert/article25834726.html#storylink=cpy 410 fornia Mandates Vaccines for Schoolchildren - The New York Times rage i or 2 T7;7: • e 'c of ork u http://nyti.ms/1C5Q0us U.S. California Mandates Vaccines for Schoolchildren By ADAM NAGOURNEY JUNE 3o, 2015 LOS ANGELES — California on Tuesday became the largest state in the country to require schoolchildren to receive vaccinations unless there are medical reasons not to do so, as Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that ended exemptions for personal or religious reasons. Mr. Brown, a Democrat, signed the bill after it was passed by significant margins in the State Legislature. The new law was the subject of a long and heated debate in reaction to a strong movement among some parents who refuse to vaccinate their children against infectious diseases like measles. "The science is clear that vaccines dramatically protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases," Mr. Brown said in a statement. "While it is true that no medical intervention is without risk, the evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community." Two other states, West Virginia and Mississippi, have similar vaccination requirements. Despite overwhelming evidence that vaccines are an essential public health measure, the number of unvaccinated children in California has been rising, partly because personal and religious exemptions have been easy to obtain. . Doctors say that parents who decline vaccines for their children, taking heart from the fact that most other children are immunized and unlikely to spread diseases http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/01/us/california-mandates-vaccines-for-schoolchildren.html?_r=0 7/2/2015 California Mandates Vaccines for Schoolchildren - 1 he New Y orx 1 imes rage L UI L like measles, have helped create pockets of dangerously low immunity levels in particular schools and communities. • An outbreak of measles in California this year, which began at Disneyland, was attributed in part to the disease's being spread by children who had not been vaccinated. Under the new law, families with a nonmedical reason for declining vaccines will . have to home-school their children. Unvaccinated children who are currently in school will be allowed to remain, although they will be expected to show proof of vaccination when they enter kindergarten and seventh grade. A version of this article appears in print on July 1, 2015, on page A19 of the New York edition with the headline. California Mandates Vaccinations in Its Schools. ©2015 The New York Times Company • • http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/01/us/california-mandates-vaccines-for-schoolchildren.html?_r=0 7/2/2015 • Board of Health IV Old Business Item 3 WIC Newsletter • „..)4013011 aunty Public Health • July 16, 2015 Will WIC foods changes starting in July! Did you know that these are now WIC approved foods: Potatoes, whole wheat pasta, organic whole grains Specific brands of pasta & tortillas New food guides will be available. Ask for details! �`�I'EMO The SmileMobile is Connect with other mothers ormoft.., 46 coming to town ! I I*,•. The SmileMobile is a full service FREE di -' y mobile clinic providing dental event sofsm,%e care to children under 19 with limited family income. °& ° . f Protect your Child 's Smile Schedule a Dental Exam Now Join us for the Breastfeeding Tea The SmileMobile is coming to : Chimacum Tri-Area Community Center July 27 - 31 , 2015 A FREE event located at Public Health Every • Call 1 -888-286-9105 to schedule an appointment Seeingpregnant and Wednesday at 11 .00 a.m. p g postpartum women! If your child has Apple Health please have the ID number available. Visit with other mothers • Relax & have some tea The SmileMobile: • All breastfeeding and • provides dental care to children (birth through high school) with pregnant women, children, limited family income and also, pregnant and postpartum women. and babies welcome! • accepts Apple Health Questions? Call 385-9400 • provides sliding fee scale based on family income 1 c • is operated by WDSF in partnership with Seattle Children's Hospital I nI 6--';et %,=,r ,, Il Public Heat APA lAmericon with Disabilities A ti accommodation will be orovidrd noon request. Please roll 385-9400 for assiymnre.No nonan because of rote,rotor national origin r "'n oclvltlesrand condo.,of Jefferson Co.Public tech; , Have an idea about how to improve WIC? WA WIC wants your opinion! Email: WICStatePlan@doh.wa.gov Or call: 1-800-841-1410& press 0 Or write to: WA WIC Director P.O. Box 47886 Olympia, WA 98504-7886 Hours of WIC Clinic: Port Townsend Office:615 Sheridan St,Monday&Thursday 9:00 a.m. - 12 and 12:30-4:30 p.m. Chimacum Clinic Hours:By appointment,held the 1st&3rd Tuesday of each month,9:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. Quilcene Clinic Hours:Walk-ins accepted every Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. -2:00 p.m. Call the WIC office at 385-9432 for more information and to schedule your appointment. s Y HeaIthy/)1AENINGS '4 ilk Jefferson Co ° ty Public Health WIC 4 615 Sheridan St. Port"ttownsend, WA 98368 July 2015 Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week = Empowering Woman Jefferson Co. Public Health celebrates the annual the Exercise a n d global event with a picnic Nutrition Class Wednesday, August 5 11:00 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. Expectant moms and Chetzamoka Park in PT postpartum Moms are Bring a lunch and join the fun! encouraged to join this free weekly exercise and Farmer Market Checks nutrition class. Don't miss out on fresh fruits and veggies! Set a reminder on your phone to use your Farmers When: Wednesdays 3:30-5 Market checks. Where: Community United Checks expire: October 31 , 2015 Methodist Church 130 Church Lane Tokens from Farmers Market will match Port Hadlock the $ 20 WIC Checks. This is made possi- Cost: Free ble through donations from United Good Neighbor and Jefferson Healthcare! Childcare for children over 1 . Jefferson Call 385-5811 to register and more details. Healthcare July- It's Peaches and Cherries! On Apple Health& not receiving WIC benefits? Grill peaches or nectarines to bring out their natural summer sweetness. Just cut in half and place them on the grill. ,moo ial;Health Add pitted,halved cherries to your next green salad! Pair with a creamy yo- gurt and buttermilk dressing. Contact us YOU QUALIFY FOR WIC • Contact Jefferson County Public Health at 360-385-9400 for more information 6\'\o,t 7/2/2015 Public HealTh • Board of Health IV Old Business Item 4 Board's Official Business • Jason Public Hea It John Austin Appointed July 16, 2015 • • &wd/kOffic„..a, Highlights from Monday's Commissioner Meeting July 7,2015 0 � f li y� k. �. ' - _ « r . acmes R a .S » — �.. - ice. .�.qw..- .. ..S'+. Port Towwsewd, WA k' PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD:The following is a summary of Amendment No.2 re:Washington State Aggression comments made by citizens in attendance at the meeting and Replacement Training(WSART)Consultation for County reflect their personal opinions: Juvenile Services;Washington State Department of Social& • 2 citizens voiced their concerns regarding the recent logging in Health Services,Juvenile Justice&Rehabilitation Port Ludlow; Administration;and 10)Online Payment Vendor;Jefferson • A citizen stated: 1)There were massive fireworks displays on County Clerk;nCOURT the 4th of July;2) He is upset over quotes posted in the Advisory Board Appointment re:Jefferson County Board of ill newspaper made by Department of Community Development Health;Three(3)Year Term Expiring May 31,2018;At Large (DCD)staff regarding the Navy and Pit-To-Pier;and 3)Citizens Community Representative,John Austin and the County deserve an open and fair appraisal of massive Payment of Jefferson County Vouchers/Warrants Dated June projects such as the Pit-To-Pier project. 22,2015 Totaling$340,680.75 and Dated June 25,2015 • A citizen stated: 1)The Board of County Commissioners(BOCC) Totaling$5,508.70 should ban wood shake roofs and take other steps to make Payment of Jefferson County Payroll Warrants Dated June 19, houses fire resistant. 2015 Totaling$72,932.33 CONSENT AGENDA:The Board unanimously approved the items COMMISSIONERS BRIEFING SESSION: The Commissioners on the consent agenda as presented: reported on their meeting schedules. RESOLUTION NO.24-15 re: HEARING NOTICE:2015 Second EXECUTIVE SESSION:The Board held an Executive Session to Quarter Budget Appropriations/Extensions;Various County discuss potential litigation.The Board approved granting Departments; Hearing scheduled for Monday,July 20,2015 at authority to Prosecutor Michael Haas to appoint Patrick 10:00 a.m.in the Commissioners Chambers Schneider as a Special Deputy Prosecuting Attorney to give the 10 AGREEMENTS: 1)AGREEMENT NO. 15-62210-007 re: Board opinion re: Port Ludlow Associates(PLA)timber harvest. 2015/16 Community Development Block Grant(CDBG)Public COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BRIEFING SESSION TOPICS: Services Grant for Olympic Community Action Programs The Board discussed the following topics:Calendar (OIyCAP);Washington State Department of Commerce; Coordination,Miscellaneous,and Future Agenda items. 2)Monitoring Services for the Jefferson County Jail Fire Alarm Replacement Project;Guardian Security;3) Paradise Bay Road, Phase II,County Project No.CR1873;Lakeside Industries,Inc.; ;' 4)AGREEMENT NO.C1500177 re:Well Inspection Delegation; Washington State Department of Ecology;5)AGREEMENT, rt :t .F Amendment No. 1 re:Community Access Services to Persons tt; � with Developmental Disabilities; Concerned Citizens;6)Youth -,' �,-` I":-. Mental Health First Aid(YMHFA)Training;Washington State --- Department of Social&Health Services,Division of Behavioral ' • Health and Recovery;7)AGREEMENT,Amendment No. 1 re: r 1; Individualized Technical Assistance;Able Opportunities; 8)Conduct an Underwater Video-graphic Eelgrass Survey for the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee;WSU Jefferson County Cooperative Extension;9)AGREEMENT, Board of Health V New Business Item 1 Public Hearing: Adoption of a Civil Infraction Ordinance 7:1• All , ellason Public Hea It July 16, 2015 410 Ordinance EH Civil Enforcement STATE OF WASHINGTON 4110 Jefferson County Board of Health An Ordinance } Authorizing Environmental } ORDINANCE NO. Health Civil Enforcement } WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Board of Health wishes to establish civil penalties for violations of public health laws, regulations and/or ordinances adopted by the Washington State Legislature, Washington State Board of Health, Washington Department of Health or the Jefferson County Board of Health; and, WHEREAS, all conditions which are determined by the Health Officer to be in violation of any public health law, regulation and/or ordinance shall be subject to the provisions of this ordinance because they are detrimental to the public's health, safety and welfare; WHEREAS, all violations of public health laws, regulations and/or ordinances are detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare and are hereby declared to be public nuisances pursuant to Ch. 7.48 RCW; WHEREAS, a civil infraction process, established pursuant to Ch. 7.80 RCW, can protect the public from the harmful effects of violations, will aid in enforcement, and will help reimburse the County for expenses of enforcement; • WHEREAS, enactment of this Ordinance promotes the health, welfare and safety of the citizens of Jefferson County; and WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Board of Health enact this Ordinance pursuant to the authority granted them by various state statutes, including, but not limited to, those codified at Ch. 7.48 RCW, Ch. 7.80 RCW and Ch. 70.95 RCW. WHEREAS, the Board of Health chooses to revive this Ordinance, which was originally adopted as Board of Health Ordinance#08-0919-02, an Ordinance which was mistakenly repealed in its entirety by Board of Health Ordinance#09-1020-05. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Jefferson County Board of Health as follows: Section I. Purpose: It is the express purpose of this ordinance to provide for and promote the health of the general public and not to create or otherwise establish or designate a particular class or group of people who will or should be especially protected by the terms of this ordinance. It is the specific purpose of this ordinance to place the obligation of complying with its requirements upon persons, businesses or companies required to meet provisions of the health regulations. Enactment of this Ordinance and its terms and provisions does not impose any duty upon the Jefferson County Public Health Department or any of its officers or employees unless a Ordinance EH Civil Enforcement The owner or Lessor of any real property shall be and is jointly and severally liable with any tenant, occupier or user of real property for any violation alleged against that property or alleged to have occurred on the owner's property. The legality or illegality of the use or occupancy of the land by a person or entity shall not be a defense available to the owner of said property if it is alleged a violation of this Ordinance occurred on that property. A first violation shall be a Class 3 civil infraction as established in Chapter 7.80 RCW. A second violation shall be a class 2 civil infraction as established in Chapter 7.80 RCW. A third violation shall be a class 1 civil infraction as established in Chapter 7.80 RCW. Section VI. Processing and Adjudicating Civil Infractions: Such violations shall be adjudicated and any related fines determined in accordance with the procedures established in Chapter 7.80 RCW, the Jefferson County District Court rules for Infractions and the Washington State Rules for Courts of Limited Jurisdiction, which shall have precedence over the terms and obligations of this Ordinance if this Ordinance conflicts with state statutes or court rules. Upon a determination that the County has met its burden of proof regarding any contested violation alleged against a person or entity pursuant to this Ordinance, the County may seek to obtain attorney's fees against the violating party or entity pursuant to RCW 7.80.140. Utilization of the procedures and penalties laid out in this Ordinance and the underlying state statutes shall not prohibit this County from utilizing any other lawful means or seeking any other • lawful remedies against the person or entity that has allegedly violated the terms of this Ordinance. Nothing in this Ordinance shall prevent the Judge hearing these civil infraction matters from reducing or mitigating the monetary fines that would otherwise be imposed. Section VII. Enforcement Officers The Board of Health, or its designated Health Officer, may authorize one or more persons to serve as an "enforcement officer," duly authorized to enforce this Ordinance. Section VIII. Severability Should any section, paragraph,phrase, sentence or clause of this ordinance be declared invalid or unconstitutional for any reason, the remainder of this ordinance shall not be affected. Section IX. Effective Date The effective date of this ordinance shall be the date of its adoption. • Board of Health V New Business Item 2 Proposed Food Safety Program Fee Revisions, Part One • )e9son $ Public Health • July 16, 2015 2015 Food Safety Activity and Fee Review • Introduction The last time Food Safety program activities and fees were reviewed was in 2011. At that time, 15 fee categories were added to better capture facility types. Also in that year, we made substantial operational changes in the food program in order to implement these additions. Given the time since the last activity review and the programmatic changes that have occurred since the last review, it is time to reexamine program activities and their resultant fees. Data on this review will be presented over the next two meetings with recommendations for action following at the subsequent meeting. Data for this activity review were gathered and analyzed in 3 ways: 1. Staff tracked their travel time associated with facility inspections as well as their inspection time for the period 1/5/11 to 7/5/15. 2. Staff tracked there daily activities for food service establishments from 1/5/15 to 7/5/15. 3. Beginning in January of 2015, staff tracked activities for all new food establishments for the 'life' of the case, from receipt to final sign-off. Today's Takeaways • • 22 food permit types exist • Low risk (or Limited) establishments are inspected at least once per year • High risk (or Complex) establishments are inspected at least twice per year • Inspection activity on 305 establishments were analyzed • 2697 work activities were tracked for time (1671 Inspections, Travel for 1026 Inspections) • 30 new food establishments permits tracked from beginning to end Mean time spent per inspection Approx. 35 minutes(expenditure in today's dollars of$50.17) Range of Minutes spent per inspection 15—110(min -$21.50; max-$157.67) Mean time spent per inspection type Pre-Opening (47 minutes; $67.37) Routine (34 minutes; $48.73) Reinspections (32 minutes; $45.87) Mean time spent traveling per inspection Approx. 17 minutes (expenditure in today's dollars of$24.73) Range of Minutes spent per permit 5—420 min (min -$7.17; max-$602.00) Mean time spent for new establishments Approx. 