Northampton frustrated over fish and fowl fouling

Northampton County Board Chair Betsy Mapp and Administrator Charlie Kolakowski have set up two meetings to address the recent fish and chicken spills.

According to Kolakowski, Mapp and he, along with Senator Lynwood Lewis, have set a meeting with the Virginia Marine Resources Commissioner Jamie Green to discussed the recent ‘fouling’ of beaches in Silver Beach and Kiptopeke.

“The situation is intolerable,” said Kolakowski.

He reported to the board he planned to lobby the VMRC to adopt ‘increased and better regulations’ on the commercial harvesting of menhaden.

Supervisor John Coker asked Kolakowski to push hard on the VMRC to require Omega’s trawlers to operate well off the Eastern Shore’s coast.

“We get no benefit, zero, no jobs from Omega,” said Supervisor John Coker. “Tourism is an important industry, we can’t tolerate this.”

Kolakowski also has set up a meeting for a different type of fowling, that pertaining to the recent chicken part spill which occurred along various parts of Northampton County over the weekend.

“The Virginia State Police and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality are very engaged and taking this seriously,” said Kolakowski.

He reported he may seek legislative assistance for this problem, such as asking the Virginia General Assembly to require enclosed trailers for rendering trucks.

Coker also addressed the chicken spill.

“I literally drove through a gut pile in my car leaving the concert at the park on Saturday night,” he said. “My wife’s car still stinks.”

Chairwoman Betsy Mapp concluded telling Kolakowski “in other words, don’t chicken out.”

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