Regarding Mr. Mullaney’s letter, “Shellfish make river cleaner,” (Sept. 26). Is he aware Waterford and East Lyme shellfish commission (WELSCO) exceeded their statutory and ordinance authority and created a lease area specifically to accommodate NBSF and then licensed it with no authority, no public notice, no review by town authorities and no public hearing? WELSCO’s aquaculture policy requires projects “…be on an experimental basis only, limited in their size, scope and duration” and are not to “…create a hazard or lessen the use of the Niantic River." And, "If aquaculture projects are successful, the applicant understands no ongoing operation will be allowed at the conclusion of the experiment.”

We can’t have our commissions violating statutory authority and deciding in a vacuum to remove acres of public space. The application is devoid of professional engineering, scientific or environmental site studies. The proposed gear is known to significantly reduce tidal currents, limit dispersal of feces and increase the natural sedimentation process by orders of magnitude. If we are going to put an aquaculture project in the river it, at the very least, ought to follow the statutory process and be fully vetted. The educated among us at least know that.

Terry Lineberger

Waterford