243 minutes ($348.30) • Range of minutes spent for new establishments 215—290 min (min $308.17; max $415.67) *Expenditures are estimated at the current hourly rate-$86.00 Board of Health V New Business Item 3 Solid Waste Code Enforcement State Budget Cuts and Local Impacts (;) rt Public Healtt July 16, 2015 0 Board of Health V New Business Item 4 Kitsap-Jefferson-Clallam Behavioral Health Organization Update • A ,17:7 ffelson �4,; Public Hea It • July 16, 2015 Board of Health V New Business Item 5 Chimicum Prevention Coalition Strategic Plan Update 4d• 1iitf ort Public Healtn July 16, 2015 • CHIMACUM PREVENTION COALITION Mission : Uniting kids, families and agencies in support of healthy youth in Chimacum. BOARD OF HEALTH, THURSDAY, JULY 16, 2015 2015 STRATEGIC PLAN REVISION In 2015 the Chimacum Prevention Coalition (CPC) has updated its 2014 Strategic Plan. This process started with a review of the current 2014 Healthy Youth Survey, the Chimacum Community Survey, the Chimacum Resource Assessment and other relevant data in order for the Coalition to reassess the risk and protective factors, re-examine the gaps in services for youth and families and make appropriate adjustments to the programs and services the Coalition will sponsor in the 2015—2016 school year. The result of this process are outlined and explained below. Revisions to the Strategic Plan: Prioritized Risk Factors - In light of the new data, CPC Members decided to maintain the prioritized risk factors in the 2014 Strategic Plan for the 2015—2016 school year. They are: RISK FACTORS DOMAIN 1. Community Connectedness Community 2. Alcohol Availability Community 3. Favorable Attitudes/Low Perception of Harm Peer/Individual 4. Early Initiation of Drug Use Peer/Individual 5. Family Management Problems Family Direct Service - Because Coalition Members have decided to maintain its prioritized risk and protective factors, and the conclusions from the current Resource Assessment/ Gap Analysis • are the same, the Coalition will continue to sponsor the evidence-based Strengthening Families Program as a direct service program. The Coalition will explore new ways to inform parents in the Chimacum School District area about this program in order to increase family participation. Public Awareness Campaign - The Public Awareness campaign events in the 2014-2015 school year have been very informative and well attended. The Coalition decided to continue with 3-4 presentations in the 2015-2016 school year on topics related to underage alcohol/drug use and the impacts on youth, families and the community. The Coalition will explore new ways to advertise the events in order to increase the number of community members participating in the events. Environmental Strategy— In the 2014—2015 school year the Coalition's Environmental Strategy was the Community Assessment of Neighborhood Stores (CANS) program. It was conducted by Chimacum High School students, staff and Coalition Members. Considering the increase in local youth marijuana use and in access to and use of vaping devices, the Coalition has decided its Environmental Strategy for the 2015-2016 school year will be to review school policies with the schools in terms of cigarette use, vaping devices, and alcohol, marijuana and other drug policies. To view the complete Chimacum Prevention Coalition Strategic Plan Revision, go to www.ieffersoncountypublichealth.org/index.php?c-p-c and click on Chimacum Prevention Coalition Strategic Plan Jefferson County Public Health • http://www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/index.php?c-p-c Kelly Matlock, Coalition Staff Julia Danskin, Coalition Staff 360-379-4476 360-385-9420 kmatlock@co.jefferson.wa.us jdanksin(�co.jefferson.wa.us Board of Health V New Business Item 6 Public Health Policy Issues and Consumer Use of Fireworks • efteZson Public Hea It • July 16, 2015 Preventing Injuries by Banning Consumer Use of Fireworks Page 1 of 2 • AMERICAN PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION For science,For action.For health, APHA > Policy Statements and Advocacy > Policy Statements > Policy Statement Database > Preventing Injuries by Banning Consumer Use of Fireworks Preventing Injuries by Banning Consumer Use of Fireworks Date: Nov 012011 Policy Number: 201118 Key Words: Fireworks-Related Injuries,Safety and Prevention Consumer fireworks cause serious but preventable injuries to both users and bystanders.In 2008,fireworks devices were involved in an estimated 7000 injuries treated in US hospital emergency rooms,with an estimated 5000(70%)of these occurring during the 1-month period surrounding the Fourth of July(June 20-July 201.1111t is important to note that injury data are probably underestimated,as they include only those who reported to the emergency room whereas some may report to their local health care providers. Children and young adults are disproportionately affected by fireworks-related injuries.In 2008,more than 4 of every 10 people injured were children aged younger than 15 years.Further,25%of the estimated sparkler- related injuries were to children aged 4 and younger and 50%were to children younger than 15111 Multiple types of injuries result from the use of fireworks.Of those reported in 2008,more than half were burns to the skin.111 Eyes were the second most commonly injured part of the body,with an estimated 1000 fireworks- related eye injuries treated in the same 1-month period surrounding July 4111 One study of 53 serious ocular fireworks injuries revealed that surgical intervention was required in 56.6%of the cases,with permanent residual vision loss occurring in over 92%(all but 4)of the cases.l21 • Injuries result from a wide variety of fireworks.Again,in 2008,firecrackers accounted for 900 injuries,sparklers for 800,and bottle rockets,roman candles,and"novelty"fireworks for 300 each 111 Firecrackers and sparklers caused the greatest number of injuries in children aged 14 and younger.111 Fireworks not only result in personal injuries,but also lead to property damage.An estimated 22)500 reported fires were started by fireworks in 2008,resulting in$42 million in direct property damage.11] The economic impact of fireworks injuries is also significant.One independent epidemiological study found that direct costs for medical care associated with children's fireworks-related injuries over a 22-year period averaged $1385 per patient,ranging from$44 to$15(071.131 Currently,only 5 states(Delaware,Massachusetts,New Jersey,New York,and Rhode Island)ban the use of all fireworks for private use;6 states allow only sparklers and novelties,and 39 states and the District of Columbia allow consumer fireworks as approved by an enforcing authority or as specified by law.141 While state laws clearly vary across the country,there are currently a number of public health efforts to address the growing concern of injury and damage related to fireworks and sparklers.One study recommends that preventive measures should be strengthened,including public education and legal restriction on the sale and use of fireworks.l51 Further,evidence shows that aggressive awareness campaigns by government and nongovernment organizations can decrease injury due to fireworks.161 The American Academy of Ophthalmology,the American Academy of Pediatrics,the American Optometric Association,the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,and Prevent Blindness America are among a few of the organizations that recommend that fireworks should be left to professional handlers.Further,the American Academy of Pediatrics and Prevent Blindness America strongly support legislation that bans the importation, general sale,and indiscriminate use of fireworks for private use.'4 7-101 The American Public Health Association therefore- 1. Recommends that federal,state,and local governments ban the importation,interstate transportation,sale, and use of all fireworks except by licensed operators; http://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database... 7/9/2015 '' Preventing Injuries by Banning Consumer Use of Fireworks Page 2 of 2 2. Urges that where such bans are not in place,government authorities should implement regulations limiting the access and use of fireworks; 3. Urges health care practitioners and local authorities to consistently and accurately report any fireworks- related injuries,property damage,and deaths to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission; 4. Encourages all organizations and agencies concerned with the safety of the American public to intensify community and school-based educational efforts to inform adults and children of the hazards associated with the use of all types of fireworks;and 5. Recommends that state and federal agencies should support surveillance efforts and other research aimed at the direct and indirect costs of fireworks-related injury and the identification of factors contributing to the recent decrease in the number of fireworks-related injuries so as to improve future education and prevention efforts. References 1. US Consumer Product Safety Commission.2008 Fireworks Annual Report:Fireworks-Related Deaths, Emergency Department-Treated Injuries,and Enforcement Activities During 2008,Bethesda,MD:US Consumer Product Safety Commission;June 2009. 2. Camesaca FI,et al.Ocular Fireworks Injuries:Tissue Damage,Surgical Therapy And Visual Outcome in 53 Cases.Birmingham,AL:US Eye Registry;1989. 3. Smith GA,Knapp JF,Barnett TM,Shields BJ.The rockets'red glare,the bombs bursting in air:fireworks- related injuries to children.Pediatrics.1996;98(1):1-9. 4. Prevent Blindness America.Fireworks position statement.Available at: http://www.preventblindness.org/advocacy/fireworks.html.Accessed May 21,2011. 5. Jing Y,Yi-qiao X,Nan-Hing Y,Ming A,An-huai Y,Lian-hong Z.Clinical analysis of firework-related ocular 41111 injuries during Spring Festival 2009.Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol.2010;248(3):333-338. 6. Puri V,Mahendru 5,Rana R,Deshpande M.Fireworks injuries:a ten-year study.J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2009;62(90103-1111. 7. American Academy of Ophthalmology.Leave fireworks to professionals this Fourth of July[press release]. Available at:http://www.aao.org/newsroom/release/20090629.cfm.Accessed May 21,2011. 8. American Academy of Pediatrics.Fireworks-related injuries to children.Pediatrics,2001;108(1):190-191. 9. American Optometric Association.Protect your eyes and attend professional fireworks displays[press release].Available at:http://www.aoa.org/x8331.xml.Accessed May 21,2011. 10. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Fireworks-related injuries.Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Fireworks/index.html.Accessed May 21,2011. Back to Top 2015©American Public Health Association http://www.apha.org/policies-and-advocacy/public-health-policy-statements/policy-database... 7/9/2015 • Media Review 41 69elf, Public He 1 . Jefferson County Public Health • June/July 2015 NEWS ARTICLES 1. "Sequim Bay beaches closed to shellfish harvesting by biotoxins," Peninsula Daily News, June 16th, 2015. 2. "Toxic algae bloom might be largest ever," Seattle Times, June 16th, 2015. 3. "Some Hood Canal beaches closed to shellfish harvesting due to biotoxins," Peninsula Daily News, June 18th, 2015. 4. "Task force recommends Jefferson Healthcare hospital offer abortions," Peninsula Daily News, June 18th, 2015. 5. "Hood Canal Shellfish beaches closed due to marine biotoxins," Port Townsend Leader, June 17th, 2015. 6. "Jefferson Healthcare to offer more reproductive services, abortions in 2016," Port Townsend Leader, June 17th, 2015. 7. "Brinnon's Hempapalooza to celebrate,explore `cannabis culture', Peninsula Daily News, June 19th, 2015. 8. "Service disruptions loom on Peninsula as state budget talks continue," Peninsula Daily News, June 21st, 2015. 9. "Beware out there: Ticks, bats can carry diseases," Peninsula Daily News, June 22nd 2015. • 10. "Jefferson Healthcare could offer some abortion services in 2016," Port Townsend Leader, June 24th, 2015. 11. "Researchers study plumes of algae in Sequim, Discovery bays; biotoxins stand below hazard levels," Peninsula Daily News, June 26th, 2015. 12. "Tamanowas Rock rolls to state historic register," Port Townsend Leader, July 1st, 2015. 13. "Obamacare: It's helping Jefferson County, Jefferson Healthcare," Port Townsend Leader, July 1st, 2015. 14. "PT Paper `extremely worried' about water," Port Townsend Leader, July 1st, 2015. 15. "Officials team up, talk about mental health," Port Townsend Leader, July 1st, 2015. 16. "BIOTOXINS AT LARGE — Shellfish harvest closures in Hood Canal continue," Port Townsend Leader, July 1St, 2015. 17. "Tamanowas Rock in Chimacum, used by native people `since time immemorial,' placed on Washington State Register of Historic Places," Peninsula Daily News, July 2nd, 2015. 18. "Clallam County woman's death by measles is first in nation in 12 years and first in state since 1990," Peninsula Daily News, July 4th, 2015. 19. "Marine algae responsible for domoic acid washes into Strait of Juan de Fuca, but biotoxin absent," Peninsula Daily News, July 5th, 2015. 20. "Has Navy gone too far in expansion plans across western Washington, including attempts to restrict development on Hood canal?", Peninsula Daily News, July 5th, 2015. 21. "SmileMobile offers affordable dental services July 27-31," Port Townsend Leader, my 8th, 2015. • • 1 . Jefferson County Public Health June/July 2015 NEWS ARTICLES 1. "Sequim Bay beaches closed to shellfish harvesting by biotoxins," Peninsula Daily News, June 16th, 2015. 2. "Toxic algae bloom might be largest ever," Seattle Times, June 16th, 2015. 3. "Some Hood Canal beaches closed to shellfish harvesting due to biotoxins," Peninsula Daily News, June 18th, 2015. 4. "Task force recommends Jefferson Healthcare hospital offer abortions," Peninsula Daily News, June 18th, 2015. 5. "Hood Canal Shellfish beaches closed due to marine biotoxins," Port Townsend Leader, June 17th, 2015. 6. "Jefferson Healthcare to offer more reproductive services, abortions in 2016," Port Townsend Leader, June 17th, 2015. 7. "Brinnon's Hempapalooza to celebrate, explore `cannabis culture", Peninsula Daily News, June 19th, 2015. 8. "Service disruptions loom on Peninsula as state budget talks continue," Peninsula Daily News, June 21st, 2015. 9. "Beware out there: Ticks, bats can carry diseases," Peninsula Daily News, June 22nd, 2015. • 10. "Jefferson Healthcare could offer some abortion services in 2016," Port Townsend Leader, June 24th, 2015. 11. "Researchers study plumes of algae in Sequim, Discovery bays; biotoxins stand below hazard levels," Peninsula Daily News, June 26th, 2015. 12. "Tamanowas Rock rolls to state historic register," Port Townsend Leader, July 1st, 2015. 13. "Obamacare: It's helping Jefferson County, Jefferson Healthcare," Port Townsend Leader, July 1st, 2015. 14. "PT Paper `extremely worried' about water," Port Townsend Leader, July 1st, 2015. 15. "Officials team up, talk about mental health," Port Townsend Leader, July 1st, 2015. 16. "BIOTOXINS AT LARGE —Shellfish harvest closures in Hood Canal continue," Port Townsend Leader, July 1st, 2015. 17. "Tamanowas Rock in Chimacum, used by native people `since time immemorial,' placed on Washington State Register of Historic Places," Peninsula Daily News, July 2nd, 2015. 18. "Clallam County woman's death by measles is first in nation in 12 years and first in state since 1990," Peninsula Daily News, July 4th, 2015. 19. "Marine algae responsible for domoic acid washes into Strait of Juan de Fuca, but biotoxin absent," Peninsula Daily News, July 5th, 2015. 20. "Has Navy gone too far in expansion plans across western Washington, including attempts to restrict development on Hood canal?", Peninsula Daily News, July 5th, 2015. 21. "SmileMobile offers affordable dental services July 27-31," Port Townsend Leader, my 8th, 2015. Sequim Bay beaches closed to shellfish harvesting by biotoxins • Peninsula Daily News,June 16th,2015 4 4�0 rm TOXIC C LF p YDO NOT EAT cterres,oyster mussels,orscolPops„ Us�l; 114.MR SEQUIM — Sequim Bay-area beaches have been closed to recreational shellfish harvesting due to elevated levels of marine biotoxins. Recent shellfish samples from the area showed an increase in biotoxins, prompting the state Department of Health closure, according to a news release Monday from Clallam County • Department of Health and Human Services, Environmental Health Division. Shellfish harvested commercially are tested for toxins prior to distribution and should be safe to eat. In Clallam County, all other beaches on the Strait of Juan de Fuca remain open to shellfish harvesting of all species. All Pacific coast beaches are closed for the season. Discovery Bay beaches in Clallam and Jefferson counties are closed to harvesting. Previously announced closures to all species in Jefferson County— including Quilcene Bay and the area south of Dabob Bay to the Mason County line — remain in effect because of biotoxin levels. Port Ludlow and Mats Mats Bay beaches remain closed to all species. This closure zone extends east around Tala Point but does not include the Tala Shore beach. Also in Jefferson, Kilisut Harbor, including Mystery Bay, remains closed to butter and varnish clam harvesting. • At Dabob Bay, a vibrio bacteria warning is in place, and all shellfish harvested from the bay area should be cooked prior to consumption. • Toxic algae bloom might be largest ever Originally published June 15, 2015 at 9:05 pm Updated June 16, 2015 at 9:35 am MINT, II Ill l i ARC F J Y'Oda' �j' IGI b^M_ itv&'�° (14'111"14 g�I II l�ny, ii1111 t 44111• A close up of the diatom that produces the marine toxin domoic acid. (NOAA) By Sandi Doughton Seattle Times science reporter A team of federal biologists set out from Oregon Monday to survey what could be the largest toxic algae bloom ever recorded off the West Coast. The effects stretch from Central California to British Columbia, and possibly as far north as Alaska. Dangerous levels of the natural toxin domoic acid have shut down recreational and commercial shellfish harvests in Washington, Oregon and California this spring, including the lucrative • Dungeness crab fishery off Washington's southern coast and the state's popular razor-clam season. At the same time, two other types of toxins rarely seen in combination are turning up in shellfish in Puget Sound and along the Washington coast, said Vera Trainer, manager of the Marine Microbes and Toxins Programs at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. Marine biotoxins Marine biotoxins are produced by microscopic algae. Unlike the bacteria or viruses that can also contaminate shellfish, biotoxins are not destroyed by cooking or freezing. Also, harmful algal blooms usually don't color the water. The three biotoxins of concern in Washington are: • Paralytic shellfish poisoning. Symptoms include tingling in lips, arms and legs, followed by trouble breathing and paralysis. Can be fatal. • Domoic acid poisoning, also called amnesic shellfish poisoning. Caused by Pseudo- nitzschia diatoms, symptoms include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and stomach cramps, which can progress to dizziness, confusion and memory loss. Can be fatal. • Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning, caused by the biotoxin okadaic acid. Symptoms are usually short-lived and include vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. • Source: Washington State Department of Health "The fact that we're seeing multiple toxins at the same time, we're seeing high levels of domoic • acid, and we're seeing a coastwide bloom —those are indications that this is unprecedented," Trainer said. Scientists suspect this year's unseasonably high temperatures are playing a role, along with "the blob" — a vast pool of unusually warm water that blossomed in the northeastern Pacific late last year. The blob has morphed since then, but offshore waters are still about two degrees warmer than normal, said University of Washington climate scientist Nick Bond, who coined the blob nickname. "This is perfect plankton-growing weather," said Dan Ayres, coastal shellfish manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Domoic-acid