Document D2pEjkNn7kN1kb8G1GJJ2Voo

PCB SJLOPAftuat WILDLIFE RESTORATION EFFORTS Widespread cmironmental ceotaminatioii by PCB's. apocpgftosic. industrial chemical substances similar to DDT. arc jeopardizing federal and state efforts to restore widfife popalations and prated cudangered species, announced an official of the pLgaitmiat of the Interior ia a strongly worded statement made in November. Speaking at a federally sponsored conference on PCB's held in Chicago on November 19 and 20. Assistant Secretary for Fish. Wildlife, and Parks Nathaniel F. Reed declared. 'The omnipresence of PCB residues in our environment foomsas a very dark doud casting aa ominous shadow apoo all of our fish and wildfife resource program which depend oa environmental quality and healthy habitats." . PCB's. polychlorinated biphenyls, have a wide variety of oks. The most important is in sulation in electrical transformers and capacitors, because of PCB's chemical stability, fire resistance, and electrical hisulating properties. Used throughout die world for over 40 WILDLIFE ' KESTORATXCU AND RESTOCKING . (KB DISCHARGES) aaiayhefarn s ofchemical ceutammuicu than discharges The Environmental Protection Agency .* comprehensive authority to update toxic substances in the cm>. because Congress has been debating such legislation for over five years without successful conriasioo. However. EPA has not yet used its water poliolion centre! mathorities to regulate discharges of especially teak pofiutacts- Thus i . M0NS 0 7 0 2 4 3 years. PCB's is the 1960's drew international concern as the full extent of their tnricuy, persistence, and widespread environmental contaimnrt'.r.r. ws tVw-rj. In 1970, the _ problem was thought to be resolved when Monsanto Corporation, the St. Louis-based cor poration which is the sole manufacturer of PCB's in the U.S.. vohmtarfly cut back its production of PCB's for use only in <<---* capacitors sao uai>M*macrs. '* .......... j:rz scieral reports indicate that PCB containi"*1' widespread. despite Monsanto's actions, and that disposal of 1'Co-vwmatuui^ equipment aad air A pieturo of flab eontanlnatod with KB's?* raspoadod aa Tin i rowantil Frotoctlon fency chemist to a photo nquMt. *9aka a photo of any fi*h,1 ho niwwtit. Dtry look thu mu.* Above, alewives caught la ltd. .. for, Rs efforts have bees limited to trying to get individual sources of PCB's to reduce their discharge* as much as possible before they receive a permit to operate. * WhOc EPA is for behind ia using the specific authorities it docs have to deal with the PCB problem. Assistant Secretary Reed says, "The PCB problem b t Nationalproblem that :ho U.S. Fish aad Wildlife Service has identified both in research programs and in the National Pesticide Monitoring Program ... rCo residues were found in all of the fish samples from 100 stations located in major river systems throughout the United States, and ia aln*t all the bird samples taken since 1970." "1 am troubled by the exceedingly high levels found ia fish from all our draieage systems," stated Reed, Mand I do not mean !*** K* -*--- 'where very heavy PCB <w. lamination b reported) aod the entire Great Lakes' system, but tue Mcrrimac aad Connecticut rivers ot the Atlantic Ce--. the Mississippi. Missouri, aad Ohio riven oi the Midwest, the Columbia river system h> the Northwp* th* Srcramcnte in the West '............ -.river aad other G`uo events the Yukon in Alaska!** "FHh are aot ato-- In absorbing sizeable quantities of PCB's. * ae noted, The birds w i arc monitoring an equally susceptible. Waterfowl carry (be hqhol mUm hi the Atlantic Flywy. foOotd in descending order by the Mimipp, Pacific, sad Central Flyways." As far as Reed is concerned, it does aoi make seme to poor mBBeei ef defiers brio restoring 9dlHt populations if they ere to be contaminated by PCB's. "Ctanriim?* be suggested. "tire Atlantic Salmon egg mortality has been associated with a Ihietiwld cooccatniioa of about Oi parts per milSon of PCB's. Our scientists state that this threshold concentration in the eggs amid be die equivalent to eesidnal PCS levels ia whole fish of 2.5 to 5.0 ppm. comparable to unhealthy levels found ia many specks throughout the United Stales. The Department cannot justify a salmon restoration program in any northeastern river system where the fish *9 be subjected to PCS residues!'' . Wasted Time, Money! . In another example, Reed explained that 17 yean and S33 aiOlioo have been spent tocon trol the parasitic sea lamprey in the Greet Lakes which has enabled a successful state and federal restocking program involving more than 150 mifiiao lake trout, splabe, cake salmon, chinook salmon, atlantic