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VoX. 40, No. 10,June 1. 1975 In This Issue: PCBs, Seals, And A Girl Named Margareta Giant Snail Stopped In Florida Alligator Populations Increasing Chances Of Another Embargo--The Power of OPEC Road Projects Run Over Wetlands U.S. Elephant Seal Birth Witnessed Porpoise Mortality Remains High Books And Such: How To Tie Freshwater Flies, The Experts* Book of Freshwater Fishing, Trout Magic, Fly Fishing in Salt Water, McClane's New Standard Fishing Encyclopedia13 Notes ofAn octucationnl tinric* tlw National WildHIa Federation 2 6 7 8 10 12 13 X4 Tina <a ontt <>l (tic lno roivmvs rnariu i>l<? by ooninlmiions lor Wildlilo Conservation Stamps. Ailiclos eoninmod hmcin may ho ropniih'd without permission: credit would bo appreciated. National WildlileFrderahon tt? 16th St. N W .Washington. 0.C 20036 WAI uoi .................. . DrNNI'; <; HAMRON editor THOMAS 1 KIMIlAll *EOCihvt? Vu; Ihovdnnl MONS 030*25 l>Uk.SKAIS, ANH A (ilKI. NAMl'.l) MAKCAUKTA > I). Wllhon and Ann Shainwll/ What do a teenage i:\plorcr scout, a pack ol seals in Puget Sound. thi* U..S. government, ami "PCBs" all have in conmion'/ Fach plays an important role in an involved story which points out the lack of adequate cnvironmcuinl controls lor toxic substances. I.ast fall. Margarcla Tommox. u teenage lixplnrcr in Seattle. Washington, wrote to the Federation about "the plight of the seal population of Gertrude island in the southern part of Puget Sound." Two graduate stiideuts at the University of Washington reportedly had been studying the seal population on three tiny islands in agricultural, lightly* industrialized, and hcuvily-industiinM/cd ureas oft lie Sound. Gertrude Island represented the last of these areas. Their research found that of the three seal populations, only Gertrude's showed an unusually high percentage of still births and deformities among pups. Between 1970 and 1972. the percentage of pups suffering from missing backbone sections, twisted nr missing tails, exposed or missing entrails, and skull damage increased from 10 percent to 34 per* cent. In the past few years, the total population has dropped from approximately 200 to about 125. Laboratory analyses of fat and tissue specimens sought out the culprits and found toxic levels of two man-made chemical compounds -- UI)I (which was banned by the federal government in late 1972) and PCHs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Although speculations were made about the source of the contamination, nothing was pinpointed. Unable to secure funding for further research, the graduate students moved on to other projects. Their work had been the subject of controversy and disagreement, according to one of ficial in the State's Game Management Division which hod originally funded part of the research. Questions were raised about the validity of the students' findings and about their efforts to bring public attention to their work to enable them to obtain further fundiog. However, the Stale itself is pursuing no research of its own on this matter. It claims that its authority in this area is pre-empted by the Federal Maritime Protection Act of 1972. The National Marine Fisheries Service, which administers the law, also is not con ducting rcseurch in the matter, according to its Washington office. In voicing her continuing concern over the problem, Margnreta mentioned news articles she hud read about studies on the adverse effects of PCBs on animals, about three human deaths which resulted during the manufacture of one particular PCB. and about birth deformities among infants horn to Japanese women who had ingested rice oil containing 2.000 purls per million (ppm) of PCBs. "There's more information available." she wrote. "I just want to know if you can help." Information oil PCHs proved to he plentiful. Manufactured commercially since 1929. they have achieved widespread use in many different applications, including insulating fluids, plastici/cr applications, transformer fluids and lubricants, and heal transfer fluids. Since the highly stable coiu|MujtHls arc virtually free of tire and explosion hazards, they are especially useful in cases where lire protection is imperative. It was not until I9tb. however, that PCHs wen* first identified as potential food con taminants. Kc|>cn(cd incidents demonstrating the harmful effects of PCB leakage into the environment prompted public and private investigation* at home and abroad. An 2 CN-6-1-75 HONS 030426 f i S! si K A California aca lion carrying hoi mu)formed pup. Authorities suspect that premature delivery wan due to PCBs. estimate was made that the total loss of PCBs in the United Slates approached 30.000 tons in the atmosphere. 