Endangered turtle scuppers casino project
21st January, 2008
A rare and endangered turtle known as the northern red-bellied cooter could put paid to plans for a new casino in the Massachusetts town of Middleborough.
The distinctive-looking and docile creature is confined to the ponds and wetlands in the state's Plymouth Count area and is classified as an endangered species by both local and federal officials.
Precisely what impact a proposed 500-acre casino site will have on the turtle is a moot point, but environmentalists insist plans by the Wampanoag Native American tribe could lead to its extinction and should be rejected.
Nancy Yeatts, chairwoman of the Lakeville Board of Selectmen, told the Boston Globe that the site would involve drawing 1.5 million gallons of ground water a day from local reserves, something that could have catastrophic consequences for the cooter's natural ecosystem.
Casino gambling has provided sorely needed income for Native American populations in recent decades, though the Las Vegas-style sites have also drawn criticism for allegedly betraying the indigenous people's culture.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs has issued a statement promising it will fully assess the environmental consequences before initiating construction.