salmon, and kokaeee, phis additional miDion* of rain bow. brook, and brows treat. Concludes Reed. "The resulting sport fishing of these sxlmonid, when combined with the existing sport fisheries on other species, currently con tributes approximately S35Q million aaouaOy to the Great Lakes states and the Province of Ontario." - "AH our efforts are for naught," continued Road, "if these fish cannot be harvested -- aod we now face this stark possibility. A significant portion of these fish contain PCB residues in excess ofthe current 5.0 ppm action level (foe maximum level of PCB's slowed in fish to be used for food) established by the Food and Drug Administration. As n result, warnings have been issued about the consumption of large lake trout end sabnou Jrom Lake Michigan. To varying degrees a similar PCB problem exists in Lakes Superior, Huron, and Ontario. Akhoegh the contamination by PCB's is particularly evident ia salraonids. the problem is also present in commercial spedcs such as carp, chubs, wait, and alewives." Petition With FDA -. , "But if the current level were towered to 1 or 2 ppm," predicted Reed, "then virtually til species would be .v*.ricted and essentially the entire Great Lakes' fishery would be cur tailed." In November, two private environmental organization. Environmental Deicnsc Fund. Inc. and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Inc, filed a petition with the Food and Drug Administration requesting that the 5 ppm action level be reduced and eventually phased out. In Canada, the Department :f iuiimal Health and Welfare already !.as announced the establishment of temporary guidelines of 2 ppm for PCB's in that country. KRDC reports that in experiments conducted h* ** - naicr for Disease Cuutroi. iono* Hopkins University School ot ............ -aiiooal Cancer Institute, and the Ea- . r.wiwiioii Agency, laboratory animals fad PC*'* 5* ''**- castrations of lOOppm demonstrated a marked tendency to develop malignant tumors. At the Oriofi PCB conference. Dr. Joseph Highland, director ef EDFt toxk chemical prepare.explained that action by FDA is noccmiy to rndnee foe mlrntsicnfma . Sounding the cal for drastic action after years ef unfruitful Congressional debate and federal dday in ticicaieg carting polklion central anlboritks to slop the PCB's prob lem, the Interior official noted. "TV irony of our pnritioo today is that our left hand is spending ariMioos of dolan and thousands of man-years to establish a crucial meurcs while our right hand renders each new growth of tbs reaourae malignant Our new re source wrf not esdy self-destruct bet caa place the hnmaa population m mortal danger." "Quite feankiy," Read stated, "I am thoroughly disgusted by tire gnashing ef teeth, wading and rubbing ef heads To the sporin which have the enforcement responribHkfes. a ward an brhilfefthe bewildered but concerned American people -- GET OH WITH ITT GOVERNMENTCUTS ENERGY CONSUNPIION 14 PERCENT - The federal govsfoment has cot its consumption of energy an average of 24.5 percent ever foe (art two years, reports the Federal Energy Administration. That exceeds the national goals of seven percent savings in the first year of the con servation program begot in July 1973 and 1$ percent in the second year. The energy saved is tire equivalent of 164 milioo barrels efoil that would hare cost SI.4 biflioa, says FEA Administrator Frank Zarb. According to the Federal Energy Management Program's Third Quarter Report for fiscal year 1975, energy consumption by federal agencies over a 21 month period dropped 28 percent for the third quarter compared with tire same period last year -- the eooivalent of 27.5 mQJion barrels of oil that would lure cost about S2S5 oriOiou. Aoout 19 percent of there savings were achieved ia tire operation ofgovernment vehicles and equipment; nine percent is bufldinp and facilities operations. Tire Mvfes hare nationwide significance, for the federal government alone uses abnort three percent of aB energy used in the United States. The findings are developed from reports made by 26 agencies which account for 99 percent of alt energy used by the federal government. Even more important is the fact that the fuictw program proves that energy conservation can make e difference. Measures used by the gumnment Included: lowering heating aud raising air conditionlag temperst;::::; . -luring the operating time and tncreasiag the ef ficiency of machines; loetring fighting intensities -where acceptable; back on the use of aetes which use gasoline inefficiently; reducing driving speed " ` tutics onvu> I- ; -n ............... wkrlM; and iwdiirin** flying and steaming HONS 0 7 0 2 4 4