EPA sued over ocean acidification

The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency for allegedly failing to take seriously the damaging effects of fossil fuels on the waters off of the Oregon Coast.

The suit, filed Tuesday in federal court in Portland, alleges that fossil fuel use has increased ocean acidification in Oregon’s coastal waters, harming the ecosystem and killing shellfish.

“Ocean acidification is wreaking havoc on Oregon’s coastal waters while the Trump administration ignores the dire threat created by our fossil fuel addiction,” said Emily Jeffers, an attorney for the advocacy group. “This pollution is already harming Oregon’s oysters and plankton that whales and salmon depend on.”

A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency said they do not comment on pending litigation.

Ocean acidification is a chemical imbalance that strips ocean water of calcium carbonate, an important nutrient for shellfish growth. The Pacific Northwest is among the most vulnerable regions in the world to the changing ocean chemistry.

A 2015 survey of shellfish farmers, conducted by Oregon State University, found that 75 percent of those asked reported some level of concern over ocean acidification. Of those respondents who said they have been affected by ocean acidification, 97 percent reported financial damage, while 68 percent cited emotional stress.

The lawsuit seeks to compel the federal government to “identify and finalize” rules that would protect Oregon waters from ocean acidification.