News

9/7/12

After years of optimistic pronouncements, haggling with coastal residents and fishermen, and one project that landed in Davy Jones' locker, a new wave of Oregon's renewable energy experiment is taking shape off the coast.

Only time will tell whether this science project can gather momentum, or the necessary funding it will need to reach commercial viability.

In late August, researchers at Oregon State University launched the first of what they hope will be a fleet of wave energy devices at their new test bed two miles offshore of Yaquina Head.

The Wave Energy Technology-New Zealand or Wet-NZ buoy, has been bobbing lazily in the summers swells for two weeks, sending reams of data and a trickle of electricity via underwater umbilical to the Ocean Sentinel, a floating battery pack and data hub anchored nearby.

A five-week test will allow the prototype's owner, Northwest Energy Innovations, Inc., to gather performance data on the $750,000 prototype and its mooring system. The plan is to pluck the device out of the water before it meets the full fury of fall on the Oregon coast, then go on to develop a full-scale model.

OSU scientists are hovering nearby, dropping their hydrophones and related equipment into surrounding waters to measure the device's acoustic footprint, electromagnetic frequencies and impact on sea life, whether its bottom dwellers or migrating gray whales. Meanwhile, the Ocean Sentinel monitors the strength of wind waves and the current, in tandem with the power buoy's output.

"It's naive to think there will be no impact from these devices," said Belinda Batten, director Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center at OSU. "We can help answer some of those important questions."

OSU is one of three federally funded research centers addressing the technical, environmental and social challenges of wave and tidal energy. Established in 2008, its aim is to provide standardized facilities that commercial developers can use to deploy and test power buoys without a protracted siting process.

Wave buoys have been controversial on the coast, and the test site was chosen after two years of discussion with crabbers, fishermen, state agencies, wave energy developers and scientists.

For developers, the tests can provide crucial information on their devices' durability, efficiency in different wave conditions, and other maintenance issues and costs. The WetNZ is the first prototype moored at the Yaquina Head site. But the center hopes to score another $25 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for a second Oregon test zone with berths for four buoys -- this one fully connected to the electrical grid on land. Batten said she expects an answerin the next couple months, though it could depend on the election and congressional jockeying over spending cuts.

Meanwhile, the center says more tests will be forthcoming. There are myriad designs to maximize the extraction of the kinetic energy in waves. Some are for near shore deployment, others for deeper waters. Some float, others sit on the sea floor. Mechanical systems vary widely. Developers are looking to capture the most energy at the least cost. The answer may depend on location.

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Department of Health and Human Services Press Release

8/31/12

The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) cautions recreational users of local lagoons and rivers to be on the lookout for blue-green algae, which can be hazardous to dogs and humans.

Since 2001, 11 dogs are believed to have been killed by blue-green algae, which is common this time of year in warm, stagnant water. The dogs died shortly after swimming in affected areas of Big Lagoon and the South Fork Eel and Van Duzen rivers.

A nerve toxin associated with blue-green algae was found in the stomachs of the dogs that died on the South Fork Eel River in 2002. The same toxin was found in water samples from the South Fork Eel and Van Duzen rivers in 2009 shortly after two dogs died. Blue-green algae blooms that produce a liver toxin have been documented in Klamath River reservoirs and the Klamath River this year.

Dogs are more vulnerable than people to the effects of blue-green algae because they can swallow the algae when they lick their fur. Dogs have died within 30 minutes to one hour after leaving the water.

Blue-green algae looks like green, blue-green, white or brown scum, foam or mats floating on the water. These floating algal masses, or “blooms,” can produce natural toxins that are potent. Dogs and children are most likely to be affected because of their smaller body size and tendency to stay in the water for longer periods.

Potential symptoms in dogs following exposure to blue-green algae toxins can include lethargy, difficulty breathing, salivation, vomiting, urination, diarrhea or convulsions. People can experience eye irritation, skin rash, mouth ulcers, vomiting, diarrhea and cold or flu-like symptoms.

DHHS officials recommend the following guidelines for swimmers and boaters in all freshwater areas in Humboldt County:

• Keep children, pets and livestock from swimming in or drinking water containing algal scums or mats.
• Adults should also avoid wading and swimming in water containing algal blooms. Try not to swallow or inhale water spray in an algal bloom area.
• If no algal scums or mats are visible, you should still carefully watch young children and warn them not to swallow any water.
• Fish should be consumed only after removing the guts and liver and rinsing fillets in tap water.
• Never drink, cook with or wash dishes with water from rivers, streams or lakes.
• Get medical attention immediately if you think that you, your pet or livestock might have been poisoned by blue-green algae toxins. Be sure to tell the doctor about possible contact with blue-green algae.

