Document MGva5mXQy742pBnav4X2g37Bx

DOiV'GIAC, MICH, NEWS a 3,500 JUN 1 3 1975 _______________________________ Chemical levels in fish may" result in new pollution laws LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- The Potentially harmful to hu* In the past few yean DDT state Department of Natural mans are levels of 500 parts and mercury in Michigan fish Resources may seek a legists* per million. have declined, making (he PCB Hve ban on a chemical con* Turney told the Natural Re* problem more significant, saM taminant officials say is turn* sources Commission in a report Turney. Recent data shows Ing up at "alarming levels'' in Thursday the situation is PCB is "very Unde/'he notad. Lake Michigan fish, "alarming" because PCB levels Tests on Rhesus monkeys at The chemical ia poly* have remained the same or in* the Univerrity of Wisconsin chlorinated biphenyl (PCB), creased since 1970, rather than showed the animals were "mb* used In household products decreasing as predicted. sitive" to PCB* at levels below from handsoap to paper. The level of moot other con* the FDA limits. "If the Environmental Pro* tamlnants has decreased, Turn* But Turney emphasised, taction Agency is not la a post* y said. "That data is not validated and lion to act nationally, we may "In 1570, wa fell we had it doesn't mean that human have to go to the legislature things under central," he said, ere sensitive at that level or and effect a ban on PCBs in "Wa buttoned up all the major anything Ilka that." lay product," Mid William discharges of PCBs." The Lake Michigan Toxic TUrnoy, chief of the bureau of At that time, PCB was used Material Committee found her- water management at the mainly by industry. The sole ring gulls which ate fish from DNR. U.S. manufacturer of the prod* Lake Michigan with high PCB Turney said the EPA may net, Monsanto Chemical Co. of levels died in "significant num* not be able to act because of St. LotU, IgrMT0~Kop'pro* bers because of PCBs. We tool statutory limitations on its au* dudng the chemical for certain there is a definite correlation." thcrity. industrial uses which led to A year ago, the DNR's plan* Turney did not rule out the contamination. ting of young pike in various possibility products containing "There were 91 industries re* streams resulted In "almost iso PCB could be allowed while porting use of PCBs (in Mich* per cent mortality," said Turn* mailing federal regulations. igan) last year," said Turney, ey, who linked the problem to PCBs appeared at such high "a whole lot more than pre* PCB. He said certain selection levels in Lake Michigan flih viously. When we followed it up sites, moat In Western Mich- earlier this year the U.S. Food we found PCBs showing up in igan, were abandoned, and Drug Administration seised all kinds of things." In 1970, some mink ranchers erne shipments of chubs. The PCBs are chemically assort- fed their animals salmon con* agency said PCB levels were pled with DDT. When PCB was laminated with PCB and had. "dangerously high." first unmasked as a con* trouble keeping yotmg animals FDA Umita are five parts per * taminant in IMS it was found in alive, arid Tierney. .. j million, but some of the chubs concentrations of tg> to 900 * ' *"* bad as mutt as 10 parts psr parts par million in catfish in the.Saginaw Bav are*. /an HONS 031251