Dem senators from 4 states ask NOAA to address whale deaths

By WAYNE PARRY
Associated Press

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Democratic U.S. Senators from four states want federal environmental officials to address a spate of whale deaths on both coasts. The request that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration address the issue was made by senators from New Jersey, Connecticut, Oregon and Rhode Island. It marked the first large-scale Democratic call for action on an issue that has rapidly become politicized, with mostly Republican lawmakers calling for a halt to offshore wind work while the deaths are investigated. Thirty whales have died on the East Coast since December, but NOAA says there is no evidence linking them with offshore wind preparation.