Page 6 - atoday oct 1

A6

U.S. NEWSThursday 1 October 2015

Volkswagen:

‘Nothing has changed’ at Tennessee plant despite scandal

Employees work at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. While the full effect on demand Associated Press usual feel of the plant, pro-
for Volkswagen’s non-diesel vehicles remains to be seen, some Tennessee officials fear for job CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) duction of diesel-engine
prospects at the plant that currently employs 2,400, where the average hourly wage is about $21 — Inside Volkswagen’s only vehicles has been put on
and perks include reduced-cost leases on VW vehicles with free insurance coverage. U.S. assembly plant there’s hold by VW until they get
little hint of the diesel emis- more clarity on the conse-
(AP Photo/Erik Schelzig) sions cheating scandal quences of the emissions
embroiling the German scandal, which has al-
automaker around the ready led to the CEO’s res-
world. Sparks fly off robotic ignation, cost the compa-
welding arms, new versions ny billions of dollars in lost
of the Passat sedan roll off stock value and unleashed
the line and workers install a flood of lawsuits. The car-
equipment to build a new maker has admitted that 11
SUV billed as a key to reviv- million of its diesel vehicles
ing the company’s growth worldwide were fitted with
prospects in America. a program that duped U.S.
“Nothing has changed, testers into believing the
and the factory con- vehicles meet environmen-
struction goes on,” plant tal standards. And while
spokesman Scott Wilson the full effect on demand
told The Associated Press for Volkswagen’s remain-
on a tour of the sprawling ing vehicles remains to be
facility where Volkswagen seen, some Tennessee offi-
plans to add 2,000 jobs as cials fear for job prospects
it expands the facility by 30 at the plant that currently
percent. employs 2,400, where the
But despite the business-as- average hourly wage is
about $21 and perks in-
Officials: clude reduced-cost leases
on VW vehicles with free
Key fishing area for Atlantic cod in dire shape insurance coverage. Ten-
nessee Gov. Bill Haslam
PATRICK WHITTLE of cod each time the net erations of New England dire shape — the National said the scandal presents
Associated Press went in and out of the wa- fishermen have relied upon Marine Fisheries Service a “big hit” to Volkswagen’s
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — ter last spring, compared to to make a living. scientists said last year the status in the United States.
One of the two critical ar- more than three times that Regulators and marine sci- amount of cod spawning “My primary concern is
eas where New England amount two years earlier. entists have said overfish- in the Gulf was estimated getting Volkswagen back
fishermen search for cod Those numbers were rou- ing hit the stock hard and to be 3 to 4 percent of its to where they’re in a mode
may be in even worse tinely more than 20 pounds warming oceans could be target level. to sell cars,” Haslam said.
shape than suspected. per trip in the late 1980s. making it worse. The Northeast Fisheries Sci- “Because, if they’re not
Fishing managers already The status of cod in Georg- “Is that coming as a sur- ence Center gave the selling cars, those 2,000-
knew cod stocks in Georg- es Bank, a broad swath of prise from anybody who report to The Associated plus people working in
es Bank were thin, but new elevated sea floor off of knows what the water tem- Press on Tuesday. The status Chattanooga’s life is going
data from the Northeast Massachusetts, could mo- perature is out there? No, it of the Georges Bank cod to look different.”
Fisheries Science Center tivate regulators to again shouldn’t be,” said David was the subject of a pre- Workers at the plant have
says research boats caught lower catch quotas for the Goethel, a New Hampshire- sentation to federal fishing largely remained mum on
less of the fish this past area. Quotas have plum- based fisherman. “These managers on Wednesday the scandal. Mike Cantrell,
spring than in all but one meted from more than fish are declining because in Plymouth, Massachu- a quality control worker
spring season dating back 4,800 metric tons in 2012 to of climate change.” setts. The New England Fish- at the plant, said an ini-
to 1968. less than 2,000 metric tons Regulators say the Gulf of ery Management Council tial wave apprehension
A report from the cen- this year. Maine, home of the other will likely set a fishing quota among his colleagues has
ter states that the boats It’s more bad news for the key cod fishing ground off for Georges Bank cod in eased as operations at
caught about 3.3 pounds faltering fishery, which gen- of New England, is also in December.q the Chattanooga factory
have moved forward.q