Document 44jVN5MLL2Dqvb3M9jrL4rdzj

w ome veteran coal miner* in the SAppalachians no to work carrying dinner pell in one hand and a caned canary in the other. The Hide Mrd la their safeguard against death. Per tome unknown reaeon, a canary is particularly susceptible to deadly mine eeet. It succumbs et first whiff, well before men is affected. If the canary suddenly stops singing and topples over, miners drop their tools end flee to (he surface. New York State is now involved in s similar effort with fish -- using them to warn of poison in our water supply. What these fish are teNing us now could be Important to everyone's -health in the future. The first reports are frightening, grim and don't make pleasant breakfast reading. According to the Department of En vironmental Conservation, the state has approximately JO sampling stations on line in a statewide water monitoring program. Samples ere taken on a continuing basis in the Hudson, St. Lawrence and Mohawk rivers, the Finger Lakes. Lakes Brie and Ontario, marina coastal areas and other important state waterways. Varied species of fish and core samples of silts end sediments ere sent to the department's Rome laboratory for testing for harmful industrial chemicals and for agricultural pesticides. Many of these chemicals latch Into the round water even if not discharged directly into water as waste. The slate's water survey is part of a federal program. The U.S. Pith end Wild life Service has 100 stations across the country in he National Pesticide Monitoring ftogrem. It likewise uses fish in its warning system. Fresh water fish go 10 the Fish-Pesticide Research Laboratory at Columbia. Mo., and upstate* Qutdoorsman FLOYD KING sail water marine species are tested at similar U.S. laboratories in Maine and Ronda. New York's water monitoring program has been stepped up because the state occupies the hot seat in chemical contamin ation. Some state waters have the highest concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the nation. Many scientists say flatly that PCBs are (he moat dangeroua contaminants ever in troduced into the environment. Testifying before a congressional committee. Assistant Interior Secretary Nathanlal P. Raad said. "PCBs in our environment loom as a dark cloud casting an ominous shadow upon ail of our living natural resources." - Like DDT. PCBs are chlorinated hydro carbons. They have been used since 1929 in such industrial processes as making glass, laminating ceramics and metals, as paint end varnish additives, in epoxy resins end as an additive in sealants. They are used in printing and the xerographic transfer process. Possibly their most important use has been in electric transformers. When scientists were making their stud- Firstitwas DOT, ofaD-PCBs ies of the effects of DDT which ultimately led to a nationwide ban on that agricultural pesticide, they found mysterious oMorine compounds in the water they could not identify. It was not until IM that these substances were identified by a Swedish scientist as PCBs. Even than scientists ware not greatly alarmed. It took a disaster to bring PCBs into focus. In I9M, some I .ON Japanese on the island of Kyushu became seriously iU when they ate rice oil contaminated during processing by PCBs. Twelve died, many developed horrible skin diseases and othan suffered nerve disorders and hearing toes. Pregnant women were particularly affected, having many stillbirths or giving birth to deformed children. After the accident, the Monsanto Chem ical Co. of St. Louis, the only company in the United States manufacturing PCBs, informed its customers of the toxic effect* or the chemical and halted its sale for any use except closed system heat exchangers (electric transformers). Recently Monsanto announced plans to discontinue manufacture of the compound as soon as a suitable substitute can be found. The U.S.' Food and Drug Admiuistratioe lux wt a limit of 5 parts per million for PCBs in either human or animal food. Alerted by the Japanese incident, scien tists began tests of -PCB toxicity. Among other things they found it caused liver cancer in rats, reduced the reproductive capacity of mink and gave monkeys severe skin disorders, hair lots and resulted in either itMbinhs or dwarfed infants. PCBs also are now suspected in the decline of canvasback ducks, a decline so sever* they are likely to becoase an sndan gered species. Laboratory tests on some of these waterfowl found PCBs in muscle I 2- Connnurd THE WATER ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ^UMTXTifluUsv. Msv is tm 03^ wzfuu&A `Any fish with more than one fin missing should not be eaten' Giionto express yourIttestyie. IX.SHAHEEN 1400 ST. PAUL ST. SE= PHONE 266-1500 =^r=r~. "Feminine Itching \MuMaKing MyLife MsenUeT atawatp haMijraraSilmif^ N__N__it_o_imiy*nQy>Mrnm...t.owM Thm/jrwaasefcuWnrwr- pgpsr/br >btkd.eweMto'< hw^F*p^w*dse heaisg- f m*4km4kim*rmrkmL II von udhr Iran exter- Ml vaginal ta rHrdir ItiHualarai. 