On Wednesday, November 4th our Skipper, Paul,two other volunteers and I did the weekly kayak pollution patrol and litter pickup on Lake Union. We worked  sections of the west and east side of the south end and found an average amount of the usual mix of litter.
 
Three items of concern noted on the east side of Lake Union in the area of the old burned out NOAA piers are discussed below: 

• Oil Sheen. Just north of the NOAA piers was an oil sheen on the water in front of a houseboat with a small barge-like vessel nearby. The sheen was about 100 feet in length.
• Machining Debris. We spotted a large amount of machining debris including metal turnings at the water's edge just south of the NOAA piers. The  debris appears to have been dumped over the bank and then covered with a layer of dirt. The lapping of the waves is now washing away the dirt layer and uncovering the dumped material.
• Burned out NOAA Piers. This area is becoming an eyesore of blight on the east side of Lake Union with implications on safety issues and potential for pollution problems, including an entrapment area for litter. With the recent heavy rains one wonders what possible contaminants are being washed off the charred pilings and timbers into the lake waters. Also two active small pipe out falls were seen under the piers.

Submitted by regular volunteer, Tom Foley