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Some Grand Lake fish under lead warning

by: OMER GILLHAM World Staff Writer
Friday, February 29, 2008

View the ODEQ fish study. http://www.tulsaworld.com/fishreport

State environmental officials have placed the first lead-contamination warning on fish being caught from Grand Lake in northeast Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has released its 2007 fish study. The study involves fish from the Neosho River, Spring River, Grand Lake and mill ponds.

The Neosho and Spring rivers combine and feed into Grand Lake at Twin Bridges State Park.

The ODEQ tested game fish and nongame fish for elevated levels of lead, cadmium and zinc.

Many of the nongame fish such as carp and buffalo had elevated lead levels in Grand Lake, said Jay Wright, environmental programs manager for the ODEQ.

Consumption limits have been placed on these fish because of possible health hazards associated with the lead levels, Wright said. The limits primarily affect those living in the Tri-State Mining District, which includes the Tar Creek Superfund site.

"If you live in Tar Creek, you are naturally exposed to higher levels of lead so you should heed the consumption restrictions," Wright said. "If you live outside the area, you don't have to be as concerned."

Tar Creek residents should not eat more than six meals per month of nongame fish caught from Grand Lake, Wright said.

Fish with lead levels of 0.12 milligrams per kilogram or greater would require restricted monthly intake, Wright said.

Grand Lake and its tributaries are being polluted by runoff from the Tri-State Mining District, which involves abandoned mines in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma.

Meanwhile, Wright said that game fish, catfish, sunfish and paddle fish caught from Grand Lake and the Neosho River are safe for consumption at any quantity.

The 2007 study essentially repeated a 2003 study, which suggested limits on the number of meals a person should eat each month involving fish caught in the waterways of the Tri-State Mining District.

Wright said that improved testing methods allowed the department to lessen the restrictions on consumption in some categories of fish.

Area resident Earl Hatley expressed skepticism about the new findings.

Hatley is a Grand Riverkeeper, which is a project of the LEAD Agency. Local Environmental Action Demanded is a citizen advocacy group focused on raising awareness about environmental justice.

"I just wonder why this study is so different from the first study," Hatley said. "In the first study they had eating restrictions on game fish in the Neosho. What changed?

"I think they need to explain the method of determining that it is now OK to consume Neosho fish," Hatley said.

Wright said that advanced testing techniques that included testing the fish based on how they would be prepared for an actual meal allowed the ODEQ to remove the restrictions for many Neosho fish.

"In 2003 we tested the fish with their head and guts (in place) but in 2007 they were tested headless and without entrails," Wright said. "Removing the head makes a difference."

Omer Gillham 581-8801
omer.gillham@tulsaworld.com

Fish restrictions

Restrictions on monthly consumption of fish

Grand Lake: nongame fish (carp, buffalo, drum), six meals per month with bones. No restrictions on game fish, catfish, sunfish and paddle fish.

Restrictions on fish

Restrictions on monthly consumption of fish

Spring River�nongame fish, three meals per month for fish prepared with bones or nine meals without bones; sunfish, five meals per month with bones; catfish, nine meals per month with bones; no restriction on game fish or paddle fish.

Neosho River - nongame fish, eight meals per month with bones. No restrictions on game fish, catfish, sunfish and paddle fish.

Mill ponds�game fish, 14 meals per month with bones; sunfish, two meals per month with bones.

Associate Images:

Buffalo Carp

Common Carp

Freshwater Drum

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