State Officials Announce Fish Consumption Advisories
(Mercury Emission Reduction Efforts Outlined)
DENVER - The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and
Colorado Division of Wildlife are announcing fish consumption advisories
for Rifle Gap Reservoir, Elkhead Reservoir, Juniata Reservoir, Catamount
Lake and Lake Granby due to elevated mercury levels detected in fish
tissue samples collected at the reservoirs.
The fish tissue testing is part of an ongoing five-year sampling plan of
approximately 120 water bodies in the state. These postings follow state
laboratory results on fish tissue samples completed on 33 additional
water bodies in 2008. More than 112 water bodies now have had laboratory
testing completed as part of the study. Of those, 23 (approximately one
in five) have required fish consumption advisories for mercury. These
are listed on the state's Web site at
http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/wq/FishCon/analyses/.
Also listed are two other water bodies that are not part of the mercury
study, but were posted for other parameters: Sweitzer Lake for selenium,
and Willow Springs Ponds for perchloroethylene.
According to state officials, routine sampling indicated at least one
fish of the species sampled at Elkhead, Rifle Gap and Juniata reservoirs
and at Granby and Catamount lakes met or exceeded the mercury action
level of 0.5 parts per million set by the state health department. All
species and sizes of fish with mercury levels in their tissue greater
than 0.3 parts per million are considered in these advisories.
Mercury poisoning can affect humans of all ages. However, pregnant women
and children under age 6 are especially susceptible, because mercury can
harm developing nervous systems in fetuses and young children. Adults
exposed to high mercury levels also can suffer from central nervous
system and cardiovascular problems.
Occasionally, as in the case of Juniata, a water body that serves as a
drinking water source will require a fish consumption advisory. Drinking
water that might contain small, trace amounts of inorganic mercury does
not pose a health concern. The concern is when inorganic mercury is
converted to organic mercury through the food chain. Insect or plants
may absorb some of the inorganic mercury, turning it into organic
mercury that then can be consumed by fish. As larger predator fish eat
other small fish, the mercury amounts in fish tissue accumulate. The
health concern occurs when these larger fish are consumed by humans.
When humans ingest inorganic mercury in small trace amounts in water, it
is not significantly absorbed in the body.
Each fish consumption advisory includes consumption recommendations in
three categories: for the general population; children aged 6 and
younger; and women who are pregnant, nursing or who may become pregnant.
The following fish consumption advisories provide advice on limiting
certain species and sizes of fish to a certain number of meals per
month. A meal is considered to be 8 ounces for adults and 4 ounces for
children. [Detailed advisories are found at the end of this release -
and provided as attachments.]
The main source of mercury in Colorado water bodies is air deposition -
mercury in the air being deposited in lakes, streams and reservoirs.
State Efforts to Reduce Mercury Emissions
Colorado is addressing mercury in the environment aggressively. In 2007
and 2008, the department's Air Pollution Control Division completed work
on two rules with the electric utility industry, environmental groups
and local governments to dramatically reduce mercury emissions from
coal-fired power plants - 80 percent reductions for existing facilities
starting in 2012 and increasing to 90 percent in 2018, and 90 percent
reductions for new or modified facilities effective immediately. The
Colorado Air Quality Control Commission approved these requirements.
This consortium also developed a consensus agreement approved by the
commission to install air monitors for mercury emissions from power
plants. These measures will serve to substantially benefit lakes,
streams, aquatic species and human health by reducing the amount of
mercury that ends up in our natural riparian ecosystems.
The department also supports implementation of a regulation to reduce
mercury emissions from electric arc furnaces, such as those used at
facilities such as Rocky Mountain Steel Mills in Pueblo. The department
has worked with the steel mill to secure installation of a
first-of-its-kind mercury air emissions monitor to provide specific data
about mercury emissions.
Mercury is a broadly transported air pollutant, and the department is
encouraging western states to consider implementing aggressive mercury
reduction programs for existing and new coal-fired electric power plants
similar to the measures approved by Colorado.
Colorado also is encouraging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to
approve strong mercury reduction regulations similar to those approved
by Colorado in 2007 and 2008 to benefit the nation's water bodies,
including those in the southwest and in Colorado. Aggressive mercury
reduction measures by EPA on, for example, the existing Four Corners and
proposed (and recently-permitted) Desert Rock power plants located on
Navajo Nation lands in northern New Mexico would serve to reduce mercury
emissions in the region.
