Fox River Home
Search
Index to Site
Recent Additions

Frequent Questions
Media Coverage
History
Statistics
Maps

PCB Chemistry
Human Health
Wildlife Health
Economic Damage
Corporate Profiles

Compensation
Sediment Cleanup
Cleanup Technologies

State Government
Federal Government
Local Government
Native Nations

International & Great Lakes
Technical Assistance
Other PCB Sites
Links

Photo Gallery
Political Cartoons

Message Board
Guestbook

1.  Where is the Government?   Why did scientific researchers and a private non-profit organization, the Environmental Working Group, have to publicize this problem before it got attention?   Where are the government food inspectors who are supposed to be protecting consumers?  Why isn't there an effective surveillance system for testing fish, notifying the public and stopping commerce in contaminated fish?  We pay taxes to support large government bureaucracies which are supposed to be on top of these things, but they seem to be sleeping.

2.  Why is this Happening?  Why is PCB contamination still so widespread?   Why has the government been so slow to eliminate the sources of PCBs in these fish?   Why isn't public health protection a greater priority?  Here on the Fox River, the governments have delayed PCB cleanup action for 30 years, and the recent cleanup decision would still allow significant contamination to remain.  (see Record of Decision)

3.  What About Public Health?   Why is the 2 ppm PCB standard issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for "acceptable" PCB consumption in commercially marketed fish so weak?  Several years ago, the eight Great Lakes states, after nearly 10 years of debate and study, established a uniform health standard of only 0.05 ppm PCBs, to be used for fish consumption warnings for Great Lakes sport anglers.   This lower number is still weaker than it should be --- it still allows a 1-in-10,000 cancer risk, as a political compromise among the state governments.   Even so, the much weaker federal standard is an outrage.  [see Human Health Effects of PCBs]

Here on the Fox River we have a similar concern.   The White Perch and Whitefish caught in the Fox River and Green Bay are included in the Wisconsin fish consumption advisories to warn people to limit their consumption of these fish, if they are caught by sport anglers, but because the FDA standard is so much weaker, the same fish are allowed to be sold to commercial markets to unsuspecting consumers in restaurants and grocery stores.  At the same time, health agencies are encouraging people to eat more fish, which is actually putting the public at risk due to lax PCB standards.  The contradictions are obvious and must not be allowed to continue.

The DNR recently issued a report on PCB and mercury contamination in Green Bay's White Perch, and discussed the potential for commercial sales.

Links to More Information

• PCBs in Farmed Salmon - July 30, 2003 Environmental Working Group
• Salmon packed with pollutants - Sept 18, 2003 Nature.com
• Salmon Farms Pose Significant Threat To Salmon Fisheries - Sept 9, 2003 ScienceDaily
• Tests show toxins in fish - Oct 29, 2003 DailyPress
• Farmed salmon said to contain high PCB levels - Oct 29, 2003 Alameda Times
• Is it safe to eat the salmon? - Oct 22, 2003 Star Telegram