beyond fossil fuels

Action Update: Who foots the bill for an oil spill?

April 2, 2024

Last month we sent out an action alert regarding the Washington State Department of Ecology’s rulemaking. This rulemaking will establish financial responsibility requirements for refineries, pipelines, and other large bulk oil handling facilities. Here’s an update on all the progress made! Thanks to everyone that made comments and amplified our action alert. The final rule ... read more

Who Foots the Bill for an Oil Spill?

February 14, 2024

Ensure Accountability from the Oil Industry The specter of a large oil spill looms over our region, casting a shadow of potential devastation. The stakes are high. At risk are our environment, economy, and cultural resources; the vulnerable Southern Resident killer whales and their dwindling food source, chinook salmon; the forage fish that nurture the ... read more

Take a stand against big oil in support of the Salish Sea!

December 15, 2023

Update: 2024 is off to a good start! Huge thanks to the incredible response from community members who sent comments on this issue. Whatcom County will likely be issuing a revised MDNS and hopefully it will address the project's potential vessel traffic impacts. You can view Whatcom County's memo here. Make sure you are signed ... read more

Friends’ Action Ensures Refinery Project Will Not Impact Southern Resident killer whales

September 25, 2023

Friends of the San Juans took action against Whatcom County’s permit decision for a Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery project, involving a new pipe bridge and relocating underground pipelines to above-ground. Phillips 66’s application lacked clarity about the purpose of these pipes, including their potential role in crude oil or refined product transfers at the refinery’s ... read more

Important Lessons Learned From an Oil Spill

September 21, 2022

On Saturday, September 17th, the fishing vessel ALEUTIAN ISLE was successfully lifted more than 200 feet from the ocean floor, five weeks after it sank off the west side of San Juan Island. On September 20th the remaining fuel onboard the vessel was removed. Friends of the San Juans is grateful that the threat of ... read more

Phillips 66 Canceled Their Permit Following Legal Action From Friends of the San Juans

September 21, 2022

More good news resulting from Friends’ legal victory against fossil-fuel giant Phillips 66: The permit that was litigated has been officially withdrawn and the project to construct two new storage tanks has been canceled. Had the permit been issued, the storage tanks would have increased the Phillips 66 refinery’s operational storage capacity by nearly 10%, ... read more

Friends scores a win for orca protection

March 17, 2022

Friends of the San Juans recently scored a decisive legal victory against fossil-fuel giant Phillips 66, representing an important win for critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales. On February 28th, the Washington State Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Friends in a lawsuit regarding Phillips 66’s expansion of its Ferndale, WA, refinery. In 2019 ... read more

Tell Insurance Companies: Stop Providing Coverage for Canada’s Trans Mountain Pipeline

June 14, 2021

It’s the “Stop Insuring Trans Mountain: Week of Action” (6/14-21) – targeting the insurance companies enabling the continued operation and expansion of Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline. Click here to get involved today! 
tags:
pipeline

Comp Plan Update: What future do you want for our community?

February 11, 2021

For many decades, working on behalf of and with our members, Friends of the San Juans has been diligently engaging in updates to San Juan County’s official Comprehensive Plan. Known as the “Comp Plan,” it guides how our community will look in the future. The County’s Comp Plan sets goals and priorities that guide the ... read more
tags:
climate action

BREAKING: Xylene Manufacture and Export in Anacortes Stopped!

January 4, 2020

Victory in the Salish Sea! Xylene will NOT be manufactured and exported from the Anacortes refinery! An additional 120 tank vessel transits will NOT impact Southern Resident orcas, our economy, our marine ecosystem, and shoreline communities with increased vessel noise and the increased risk of accidents and spills. [NOTE: not just oil spills – xylene spills ... read more
tags:
orca, species protection

I look at the Friends of the San Juans as sort of like a guard dog. They are the first ones to bark if there is any danger to anything that needs protection. They are the ones that make the first sounds that say “Wake Up!”

Shaun Hubbard

member, San Juan Island and Seattle

Friends’ mission is to bring people and nature together to protect the San Juans Islands and the Salish Sea through education, science, policy and law. Friends of the San Juans does not engage in political endorsements. As a nonpartisan organization, we cannot speak to individual candidates’ qualifications.
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Friday Harbor, WA 98250

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