Free Republic

Coastal Development Threatens Ocean Health WASHINGTON, DC, April 18, 2002 (ENS) - Development along the U.S. coastline is linked to the declining health of the nation's ocean habitats and resources, a new report shows. Within 15 years, an additional 27 million people are estimated to live in coastal counties, which comprise just 17 percent of the nation's area. A new report prepared for the independent Pew Oceans Commission and released this week links this growth along the coasts to declining ocean health. "Americans have long enjoyed living, working, and playing along the coasts," said Leon Panetta, former White House...

Most U.S. Coastal Waters Polluted WASHINGTON, DC, April 2, 2002 (ENS) - Almost half the nation's coastal waters are so polluted that their usefulness to humans and their ability to support aquatic life are impaired, finds a new report by a quartet of federal agencies. The study, the first environmental report card on the condition of the nation's coastal waters, rates the quality of these resources as fair to poor. The report finds environmental problems facing most of the nation's estuaries: the highly productive regions where fresh water meets the salty seas. (All photos courtesy EPA National Estuary Program)...