Foster's Daily Democrat, July 4, 1997.
The following Letter to the Editor was submitted to the Democrat by three concerned M&Mers after seeing the effects of the Piscataqua River oil spill.
"Damage Underestimated."
To the editor:
We are students at the Math and Marine Science Program at UNH. This program involves learning about the effects of oil spills on marine organisms. We are writing in regard to the article printed Tuesday in your paper concerning the oil spill.
You stated that no wildlife had been affected. However, that statement is false. Today we did a transect at Hilton Park, where evidence of the oil spill is obvious. Oil can be seen floating on the water and clinging to various forms of seaweed. Oil can affect seaweed down to the microscopic level. Other organisms such as periwinkles, amphipods, and limpets eat this seaweed, and as you know, are in turn consumed by larger animals. This means that the oil spill will have an effect on many of the wildlife species living in the Great Bay estuary.
Dave Tordoff from the EPA also commented yesterday, saying that the real impacts won't be seen until a week after the oil spill. Therefore, your saying that there were no effects on the wildlife is incorrect.
Thank you for your time, we are sure that this mistake was unintentional.
Elizabeth Chase
Amy Cybart
Jennifer Roy
Math and Marine Science Program
University of New Hampshire
Durham, NH
