COMMENTARY: Don't throw the Badger out with the lake water

[News]

As a Michigan native with a regional perspective on job creation and environmental quality, I support the S.S. Badger's efforts to develop a cleaner method to power the ship. The ship has been powered by coal for decades.

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[fishy1]

Mr. Barker must not of ever slipped a boat in either of the marinas in ludington. I have had a boat in both marinas and get to see the effects of the fly ash the Badger releases on a daily basis. I don't wish to see the badger discontinue service but it seems this issue has been going on for ages and every time a deadline nears the owners who are well connected politically manage to donate sums of money to these congressional represenatives and magically the Badger gets another exempetion.

If the owners of the Badger were true businessmen why can't they find a solution or even purchase new vessels such as what was done in Muskegon ?

Instead they continue to pollute the lake and surronding communities were the dock, what right do they have to destroy everyones personal property.

It is the same as your neighbors large dog being allowed to use your yard everyday for its own bathroom without recourse.

[danthebuilder]

Mr. Barker must not of ever slipped a boat in either of the marinas in ludington. I have had a boat in both marinas and get to see the effects of the fly ash the Badger releases on a daily basis. I don't wish to see the badger discontinue service but it seems this issue has been going on for ages and every time a deadline nears the owners who are well connected politically manage to donate sums of money to these congressional represenatives and magically the Badger gets another exempetion.

If the owners of the Badger were true businessmen why can't they find a solution or even purchase new vessels such as what was done in Muskegon ?

Instead they continue to pollute the lake and surronding communities were the dock, what right do they have to destroy everyones personal property.

It is the same as your neighbors large dog being allowed to use your yard everyday for its own bathroom without recourse.

I really appreciate the local knowledge on this matter. What does this ash do? I imagine it would raise mercury levels in the fish. How does it hurt your dock? I imagine it just gets everything super super dirty. Probably need the muskegon guy to claim he will buy a boat & put it in ludington. It doesn't make financial sense to buy a new boat when you can bribe i'm sorry "donate" a couple hundred thousand to the politicians & get out of spending millions on a new boat.

[fishy1]

The fly ash contains mercury and we all know about the fish advisories about mecury contamination in our fish, this is a issue that should concern all fisherman in lake michigan because we all know how the current in the lake has spead this around.

As far as the damage the fly ash causes it destroys the canvas on your boat as well as discolors your gel coat,I have used about every cleaner know and once it discolors something you will never be able to restore it .

It's also nice when you go out fishing and grab a rod and when you look you see you hand are black from the ash, I wish more oressure was applied to them to convert it over and quit polluting the lake.

I keep hearing how it is a 'Historic Vessel' well with that reasoning what about all of the 'historic' coal fired power plants that the EPA made clean up thier emissions.