outbreaks aren't unusual in the fall, particularly in razor clams, Ayres said. But the toxin has never hit so hard in the spring, or required such widespread closures for crabs. "This is new territory for us," Ayres said. "We've never had to close essentially half our coast." Heat is not the only factor spurring the proliferation of the marine algae that produce the toxins, Trainer said. They also need a rich supply of nutrients, along with the right currents to carry them close to shore. Scientists onboard the NOAA research vessel Bell M. Shimada will collect water and algae samples, measure water temperatures and also test fish like sardines and anchovies that feed on plankton. The algae studies are being integrated with the ship's prime mission, which is to assess West Coast sardine and hake populations. • The ship will sample from the Mexican border to Vancouver Island in four separate legs. "By collecting data over the full West Coast with one ship, we will have a much better idea of where the bloom is, what is causing it, and why this year," University of California, Santa Cruz ocean scientist Raphael Kudela said in an email. He and his colleagues found domoic-acid concentrations in California anchovies this year as high as any ever measured. "We haven't seen a bloom that is this toxic in 15 years," he wrote. "This is possibly the largest event spatially that we've ever recorded." On Washington's Long Beach Peninsula, Ayres recently spotted a sea lion wracked by seizures typical of domoic-acid poisoning. The animal arched its neck repeatedly, then collapsed into a fetal position and quivered. "Clearly something neurological was going on," he said. Wildlife officials euthanized the creature and collected fecal samples that confirmed it had eaten prey— probably small fish —that in turn had fed on the toxic algae. Ayres' crews collect water and shellfish samples from around the state, many of which are analyzed at the Washington Department of Health laboratory in Seattle. DOH also tests commercially harvested shellfish, so consumers can be confident that anything they buy in a market is safe to eat, said Jerry Borchert, the state's marine biotoxin coordinator. But for recreational shellfish fans, the situation has been fraught this year even inside Puget Sound. "It all really started early this year," Borchert said. • Domoic-acid contamination is rare in Puget Sound, but several beds have been closed this year because of the presence of the toxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) and a relatively new threat called diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP). The first confirmed case of DSP • poisoning in the United States occurred in 2011 in a family that ate mussels from Sequim Bay on the Olympic Peninsula, Borchert said. But 2015 is the first time regulators have detected dangerous levels of PSP, DSP and domoic acid in the state at the same time —and in some cases, in the same places, he said. "This has been a really bad year overall for biotoxins." Over the past decade, Trainer and her colleagues have been working on models to help forecast biotoxin outbreaks in the same way meteorologists forecast long-term weather patterns, like El Nino. They're also trying to figure out whether future climate change is likely to bring more frequent problems. At a recent conference in Sweden on that very question, everyone agreed that "climate change, including warmer temperatures, changes in wind patterns, ocean acidification, and other factors will influence harmful algal blooms," Kudela wrote. "But we also agreed we don't really have the data yet to test those hypotheses." On past research voyages, Trainer and her team discovered offshore hot spots that seem to be the initiation points for outbreaks. There's one in the so-called Juan de Fuca Eddy, where the California current collides with currents flowing from the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Another is Heceta Bank, a shallow, productive fishing ground off the Oregon coast, where nutrient-rich water wells up from the deep. "These hot spots are sort of like crockpots, where the algal cells can grow and get nutrients and just stew," Trainer said. • Scientists have also unraveled the way currents can sweep algae from the crockpots to the shore. "But what we still don't know is why are these hot spots hotter in certain years than others," Trainer said. "Our goal is to try to put this story together once we have data from the cruises." Sandi Doughton: 206-464-2491 or sdoughton©seattletimes.com • • Some Hood Canal beaches closed to shellfish harvesting due to biotoxins Peninsula Daily News, June 18,2015 ,,,11Wr DANGER TOXIC SHELMSH ^t �� OII HOT CATS ysR G PORT TOWNSEND— Hood Canal beaches from the Hood Canal Bridge to Brown's Point on the Toandos Peninsula have been closed to recreational shellfish harvesting. The state Department of Health closed the area after shellfish samples from Squamish Harbor were found to contain elevated levels of marine biotoxins that cause potentially deadly paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), it was announced Wednesday. Discovery Bay-area beaches remain closed because of the threat of PSP, which can cause difficulty breathing and possibly death. A vibrio bacteria warning remains in effect in Dabob Bay, meaning that shellfish harvested from that bay should be cooked before eating. • Closures to all species at Quilcene Bay and the area south of Dabob Bay to the Mason County line remain in effect because of biotoxin levels. Port Ludlow and Mats Mats Bay beaches remain closed to all species. Kilisut Harbor, including Mystery Bay, remains closed to butter and varnish clam harvesting. In Clallam County, all beaches on the Strait of Juan de Fuca remain open to all shellfish harvesting, with the exception of Sequim Bay, which is closed to the harvest of all species. All Pacific coast beaches are closed for the season. Recreational shellfish harvesters should check the Department of Health shellfish safety map at www.doh.wa.gov/ShellfishSafety.htm or phone 800-562-5632 before harvesting. Last modified:June 17.2015 7:34PM • • Task force recommends Jefferson Healthcare hospital offer abortions By Charlie Bermant, Peninsula Daily News, June 18, 2015 lev' A. Facilitator Bertha Cooper, left, presents a report about reproductive services to the Jefferson Healthcare Board on Wednesday.Also pictured is Patient Advocate Jackie Levin and Human Resources Manager Heather Bailey.—Charlie Bermant/Peninsula Daily News PORT TOWNSEND—A task force studying reproductive services offered by Jefferson Healthcare has recommended that the hospital provide abortions along with other reproductive services. Facilitator Bertha Cooper presented the task force's four recommendations to the hospital commissioners Wednesday. The recommendations were to establish programs to provide elective and medical abortions, create a reproductive hotline to handle counseling requests and referrals, and develop a surgical-based miscarriage-management program. • The board did not take any action on the proposal and is expected to do so at either the July 1 or July 15 meeting, according to hospital CEO Mike Glenn. The recommendations of the task force have apparently addressed objections about the services offered by Jefferson Healthcare hospital, according to those critical of the current policy, in which patients are referred elsewhere for abortions. "I'm lucky to live in a community that implemented this process and took our opinions to heart," said Christel Hildebrandt of Port Townsend after the task force's presentation. Added Amanda Funaro: "I was pleased with the way the hospital handled the process and the way they were responsive, helping us to get the answers so we could make educated decisions." Hildebrandt and Funaro served as citizen members of the task force that created the report, and both had previously criticized the hospital's services. If approved, all of the services could be in place by early 2016, Glenn said. Services would be provided through current facilities and would not cost a significant amount of money. "These services will be provided through regular primary care," Glenn said. III "This will bring in another two to three patients a month, and since we see 250 patients a day, it will have little financial impact." • Seven members of the hospital staff served on the committee, including physicians Molly Parker, Rachel Bickling and Chief Medical Officer Joe Mattern. Other staff members are nurses Jane Albee, Jackie Levin, Amber Hudson and Lisa Holt, also the hospital's chief ancillary officer. From outside the hospital, the force recruited Jefferson County Public Health Director Jean Baldwin and nurse practitioner Susan O'Brien. The meetings were private, as it was an administrative task force and not board-appointed. The Seattle office of the ACLU accused the East Jefferson County hospital of being out of compliance with state law in its provision of abortion services in a Feb. 18 letter addressed to the hospital board and Glenn. The letter asked that the hospital change its policies and practices "to fulfill its obligations under the [state] Reproductive Privacy Act." The hospital responded that the low amount of abortions in Jefferson County— 55 in 2013— makes it both economically and medically infeasible, as higher-volume abortion clinics provide more efficient, inexpensive and safe services. Proponents of local abortion services said the lack of services discriminates against low-income • women by forcing them to leave the area to get access. The hospital board approved the task force at its March 24 meeting after meeting with an ACLU representative, who seemed encouraged the hospital was taking such a methodical approach to resolving this issue, Glenn said at the time. About 20 people attended the meeting to hear the report. There was no public comment. Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com. Last modified:June 17.2015 6:57PM • Hood Canal Shellfish beaches closed due to marine biotoxins Port Townsend Leader, Wednesday, June 17, 2015 2:46 pm Shellfish samples from Squamish Harbor have been found to contain elevated levels of marine biotoxins that cause Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning. As a result, the Washington State Department of Health has closed part of Hood Canal for recreational shellfish harvest. The closed area is on the Jefferson County shore from the Hood Canal Bridge to Brown's Point on the Toandos Peninsula. Danger signs are being posted at high-use beaches, warning people not to consume shellfish from this area. The closure includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops and other species of molluscan shellfish. This closure does not apply to shrimp. Crabmeat is not known to contain the biotoxin but the guts can contain unsafe levels. To be safe, clean crab thoroughly and discard the guts (also known as the "butter"). Marine biotoxins are not destroyed by cooking or freezing. People can become ill from eating shellfish contaminated with the naturally occurring marine algae • containing toxins harmful to humans. Symptoms of PSP can appear within minutes or hours and usually begins with tingling lips and tongue, moving to the hands and feet, followed by difficulty breathing, and potentially death. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact a health care provider immediately. For extreme reactions call 911. In most cases the algae that contains the toxins cannot be seen, and must be detected using laboratory testing. Therefore, recreational shellfish harvesters should check the DOH Shellfish Safety Map at doh.wa.gov/ShellfishSafety or call the DOH Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 before harvesting shellfish anywhere in Washington State. Recreational harvesters should also check Fish and Wildlife regulations and seasons at wdfw.wa.qov/fishing/shellfish or call the Shellfish Rule Change Hotline 1-866-880- 5431. • Jefferson Healthcare to offer more reproductive • services, abortions in 2016 Port Townsend Leader, Wednesday, June 17, 2015 5:21 pm Jefferson Healthcare expects to start offering abortion services in 2016. A reproductive task force made several recommendations at a hospital board meeting June 17 for improving and expanding reproductive services, including standardizing services for pregnant women throughout the system, ensuring women who miscarry get help in a clinic setting and providing abortions in early 2016. The hospital currently does not offer abortion services. Although Jefferson Healthcare commissioners did not vote on the recommendations, CEO Mike Glenn said the recommendations were all doable. Glenn also said that because there are so few patients looking for such services the cost would "not be material." Reaction to the recommendations and the seeming willingness of officials to follow through, was positive. • "I'm looking forward to checking back in four months to see what they've done," said Christel Hildebrandt, a citizens representative who was on the task force along with medical professionals and others. The abortion issue surfaced in February after the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) put Jefferson Healthcare and two other public hospitals on notice that the ACLU believes the public healthcare providers are violating state law by not providing abortion services and what they called a full range of reproductive services. Reached after the meeting by phone June 17, Rutman said she would have to see the language of the recommendations to comment on whether they meet the ACLU's assessment of what services should be provided. "I haven't had the opportunity to review them, so that's a question we can't answer and we'll have to see how they are implemented. We'll have to see what services they actually end up providing," Rutman said. "What I can say is we see these recommendations as a significant step forward," Rutman said. To date, Jefferson Healthcare is the only public hospital contacted by the ACLU that has responded to the ACLU's letter in February, Rutman said. • (Look for a complete story on this issue in the June 24 issue of the Leader. f1 .� WEEKEND: Brinnon's Hempapalooza to celebrate, explore `cannabis culture' By Charlie Bermant, Peninsula Daily News, June 19th,2015 • 44"`" Peninsula Daily News Sabin King,left,and Jeremy Pease,who operate Ology Infusions of Port Townsend,were one of the vendors at 2014's Hempapalooza in Brinnon.This year's festival will be held at 1014 Duckabush Road,5 miles from Brinnon. NOTE: "Today"and "tonight" refer to Friday,June 19. BRINNON —A four-day festival exploring the recreational, medical and political aspects of cannabis culture is planned this weekend in a pastoral setting 5 miles from this south county town. Hempapalooza "will be a great event," said Nicole Black, its organizer. "It will be fun, and it will be educational." Tickets are $25 per day or $60 for the weekend "camping adventure," in which attendees can carve out their own campsite on the 50-acre parcel located at 1014 Duckabush Road, which is owned by Black's parents. • In an effort to connect with the local community, the admission fee will be waived for Brinnon residents, Black said. "If the people around here want to see what's going on, we're not going to charge them to get in," she said. Those with a medical marijuana authorization will be able to purchase marijuana on site. Designated smoking area Recreational users can bring their own marijuana and consume it in a designated smoking area, Black said. That area "will be strongly secured" with identification checked to ensure that users are older than 21, she said. No liquor will be served. "Hempapalooza does not endorse consumption of alcohol," she said. "This is about education and awareness, not about partying. "But if people bring their own stuff, we're not going to take it away unless there's a problem." • Black, who has operated a medical marijuana store in Brinnon for two years, said she hopes the 14 festival will celebrate the "cannabis culture" that is gaining traction as the use of the drug is demystified due to its legalization in November 2012, when voters approved a state initiative to 41) legalize the growing, processing and sale of up to 1 ounce of marijuana to adults 21 and older. This year's event has grown considerably from last year, when it was a marijuana "farmers market" that was held in the backyard of Black's store at 91 Corey St. This year, Black has prepared space and sanitation for up to 5,000 attendees, along with a full slate of enjoyment, entertainment and education. As of Wednesday, about 1,000 tickets had been sold, she said. Attendees can explore forest trails, discover a mountainside plateau and enjoy the sights and sounds of Olympic National Forest, Black said. Several local musicians are slated to perform along with top names such as Grammy-winning trumpet player Julius Melendez and guitarist Randy Hansen, who pays tribute to Jimi Hendrix. A new movie, "Star Leaf and Midnight Delight," will have its Washington premiere. Two cannabis-oriented television shows will be present at the event. "The Marijuana Show," which Black describes as "Shark Tank for cannabis businesses," is filming live auditions for people who seek funding for their marijuana products. • Anyone with a compelling hemp, edible, cannabidiol (CBD) or related product will have two minutes to pitch the show's producers between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday. Those pitching should be 21 or older and have a business plan and samples of the product or an explanation of the business. Medical showcase "Cannabis in the Olympics" is a medical cannabis showcase hosted by Matt Shotwell from Discovery Channel's "Weed Country" and medical cannabis expert Lesta Bently that will include a discussion about the medical benefits of cannabis and appropriate usage. The hosts will spend the weekend talking to marijuana providers and identifying their favorite products, and will present their findings at 2:15 p.m. Monday. The event also will include information about Senate Bill 5052, which would restructure the medical marijuana industry. Tickets are available at www.eventbrite.com by searching for"Hempapalooza." For more information, see www.hempapalooza.com or call 360-301-0844. • Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermantCc�peninsuladailynews.com. I Service disruptions loom on Peninsula as state budget talks continue By Chris McDaniel , Peninsula Daily News, June 21,2015 • OLYMPIA— If the state partially shuts down July 1, some services may be disrupted in both counties of the North Olympic Peninsula. State officials sent notices last week to county administrators that county employees on state contracts could be impacted along with the more than 26,000 state employees who would be furloughed if a budget isn't signed into law by midnight June 30. That would result in various services —especially those related to health and human services— being temporarily discontinued in Clallam and Jefferson counties. "They are just warning us, letting us know on our end," said Clallam County Administrator Jim Jones. The state budget includes funding for local governments. "There are so many people that have a small slice of their salary that eventually comes from a state fund," said Jim McEntire, Clallam County commissioner for District 1. "Most of that is going to be in juvenile and health and human services. That is where the bulk of our state funds gets spent." In addition to Health and Human Services, Juvenile Services, District Court and Family Court receive the bulk of state funding received by the county, Jones noted. "There are a lot of places in the county where we have employees that are grant-funded or contract- funded from the state," he said. "Assuming no budget is approved, we would not be able to continue doing those services past June 30, nor charging the state for any costs for those services." About 20 employees would be affected, Jones said. Jefferson County faces a similar dilemma. "The employees in Jefferson County most affected are in public health," said David Sullivan, District 2 commissioner. "They run on these state contracts" with some employees "being paid from several different contracts that are doing several different programs at the same time. That is what happens to small counties, small communities," he said. Counties brace Failure by the state Legislature to pass a budget in the first few days of July could temporarily be absorbed by Jefferson County, Sullivan said. • "We are going to take it easy at first and not send out notices right away like the state is doing, but if they don't get one done by . . . two weeks into July, we will have some layoff notices," he said. The number of Jefferson County employees that could potentially be furloughed has not been Has Navy gone too far in expansion plans across western Washington, including attempts to restrict development on Hood Canal? By Peninsula Daily News staff,July 5, 2015 •El The"1444"" rm ut p. auarawxN;—.10." Navetp4tn•rr ax,ra++k.nolxsttt sPNcoa 1. i+ONcom E N1 ft A eLl P{shorstn s Hal + n .. new rewt;t N+t�E9rtlka:t.0.9sraW rN fJ PbM6Nt smut kudos soon 5 �,tff 7 yr'61s�5'lUFF ttviwt itsel:ara++p¢ a&t! � •. i 20M1fgT Fimt+kit,4Yr""'"4. 