Report Summary

Report Contents

Risk Assessment
Review and Analysis

Feasibility Study
Review and Analysis

Proposed Cleanup (Action) Levels for
the Fox River and
Green Bay

Literature Cited

Complete Report
for easy printing

Report PDF File

About Dr. Foran

Dr. Foran's CV (PDF)

Technigal Assistance
Grant (TAG)

Dr. Foran to speak Jan 14 at Door County Public Program

Dec. 13, 2001

(Green Bay, WI )  A toxicologist has released an 18 page formal report evaluating health risk assessments used by the U.S. EPA and Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) for planning the Fox River and Green Bay PCB cleanup.  Dr. Jeffery Foran was hired by Clean Water Action Council on behalf of a coalition of local and regional citizen groups, with funding provided by a Superfund Technical Assistance Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

“Approximately 40,000 individuals in the Fox River and Green Bay region are faced with PCB cancer risks similar to smoking two to three packs of cigarettes a day.  Other, non-cancer health risks are also extremely high.   Their PCB exposure is primarily through contaminated fish and waterfowl consumption,” explained Dr. Foran.  “These risks must be addressed immediately.”

“Unfortunately, the proposed cleanup would fail to protect public health,” concluded Dr. Jeffery Foran,   “The governments’ PCB cleanup standard must be at least 4 times stronger.   Sediment PCB levels remaining after cleanup should be no more than .25 ppm (parts per million), in order to achieve reasonable health protection.  Otherwise, the plan will not meet its stated objectives.” 

The governments propose to leave behind an average of 1 ppm PCBs, four times higher than levels that will protect public health and wildlife. Two years ago, the Wisconsin DNR had proposed .25 ppm as the cleanup standard, but this has been seriously weakened in the current proposed plan.

“The stronger standard would achieve rapid results, protecting public health as soon as the dredging is completed,” added Dr. Foran.  “I saw no reasonable justification for the government’s weaker standard, which would force the public to wait 7, 40 or even 100 years after dredging.”

The lack of a Bay cleanup is another serious concern identified by Dr. Foran.  “Without bay cleanup, extremely high health risks will continue for more than 100 years.  Such high risks are clearly unacceptable under standard government policies used throughout the country.” Dr. Foran recommends a .25 ppm cleanup standard for the lower bay, for minimum health protection.  This would also greatly reduce PCB flows to the upper bay and Lake Michigan.

Dr. Foran's report will be available online Friday, December 14 

Highlights of the Report (Summary)
Dr. Foran’s Background
Dr. Foran's CV (PDF)

For more information, call Dr. Foran at  (414) 271-7280

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