The Marine Environmental Consortium was founded in 1985 to regulate salmon farming in Puget Sound. The organization disbanded sometime in the 2000's.
In 1985, salmon farms were first introduced to Puget Sound. The Griffin Bay Preservation Committee (located in the San Juan Islands) along with 20 to 23 other organizations banded together to form the Marine Environmental Consortium which was chaired by Arthur Whiteley. The organization's mission was to get salmon farming regulated. A number of legal suits ensued, which included a 23 day trail with the Pollution Control Hearing Board (a branch of the Environmental Protection Agency). There were other trials in the state judicial system.
The Marine Environmental Consortium (MEC) resulted in two major outcomes: 1) the Federal Clean Water Act concluded that salmon farms were point-source polluters, and, 2) that escaped foreign species - like Atlantic salmon - constituted a biological pollutant.
The collection consists of depositions and other legal documents, witness files, reports, press releases, environmental impact statements, files relating to aquaculture in other areas, correspondence, photographs, and other materials relating to the activities of the Marine Environment Consortium.
Open to all users.
Material stored offsite; advance notice required for use.
The creators' literary rights have been transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Source: Arthur Whiteley, 2011 January 04