1p bwt' naoic a I mylanrs ,i r s4i,Mf, $°' rpt ' &awe Nom CI suet*Narks <41-> tr rt{scno s NitmoN ",. SdYckillBN4f '" i it�'tkR ,9 ' dimer P..11411161* ;* -f 3.tstdKk Tfinaw MMet.ppllow NOV 01.14nv:Amst[n p ,$ tree'.reus#'uiM ... WiAPfOfiNtY r Yr l:' Adttt$ . Nt!w rcuc 1 ..`..".,•.+ Rni„tPrkw&ri anPtStg a ,,. Or+ ,ttYk*wrYna on »,mss rrrta++sxaianra YWMw rirstP er `tor AtlPendae»vm ttmS ow Seattle Times One of the informational graphics accompanying The Seattle Times article. • INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS AT at two newspapers, The Seattle Times and the Tacoma News Tribune, have been studying the Navy's activities beyond its controversial electronic-warfare range proposal for the North Olympic Peninsula. Both newspapers came up with some lengthy, eye-opening reports recently, accompanied by informational graphics: Navy stealthily targets Hood Canal development(Seattle Times, June 28): by Will Drabold, Seattle Times Staff reporter With little public outreach, the Navy has stealthily put thousands of acres of Puget Sound shoreline and upland off-limits to proposed and future development. Recently released documents reveal the Navy has marked a "sphere of influence" in the western Puget Sound that it can use to block developments—even after they're well under way— by deeming them threats to national security. The Navy has clandestinely targeted projects, rating them according to perceived threat level. Meanwhile, area developers say they were unaware their work was being monitored. Last year, the Navy was so worried about a proposed pier bringing barges into Hood Canal that it managed to restrict a narrow, 70-mile strip of seafloor to stop it. • The state hired two appraisers, who independently valued the strip, some 4,804 acres of public land, at $1.68 million. But to pay Washington state that amount, the Navy first needed approval from Congress. To get around the lawmakers, the Navy reappraised the lease in-house, valuing the seafloor acreage at $720,000, according to a Seattle Times review of hundreds of pages of Navy and state documents. The state Department of Natural Resources agreed to the new price despite state law that requires the agency to obtain fair-market value for this "restrictive easement." READ MORE: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/navy-stealthily-targets-hood-canal- development-2/ Navy enjoys Northwest building spree but faces lawsuits and other challenges (Tacoma News Tribune, June 30): By Adam Ashton, Staff Writer New jets. New ships. New piers stretching into Hood Canal. They're just some of the big-ticket items the Navy has bought for its bases around the Puget Sound area. After a dozen years of Army growth and the end of a $2 billion wartime investment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Navy Region Northwest is on its own building spree. It's spending hundreds of millions of dollars improving facilities ranging from the wharf that handles nuclear missiles at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor to the hangars on Whidbey Island set to receive some of the military's latest aircraft. • When the boom finishes five or so years from now, advocates say the Navy will have a secure footing in the Puget Sound region for decades, similar to what the Army and its boosters say they spent years establishing at JBLM. It'll be home to some of the military's newest weapon systems, making it an unlikely target if the Pentagon begins a serious downsizing. But before then, the Navy has to win back public opinion. It lost some support as it rolled out plans for six major projects that have unsettled environmental advocates throughout the Northwest. It's also facing two lawsuits in federal courts. One challenges operations at NAS Whidbey Island over concerns about jet noise. A second takes aim at the environmental studies the Navy conducted before it built the new $715 million explosive-handling wharf at Bangor. It has also been slowed on two proposals that would add features to Navy training in the skies above the Olympic Peninsula and in the depths of the Pacific along the coasts of Oregon and Washington. READ MORE: htto://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/06/30/3886236 navy-enjoys-northwest-building.html?rh=1 Last modified:July 05.2015 8:47AM • Navy stealthily targets Hood Canal development •OngnallY published June 27, 2015 at 8.43 pm Updated June 29, 2015 at 8:06 am 4 " A digital rendering of the proposed 1,000-foot pier at Hood Canal. The Navy blocked this project last year.Thorndyke Resource,a Poulsbo developer, has sued the Navyand Department of Natural Resources to try to overturn the restriction. The U.S. Navy has quietly restricted development across thousands of acres of water and land near Hood Canal. Last year, the Navy may have gone too far. By Will Drabold Seattle Times staff reporter With little public outreach, the Navy has stealthily put thousands of acres of Puget Sound shoreline and upland off-limits to proposed and future development. Recently released documents reveal the Navy has marked a "sphere of influence" in the western Puget Sound that it can use to block developments—even after they're well under way— by deeming them threats to national security. The Navy has clandestinely targeted projects, rating them according to perceived threat level. Meanwhile, area developers say they were unaware their work was being monitored. _. Last year, the Navy was so worried about a proposed pier bringing `jF. '" barges into Hood Canal that it managed to restrict a narrow, 70- a `""� } mile strip of seafloor to stop it. The state hired two appraisers, who "`" *'. '_.� ' .�' 1 independently valued the strip,.some 4,804 acres of public land, at �"` "` "'" ` ' t $1.68 million. But to payWashington state that amout, the Nav y . *t IMaim y .� '� first needed approval from Congress. , .'`�° ��, Leave revamped r �r' xuct■ To get around the lawmakers, the Navy reappraised the lease in- ^ron"--"*"""t" 4-1r aamer >_/". house, valuing the seafloor acreage at $720,000, according to a ' ' Seattle Times review of hundreds of pages of Navy and state /C-4 , documents. 1 The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) agreed to the T A fP .. GI`4""'W+WNhYQ":mx new price despite state law that requires the agency to obtain fair- market value for this "restrictive easement." •"Why would anybody develop in the (Navy's) overall area of influence if they knew that the Navy would do anything in their power to stop it?" asked Dan Baskins, a project manager at Thorndyke Resource, a Poulsbo developer. The company had purchased the land and was developing the 1,000-foot pier when it learned that the Navy's appraisal maneuver, with DNR's approval, put the kibosh on the project. The company has sued the Navy and DNR to try to overturn the restriction. Aft Several other developers of multimillion-dollar proposals only learned the Navy had termed their projects "high-priority" encroachment threats after being told about it recently by a Times reporter. Why would anybody develop in the(Navy's)overall area of influence if they knew that the Navy would do anything in their power to stop it?"-Dan Baskins, project manager,Thorndyke Resource The Navy said that the pier, on Hood Canal shoreline in Jefferson County, would have affected acoustic and magnetic research taking place 12 miles away in the Dabob Bay, a key U.S. location for military testing. The national defense Liane Nakahara, a Navy spokeswoman, said protection of the bay "is critical to the national defense." "Many of the real-estate transactions are considered business sensitive and are not communicated to the public," Nakahara said of why the Navy did not seek broad public input on its purchases. "All of the easements the Navy purchased were from willing sellers who were offered fair-market value supported by appraisals." Megan Duffy, a DNR deputy supervisor, said her agency had no comment on the nearly $1 million reduction in price the Navy had to pay the state. Fair-market value It's a classic land-use dispute. But this time, the anti-development crowd doesn't come by kayak. It owns aircraft carriers and nuclear subs. No one disputes the Navy's need to operate in the western Puget Sound. Naval Base Kitsap, the third- largest Navy base in the U.S., supports about half of Kitsap County's economy. •But since the base became home to nuclear submarines in 1977, Kitsap County has doubled to some 250,000 residents. Naval Base Kitsap submarines at Bangor There are 13 submarines based at Bangor Submarine Base in the Hood Canal. The Navy is concerned about development in the canal and its effects on submarine operations. BALLISTIC-MISSILE SUBMARINES GUIDED-MISSILE SUBMARINES Number: 8 Enlisted crew (per sub): 140 Number: 2 Length: 560 feet Officers: 15 Enlisted crew: 144 Officers: 15 Hull diameter: 42 feet Armament: Up to 154 Tomahawk missiles, MK48 torpedoes,four torpedo tubes ATTACK SUBMARINES Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine Number: 3 Enlisted crew: 126 Officers: 14 Armament: 24 tubes for Trident II missiles,MK48 torpedoes, Armament: Tomahawk missiles,VLS tubes, four torpedo tubes MK48 torpedoes,eight torpedo tubes Source:U.S.Navy KELLY SHEA AND MARK NOWLIN / THE SEATTLE TIMES •Over time, the Navy considered commercial development along the narrow Hood Canal and other areas a problem. `Sphere of influence' In a 2010 report, for example, the Navy described recreational-boating traffic and the redevelopment of downtown Bremerton as high-priority problems within its "sphere of influence." OThe Defense Department sets aside money to buy or lease areas near bases to stop development that could affect the military's mission. Since 2013, Naval Base Kitsap has purchased Appraisal swap control of 5,149 acres of upland for$7.9 million and 4,804 acres of western Hood Before leasing a 70-mile strip Canal seafloor for$720,000. The Navy is in the early stages of pursuing another of publictate sea useftoord toindependent the Navy, restriction on Hood Canal's eastern side, Nakahara said. the s appraisers at$2013 68 mi lion. The Navy's 70-mile Hood Canal restriction got its start a couple of years before its To avoid congressional purchase last year, when the Navy discussed its plan with the Washington DNR. approval required for land transactions greater than According to notes from 2012 by DNR Supervisor Leonard Young, "Navy is $750,000,the Navy considering an easement to block Pit-to-Pier," a nickname for Thorndyke's pier, reappraised it in-house in 2014 for$720,000. three miles southwest of the Hood Canal Bridge, where 20-ton barges would be s,.am„#;,n loaded with sand and gravel on their way to California and elsewhere. $1.68 million For several years, the pier developers had assured the Navy the new commercial pier would not impact its operations. But the Navy thought otherwise, according to ' Ir'z' records obtained by The Times from the Thorndyke lawsuit and through public- , aE >$750,000 records requests. requires LQ congressional In late April 2013, DNR readied a news release about its planned lease to the approval p [ Navy that included the sentence: 5721000 `Safeguard operations' ��1 "The Navy will pay DNR fair-market value for the restrictive easements to o � ; zia safeguard the Navy's operations at Naval Base Kitsap from encroachment.” But Independent Navy 013 Michael Brady, a Navy real-estate coordinator, in an email, said to cut that appraisal appraisal sentence from the release. 1411. Source:U.S.Navy KELLY SHEA/THE SEATTLE TIMES Matthew Randazzo, special assistant to the state's Commissioner of Public Lands, was also on the email chain. "We will discuss in person, not via email," he replied to Brady. The disappearing "fair-market value" reference was a prelude to what would happen later. In October 2013, the Navy and DNR signed off on a 198-page independent appraisal putting the price on the restriction: $1.68 million. One Navy official called the price "much lower than I expected," according to emails. As it turned out, the Navy would need congressional approval at that price. Navy emails show officials worried the value could not be lowered. But by mid-June 2014, the congressional obstacle had vanished. The Navy had a new appraisal saying the easement was worth $720,000. That judgment came despite one of the two independent appraisers saying the value should remained unchanged and a U.S. congressman expressing concern with the project, according to Navy records. Shortly before the $720,000 valuation was set, Mark Worthen, the Navy's chief facilities appraiser, emailed advice to his subordinatesin Washington state about when the rules "get bent a little." 'Get out of jail free' "When issues arise and you are uncomfortable with a gray area," Worthen wrote, "I will write you a 'get out of jail card free.' " In a 2010 report, the Navy described recreational boating traffic and the redevelop- ment of downtown Bremerton as high-priority problems within its "sphere of influence." The next month, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark signed the easement documents despite the state's obligation to only sell a lease for its "fair-market value." P Reached by phone, Worthen declined to explain his "get out of jail" comment, citing pending litigation. Other state and Navy officials declined to comment. Targeting a proposed marina *Far south of the proposed 1,000-foot pier— but still in last year's pit-to-pier easement on Hood Canal's western shore—sits Black Point, in Brinnon, Jefferson County, the site of a proposed large, high-end marina redevelopment. Thanks to Navy secrecy, the marina developers did not know their project was termed a high-priority threat. The Statesman Group, a national real-estate developer, wants to create the Pleasant Harbor Marina Resort: 1,000 housing units with nearly 300 boat slips, with residences starting at $690,000. The group has spent $22 million on the project so far and has started building. Statesman plans to rely on foreign investors for funding, part of the Department of Homeland Security Immigrant Investor Program. It rewards investors with visas for putting money into new projects. The Navy, which has monitored the project since at least 2007, said it was worried about foreigners traveling near the naval base by boat or seaplane, documents show. One slideshow suggests the Navy may have contacted U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) about the developers' application to provide visas to investors. Garth Mann, president and CEO of Statesman, first learned of the Navy's actions when a reporter contacted his company. "The Navy made assurances that they have no intention of preventing commercial and resort activity ... ," Mann said in an email. "Public be damned" Other developers received such assurances. Baskins, Thorndyke's resource manager, said the Navy wrote that the pier project was "not incompatible" with its operations. But later, the Navy quietly sought the restriction. Aft late 2013, the state opened up a required public-comment period for the Hood Canal easement that aimed to block the pier. The Navy documents show it held one public meeting: in front of the Jefferson County Board of Health. The public-comment period was closed three weeks after it opened. Developers in Washington must publicize their projects with signs, notice to neighbors and local media advertisements, said David Johnson, a land-use planner for Jefferson County Community Development. The Pit-to-Pier developers, for instance, held more than 60 public meetings with the Jefferson County Planning Commission, Board of Commissioners and other local groups, Baskins said. The Navy is not legally required to seek public input when restricting development, so it chooses not to, spokeswoman Nakahara recently said. "It's like, 'We're going to go ahead and do this and public be damned,' " Johnson, Jefferson County's point-person on pier development, said of the Navy's posture. If buying easements fails to stop development, the Navy still has another plan that it considers "sufficient to fully abate the encroachment threat," according to an April 2014 Navy report. But that plan is blacked out in the documents. Nakahara called it "privileged and national-security information." Will Drabold:wdrabold@seattletimes.corn or 