60,000 tons in water, and 300,000 tons in dumps, with residues of 20.000 tons in the air. 30.000 tons in water, and 250.000 tons in dumps. The Federal In terdepartmental Task Force on PCBs. w hich published its Findings in 1972. observed that PCBs are now ubiquitous. "Although fully conclusive data arc not available, the evidence lor toxic and physiological effects indicates that PCBs must be viewed as potential problems at present environmental levels." Since then, numerous studies have supported the theory that PC'Bs have varied and toxic effects in animals. PCBs were linked to premature births in California sea lions and in other research appeared to reduce an animal's natural resistance to viral infections. Ex posure to PC'Bs has been found to reduce the rale of shell growth in oysters, impair egg production in chickens, cause reproductive failure and death oft he young in rats and af fect the weight gain of dogs. James K. Allen, a pathologist at the University of Wisconsin, found that female monkeys fed a diet containing 2.5 ppm of PCBs developed acne, hair lot*, enlarged livers, stomach ulcers, and gastritis -- all similar to the symptoms of those Japanese who had ingested the contaminated rice oil. Thr significance of the study of the Puget Sound seals is even more dear-cut. PCBs enter the environment mainly through discharge into the water, where they are absorbed by plankton. Fish eat the plankton, and the PC'B levels become highly concentrated; the CN 6-1-75 3 HONS 030427 level* multiply again when (he llsh arc consumed by seals or man. both of which are at the top of their respective fond chains. in addition, the fact tha( the harbor seal*. u- nonniigrainry indicates that the source of PCBs may well be the heavily industrialized area near Gertrude Island, supporting the In* lerdepartmcntal Task. Force on PC Its' hypothesis that: `'Probably the largest amount! of PCBs circulating in the environment reach it through industrial and municipal discharges to inland and coastal waters." In 1971 and 1972. studies by the Food and Drag Administration of human consumption of PCBs found less than 0.0001 millngrnms of PCBs per kilogram of body weight per day. This was based on food consumption approximately twice (he normal diet. According to the Federal Task Force in 1972. an analysis of 688 Americans in three states revealed that about two-thirds have detectable PCU residues, but only one-third have residues in their falty tissues ofone part per million or greater. Since 1971. legislation to regulate the introduction ol toxic substances such as PCB's into the environment has been pending before Congress, but never has been enacted. Different Tiny Gertrude Iflland, located near McNeil Inland in Puget Sound (circled), lies just north of the heavily-industrialised Tacoma area. bills, Including one introduced this year by Senator John V. Ttttmcy of California, would require manufacturers of chemical substances to provide basic information and testing data to the federal government before the substance could be manufactured com mercially. Using this Information. El'A could determine whether the manufacture would pose environmental problems and should be regulated in any way to protect the en vironment. A congressional report on one bill introduced in 197.3 specifically cited PCBs as demon strating three important facts about toxic substances: 1.) the existence ot a real en vironmental problem; 2.1 the absence of pertinent information on toxic substances (Thirn-livc yean passed before Wit* wm- identified as a potential hazard, and it took an ad ditional live years to get the manufacturer to release data on the substance's manufacture and distribution): uml 3.) the absence of statutory authority to control the sources of a toxic substance once it has hern identified. List September, while separate loxie substances bills remained stuck in a congressional committee, a dramatic illustration of the need for legislation was provided. A transformer 4 CN 6-1-7$ HONS 030<28 being shipped by (he Army Corps of Engineers lo an Air Force base in Alaska was drop* ped on a deck and approximately 100 gallons of PCBs were spilled into the Duwamish River, which feeds into IHiget Sound. It was the lurgest such spill ever recorded. The