U.S. troubled by Ukraine’s Danube Delta canal project

U.S. troubled by Ukraine’s Danube Delta canal project    The U.S. government said it was “deeply concerned” about the negative environmental impacts of a shipping channel project in the Ukraine’s Danube Delta region.
   The Ukraine government started construction on the project May 11.
   The U.S. government warned in a statement Monday that the route for the canal would likely “cause significant environmental destruction” to the Danube Delta’s Bystre Estuary. It also reminded the Ukraine government of its United Nations obligations to protect the environment.
   “The biosphere region of the Danube Delta provides crucial habitat for endangered species, vital nesting grounds for over 300 species of migratory birds and spawning grounds that support a vital herring fishery,” the U.S. government said.
   The U.S. government urged the Ukraine to conduct an environmental impact assessment for the proposed canal and to select a route that will minimize any environmental destruction.