The American Samoa governor, Togiola Tulafono, has called on the U.S. Department of Transportation to build roads that avoid polluting the ocean.
The governor made the call during a meeting early this month of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force held in Puerto Rico.
Togiola says presently roads allow sediments and other pollutants to enter coastal waters and affect the coral reefs.
He says the Department of Transportation also has to ensure that water discharged into the sea is environmentally acceptable.
The Department of Transportation is part of a Task Force, which includes other federal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which has been asked to develop an integrated road building plan in key areas.
