Four years ago, the owners of the SS Badger ferry said they would look for ways to switch from coal to another power source for the ferry and hoped to make the changes this year, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Nothing has happened, and now the owners are asking for more time and for a permit that would keep it operating as is, which includes dumping 500 tons of coal ash into Lake Michigan every year.
We say no. Four years should have been sufficient time for the owners to find a way around the problem - switching to diesel engines, storing the ash on board, something - and now it's time for some accountability.
Journal Sentinel On Board Denying New Permit For S.S. Badger
As someone who's been writing about the issue for years (samples from 2009, 2010, 2011, and earlier this year,) I am happy to see the Journal Sentinel editorial supporting any further extension for the operation of the coal-burning S.S. Badger's Lake Michigan operations until the ship stops dumping coal ash into the water:
