Environmentalists sue in Mpls. over invasive fish virus
05/01/08
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Several environmental groups are suing the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies to force them to do more to protect Lake Superior fish from a deadly invasive virus.
The Save Lake Superior Association, the Izaak Walton League of Duluth and Minnesota and Wisconsin chapters of Trout Unlimited filed their lawsuit in federal court in Minneapolis on Monday.
They're asking the court to force the federal agencies to enforce regulations to prevent the uptake and discharge of ballast water from infected areas. They say it will prevent the spread of viral hemorrhagic septicemia, or VHS, to Lake Superior.
The federal agencies aren't commenting on the pending litigation, although a Coast Guard official notes the areas of concern must be defined before the Coast Guard can act.