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Waterman group mustering support for potential suit
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WASHINGTON (Map, News) - A group representing Virginia’s seafood harvesters is looking to recruit a dozen similar organizations to potentially sue Virginia or the federal government for failing to halt the Chesapeake Bay’s environmental degradation, the group’s president said Thursday.
The Virginia Watermen’s Association has not decided whether to mount the lawsuit over the pollution that has dwindled harvests — and hurt their livelihoods — and members won’t decide for a few weeks while they try to bring together 12 other Virginia watermen groups, said President Dale Taylor, whose group discussed the issue at a meeting Wednesday night.
But support for such a suit has grown recently, with U.S. Rep. Robert Wittman, R-Va., and state Del. Albert Pollard, D-Lancaster, both backing the proposal. Watermen blame the government for inaction on the Bay’s declining health.
“They talk about it and talk about it, and not getting anything done at all,” Taylor said.
The Bay has been plagued by numerous environmental woes, including a long “dead zone” that doesn’t hold enough oxygen to support life, and officials say cleanup efforts have not progressed at a pace necessary to meet a 2010 deadline.
Watermen and environmentalists often spar over the extent to which overfishing contributes to the decline in the crab and oyster harvests, but both appear to agree that environmental degradation plays a major role.
“We have to not only improve water quality, but we have to reduce harvest pressure to protect the crab population,” said Chuck Epes, spokesman for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, who said the organization sympathizes with the watermen’s concerns.
Watermen in Maryland explored such a lawsuit based on the government not doing a “damn thing about the problem,” but ultimately decided against it, said Larry Simns, president of the Maryland Watermen’s Association. He said the group “supports anybody that tries to do something about cleaning the Bay up.”
“I wish them luck, but it’s a big battle, what they’re trying to do,” he said. “You can’t sue governments.”
wflook@dcexaminer.comz
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Examiner Reader said:
noboma to the rescue. LOL.
3 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
As usual, Bush doesn't have a clue.....especially when it comes to funding & the environment. Overpopulation, global warming, dumping, pollution and ignorance may be to blame but WE, as inhabitants on a planet we don't own, need to do something. We need to take responsibility, each person, doing our part to make a difference. Some may call it liberal, but in the days of Bush it is survival. I can proudly say I wasn't one of the folks who put him in office! Wake up people, rather than take advantage of the earth, try caring for it. Especially our water.
12 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Cardin is more of a problem then the Chesapeake Bay.He's a classic liberal gone crazy
2 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Bush is smart ,why throw all that tax payer money at democrates to use it other then the intended use. Thank you Mr President.
2 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Dont ask me for a handout to clean the bay. Go get it from the companies that dump their sludge into the bay in clear site.
2 agree | 2 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
No surprise. Maryland government continues to dump sewage into the bay from 32 polluting sewage plants and have done nothing to correct the problem other than blame others. Wake up folks, goverment is the problem not the solution.
4 agree | 3 disagree
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Ma said:
Excellent
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Nancy said:
If any liberals here would like to buy some carbon credits here I have them at $10 a share.You can buy some from me and I will reduce the warming of our climate.So if you want yo reduce global warming and save the Bay , get in touch with me.
4 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
There’s only one way to stop this have Martin O’Malley and the rest of those idiots in Annapolis tax it. Then we all will be safe.
2 agree | 3 disagree
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A giraffe dies said:
Sara Michael why is this news? I have a study that says if the sun burned out tomorrow, there would be wide-spread and catastrophic events world wide, including the chesapeake bay. By the way, scientific consesus now suggests we are in a period of global cooling for the next 10 years. Really..., meteorologists can't predict the weather on a day to day basis, but we should trust them on their predictions for 10 to 100 years out? And by the way, how is cow flatulence causing global warming on Mars because Mars has been warming over the last few years.
3 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
This planet has been around billions and billions of years and during that time has undergone numerous global calaminities including flooding, fire, etc. Frankly, part of the problem now is overpopulation but no one seems to find it politically correct to address it. Instead of trying to feed the masses, we ought to be instituting mandatory sterilization programs.
3 agree | 3 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Some scientists say we're about to experience about a decade of global cooling. If this occurs, won't polar ice caps thicken, thereby dropping sea levels? The bottom line is, there is insufficient evidence to declare global warming. Climate has been studied for about 100 years or so, but Earth is 6,000,000,000 years old. It is IMPOSSIBLE to make a conclusion with such limited information.