206-464-2288. On Twitter©willdrabold • Navy enjoys Northwest building spree but lawsuits and other challenges .faces By Adam Ashton Staff writerJune 30, 2015 • Navy Air Boss Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker visited NAS Whidbey Island in early June. He toured new facilities and told reporters the base has a bright future because of the Navy's decision to place some of its newest aircraft there.Adam Ashton/staff writer ADAM ASHTON—Staff writer Here's a summary of the major Navy proposals to add new facilities or enhance military training around Puget Sound. More detailed information is available at http://1.usa.gov/1TQbbXV. Naval Base Bangor Project: New explosives handling wharf. • Cost: Up to $715 million. Purpose: Give submarines with nuclear missiles more time for maintenance. Completion: 2016. Controversy: Anti-nuclear weapons activists have sued to force the Navy to reconsider its environmental safeguards. They're concerned the Navy did not adequately study what might happen if an explosion at one wharf triggers another explosion at a second wharf. The case is at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Naval Base Bangor Project: New pier and security improvements. Cost: $33 million. Purpose: Allow the Navy to move two attack submarines from Bremerton to Bangor; close up a gap in perimeter security. Completion: Under environmental review. Controversy: Requires construction in Hood Canal. • Olympic Peninsula Project: Enhancement of electronic warfare training range over Olympic Peninsula. Cost: $750,000 to construct a signal emitter at Pacific Beach; other vehicles would be purchased. Purpose: More realistically simulate the kind of obstacles Navy pilots encounter in conflict zones. Completion: The U.S. Forest Service has delayed consideration of this proposal because it received thousands of public comments. The state Department of Natural Resources has already expressed misgivings about the proposal. Controversy: Users of the National Forest are concerned that communications equipment similar to TV news trucks may disrupt the forest; others are opposed to Navy jets flying over the peninsula, although that training already occurs. Pacific Northwest Training Range Project: Document that spells out how and where the Navy can train in coastal Oregon, Washington and Alaska Purpose: Define training standards and environmental risks. Completion:An environmental study may be released this summer. Controversy: Underwater Navy SONAR training may cause the deaths of marine mammals and other species in the Pacific Ocean. Some of the proposal under consideration would increase the number of training events that may take place each year, which would increase impacts on marine life. Naval Air Station Whidbey Island • Project: Possible addition of up to 36 EA-18 Growler jets. Cost: At least an additional $31 million for new facilities. Purpose: Congress has bought more of these jets than the Navy originally planned; the Navy is considering where to station them. Completion: Environmental study expected in September 2016. Controversy: A group of Whidbey Island residents has raised concerns about jet noise since the Navy stationed EA-18 jets on the island seven years ago. They filed a lawsuit in federal court to shut down a runway near Coupeville that the Navy considers essential for preparing Growler pilots for landings on aircraft carriers. Naval Air Station Whidbey Island Project: Construction of new squadrons flying P8-A Poseidon marine patrol aircraft Cost: About$105 million to build new facilities for the jets. Purpose: The P8-A is replacing a 1950s era jet called the P3 Orion, which has been stationed at Whidbey Island. Completion: A P8-A flight simulator is under construction now. The full fleet of jets should be built out at Whidbey by 2021. Controversy: None so far. The P8-A is a variation of the Boeing 737. Port Angeles Project: New Coast Guard pier. • Cost: Navy considering several options; it has not chosen a preferred site. Purpose: Give Coast Guard crews a place to rest and prepare for assignments escorting submarines to Naval Base Bangor. Completion: Navy is considering additional sites to locate the pier. An environmental study should be released later this year. Controversy: Building at the Navy's first preferred location could have disrupted a popular diving area. Naval Station Everett Project: Bring three new destroyers to Naval Station Everett Cost: This is considered cost-neutral because the ships are replacing decommissioned frigates. Purpose: Modernize ships at Everett, extending the usefulness of the base. Completion: 2016. Controversy: No notable opposition. Source: U.S. Navy, interviews, legal documents, congressional reports •New jets. New ships. New piers stretching into Hood Canal. They're just some of the big-ticket items the Navy has bought for its bases around the Puget Sound area. After a dozen years of Army growth and the end of a $2 billion wartime investment at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Navy Region Northwest is on its own building spree. It's spending hundreds of millions of dollars improving facilities ranging from the wharf that handles nuclear missiles at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor to the hangars on Whidbey Island set to receive some of the military's latest aircraft. BUILDING FOOTING When the boom finishes five or so years from now, advocates say the Navy will have a secure footing in the Puget Sound region for decades, similar to what the Army and its boosters say they spent years establishing at JBLM. It'll be home to some of the military's newest weapon systems, making it an unlikely target if the Pentagon begins a serious downsizing. "I just don't see how we could replicate that anywhere else in the world," said Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, the chief of Navy air operations, on a June visit to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. But before then, the Navy has to win back public opinion. It lost some support as it rolled out plans for six major projects that have unsettled environmental advocates throughout the Northwest. •It's also facing two lawsuits in federal courts. One challenges operations at NAS Whidbey Island over concerns about jet noise. A second takes aim at the environmental studies the Navy conducted before it built the new $715 million explosive-handling wharf at Bangor. It has also been slowed on two proposals that would add features to Navy training in the skies above the Olympic Peninsula and in the depths of the Pacific along the coasts of Oregon and Washington. 3,000 APPEAL More than 3,000 people wrote appeals to the U.S. Forest Service questioning a Navy plan to place trucks on old logging roads in Olympic National Forest for exercises that simulate challenges pilots face searching for enemy communication signals. That's called electronic warfare, and it's the core mission of the more than 80 EA-18 Growler jets stationed on Whidbey Island. Another 1,000 people have submitted comments to the Navy on its coastal plan, which includes provisions that allow an increase in training and a corresponding rise in the numbers of marine mammals impacted by maritime events. State Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark waded into one of the major training proposals in •February. He wrote a letter to the Navy that indicated he'd oppose allowing sailors to park trucks in state forests for electronic warfare exercises. It was a setback for the Navy that thrilled environmental advocates. But the debate may not be over. Since Goldmark sent his letter, state officials and the Navy have continued talking. The training is considered too important for the Growlers on Whidbey Island for the Navy to entirely drop its request of both federal and state forests. TOO IMPORTANT "I encouraged (the Navy) to not let the discussion stop there," Gov. Jay Inslee told The News Tribune. "It seemed to me there needed to be further discussions." He wants the Navy to "exercise the nth degree of energy and resources to objectively and scientifically assess the noise concerns associated with the operations," figuring that people are concerned that EA-18 jets may noisily disrupt the Olympic forests. IN THE AIR Naval Air Station Whidbey Island these days is abuzz with the sound of construction and the •roar of powerful EA-18 Growler jets taking off from the runway at Ault Field. Those jets first arrived in 2008, replacing Prowler jets that had conducted electronic warfare operations since the 1970s. Soon they'll be joined by another batch of new aircraft, the Boeing-made P-8A Poseidon surveillance jets. Whidbey Island is in line to become the West Coast hub for those planes, which are variations of 737 passenger jets. .Whidbey Island also is picking up an unmanned aircraft assignment. It'll be the home base for naval pilots remotely flying the Triton, an unarmed drone that could complement the Poseidon's far-reaching patrols. The combination of those two new aircraft plus the drone mission has Whidbey Island boosters feeling optimistic about the Navy's future in the Northwest. The base employs about 8,500 sailors and 2,000 civilians. "The future of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island is set for a long time," said Democratic U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen of Everett. "The Navy has recognized the community support it has there, and it has recognized that the base itself is a good homeport for the next generation of their aircraft." GROWLER NOISE Yet some residents are up in arms about noise generated by the Growlers. They're basically the same plane as FA-18 fighter jets, except they're equipped with gear to detect and disrupt enemy communications instead of being equipped with the FA-18's small arsenal of rockets and bombs. "I feel like I'm being killed by noise," wrote Coupeville resident Maryon Attwood, 67, in a declaration for a lawsuit that aims to shut down a short runway near her home that the Navy uses to simulate landings on aircraft carriers. She and her husband, a former Navy pilot, bought their home a decade ago, before the Navy stationed Growler jets on Whidbey Island. Now, "when the Growlers are here, I can't go outside, can't talk on the phone and can't do business," she wrote. She and her partners in the lawsuit have already scored some victories since they filed it in 2013. The Navy has limited its use of the Coupeville runway after spending several years carrying out thousands more flights than described in its original environmental planning document. The Navy also is paying close attention to noise in another study that could lead to as many as 36 more Growlers stationed at the base. That study should be complete in 2017. Around Whidbey Island, many residents are fairly unsympathetic to concerns expressed by the environmental group. Online comments on stories about their lawsuit at The Whidbey News- Times show many residents think people with noise complaints shouldn't have bought homes near a Navy runway in use since the 1960s. "We have a lot of veterans on the island. There is a population who lives near the runway who Aik have concerns about noise. I would have concerns about noise, but I wouldn't buy near the runway," said Ron Nelson, an Air Force veteran and director of the Island County Economic Development Council. • AT SEA The Navy is in line to add a few new ships to its Puget Sound bases, but its biggest projects are *intended to squeeze more life out of its submarines and the nuclear missiles they carry. The service is in the final stages of what has long been the state's most expensive military construction project: an additional wharf at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor that will give sailors more time to do maintenance and handle weapons on the eight Trident submarines that port there. Congress set aside $715 million for wharf, agreeing to build it because maintenance on Bangor's first explosives wharf was reducing its availability for the fleet. Also, aging Trident missiles are requiring more time at home for maintenance, testing and upgrades. But the Navy is still in court defending itself against a lawsuit that accuses the military of withholding key information from the public. The information centers on a 2012 environmental study that considered the possible impacts of building a second missile-handling facility at Bangor. In particular, anti-nuclear activist Glen Milner obtained records through the Freedom of Information Act that showed the Navy declined to follow a 2012 recommendation from the Defense Department Explosives Safety Board to study what would happen if an explosion at one dock triggered a detonation at a second. An assistant secretary of the Navy determined the project could go forward without the additional data, accepting "risk greater than that afforded by the minimum explosives safety standards" because of Navy operational needs, according to the secretary's letter. Navy officials also maintain that the new wharf complies with Pentagon standards and that the military has taken steps to limit the damage of a potential explosion. The Navy won the first round of the federal lawsuit in January 2014, when a judge dismissed Milner's case. APPEALS COURT He submitted it to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, where it might be heard later this year, his attorney said. Milner, a Kitsap Peninsula resident, hopes the case leads judges to compel the Navy to spell out any additional risk the wharf may present and to address it with additional safeguards. "The greater the risk, the less likely they are to tell the citizens and the public about it," said Milner, who has been using FOIA requests to obtain information about Navy weapons in the Puget Sound region since the 1980s. Two more Navy development proposals would bring new piers to Port Angeles and Hood Canal. S PORT ANGELES PIER The Port Angeles pier is intended to give the Coast Guard a safe place to dock ships that escort submarines on their way to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. Back at Bangor, the Navy wants to build a barrier in Hood Canal to tighten security and to extend a pier that would allow it to move two attack submarines from a different location in Puget Sound to join the main fleet. STo the Navy, the projects are essential investments in its only West Coast base that has Trident nuclear weapons. But some residents will continue pushing back. "They're industrializing the Hood Canal. They just keep building," Milner said. WHAT'S NEXT Around the state, political leaders are looking for ways to balance environmental concerns about the Navy's proposals while protecting the military from restrictions on training that would drive it out of the Northwest. Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson is trying to coax the Navy to communicate more often with residents around Coupeville who've been startled by the Growlers. "Longtime residents who are very supportive of the military are struggling with the platform because the physical experience is quite different (than the Prowlers that preceded the new jets)," she said. "I just hope that we find a way to meet the community's need and the military's." In the nation's capital, Rep. Larsen has been urging the Navy to look for adjustments in flight • practices that might make the Growlers quieter. One change led to pilots dropping their landing gear later on their approach to Coupeville, which led to a reduction in noise complaints from residents on the San Juan Islands. Larsen also is asking the Navy to build a facility at the air station that would muffle jet noise during engine testing on the ground. "We want to do that consistently with safety requirements, but also challenge the Navy to think more about operational changes they can make," he said. U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer, meanwhile, is pressing the government to conduct more studies on jet noise over the Olympics. The Gig Harbor Democrat's district includes both the Bangor submarine base and the stretch of national forest where the Navy wants to enhance electronic warfare training. He's been critical of the Navy's public outreach on the projects, suggesting the Navy could have won more support by engaging residents more frequently. "The projects where they have incorporated public comments are better projects," he said. • w'? n e II --',--,:6..,''''',7- 101V..,,,,,,,,i,„,.„, 4�a,�., xd' yyy y y I'- ,�� � " --:-,,,,,,,,,,t,,,,,, Y .... ��Y, P tl it:,-,� it 'fr.e. ar t 0 'v�' ;. �l -� ta ,: J' w • rr ., p r ; Pacific t r or + est 14+ I 1k„ I 1,: r1 t Naval Base IP WAH4 ,, �� �,pl � � �i, ly�mpiICia�a-Sarrgor 1 Kennevck 2, Electronic tartare P•=•rtard , Range areas "" i,l hal ,� ',i sales 3.. Pacific 1 thwestt i 7q. , al � I TrainingTasting I area '' ql E 0 4u Naval Air Station �` ,„ �Y>' V fiir9bey Island �' b �Ir= 5, U.S.Coast Guard � ' �� Air Station in Port I� r Angeles eles I I �' a wi k(01'i 6, Naval Station Pr . Everett I� " . EsRl iarf+=- III a� �ll ,# :,,,,?.1e,;-,. ,..., �..i .: N.r'd ` Rae`Gidin 3 �I I - 1 � Adam Ashton: 253-597-8646 adam.ashton@thenewstribune.com TNTMilitary Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/06/30/3886236_navy-enjoys-northwest- building.