Comment from Lajoie, Claudette
Claudette LajoieOpposeIndividual
Summary: An individual expresses concern regarding the potential negative impacts of offshore mineral development on Virginia's aquaculture industry, marine habitats, and coastal protection. They argue that the federal government has not sufficiently investigated how dredging operations could harm shellfish beds, migration routes for marine mammals, and the stability of barrier islands.
I am writing to express several concerns about the potential impacts of offshore mineral development off the coast of Virginia. Sufficient investigation and understanding of the potential effects of large-scale dredging operations has not been completed to fully understand the potential affect on the Eastern Shore’s aquaculture industry and the subsequent viability of shellfish beds. Changes to offshore seabed conditions could influence wave patterns and sediment movement that help maintain the region’s barrier islands, which provide natural protection from storms and erosion as well as of by generating sediment plumes capable of reducing water clarity and depositing fine sediments on shellfish beds. In addition, the coastline of the Eastern Shore is a major migration route for a number of marine mammals,
and the potential effects on marine habitats, must be clearly understood. The importance of clearly evaluating the possible effects on recreational and commercial fisheries that depend on productive offshore habitats is of paramount importance to the vitality of the Eastern Shore.