10 Mm IM. uwpwiy nM, CaBsd M'l mMaMs wittuM that Mp* awp aawnial mOmI HsMm simost iastantly. t VmWI is gentls though lor mat mum Mwim V--gajg._l. lIusabvriscsuUnicaRaibtgo. hpa^ k banana. wall _j! hasting, VaRtol Crams Madtealloo it dsItcMalji seemed, |rsauMi aM atoo awmattom. oat a M*alkatanydni| eounwr and e*fiZL%haM fpuFsTATl/imasv. May <. iM A look ItaHoa in In Ipatato death in chickens. In all of this lima New York's flak have been waving the flag of danger -- and have bean ignored. Ii In 1970. SfgLfia Illustrated reported striped boss rnaht in the Hodsoo River were contaminated with PCBs. In 1972 an article in Science magnate* by two Cornell University scientists reported lake trout in Cayuga Lake contained PCBs. One 9-yearold fish had a concentration of 30.4 parts per million of the chemical. Finally, the Department of Environmen tal Conservation began collecting and test ing several spades of fish and the reports steadily became mare elaiaaug One rock boss taken from the Hudson River hod 330 parts per million of PCBs hi its tissues, the highest ever found by either state or federal laboratories. Ward B. Stone, wildlife patfaoiopst in the department's Dehnar WHdHfe Research Laboratory, began sending a series of memos to administrators warning of the seriousness of the situation. Apparently because of the furor about DDT and mercury, warnings were ignored. It was not until Ogden Rdd took over as fish were saying. Reid shocked fishermen last year when he doted the Hudson River to fishing and recommended that salmon caught in Lake Ontario should not be eaten. Thn state Dapertmant of Health tam pered Reid's edict. The department has ruled that salmon from Lake Ontario can be eaten once a weak with comparative safety Despite the health department's stand, Reid has not changed his views. The conflicting views and the fact that the state is continuing to push its salmon restoration program in Lake Ontario has left fisherman confused. Many don't know whether they are taking home an excellent food or a slow-acting poison. At a recent meeting of the Seth Green chapter of Trout Unlimited, members men tioned catching salmon with mare than one fin missing (unc fin is usually dipped when fish are stocked). The anglers wanted to know if that is normal. Fisheries biologist Bill Abraham replied that the regional office has received reports of this abnormality and hoped to net such a fish for laboratory testing. However, the federal pesticide lab in Missouri has already determined that fin rot of fish is a sign of heavy PCB contamination. Any fish with Sea Gram, t 6-fuadad management advisory service, 1ms offered u suggestion to fishermen: Because flab com centrale poison in their body fat, if moot of the fat it cut away, it wig largely eHndaam the contamination. Sou Oram i cutting away the bully fat <al Rkk Sodja of the Sea Gram office at the State University CpMsm at Brochport demonstrated the teebnipse during dto Bi centennial Salmon Darby. He is rise # aNe to Imsreetsd poops to draw bow it is dona. Using the Sua Grant cleaning tschnipra it is probably as safe to eat fish as mam year* show 30.009 turkeys in Minnesota. of PCB contamination. Because of 30 years of conummatooa. the agency believes hdf the people m this country carry from 1 to 3 parts par aUlhoa of PCB in thdr fatty tissues. Other scien tists say the figure may be even MgRar. Perhaps more awesome is the agency's conchtston that every living thing oa eardi now has PCBs in its tissues. For the first time, iwnglss of Huger Lake trout were sent to the stale's Boms lab this spring for testing. They wore found to be PCB-contammmod but am as badfr aa Lake Ontario fish. The most fritfnaoii* mpact of the PCB story is that