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy 0 SmileMobile offers affordable dental services July 27-31 Port Townsend Leader, July 8, 2015 3:00 am The SmileMobile offers affordable dental services to local youth and pregnant women. Pictured are Gus Maberry with volunteer dentist Rick Gadd. Submitted photoS The SmileMobile, a full-service mobile dental office providing accessibility to affordable exams, cleanings and other dental services, rolls into Chimacum the last week of July. Offering service to kids, teens and pregnant women, SmileMobile accepts Apple Health as full payment, and bases fees on a sliding scale for those without insurance. The SmileMobile helps meet one of the identified Jefferson County health priorities: Increase access to needed preventive care, with special focus on dental, according to a press release from Jefferson County Public Health (JCPH). • "Good dental health is important for overall health and chronic disease prevention," said Karen Obermeyer, health educator with JCPH. "The SmileMobile makes it possible for families to have regular dental checkups in Jefferson County, where it can be a challenge to find a dentist who accepts Apple Health insurance." To schedule an appointment the week of Monday-Friday, July 27-31, call 888-286-9105. The SmileMobile is made possible by the Washington Dental Service Foundation, which partners with Seattle Children's Hospital and Jefferson County Public Health to bring free and low-cost dental services to local children, teens and pregnant women. For more information, contact Jefferson County Public Health at 360-385-9400. �o Ad ID: 143011 /° , 'RECEIVED Pre-Bill .10117 alit ttabn •Adams Street• Port Townsend, WA 98368 • 360-385-2900 AUG 21 2015 Jefferson County Public Health Account to: Sold to: ID: 11545 Jean Baldwin Denise Banker JeffCo Public Health JeffCo Public Health 615 Sheridan Street 615 Sheridan Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 Port Townsend, WA 98368 Please pay from this Pre-Bill. Return stub with payment Rep ID: DR Terms: Net 30 Description Classification of Ad: 460-County Notices Zone: A PO: Public Hearing adoption of an ordinance Environmental Health Civil Enforcement Text: JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING... Charges from 7/1/2015 to 7/1/2015 Date Pub Type Description Price Discount Applied Due 7/1/15 PTL Ad LEGALS: JEFFERSON COUNTY- $59.81 -$59.81 $0.00 • De,OA — $59.81 -$59.81 $0.00 -- 7) 4n1L- Please return this portion with your payment. Pre-Bill Remit Payment to: Port Townsend Leader Amount Due $0.00 226 Adams Street Port Townsend,WA 98368 Phone: 360-385-2900 Fax: 360-385-3422 Amount Enclosed Issue Date: 7/1/2015 • Jean Baldwin Pre-Bill Date: 8/18/2015 JeffCo Public Health 615 Sheridan Street Ad # 143011 Port Townsend, WA 98368 Account# 11545 S Affidavit of Publication STATE OF WASHINGTON) SS COUNTY OF JEFFERSON) I, Donna J. Rosmaier, an employee of the Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader, a weekly newspaper which has been established, pub- lished in the English language and circulated continuously as a weekly newspaper in the town of Port Townsend in said County and State, and for general circulation in said county for more than six (6) months prior to the date of first publication of the Notice hereto attached and that the said Port Townsend& Jefferson County Leader was on the 27th day of June 1941 approved as a legal newspaper by the Superior Court of said Jefferson County and annexed is a true copy of the Ad # iL1,`3 SEE ATTACHED NEWSPAPER CLIPPING • As it appeared in the regular and entire issue of said paper itself not in a supplement thereof for a period of I. week; beginning on the l day of ..Ju( , 2015, ending on the ' day of UI,U\ , 2015, ihat said newspaper was regularly distributed to their subscribers during all of this period. That the full amount of $ q_1k has been paid in full, at the rate of $8.25 per column inch for each insertion. Subscribed and sworn to before me this 1$ day of 4AUGU S-}- 2015. 1,044_1„.,4 g02/YY-- - :1,10:414% Do J. Rosmaier � Notary Public in and for the State of Washington. Residing at Port Townsend. as �oY PUBL\G "moo �rF FWN9s 1111 determined. Clallam County is looking at dipping into contingency funding to continue operating the impacted services • if state funding is cut off in July, McEntire said. "I think, if there is a legal way to do it—and I am sure we can find a way to do this —we can take whatever steps we need to take as a commission to access our fund balances in those various funds and keep operations going as normal," he said. And Clallam County would seek recompense from the state if that were the case. "We will do whatever we can to recoup that money," McEntire said. The three Clallam County commissioners will discuss their options concerning this matter during their regular work session at 9 a.m. Monday at the county courthouse. Jefferson County is considering shuffling employees to other jobs funded by the county or federal government in order to prevent furloughs. "Public health in Jefferson County has multiple funding streams," said Jean Baldwin, director of Jefferson County Public Health, noting that employees in programs funded entirely by the state will be reassigned the first day of July to other projects should the shutdown begin. "Can we transfer folks into other jobs if they have the rights skills? You betcha. We can't do that indefinitely, but we can do it at least [for] a week and a half," Baldwin said. • According to Philip Morley, Jefferson County administrator, the Jefferson County Public Works Department will take a similar approach, with the juvenile justice system currently taking stock of its options. Any actions remain dependent upon the state Legislature. "We are not going to make a firm decision on any kind of furloughs or changes until we get to June 30," Baldwin said. Waiting on the state to submit a budget every year has a chilling effect on growth, Sullivan said. "The uncertainty really hurts planning efforts in every department. For the whole county, we end up waiting every year . . . to see what they are going to do. If we knew . . . we could do some real planning, and we could bond that money and do some good things." And Jefferson County is "still trying to recover from the recession," Sullivan continued. "We cut about 10 percent of our staff at that time, and we really haven't had it back. We are just maintaining. And we are doing OK, but it really hurts not knowing year to year what some of these funding streams are going to be," he said. • Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdaniel(c7peninsuladailynews.com. Beware out there: Ticks, bats can carry diseases By James Casey, Peninsula Daily News,June 22, 2015 • PORT ANGELES—The ticks could drive you bats. Worse, they could give you Lyme disease. Worst, the bats could give you rabies, a disease that has a 100 percent fatality rate without medical intervention. It's summertime, and the living's uneasy for folks who are unaware of seasonal dangers, the Clallam County Board of Health learned last week. Christina Hurst, public health program director of the county's Health and Human Services Department, said state health authorities were monitoring ticks on the Spruce Railroad Trail on the north shore of Lake Crescent, the Striped Peak Recreation Area and Miller Peninsula State Park. "They have found Lyme disease in our area," she said. The illness, transmitted to humans by ticks, produces fever, headache, fatigue and a rash. It can be treated with antibiotic medications. Neither the county nor the state health department tests ticks for disease, but the state Public Health Laboratories can identify a tick's species and thus its likelihood of carrying the bacterium that causes the illness. For details and more information about the disease and ticks—including how to remove them—visit www.doh.wa.gov. Ways to prevent tick bites suggested by the state Department of Health include: • •Wear long-sleeved shirts, long-legged pants and high socks, all in light colors so ticks who hitch rides on the clothes will be visible. • Use insect repellent. • Avoid walking in high grass and brush. The other hazardous seasonal creatures are bats, the only animals known to carry rabies in Washington state. Dr. Jeannette Stehr-Green, interim county health officer, told the board of health that close encounters with the flying rodents rise at this time of year as they migrate. Baby bats also are learning to fly and sometimes blunder into human habitats, she said. Rabid bats were identified in Clallam and Kitsap counties last year, in Puget Sound counties from King north to the Canadian border, and in Klickitat County, according to the state. Human cases of rabies were reported in Washington in 1995 and 1997. Unless treated before the start of symptoms that include seizures, excessive salivation, fear of water, delirium and paralysis, it is almost always fatal. A suspect bat or a pet thought to have been bitten by one should be reported immediately to county health authorities. In Clallam County, call 360-417-2274. In Jefferson County, call 360-385-9400. • Reporter James Casey can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5074,or at jcaseyCa�peninsuladailynews.com. r R Jefferson Healthcare could offer some abortion services in 2016 By Allison Arthur, Port Townsend Leader I Posted: Wednesday,June 24, 2015 3:30 am • : a ,v A Bertha Cooper Bertha Cooper served as facilitator for a reproductive service assessment task force,which met six times. She read the findings of that group at a presentation at the June 17 hospital board meeting. Photo by Allison Arthur Jefferson Healthcare could start offering abortion services in 2016 if healthcare officials heed the advice of a reproductive services task force. Bertha Cooper, facilitator for a hospital-appointed reproductive services assessment task force, presented the findings of the group at a hospital board meeting June 17. The task force met six times in private and came up with a list of recommendations contained in a 10- page report. The group suggested the district improve existing services and expand services to include both elective medical and surgical abortions, with medical abortions starting in 2016. The hospital currently does not offer any abortion services. • Between 50 and 55 women from Jefferson County leave the county for such services each year, Cooper told the board. "It's not a lot. It's not enough to have a scheduled clinic to provide services," Cooper said. Cooper went on to explain that the task force suggests that the health care system standardize services for pregnant women, ensure that women who miscarry get help in a clinic setting, maintain pregnancy- option referral information through something like a pregnancy hotline and start providing medical abortions in early 2016, with elective surgical abortions to follow, with no time frame for that given. VOTE IN JULY Although Jefferson Healthcare commissioners did not vote on the recommendation, board chair Jill Buhler turned to CEO Mike Glenn and asked his opinion. He said the recommendations were "doable." Glenn also said that because there were so few patients seeking such services—from two to three patients a month might seek abortion services, compared to more than 200 patients a day seeking other medical help—the cost would "not be material." Cooper had told the board that although 50-55 women a year seek abortions, many of them go to Seattle for such services. The task force estimates that, realistically, between 24 and 36 women a year might seek such services locally. A final recommendation from administrators regarding the task force's findings is expected in July, when formal action also could be taken. REACTION, ACLU • Reaction to the recommendations and the apparent willingness of officials to follow through on concerns raised by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and subsequently, people in the community, was positive. i "I'm looking forward to checking back in four months to see what they've done," said Christel Hildebrandt, a community representative who was on the task force, along with medical professionals and community representative Amanda Funaro. . The abortion-access question surfaced in February after the ACLU, via a letter, put Jefferson Healthcare and two other public hospitals on notice that the ACLU believes the public health care providers are violating state law by not providing abortion services and what they called a full range of reproductive services. Hospital officials formed the task force weeks later. That group met six times in private to discuss the issues and make recommendations on changes that could be made in a "safe, high quality, compassionate and sustainable manner." After reviewing the language of the draft recommendations of that task force, ACLU attorney Leah Rutman, who wrote the letter to the hospital in February, said on June 19, "The ACLU commends Jefferson Healthcare for taking this step." "We see the recommendations as a significant move forward to ensure that women in Jefferson County do not face unnecessary burdens in obtaining care." Rutman also said that the ACLU ultimately hopes that Jefferson Healthcare can provide "the full range of surgical services."At this point, it's unclear if the current recommendations go far enough in terms of surgical abortions, she said. And like Hildebrandt, she said she would wait to see how the recommendations are implemented. To date, Jefferson Healthcare is the only public hospital contacted by the ACLU that has responded to the ACLU's letter in February, Rutman said. The other hospitals receiving letters were Whidbey General Hospital and Mason General Hospital. • (The first version of this story appeared June 18 on ptleader.com.) • Researchers study plumes of algae in Sequim, Discovery bays; biotoxins stand below hazard levels By Chris McDaniel, Peninsula Daily News, June 26, 2015 nort. Ralph Riccio Neil Harrington,Jamestown S'Klallam tribe environmental biologist, observes a sample of seawater Tuesday morning on Sequim Bay,which currently has over one million single cell Pseudo-nitzschia algae per liter. SEQUIM —An algae strain capable of producing a potentially deadly biotoxin rarely found on the North Olympic Peninsula has been found in large quantities in both Sequim and Discovery bays. The marine algae has produced biotoxins in Sequim Bay, but not to the level that represents a public health risk, researchers said. Tests are being done for the biotoxin in Discovery Bay. The single-cell algae, Pseudo-nitzschia, sometimes produces a natural toxin called domoic acid that causes potentially fatal amnesic shellfish poisoning. The algae does not always secrete the biotoxin, and scientists do not know what triggers the process in • the wild. The algae in both bays is connected with an enormous bloom in the Pacific Ocean, which has made its way east through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Research has been focused on the Pacific Ocean and Sequim and Discovery bays. The algal plume is the largest of its kind in more than a decade, stretching from central California to southern Alaska in the Pacific Ocean. The bloom has emitted some of the highest concentrations of domoic acid ever observed along the California and Oregon coast. In early June, elevated toxin levels led shellfish managers to close the southern Washington coast to Dungeness crab fishing, the largest-ever closure of Washington's multi-million-dollar crab fishery. Present closures of some Strait beaches to recreational shellfish harvesting are due to other biotoxins, vibrio bacteria or pollution. Shellfish absorbs and concentrates domoic acid, delivering a nasty dose if eaten, resulting in amnesic shellfish poisoning. Amnesic shellfish poisoning can cause vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, • dizziness, loss of short-term memory, seizures, profuse respiratory secretions, cardiac arrhythmia and lead to coma and death. There is no known antidote for domoic acid, and cooking or freezing affected fish or shellfish tissue does not lessen the toxicity. In May, the bloom spread to Sequim Bay, where more than three million cells of Pseudo-nitzschia per ipliter of seawater were observed in a sample taken last week. That number fell to a little more than one million per liter as of Tuesday morning, but is still well above the norm. "We often see a few cells, like in the hundreds, but millions is high," said Neil Harrington, Jamestown S'Klallam tribe environmental biologist. The tribe has been collecting seawater samples from the bay since 2007. The algae may be growing rapidly because of ample sunlight this season and above average water temperatures, Harrington said. He noted the water just below the surface— measuring this week at about at 59 degrees Fahrenheit— is about 3 to 5 degrees above average for this time of year. The bloom in Sequim Bay is one of the largest ever recorded in the bay, but as of yet has not produced enough domoic acid to warrant mandatory restrictions on shellfish harvesting. "At the beginning of the bloom this year, in May, we did see some domoic acid toxicity of clams tested at the Jamestown Beach," Harrington said. • "These levels were below regulatory limit for shellfish so did not lead to a closure. "Levels of domoic acid have since gone down to not detectable. . . even while the Pseudo-nitzschia bloom intensified," he said. The bloom "is super dense," Harrington added. "Three million cells per liter is a tremendous amount of algae in our water." Once Pseudo-nitzschia had a foothold in Sequim Bay, it continued traveling east to Discovery Bay. Tests are in progress to see if shellfish contains domoic acid. The algae "has been making its way across . . . over the course of this spring," said Jamie Montague, citizen science coordinator at Port Townsend Marine Science Center. According to recent samples taken by Montague and her colleagues, more than one million cells of Pseudo-nitzschia per liter of water have been found in samples of water from Discovery Bay. As of yet, the bloom has not emigrated to Port Townsend Bay, Montague said. Both the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe and the Port Townsend Marine Science Center take samples of seawater each week to track the development of toxin-producing algae. 