4 agree | 3 disagree
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Joe said:
The Liberals do more pollution on the bay then anybody else because they out number the rest of us! I approve of this message!
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Bill Clinton said:
There was a time in history that there was no Bay at all.And there was a time when the sea level was much higher then today.The earth is always changing in slow motion taking hundreds and thousands of years to do so.The idea that we the human race can these kind of changes is crazy.To all you LIBERALS or PROGRESSIVES whatever you like to be , you show your stupidity!
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Examiner Reader said:
Steve, trash in the harbor comes from litterers not garbage cans. Maryland is full of Liberal litterers that are more concerned with CO2 than the garbage they discard into the environment, which is real pollution. No surprise, they elected O’Malley.
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Puzzled said:
By the time the POLS get through cuting up the pie there will be little good come out of all these millions!
80 agree | 79 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Thank you Dutch for looking out for the bay and the children of MD. All talk and no action Scientists lazy monkeys can get off their computers now and get out in the feild and do some clean up work for a change. Sick and tired of them living off the poor polluted taxpayers complaints?? Problems have solutions (like the chicken poop and feed washing in the bay) These scientist are afraid of a real perminant solution: Baltimore, Oxford , Horn Point Dorchester County and the Chesapeake Foundation oro maybe they were not qualified to fix the Chesepeake. Many say the Chesepeake is not fixable, no faith.
79 agree | 85 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I have worked on and have been around the bay for more than 55 years. In all those years they have been dumping 100s of millions of dollars studing the bay (oysters ,crabs , pollution and repeating the same studies in many location. These locations include Baltimore, Oxford , Horn Point Dorchester County and the Chesapeake Foundation. Seems to me that we could study the Bay for hundreds of years and throw study money at the bay and never solve any problems What the Bay needs is action!!! Enought Study!!! If many years ago we had used those MILIONS of dollars toward more and updated waste treatment plants around the Bay area I think we would not have our Bay in this bad shape. The Scientist love to study, but we need action. I think this may not be a course in college. The CBF may do alot for Bay problem awareness but I think by now we are all aware that there is a great problem. By the way how much does the CBF boss make,he shure has a great palace to work in. No More Study!
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City Resident said:
LOL
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Examiner Recipient said:
I think it's an interesting hypocritical note that your newspapers end up all over the street in my neighborhood, get soaked and washed down the sewers, get delivered even after 4 requests to stop leaving them, and you can write an article about pollution as if you don't contribute to it. please don't deliver trash and leave it on the steet.
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Tinker said:
Long, long overdue!
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Hmmm? said:
"The legislature shouldn’t enumerate which programs should receive funding, because the Bay’s needs change year to year, said Sen. Brian Frosh, D-District 13" That's why you pass budgets annually and that's exactly the job of the legistlature. DUH!!! Seriously, these are the dems that you folks keep electing. Why was this passed in a legislative special session? If you're providing a trust fund to be spent in future years then how can you possibly include that as part of the so called "budget shortfall" which I implore anyone to show me because to date the budget has yet to be submitted so not sure how you can have a shortfall for a budget htat hasn't been submitted. How stupid are the MD people? Come on and WAKE UP!
111 agree | 101 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
and we are suppose to believe a governor that has done nothing but lie to us since the day he began to run for governor. I think not !!!!!!!
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Sven said:
How many time have we heard this story.There is no will to get the job done!
125 agree | 110 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Green roofs and water runoff are needed on the many tributaries to the Chesepeake Bay, illegal dumpings, over development and continued depletion of natural recources adjacent. Great leaders need to step up and purchase or place moratoriums in these areas. Yes, that is you, all the Great leaders. Keep Md clean. Communicate, not rocket science M'Lords. Hire more environmentalist for solutions and environmental crime lawyers for all those illegal dumpers. Its just a crime. All of the childrens future. Get her done.
117 agree | 251 disagree
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Sven said:
Lot of lip service paid to the bays problems and a lot of money spent BUT the problem will never be solved till we really get serious!
121 agree | 104 disagree
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avid reader said:
When we have trashed and raped the bay as we have done over the years what do you expect?
126 agree | 127 disagree
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Preposition change said:
"What was once thousands of tons of concrete for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge" is now thousands of tons of concrete under the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.
160 agree | 161 disagree
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