GLIN==> Save The River Responds to Seaway Icebreaking Study

*Save The River Responds to Seaway Icebreaking Study -
April 12, 2010
*

Save The River applauds the work of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and Mohawk
Council of Akwesasne in pushing for answers to the many concerns surrounding
icebreaking and winter shipping on the St. Lawrence Seaway.  Unfortunately,
the Seaway agencies are inappropriately using the study results to imply
that this one, narrow study puts to rest the issue of winter shipping and
icebreaking on the St. Lawrence River.

First, the study was very limited in scope, only examining the physical
shoreline impacts of icebreaking and only assessing a small 60-mile stretch
of the River from the Snell Locks to Lake St. Francis. The study does not
address many of the questions raised by River communities and state and
federal agencies over the years including – what are the impacts of
icebreaking and winter shipping on fish and wildlife habitat and population;
what is the capacity and ability of the Seaway and related agencies to clean
up spills and respond to shipping accidents in ice conditions; how does
icebreaking impact narrow channels and natural shorelines in the Thousand
Island region? While the research in this study may be valuable in
furthering our understanding of impacts of icebreaking on tribal lands, it
is entirely inappropriate for the Seaway to imply that the results of this
study can be extrapolated to make recommendations about impacts of
icebreaking on the length of the Seaway.

Second, despite the declarations of collaboration and partnership included
in the Seaway’s press release, it is important to note that the only reason
the Seaway engaged in this study was because it was forced to as the result
of a lawsuit brought by the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and Mohawk Council of
Akwesasne. It is high time that the Seaway embarks on a good-faith effort to
share information openly and willingly with all stakeholders along the
River. A strong first step in this effort would be for the Seaway to respond
to Save The River’s recent rulemaking petition, filed in mid-February. This
legal petition simply requests the Seaway to put in writing, as required by
law, it’s procedures for setting the Seaway’s opening date.

At the end of the day, it is clear that we have more questions than answers
about the Seaway’s increasingly common practices of icebreaking and winter
shipping. Before Seaway managers can state that icebreaking and winter
shipping has ‘no impacts’, a full, transparent, and impartial investigation
of the risks and impacts of these practices is necessary.

###

For more information, contact Jennifer Caddick, Save The River's Executive
Director, at (315) 686-2010 or jennifer at savetheriver.org. Also, visit Save
The River's website, www.savetheriver.org, for more information about the
winter shipping issue.


*********************
Jennifer J. Caddick
Executive Director, Save The River
Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper

409 Riverside Drive
Clayton, NY 13624
Phone: (315) 686-2010
Cell: (315) 767-2802
Fax: (315) 686-3632
http://www.savetheriver.org
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