Boston鈥檚 sewage might soon become a problem for the Northern right whale,
a species on the verge of extinction. Some of the whales use Cape Cod Bay
as a feeding ground and nursery in winter and spring. When the city鈥檚 new
sewage disposal system comes into operation in 1995, the increased influx
of nutrients down the coast could put the whales at risk.
The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is spending $6 billion
to clean Boston harbour. In 1995, a new primary treatment plant will remove
about half the solids and pump some 1.9 billion litres of treated waste
a day through pipes to outlets up to 15 kilometres offshore.
The extent of the danger to the whales is not clear, but with only 350
of them left, everyone is being very cautious. 鈥楾he cause for concern is
that we don鈥檛 understand the system well enough to know that thereisn鈥檛
cause for concern,鈥� says Charles Mayo of the Center for Coastal Studies
in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
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The discharge requires a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency,
which is preparing a biological assessment of its impact on the whales required
under the Endangered Species Act. That report, in turn, must be reviewed
by the National Marine Fisheries Service, which looks out for sea mammals.
Virtually everyone agrees on the need for more data. Even the water agency
says: 鈥楾he more studies, the better it is for everybody.鈥�
