As your constituent, I am writing today to strongly urge you to ban open water disposal in Puget Sound and the Columbia River.
Puget Sound is home to Orca whales oysters, clams, shrimp, salmon and crab. Fishing has always been a mainstay of Washington%u2019s natural resource economy.
Some experts warn that Puget Sound Orcas could be extinct in 100 years if we don%u2019t take steps to stop pollution and industrial contamination. Oyster larvae is dying in record numbers in South Puget Sound, because oyster larvae can not form a shell and attach itself to a rock or other stable surface.
In water disposal smothers shellfish at the disposal site. In water disposal also adversely impacts marine organisms living downstream from dumping.
Fish crab and shellfish can absorb chemicals found in contaminated dredged materials, like Dioxin, PCBs, Arsenic, and Mercury. In turn, toxic chemicals absorbed by smaller organisms are transferred to larger mammals, like Orcas, Harbor Seals and humans.
The Governors of Maryland and Michigan have already banned the practice of open water disposal in Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes after studies demonstrated that contaminated sediment is harming the environment.
Please help us protect Puget Sound from the irresponsible practice of open water disposal by signing this petition.
Together, we can make a difference!