the poUution mediums. Thara is only one known poduiar in New York State. General Electric piams at Ford Ed ward and Hudson Falls dhchargs waste PCBs in the upper Hudson Rivar every day. The two plants, which manufacture electric capacitors, had been releasing 30 pounds of the chemical daily into the river until action was brou^tt against them. Gtnerri Electric has reduced He pofiuiiow but is fighting m the count araintt further cutbacks. Because of the extensive use of PCBs for a half century, environmental fcieMists now believe there is also considerable leaching of the chemical from old dumpe into the underpound water table. Where It win end it a vexing problem because PCBs never dspads They may be in our environment forever. Meanwhile, those fish out there me waving their flags of danger ever mura frantically. They're developing minors, cancers, deformed skeletons and even dying trying to tell us something. Q MONS 037323 ..y\v flfouicrai ani ROCHE! 7 c?. I. f. 0. IU.H7 su*. ;?1 Ml MAY 16 1976 `Any fish with more than one fin missing should not be eaten' 2. ------------------ iImm at kveh known to com* embryonic death in chkkwii. In all of (Ms time Now York'* flail have ham waving tha flag of danger - and hove bam ignored. , in 1910. Sport* ntuatrated reported wiped hoe* caught hr (ho Hudaoo Mvor ware mnmaiiiatad with PCBs. In 1*72 an ankle to Scienea megaton* by two Comal University iciendsU rapowl Ilka front to Cayuga Lake containad PCB*. One *yw> to flak had a concsntrmioo of 30.4 pan* par million of tha chemical. Finally, (ha Department of Bnviroamen Ml Conaarvatton hagea cogacting end (eat ing several speak* of flak and to* report* readily bocama more *lsrating. One rock bees itoan froaa to* Hudson Mvor had 330 part* par million of PCS* k It* tkaaaa, toe hkh**t ever found by cither state or federal more than oaa fin edeeing n wspert and should not be eaten. See Oram, a government landed rental management ndvleery service, has offered *i--aatloa to flaharmea: Bacaaaa fieh cow eeatrate pakan to dndr body fat. if amt of (he ft i* cut away. It wtt Imgky itatoa the caatamtoatka. See Grant iswsmmds cutting away the bety fat (about s twa-inch trip on a iarga flshl aed aaothar V Ik pad tortp from along toa kaekbaaa. ftkk Sodk of the Sea Oraat affko the Suae University Collage at Irnrlpaat demonstrated to* tanhaigae dortog the tL ceasesmial Salasou Derby. He is else aveto abk to Interested group* to shew how a is done. l/atog toe Sea Oraat ckaatog tsrhalgaa ll is probably as safe to eat fab as amet other protein some**. Enviroamantto Pru- Ward B. Stone. wMdgfe partielngil to (he department's I Laboratory, began sendleg a aartoe of to edmiaietielMti wanting of toe lerieataem of Ilk situation. Apparently of too hour about yoma abew 30.000 wakey* la Mhmmeto. 1.000 ctoekeaa to Norto Cwatom md of ogp from aB over too ceaamy i of M* kvela of PCB contamination. Bacaea* of 30 yam* of . , it wm am tifearvatien Bam saoci M ctoeod the gtoomamnded that satasen eeugbt to Ltks yerill Aouto nut bo eaten. The amt* Department of Hetoh mm mrad Bald's odfet. The iHsiwmsai taa cuuatty carry from I to 3 pane per mWton of PCB to their fatty tkauae. Otomr seism tieia aay toe flgma may ba even M^m. are eweeaom k the now be* FCBe to ba timaee. For (be Brat time. rnmptoe of i ib titia spring for testing. They worn fm > be PCBmoutamhiamd bm am a* badly Baton 4 out pro comparative safety frightoaing mpart of (ba PCB Reid ha* Tha conflicting PCBs to The nun nlents the courts ereiaet junto mtbochs At a recent meeting of (he Seth Groan Beceuee of the eateneive uae of PCBs tieoed retching salmon with more than oao fin rakatog (one fln t* usually clipped wbea flab am stocked). Hi* aagkrs wanted to kaew if that ia norma). ^Fisheries btofogkl BUI Abraham replied toll the regional office has received reports a# Mils abnormality and hoped to net such e fish for laboratory totting. However, the fatipral pesttekk kb to Missouri has krody determined that fin rot of fish it a sign of tony PCB contamination. Any fish with now believe them k eko eoneidarabk teaching of the ebaatieal from old dumps Into the undattouuad water (abk. Where it will end ia a vexing probkat waving their flaga of daagar ever mam frantically. They're developing tuamra, cancers, deformed skeletons and even dying trying to tell us something. Q MUNS 037324