FISH RISKS WILL LINGER

Level of toxins, consumption limits to remain

By JACK MORSE

The Brunswick News

Despite efforts to purge Glynn County rivers of pollutants, it will be years — and years — before state warnings to avoid eating too much fish from some local rivers change.

“The effects (of the toxins) are still persistent,” said Spud Woodward of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Resources Division. “It’s not like mopping up something off a linoleum floor.”

It will probably be at least a decade before any significant decrease is seen in the level of toxins, said Randy Manning, coordinator of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division’s Environmental Toxicology Program.

“So, since we can’t make changes in the short term, the best thing we believe we can do, at least from a public health stand point, is to help people make the best choice about consumption,” he said.

Accordingly, Manning has worked with the Glynn Environmental Coalition, the Glynn County Health Department and the Coastal Resources Division to produce an advisory pamphlet that is being distributed at such spots as bait shops, fish markets and the Brunswick hospital.

The advisory recommends that people limit the consumption of certain fish caught in the Turtle River system to between one and four per month. It also recommends broiling, baking or grilling the fish, as pan frying holds toxins in the pan.

The toxic trouble started decades ago with chemical facilities such as the former LCP Chemicals plant, located on the Turtle River, and Hercules. Each had practices in the past which contributed to the pollution issues, Manning said. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that between 1955 and 1979 LCP “lost” more than 380,000 pounds of mercury as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other toxins in the area. Some of them found their way into the area’s fish.

For its part, Hercules was responsible for discharging toxaphene, a chemical pesticide, into Dupree and Terry Creeks between 1948 and 1980. Though the practice has long been discontinued and much of the contaminated sediments have been removed, traces are still evident in the area’s fish.

Woodward said the advisory primarily affects people who consume their own catch pulled from some of the local rivers.  “You probably don’t have a lot of fish entering the retail market from areas with consumption advisories,” he said.  
Fred Owens, who owns City Market in Brunswick, said most of his fish come from the Carolinas and the Gulf of Mexico.  “The only thing we really get locally are shrimp,” he said, “and they’re caught three miles off shore.”

Both Woodward and Manning emphasized that people should not avoid fish, which are a good source of protein and other nutrients.  “We’ve made a mistake if by putting this information out there we’ve only succeeded in scaring people away (from fish) entirely,” he said.  Woodward pointed out that people can always choose to fish in other areas.