The U.S. Army has been dredging waterways to enlarge ship navigation channels. The process involves sucking sediment from the bottom of the ocean and redistributing it into the ecosystem, where it harms marine life. Now, Florida's endangered corals are suffering from the effects of deep dredge sludge, including the sediment itself and warmer water temperatures resulting from the project.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) support local scientists' and environmental activists' concerns about dying endangered corals. Local boat captain Dan Kipnis says, "Once we inflict enormous environmental damage on the bay, we can't go back. This could be a permanent setback to the bay as we know it."
Endangered species protections exist for a reason, and all agencies need to respect them. Please sign the petition to urge the Army Corps of Engineers to redesign their dredge project so as not to harm endangered corals!
We, the undersigned, are concerned with the environmental impacts of your ongoing dredging projects. As you know, the dredging process involves sucking sediment from the bottom of the ocean and redistributing it into the ecosystem, where it harms marine life. Now, Florida's endangered corals are suffering from the effects of deep dredge sludge, including the sediment itself and warmer water temperatures resulting from the project.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) support local scientists' and environmental activists' concerns about dying endangered corals. Local boat captain Dan Kipnis says, "Once we inflict enormous environmental damage on the bay, we can't go back. This could be a permanent setback to the bay as we know it."
Endangered species protections exist for a reason, and all agencies need to respect them. We respectfully urge you to redesign their dredge project so as not to harm endangered corals. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
