There is virtually no clamming taking place on the Wood Island flats since a fuel leak of undetermined size and origin took place sometime last year. What we know for certain is that the clams died following a collision with a substance like jet fuel, which is toxic for the clams.
We know the clams all died. We know there is no clamming. What we don’t know is who is responsible and what exactly ought to be done?
What is unusual and frustrating is that no one wants to take responsibility for the spill and for the clam beds once so alive and now so dead.
If this happened in Florida or in California officials in those states would have read the riot act to everyone involved.
Here, virtually nothing has been done and no news is forthcoming from officials at Logan who should be willing to take responsibility if it is an incident that needs to be resolved.
We get the strong feeling that the loss of the Wood Island clam flats is not considered much of a loss by airport officials.
Nor has the spill caught the interest of environmental officials.
The clammers, who for many years earned a living digging clams in the Flats, are bitter and discouraged. As well they should be.
They have lost part of their livelihood due to a fuel spill.
We ask environmental officials to investigate the circumstances of the jet fuel spill and to compare that with the dead condition of the clamming flats.
Once that investigation has been carried out, the public will know who is to blame and maybe then those who caused the spill and the subsequent death of the Wood Island clam flats can be made to pay to make them right again.
That would be the fair and just thing to do.