sub sequent confusion over who was responsible for the cleanup delayed the recovery process for over a month, causing some increase in the PCB levels in the river bottom. But the Duwamish spill is relatively unique, whereas industrial discharge of PCBs is not. In 1970, the Monsanto Chemical Company -- the sole American manufacturer of PCBs -- voluntarily restricted its production and distribution of the chemical. Despite this ac tion. Dr. Spyros Pavlou of the University of Washington, w ho monitors Puget Sound for background levels of PCB and DDT, commented, "1 haven't seen a decrease in PCBs in the environment at all." This paradox is partially explained by recognising that the PCB problem Is by no means a domestic one alone. The chemical is currently manufactured in Europe, Russia and Japan; domestic production accounts for only about one-half of alt PCBs manufactured. Foreign ships in the Puget Sound area may leak PCBs. imported electrical equipment may contain PCBs. and PCBs from distant spills may reach the United States through tide and wind motion. The passage of toxic substances control laws would certainly constitute a step in the right direction, but international agreements would be necessary before the substance's entrance into the environment can be fully brought under control. Unfortunately, the fart that their plight demonstrates a need for the control of toxic sub stances has not hct|>eri the seals. The sources of PCB contamination in the Puget .Sound area have been neither identified nor brought under control. Public concern in Seattle is dying, at least in Margareta's eyes, as local publicity over the seals and the Duwamish spill fades. ferry Newby, one of the graduate students who conducted the study of the three sea) populations, is unable lo continue his work because nf "political problems" with the CN 6-1*7$ 5 MONS 030429 Icdcral government. "llie problem.' '* Ik* ;tvs. "is they reIuse to u1mit dial PCIIs arc one til flic causative factors giving riser lo a incidence of birth deled* ami abortions in seals." The government, it seems. will not hind a study without proof to warrant such a study; however, there is no prnnl' because there have been m conclusive studies. It's a vicious cycle. Meanwhile. Margarets Tornmos and the seals of (*vrmidc Island continue lo wait for help. GIANT SNAIL STOPPED IN FLORIDA The giant African snail, after chewing its way around the world, hat been stopped in Florida, but not before it gave the Miami area a nasty scare. In mid-April the United States Department of Agriculture lifted emergency regulations imposed in 1969 to prevent the pest from spreading out of southern Florida. An intensive poisoning program had wiped out the snails. Considered by many experts to be the world's worst mollusk pest, the giant African snail grows from five to nine inches long and may weigh a pound. Thousands of Teeth Equipped with thousands of rasping teeth and a voracious appetite, the snail can polish off head of lettuce at one sitting. It avidly chews flowers, leaves, fruits, and cultivated crops. In search ofcalcium to build shells, the snails often crawled over buildings to nibble paint, leaving behind trails of slime and excrement. Floridians also complained that the snails wandered into window air conditioners and died. The units (hen wafted a powerful smell into houses along with cool air. The king-sire pest was introduced into Florida in 1966 by an eight-year-old North Miami boy who brought back three from Hawaii as a present for his grandmother. She was touched but not overjoyed, and the snails were released. By 1969, they had multiplied so alarmingly that the Department of Agriculture banned shipments out of the Miami area of anything that might harbor the pest. Other parts of the world have not been as fortunate as Florida when invaded by the giant snail. Achatina fulica. It has -- with man's help -- spread devastation far beyond its original home on the east coast of Africa. An English naturalist and traveler took the snails lo India in mid-19th century. Fifty years later, they turned up in Ceylon. A scientist reported: The huge snails were lo be seen --literally in millions -- crawling over the ground, climbing up walls, fences, and poles, and clustered upon the trunks of trees." Spread to Islands African snails spread lo Southeast Asia. China, Formosa. Saipan. Tinian, Hawaii, and other Pacific islands. Promoters introduced them to Japan as a cure lor everything from 6 CN 61-75 MONS 030430