Human activities can dramatically affect nutrient and water flows in rivers, streams or lakes. Phosphorous and nitrogen found in fertilizers and animal and human waste can stimulate blooms. Water diversions can increase water temperatures and reduce flows.

People can take the following measures to reduce the occurrence of algal blooms in local waters:

• Be conservative with the use of water, fertilizers and pesticides on your lawn, garden or agricultural operation.
• Recycle any “spent” soil that has been used for intensive growing by tilling it back into gardens or protect it from rainfall to avoid nutrient runoff.
• Plant or maintain native plants around banks. These plants help filter water and don’t require fertilizers.
• Pump and maintain your septic system every three to four years.
• Prevent surface water runoff from agricultural and livestock areas.
• Prevent erosion around construction and logging operations.

For more information, contact the DHHS Division of Environmental Health at
(707) 445-6215 or 1-800-963-9241. The California Department of Public Health website also has more details at www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/environhealth/water/Pages/bluegreenalgae.aspx.

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Wave power developers planning a project off the Oregon Coast now have the nation's only federal permit to develop a commercial wave power park

8/20/12

Ocean Power Technologies, Inc., based in Pennington, N.J., said Monday it will be deploying the first buoy for testing sometime this year off Reedsport.

Charles Dunleavy, CEO of the publicly held company, said they hope to have the country's first commercial wave power park online within two or three years of securing full financing.

The project will include 10 buoys anchored 2 1/2 miles off the coast and covering about 30 acres. They will produce 1.5 megawatts - enough to power about 1,000 homes. An undersea cable will carry the power to a site slated for the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, and connect to the grid at a substation in Gardner.

The Oregon Coast has become a hotspot for wave power research and development. Atmocean, Inc., in Santa Fe, N.M., plans to test three buoys this year off Coos Bay. The Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Facility at Oregon State University recently towed out to sea near Newport the nation's first publicly available wave power test facility, called Ocean Sentinel. Oregon state is looking for a site to build a grid-connected test facility known as the Pacific Marine Energy Center.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued the 35-year permit to Ocean Power last week. A conditional permit issued for a project in Makah Bay, Wash., was returned in 2007, the agency said.

The first buoy is being built by companies in Oregon, including Oregon Ironworks in Clackamas, Vigor Marine in Portland, and American Bridge in Gardner. Ocean Power hopes to put the buoy in the Willamette River this fall, and tow it to the site off Reedsport, Dunleavy said.

The buoy harnesses the power of the ocean's waves through a float encircling the cylindrical buoy. The float goes up and down with the water while the buoy remains relatively stable. That motion is transferred to turning a generator, which produces electricity.

The final cost of the project is not determined, Dunleavy said. The company has a $4.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, $420,000 from the Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative, and a state business energy tax credit worth $900,000.

Ocean Power previously built the nation's first wave power project off Hawaii, Dunleavy said. It operated two years for the U.S. Navy, before being decommissioned last January.

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Read More in the Oregonian HERE

The Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has released an Initial Study and proposed Negative Declaration for the Dungeness Crab Trap Limit Program as required by Fish and Game Code (FGC) Section 8276.5.

The documents will be available for public comment and review through Sept. 10, 2012.

The project under review is DFG’s proposed regulations to implement the Dungeness Crab Trap Limit Program prior to the 2013-14 commercial Dungeness crab season.

Under statute, the Dungeness Crab Trap Limit Program must cap the number of crab traps in state waters at a number that is not yet known, but will be fewer than 175,000. To do so, the department is implementing new procedures that include assigning permit holders to one of seven tiers that will allow them to fish between 175 and 500 traps.

The initial study analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the proposed regulations, which describe how to apply for and use trap tags and buoy tags. The proposed regulations also describe procedures for how new biennial permits can be purchased and replaced if lost.

To obtain the materials, contact Christy Juhasz at DFG’s Santa Rosa office: (707) 576-2887 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. More information and online versions of the documents can be found at www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/invertebrate/traplimit_nd.asp.

All comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Sept. 10, 2012 and must include the commenter’s name, address and daytime telephone number. Comments may be submitted by mail to:

Additionally, comments may be submitted via e-mail (in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format only) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. If e-mailed, comments must include “Dungeness Crab Trap Limit Program CEQA Comments” in the subject line.