Political Quotes

“I want to thank Senators Gramm, Hollings and Levin for working with me to find an appropriate solution to the zebra mussel problem that has overtaken the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain. For Senators who may not be familiar with the zebra mussel, I want to briefly describe the challenge facing the State of Vermont. Zebra mussels, which are tiny, fresh-water mollusks the size of my thumbnail, threaten to choke off 25 percent of Vermont's drinking water, clog our hatcheries and unravel the Lake Champlain ecosystem. We did not ask for the mussels, but we got them. I was scuba diving in Lake Champlain this summer and was shocked to find mussels taking over the lake bottom, historic ship wrecks included. The zebra mussel problem in Lake Champlain deserves immediate and swift action. This pest poses a serious risk to the water resources throughout Vermont, economic opportunities along the lake, and the health and safety of Vermonters. In the not-so-distant future, some Vermonters may turn on their taps to find nothing flowing, as these mussels have blocked water intakes and delivery systems up and down the shoreline.”