111) They upload the data to an online database as part of SoundToxins, a cooperative partnership led by state managers, environmental learning centers, tribal harvesters, and commercial fish and shellfish farmers. I "We're taking advantage of our active surveys to focus research on a serious concern for coastal communities and the seafood industry," said Eileen Sobeck, assistant administrator for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency Fisheries. • "The better we understand what's happening out on the water, the better we can address the impacts." University of Washington analyst Anthony Odell, coastal sampling coordinator at the Olympic Natural Resources Center in Forks, is tracking the effects of the bloom. "The current bloom of Pseudo-nitzschia . . . appears to be the biggest spatially we have ever observed" in the Pacific Ocean, Odell said. "It has also lasted for an incredibly long time—months, instead of the usual week or two." For the past 12 years, Odell has been a research analyst for the UW-led Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom Partnership. The organization provides critical monitoring data and other information about toxic algae blooms to coastal communities on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. Odell left June 15 from Newport, Ore., aboard the Bell M. Shimada, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) research vessel. He is part of a NOAA-led team of experts in harmful algae who are surveying the extent of the algal patch and searching for"hot spots" —swirling eddies where the algae can grow and become toxic to • marine animals and humans. The science expedition will continue through mid-September, with the team surveying from San Diego, Calif., up to the north end of Vancouver Island. As the ship travels north, it is making a large back-and-forth grid, sampling the water very near shore to several miles offshore. While localized blooms of marine algae that naturally produce domoic acid are common in spring, the bloom on the Pacific Coast is the largest and most severe in more than a decade. Sardines, anchovy and other fish that feed on the algae and other microorganisms known as plankton can accumulate the toxin, in turn poisoning birds and sea lions that feed on them. "This is unprecedented in terms of the extent and magnitude of this harmful algal bloom and the warm water conditions we're seeing offshore," said Vera Trainer, manager of the Marine Microbes and Toxins Program at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle. "Whether they're related, we can't really say yet, but this survey gives us the opportunity to put these pieces together." While the phenomenon is natural and cannot be prevented, better knowledge could help to predict and prepare for its effects, researchers said. • NOAA Fisheries and others also are developing advanced robotic systems and models to better detect and forecast harmful algal blooms. Tamanowas Rock rolls to state historic register By Port Townsend Leader staff I Posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2015 3:00 am A 8ai x° �7 r J, � x Tamanowas The Tamanowas Rock is important to the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe and now has added protection as a state historic site and potentially as a national historic site. Leader file photo Tamanowas Rock in Chimacum has been around for a while—43 million years, to be exact. In the past month, though, the historic site, owned by the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, has received the high honor of being added to the Washington Heritage Register, a statewide list of recognized historic properties. The state Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation announced June 29 that Tamanowas Rock at milepost 1 on Anderson Lake Road joined more than 1,800 other"historic and culturally significant properties which have been recognized for their unique contributions to Washington's heritage" by being added to the registry, a high honor for properties of this type. • In a press release sent by Leanne Jenkins, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe planning director, explained that the tribe began the process of getting the property on the registry by enlisting the help of Gideon Cauffman, the cultural resources specialist at Jamestown, to research and survey the site after applying to the National Park Service for a Historic Preservation grant titled "Tamanowas Rock: Documenting a Sacred Site." This grant paid for the research carried out by Cauffman, which eventually led to the application to the Washington Heritage Register. Jenkins wrote that the advisory council in charge of inductions to the Washington Heritage Register quickly voted in June in an 8-0 decision to have a Tamanowas Rock nomination sent to the keeper of the National Register in Washington, D.C. with a request that the property be added to the National Register of Historic Places. According to the state, having a property on one of both of these registries comes with certain benefits. These include tax credits, property tax deductions and code waivers to protect the resource. Being added to these registries also includes protections to property from federal and state actions that would harm the property's historic values. Jenkins said Tamanowas Rock has been used by native people for many years as hallowed ground and a sacred location for spirit and vision quests. The rock is open to the public for viewing and enjoyment, though the site has experienced its fair share of trouble. As reported by the Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader last year, Tamanowas Rock was defaced with graffiti reading, "I (heart) Miranda."While acts like this do not happen often, the incident did require complicated removal of the graffiti that could have led to damage of the rock. According to Jenkins, this addition to the Washington Heritage Register is the third historic cultural place • joining the ranks of Snoqualmie Falls and Mount Saint Helens. Obamacare: It's helping Jefferson County, Jefferson Healthcare • ByAllison Arthur, Port Townsend LeaderPosted: I July 1, 2015 3:00 am The U.S. Supreme Court's ratification of the Affordable Care Act on June 25 was seen locally as a win- win for both Jefferson County patients and Jefferson Healthcare, the largest public employer in the county. "It makes a difference in the lives of Jefferson County residents who weren't covered [by insurance] on Dec. 31, 2013 and on Jan. 1, 2014 were covered," said Jefferson Healthcare CEO Mike Glenn of a law better known simply as Obamacare. "We're relieved with the Supreme Court ruling, because it provides some degree of stability to the system we are working in," Glenn added. The high court ruled 6-3 that the federal government can provide tax subsidies to poor and middle-class people to help them buy health insurance. In Washington, the Affordable Care Act allowed the state to expand Medicaid benefits to more low- income people to help them access care and pay their health care bills. Because more people were covered under that expansion, called Washington Apple Health, Jefferson Healthcare received more money for caring for those people. In the past, the system would have provided the care, but likely would have written it off. In 2013, Jefferson Healthcare received $3.7 million in revenue from Medicaid for treating low-income people, Glenn said. In 2014, the first full year of that Medicaid expansion, Jefferson Healthcare received $10.2 million in revenue from Medicaid/Apple Health. III CHARITY CARE DROPS Not only did more people qualify for health care insurance and the hospital receive payment for caring for those people, the amount of money the hospital lost in uncompensated care also dropped. In 2013, the year before Obamacare went into effect, Jefferson Healthcare provided the equivalent of $5.6 million in care for those who could not afford it. In 2014, that amount decreased by almost half, with the health care system providing $2.7 million in what is typically called charity care. Historically, Jefferson Healthcare has been generous in providing services to those in need, Glenn said. As a result, now that the system is getting paid for services it had been writing off, the system also has benefitted more than other health care systems, Glenn acknowledged. "Economically, [the Affordable Care Act] may have had a larger impact on us because it's been the policy of Jefferson Healthcare to provide open access to primary care with or without insurance," Glenn said. SIGNING UP Glenn also noted that Jefferson Healthcare and the Jefferson County Public Health Department made a concerted effort to sign up people who qualified for that expanded Medicaid program. In Jefferson County, 3,122 people signed up to be covered by Apple Health in the last year and a half, according to the Washington Health Benefit Exchange, the program that assists people in finding a health care plan. (See sidebar on how to sign up for insurance.) Glenn said the money the health care system has received from Medicaid is not a windfall, because • there have been other changes in reimbursements for providing care. Many rural hospitals in the state are concerned about remaining financially viable and are seeking special protections, he said. "We hit our numbers, and this allows us to operationally continue," he said. In a report to hospital commissioners on June 17, Chief Operating Officer Hilary Whittington said there still are people seeking charity care, but those applications have dropped significantly. Two years ago, there were 180-200 applications a month, and typically those people sought help after care was provided. Today, the health care system receives about 60 applications a month, and there now is an effort to help people sign up for insurance to get them some coverage and also help people fill out financial assistance applications, not charity care applications, should they need further assistance. "Overall, it's a great thing for our patients and for us,"Whittington said of the changes. • • PT Paper `extremely worried' about water By Scott Wilson, Port Townsend Leader I Wednesday, July 1, 2015 3:00 am • Officials at the Port Townsend Paper mill are watching the dried out Olympic Mountains that supply the mill's water with great concern. "We are extremely worried about it," General Mill Manager Carr Tyndall told the Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce on June 29. "It's going to be a tough summer." Curtailment of mill activity is possible, mill officials said. Tyndall offered that the annual mill maintenance shutdown, which usually comes in November or December, might be moved up to October and, depending on water issues, be longer than usual. Felix Vicino, the human resources director, said a closure before October is not currently planned but is possible. "Hopefully not, but it could be an option depending on the situation," he said. "We're trying everything we can to reduce" water use right now. The mill has already rented one cooling tower, and plans to rent two more. The three units, at a cost of $90,000 per month, should allow the mill to reuse up to 3 million gallons a day by recapturing steam, said Environmental Manager Kevin Scott. Scott noted that in 2005 the mill used 15 million gallons per day. It now uses 9 million gallons per day and, with the cooling towers, could reduce that to around 6 million gallons per day. Scott is also trying to re-use water from effluent through a reverse osmosis process. • Still, the water system owned by the City of Port Townsend that feeds the thirsty mill may soon be curtailed from removing any additional water from the Quilcene River basins, meaning drawdown of the reservoirs at Lord's Lake and City Lake will be tapped for both the mill and the rest of the city. The city uses about 1 million gallons a day. A water agreement calls for the mill to curtail its water use first in the event of a water shortage. "Pray for rain," summarized Vicino. And master of ceremonies Katherine Baril told all chamber members to begin conserving and reusing water today. Environmental Manager Annika Wallendahl reviewed several other developments at the mill in their presentation, including: • PT Paper is about to invest $10 million in new air scrubbing equipment that should reduce tiny particulate matter from Power Boiler No. 10 by 65 percent. • New refiners are already online, scuffing up wood fiber so the pulping process requires less water. • Burning petroleum has been reduced by 60 percent since 2005, with more to come. • The settlement ponds, source of most of the mill odor, have been cleaned out of bottom sludge through 300 truckloads sent to distant landfills, and continue to have oxygen injection to reduce odor. • The mill has made a new commitment to community involvement and an open door, including mill tours, a quarterly e-newsletter for residents and stepped-up assistance for the Jefferson Land Trust, the Chamber, UGN and other causes. The new openness has had a positive impact, Scott said. "If people don't know what you're doing, they make things up, and people are very creative," • he said. Officials team up, talk about mental health • B Robin Dudley, Port Townsend Leader I Posted: Wednesday, July 1, 2015 s ;c gyp, Jefferson County Sheriff David Stanko A recent high-profile arrest of a Port Townsend man charged with assault, criminal trespass, resisting arrest and obstructing a law enforcement officer focused local attention on the intersection of law enforcement and mental health support systems in Jefferson County. In recent weeks, local officials have been talking about how to better help people with mental health issues in the community. Port Townsend interim police Chief Michael Evans, Adam Marquis, executive director of the private, not-for-profit Jefferson Mental Health Services (JMHS), and Port Townsend • City Manager David Timmons met June 24 to talk about a team approach. The goal is to develop a preventive strategy to help people who are "high utilizers of our mental health services," Evans said. "The main objective would be to get them the help they need and to keep them out of jail." If someone calls 911 to report a person with a mental health issue, law enforcement responds, even if no crime is being committed, Evans said. "We're not looking at this as a medical response. Now we want to treat it more as a medical issue." Marquis said there are about 80 people who are "high utilizers" — people who end up being contacted by law enforcement, taken to Jefferson Healthcare for mental health evaluations, and winding up in jail and the court system. "A lot of the individuals have substance-abuse issues on top of the mental issues," Evans said. At a June 19 Coffee with a Cop event at Jefferson County Library, Sheriff Dave Stanko explained that Mental Health Court was developed as a way to help people instead of sending them to jail, much like the way Drug Court was conceived as an alternative to jailing people whose violations stem from drug addiction. "Mental Health Court is similar. Rather than going to jail for a month, the people have to go see mental health providers" and check in at court. "We don't have anywhere to put • people that have mental health problems, so they go to jail," Stanko said. "We're trying to get away from that." "We end up being the holding place for them," said Undersheriff Joe Nole. % The costs add up. "We have to house them, provide medical care. A nurse comes in two times a week," Stanko said. Mental health providers also visit jail inmates, but can't force people to take medications, he said. IIIAt the recent Coffee with a Cop event, Stanko was asked, "If [Jefferson County] had enough money, would that be put toward a mental health facility for people who don't belong in jail?" "That's a societal problem," Stanko said; it afflicts communities across the nation. "Talk to your legislator." LOCAL SOLUTIONS Meanwhile, local officials are talking about local solutions. JMHS has a designated mental health professional for each 24-hour shift who is notified by law enforcement or hospital staff when a person needs a mental health assessment, Marquis said. "An issue we run into is people going to the emergency room for mental health issues [who] also have substance-abuse issues," Evans said, because "it can be up to eight hours until ... chemicals are out of their system" and a mental health assessment can be made. "We don't have anyplace to hold people," he said. "There really isn't a clear scale," Marquis said, but looking at "how frequently [high utilizers] are utilizing 911 or the emergency room" suggests there could be a better system for helping people. "Reading the police reports, you see it every week, you see the same people every my week," Timmons said. "We've got to do a better job of it and be more supportive, across the spectrum of services." OTHER COLLABORATORS Other entities they hope to collaborate with include Olympic Community Action Programs (OIyCAP), National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), Dove House Advocacy Services, Jefferson Healthcare, local schools, East Jefferson Fire Rescue and Safe Harbor Recovery Center. Nationwide, Marquis said, "20 percent of the people use 80 percent of the resources. That is clearly the case here. We just need to get a handle on who are our top [overutilizers]. How can we help prevent them from overutilizing things that are not effective? Obviously, it's not working." "We're trying to identify those individuals right now," Evans said. The plan, Evans said, is to assign a police officer to work with JMHS either full-time or part-time. "Basically, we would share an office with ... a designated mental health professional. They would work together. ... [The] main objective would be to get them the help they need and keep them out of jail." "I wouldn't suspend HIPAA with having a joint office. We would make sure we would • follow all the requirements," Marquis added, referring to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which ensures privacy of medical records. "A lot of cases involve a family, and the family is just as frustrated and traumatized as anyone," Timmons said. "What can we do to support those families so that they can provide the care that needs to be done? ... Can we give them better resources and support by having a more combined effort?" "We want to have more of a preventative strategy," Marquis said. "Nobody has the magic Wsolution. That's why we need to come together and find the best strategy, so these citizens have a better, holistic type of care. We're trying to get to health and wellness for these folks. It's not a complete fix. We want to keep meeting people where they're at. This is not a one-stop shop for everybody. Evans recently applied for a Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant from the U.S. Department of Justice that would pay as much as 75 percent of a police officer's salary; that officer would be assigned full-time to an interagency task force. "We might hear back in the fall," he said. "Even if we don't get a grant, we'll assign an officer with mental health, either full-time or part-time." • BIOTOXINS AT LARGE - Shellfish harvest closures in Hood Canal continue By Viviann Kuehl Contributor, Port Townsend Leader I Wednesday, July 1, 2015 2. BIOTOXINS AT LARGE Clara Hard of Washington State Department of Health's Office of Environmental Health and Safety spoke at a public meeting In Quilcene about the recreational shellfish harvest advisories and closures In Hood Canal. HealthNews Concerns about shellfish safety, an age-old problem in Puget Sound and Hood Canal waters, are growing along with the microscopic algae that produce them. Summer closures for • recreational shellfish are coming sooner, and in more areas. As of June 19, for example, almost all Hood Canal recreational shellfish beaches are under some type of closure or advisory. The most recent closure came June 17 along the Jefferson County shore from the Hood Canal Bridge to Brown's Point on the Toandos Peninsula. There are also recurring shellfish closure issues for Discovery Bay. At a meeting earlier this month in Quilcene, members of the public asked a state Department of Health official what could be done to prevent or counter the issues leading to closure. The answer: nothing, because it is a naturally occurring problem. NOTHING NEW Biotoxin issues are not new. A sailor named John Carter, 24, died at 1:30 p.m. on June 15, a victim of paralytic shellfish poisoning. At 8 a.m., Carter ate some roasted mussels as part of his breakfast, along with some of his work crew, their usual practice when finding shellfish on the beach. Soon after they left the cove where they had breakfasted, several of the