Five Fish Consumption Advisories Announced
Rifle Gap Reservoir
[ En Espaņol
]: The fish consumption advisory for Rifle Gap
Reservoir recommends that children aged 6 or younger do not consume any
smallmouth bass larger than 15 inches or walleye larger than 18 inches
and limit consumption of northern pike larger than 20 inches to only one
meal per month. For pregnant women, nursing women and women who plan on
being pregnant, the advisory recommends not consuming walleye larger
than 18 inches and consuming only one meal per month of smallmouth bass
larger than 15 inches and northern pike larger than 20 inches. For the
general population, the recommendation is a limit of two meals per month
of smallmouth bass larger than 15 inches and northern pike larger than
20 inches. The advisory also recommends the general public consume only
one meal per month of walleye larger than 18 inches.
Elkhead Reservoir
[ En Espaņol ]: The fish consumption advisory for Elkhead Reservoir
recommends that children aged 6 or younger do not consume any largemouth
bass larger than 15 inches or smallmouth bass, northern pike or black
crappie of any size. For pregnant women, nursing women and women who
plan on being pregnant, the advisory recommends not consuming largemouth
bass larger than 15 inches or smallmouth bass of any size and limiting
consumption of northern pike and black crappie to one meal per month.
For the general population, the recommendation is a limit of one meal
per month of largemouth bass larger than 15 inches or smallmouth bass
and black crappie of any size and a limit of two meals per month for
northern pike.
Lake Granby (Granby Reservoir)
[ En Espaņol
]: The fish consumption advisory for Lake
Granby (Granby Reservoir) recommends that children aged 6 or younger do
not consume any lake trout larger than 30 inches. For pregnant women,
nursing women and women who plan on being pregnant, the recommendation
is a limit of one meal per month of lake trout larger than 30 inches.
The same is recommended for the general public.
Catamount Lake
[ En Espaņol
]: The fish consumption advisory for Catamount Lake
recommends that children aged 6 or younger do not consume any northern
pike larger than 36 inches and consume only one meal per month of
northern pike smaller than 36 inches. For pregnant women, nursing women
and women who plan on being pregnant, the recommendation is a limit of
one meal per month of northern pike of any size. For the general
population, the recommendation is a limit of one meal per month of
northern pike larger than 36 inches and two meals per month for northern
pike smaller than 36 inches.
Juniata Reservoir
[ En Espaņol
]: The fish consumption advisory for Juniata Reservoir
recommends that children aged 6 or younger do not consume any smallmouth
bass larger than 12 inches. For pregnant women, nursing women and women
who plan on being pregnant, the recommendation is a limit of one meal
per month of smallmouth bass larger than 12 inches. The same is
recommended for the general public.
In 2008, fish from these 33 water bodies were tested: Adobe Creek
Reservoir, Arkansas River, Barker Reservoir, Boulder Reservoir,
Catamount Lake, Colorado River, Crawford Reservoir, DeWeese Reservoir,
Elkhead Reservoir, Lake Granby (Granby Reservoir), Gross Reservoir,
Harvey Gap Reservoir, Ice Lake, Johnstown Reservoir, Juniata Reservoir,
Kettle Lakes, Lagerman Reservoir, Lake Loveland, McCalls Pond, McIntosh
Reservoir, Meredith Reservoir, Poudre River, Prewitt Reservoir, Rifle
Gap Reservoir, Rio Blanco Reservoir, Rio Grande Reservoir, Stagecoach
Reservoir, Townsend Reservoir, Trappers Lake, Trinidad Reservoir,
Williams Fork Reservoir, Womack Reservoir and the Yampa River. Of these
33 waterbodies, 28 do not require a fish consumption advisory under the
current Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment policy.
Although Trinidad Reservoir had mercury levels greater than the action
level, it has an existing fish consumption advisory and a new one is not
needed.
For a map of the state's sampling of water bodies - and which water
bodies have fish consumption advisories - please see this link:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=104055007746694043579.00046013e7aa15ed5a819&ll=38.891033,-105.413818&spn=8.394556,7.03125&z=7
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State of Colorado,
Department
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