Oyster fallout

A Marin County oyster company accused of harming the ecosystem looks to be coming out on top in its fight against those claims.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and an independent panel of scientists have sided with Kevin Lunny, owner of Drakes Bay Oyster Co., who says the National Park Service fudged data supporting its claim the operation was harming the environment, reported the San Francisco Chronicle.

National Research Council biologists say they found no evidence that the oyster farm is hurting the bay, native eelgrass and harbor seals at its facility on Point Reyes National Seashore.

The oyster producer has drawn support from another high-profile person: the inspector general of the U.S. Interior Department. Lunny is attempting to renew his lease at the site, but Park Service officials say they don’t intend to grant the request.