crew experienced numbness in their faces and extremities, quickly extending to their whole bodies, accompanied by sickness and giddiness, reported supervisor Robert Barrie. Carter's pulse gradually grew weaker until he died, when his lips turned black, his hands, face and neck considerably swollen. Three others who were stricken survived. The cause of affliction was not in the number of mussels eaten, but in their location, said Barrie, • who had eaten as many as any in the party and was not the least affected by them. Mussels gathered on the sand were lethal, but not those taken from the rocks, he reported. • This account, from English Capt. George Vancouver's 1793 journal, could have happened today. SHELLFISH TOXICITY Levels of shellfish toxicity vary enormously from place to place, among species, and across time, both seasonally and through the centuries, for a variety of reasons. Mussels, clams, oysters and other hinged shellfish are filter feeders, taking in nutrients from the water surrounding them and in the process, cleaning the water. During this process, marine biotoxins produced by certain kinds of microscopic algae, naturally present in marine waters, are taken in by shellfish, which remain unaffected. Normally, the levels of biotoxin are too low to affect those who eat them, but when algae growth increases, so does the level of biotoxins taken in by shellfish. The higher the concentration of biotoxins in shellfish, the larger the effect on humans and other mammals eating them. Death can come as quickly as 15 minutes after consumption. Unfortunately, toxin levels are undetectable by taste or visual inspection, and cannot be neutralized by cooking or freezing. The same shellfish on a beach can be safe or not, depending on their food source, without any change in appearance or taste. The toxin levels increase, as algae reproduce quickly in warm temperatures, sunlight and nutrient-rich waters, a state called a bloom. This has been called a red tide, but the toxin levels are not indicated by the color of the water: Clear water may be in a bloom, and murky water • may be toxin-free. Studies have shown that biotoxins are not related to water pollution. The Washington State Department of Health uses laboratory testing, and has been operating a testing program since 1957. The operation was scaled up in 1991 with the Sentinel Mussel Monitoring Program. CAGED MUSSELS Functioning much like canaries in coal mines, caged mussels are checked regularly at 72 sites, with frequency increasing when toxins are present. Different types of shellfish absorb, and eject, the toxin at different rates, and mussels are one of the quickest. They take it in quickly and they can flush it quickly," said Clara Hard of Washington State Department of Health's Office of Environmental Health and Safety, who spoke at a public meeting in Quilcene in early June. Patterns of biotoxin presence can change quickly. "Toxins can be very spotty," noted Hard. "It does seem earlier in the year and toxin levels are increasing. In 10 days, we saw razor clams go from nothing to three times our limit." Commercial shellfish are regularly tested to ensure purity, but recreational shellfishing occurs in broad areas. "We don't have the lab capacity to test for all beaches. I wish we could," said Hard. 'We use the data to close the smallest area possible." Sites must have two consecutive clear tests to be reopened. • There are three known types of biotoxins transmitted by eating shellfish. • PSP Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) affects the nervous system, causing a tingling of the lips and tongue that may progress to tingling of the fingers and toes, then loss of control of the arms and legs, and, finally, paralysis of the muscles of the chest and abdomen, causing death by respiratory arrest. Onset may be from five minutes to 10 hours after ingestion. ASP/DSP Amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) is a result of domoic acid biotoxin, which was first detected in Washington in 1991. It causes vomiting, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal cramps in the first 24 hours. Neurological symptoms of dizziness and confusion develop within 48 hours in more severe cases. Short-term memory loss can be permanent; death is the most extreme outcome. There was a sharp increase in domoic acid this spring. "It doubled in almost two days, which is very scary," said Hard. Prior to this year, the last closure in Jefferson County was in 2006. Diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP), caused by okadaic acid biotoxins, produces diarrhea, vomiting and intestinal discomfort, but is not lethal. Complete recovery in three to four days is the norm, but there is some concern that the toxins may promote tumors long-term. There is no antidote for marine biotoxins. Patients simply have to wait for the toxins to naturally flush from their bodies. In severe cases, victims can be placed on life support until effects subside. The last death caused by toxic shellfish in Washington was contracted at Sekiu Point in • 1942. However, there were nine confirmed illnesses in 2012. In September 2012, a woman in Kingston, in nearby Kitsap County, experienced tingling shortly after eating some oysters. She called the friend who had supplied them to her; he advised her to go to the hospital. She called 911, was airlifted to Harbor-view Medical Center in Seattle, where she was on life support for two days. She emerged from her coma to recover, but had she been slower in reporting, she would have died, according to medical officials. Recreational shellfishers are advised to check for shellfish safety on the intended harvest day, since conditions can change quickly. Check online at doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety. htm, call 800- 562-5632 toll-free, or contact the local health department; for Jefferson County, call 385-9444. "We don't have the lab capacity to test for all beaches. I wish we could." Clara Hard Washington State Department of Health • Tamanowas Rock in Chimacum, used by native people `since time immemorial,' placed on Washington State Register of Historic Places By Charlie Bermant, Peninsula Daily News, July 2nd, 2015 410 11 Mb 1 4� la r, Tamanowas Rock,near Anderson Lake,has been placed on the Washington State Register of Historic Places.—Peninsula Daily News CHIMACUM —An area of spiritual significance to native people has been added to the Washington State Register of Historic Places. Tamanowas Rock, located on a 82.4-acre parcel about 10 miles south of Port Townsend, has been added to the register. The move is the first step toward a similar designation by the federal government. "This has been a site of cultural importance for a very long time," said Sarah Spaeth, director of 1110 conservation and strategic partnerships for the Jefferson Land Trust, which purchased the land in 2010 and resold it to the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe in December 2013. "Because of its uniqueness it is a place where lots of people have visited over the years," Spaeth said. For the S'Klallam people, Tamanowas Rock in Chimacum is hallowed ground that has been used by native people "since time immemorial" for spiritual vision quests, according to a news release. The rock is a unique geological formation —an immense monolith with caves, crevices and cliffs. The property was privately owned until it was purchased for $600,000 by the Jefferson County Land Trust. The owner had put the land up for sale with the possibility of developing it into home sites, Spaeth said. The land trust borrowed the money and held the land until it could be purchased by the tribe. The land trust retained an adjacent conservation easement which will protect the surrounding area against development, Spaeth said. The recognition process began with an application to the National Park Service for an historic preservation grant. • That grant funding enabled cultural resources specialist Gideon Cauffman to research, survey and map the site, and complete an eligibility application for the State Heritage Register, the first step before moving to the National Register. 4 In May, the Governor's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation recognized Tamanowas Rock on the Washington Heritage Register of Historic Places where it joins more than 1,800 other properties recognized for historical or cultural contributions, Allyson Brooks, state historic preservation officer, wrote • to the tribe. According to the letter, the benefits of state and national register listings include potential tax credits, property tax deductions and code waivers to protect the integrity of the resource. In addition, the listing assures protective review of a property if a federal or state action has the potential to adversely effect to the property's historic values. A list of allowed, conditional and prohibited activities is posted at the site, including prohibitions of camping, fires, firearms and off-road vehicles. Leanne Jenkins, Jamestown S'Klallam planning director, said she did not expect the designation would affect the number of visitors to the site. She did not have numbers of visitors available. Trails to Tamanowas Rock are accessible at Milepost 1 on Anderson Lake Road. The park is open only during daylight hours. Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermantCa7peninsuladailynews.com. • 1111 CORRECTED VERSION—Clallam County woman's death by measles is first in nation in 12 years and first in state since 1990 By Rob 011ikainen, Peninsula Daily News,July 4'h, 2015 •EDITORS NOTE— This story has been corrected from its original transmission. The site of exposure was a community health center in Clallam County, not Olympic Medical Center, according to state Health spokesman Donn Moyer. PORT ANGELES —A Clallam County woman who died of measles in the spring was the first confirmed measles death in the U.S. since 2003 and the first in Washington state since 1990. The state Department of Health officials announced the death Thursday. "Our deepest sympathy goes out to the family," said Iva Burks, Clallam County health and human services director. The woman, who was not identified, was exposed to measles at a community health center in Clallam County during a winter outbreak, state Health spokesman Donn Moyer said. She was at the medical facility at the same time as a person who later developed a rash and was contagious for measles, Moyer said. "She had an underlying disorder, an autoimmune disorder, and she was taking a number of different drugs to modulate the immune system," said Dr. Jeanette Stehr-Green, interim Clallam County health officer, in a Thursday interview. "Some of those medications would prevent her from mounting a good response to any infection." The woman was transferred to the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, where she died. She did not exhibit common symptoms of measles like a rash, so the infection wasn't discovered until after her death. An autopsy concluded the cause of death was pneumonia due to measles. Although health officials are withholding the woman's age, hometown and date of death, Stehr-Green did say the woman was a young adult who had been vaccinated for measles earlier in life. The woman did not become immune, however, because of her medical condition. "Clearly it's a tragedy," Stehr-Green said. "The family, to lose a young person, they'll never get over that. But probably equally sad is that this is a preventable disease." Health officials urge everyone who is eligible for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their families and vulnerable people. Young children, pregnant women and people with compromised immune systems cannot be vaccinated. "If everybody around them is vaccinated and we're not spreading measles in the community, these people would be protected," Stehr-Green said. •"So to me that's a huge tragedy. It was preventable by the community levels of immunization." Clallam County's first case of measles this year was diagnosed Feb. 1. The outbreak was declared over in April after five people had been confirmed to have had the disease. All five recovered. The latest measles diagnosis brings the state's case count to 11 and six for Clallam County. i"1 think it is very significant that it's been 12 years since there was a confirmed (measles) death," Burks said. "That doesn't mean there may not have been other deaths that were not confirmed." Measles is highly contagious even before a rash appears and spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. A non-vaccinated person can catch measles by walking into a room where an infected person had been two hours earlier, health officials said. Dying from the illness is extremely rare, Moyer said. Since more than three weeks have passed since the last active measles case, no one who had contact with one of the known cases is at risk, Moyer told The Associated Press. The Clallam County measles cases are not related to the measles outbreak at Disneyland, which began last December and sickened more than 140 in North America. The Clallam County strain is seen around the world, most commonly in Southeast Asia, Stehr-Green said. "We still don't know how our original case got infected," she said. Children should be vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine, with the first dose between 12 and 15 months and the second between 4 to 6 years, health officials said. Adults born after 1956 should have at least one measles vaccination. Those born before 1956 are thought to be immune because of past exposure. "The public health message is people need to get vaccinated," Burks said, "if not for yourself, for your loved ones, for the children, for the elderly, for the immune-compromised people in the community." Reporter Rob 011ikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345,ext. 5072, or at rollikainen(a7peninsuladailynews.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Last modified:July 03.2015 1:52PM • Marine algae responsible for domoic acid washes into Strait of Juan de Fuca, but biotoxin absent By Chris McDaniel, Peninsula Daily News, July 5th,2015 • ti The marine algae Pseudo-nitzschia can at times create domoic acid. —Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife SEQUIM —Although a marine algae that can produce a potential lethal biotoxin has inundated bays off the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the toxin has not been found in shellfish samples on the beaches of the Strait or the North Olympic Peninsula's Pacific coast. The toxin —a new danger for the Peninsula — is domoic acid. If present in high enough concentrations in shellfish and eaten, it can cause amnesic shellfish poisoning. That can lead to vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, dizziness, loss of short-term *memory, seizures, profuse respiratory secretions, cardiac arrhythmia and lead to coma and death. The biotoxin is present on the coast of Oregon and southern Washington in some of the highest concentrations ever observed, experts say. But it has not been found in shellfish in North Olympic Peninsula. "As of yet, we really haven't had any of the toxin being produced" in any inlet on the Strait, said Jerry Borchert, marine biotoxin coordinator for the state Department of Health's Office of Environmental Health & Safety. "To date, there has been very little to no domoic acid." A bloom of the single-cell algae Pseudo-nitzschia which can, at times secrete the poison, stretches in the Pacific from central California to southern Alaska, the largest of its kind in more than a decade. It has made its way east through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Researchers are studying the algae in Sequim and Discovery Bays. More than one million cells of Pseudo-nitzschia per liter of seawater were observed in samples taken last week from both bays. Toxin-producing algae is actively monitored in Sequim Bay by the Jamestown S'Klallam tribe, and in •Discovery Bay by the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, who take samples of seawater each week. They upload the data to an online database as part of SoundToxins, a cooperative partnership led by state managers, environmental learning centers, tribal harvesters, and commercial fish and shellfish farmers. A Ilk No information is available to discern if the algae is present in all other inlets stretching west from Sequim Bay to Neah Bay because there is no algae monitoring system currently in place. +However, the state does monitor shellfish for contamination at those locations, Borchert said. "We test actual shellfish tissue for the presence of toxins. We still analyze shellfish tissues from those locations, we just don't get any phytoplankton information." Present closures of some Strait beaches to recreational shellfish harvesting are due to other biotoxins such as paralytic shellfish poison or diarrhetic shellfish poison, vibrio bacteria or pollution. "It is important to note that Clallam County from Pillar Point east to the Jefferson County line and Sequim and Discovery Bay are closed to the recreational harvest of all species of shellfish due to the presence of biotoxins — in this case paralytic shellfish poisoning and diarrhetic shellfish poisoning," said Neil Harrington, Jamestown S'Klallam tribe environmental biologist. The highest level of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) recently found in Sequim Bay was 424 micrograms per 100 grams of shellfish, according to the state Office of Environmental Health & Safety. Recreational shellfish harvesting is prohibited once more than 80 micrograms of PSP per 100 grams of shellfish are found in samples. The highest level of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) found recently in Sequim Bay, 43 micrograms per 100 grams of shellfish, was measured from a sample collected June 9. The recreational threshold is 16 micrograms of DSP. ODiscovery Bay peaked also on June 16 with 200 micrograms of PSP per. There was no more than 15 micrograms of DSP measured in the bay during June. Levels of PSP and DSP at Clallam Bay, Neah Bay and Slip Point remain well below the closure threshold. Pseudo-nitzschia does not always secrete domoic acid, and scientists do not know what triggers the process. The algae may be growing rapidly because of ample sunlight this season and above average water temperatures, experts said. If the toxin were present in the seawater, it would be absorbed and concentrated by local shellfish, delivering a nasty dose if eaten. There is no known antidote for domoic acid, and cooking or freezing affected fish or shellfish tissue does not lessen the toxicity. Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-681-2390, ext. 5052, or cmcdanielpeninsuladailynews.com. Last modified:July 04.2015 6:12PM 41