Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - May/June 2023 - 19

When the PFBC intends to file criminal charges against a
polluter, the District Attorney in the county or counties where
the pollution occurred will determine a course for prosecution.
When charges are filed by multiple entities, a prosecutor
may determine which charges to omit or pursue to ensure
the highest probability of a conviction and restitution for the
affected waterway.
When monetary damages are awarded as a result of legal
action by the PFBC, funds may be deposited into a restricted
account that is dedicated specifically to the restoration of an
impacted waterway or into the agency's Fish Fund or Boat Fund
for general operations.
Chemicals in waterways
Another question frequently received by the PFBC related to
pollution involves the presence of so-called " forever chemicals "
in our waterways, including mercury, polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), and a group of chemicals collectively called
perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
These chemicals, introduced to waterways through their
applications in industrial, commercial, and agricultural
operations over many decades, are an invisible form of pollution
that can impact fish populations and fishing. When the
chemicals are present in a waterway, they are absorbed into fish
tissue. While the levels of these contaminants in sport fish are
usually extremely low, they can be passed on to humans who eat
contaminated fish. Health problems that may result from eating
contaminated fish, in large quantities over many months or
years, may include small changes in health that are hard to detect
to birth defects and cancer.
For this reason, the PFBC works closely with the PA DEP,
Pennsylvania Department of Health, and Pennsylvania
Department of Agriculture to monitor waterways, test fish
tissue samples for contaminants, and collectively issue fish
consumption advisories. In Pennsylvania, a blanket advisory
is in place for all sport fish caught in Commonwealth waters,
which recommends eating no more than one meal per
week (.5 pounds). Of the approximately 150 consumption
advisories currently listed for specific waterways across the
Commonwealth, the majority are based on the presence of
mercury or PCBs and recommend either one or two meals
of fish per month to limit human exposure to contaminants
when eating fish caught in those waters. In only a small handful
of cases, advisories recommend stronger fish consumption
warnings, such as suggesting only three or six meals per year or
Do Not Eat.
To date, only one consumption advisory in Pennsylvania
has been issued due to the presence of PFAS. In October 2021,
a Do Not Eat advisory was issued for the entire Neshaminy
Creek basin, Bucks and Montgomery counties, due to high
levels of PFAS detected during PA DEP testing of fish tissue
samples collected from those waters. As a result of this Do Not
Eat advisory, the PFBC indefinitely suspended all trout stocking
operations within the Neshaminy Creek basin.
To stay ahead of this emerging issue, the PFBC has taken
a proactive approach to sampling trout raised at its state fish
hatcheries for chemical contaminants. Since 1998, the PA DEP,
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in coordination with the PFBC, has collected fish tissue samples
from hatchery raised trout to be tested for PCBs. While all stocked
trout fall within the blanket one-meal-per-week consumption
advisory for sport fish, all fish tissue samples that were collected
from hatchery raised trout and tested for PCBs have tested below
the blanket consumption advisory level since 2007. In 2022,
samples of hatchery raised trout were also tested for PFAS. None
of the trout samples collected from PFBC hatcheries warranted a
stronger consumption advisory.
A recent study published in the Journal of Environmental
Research generated widespread media attention about the
presence of PFAS in various sport fish caught throughout the
Great Lakes. While Pennsylvania anglers, especially those who
harvest and eat fish from Lake Erie, should be aware of this
information, it should be noted there is currently no federal fish
consumption advisory level for PFAS. As a result, Pennsylvania
has adopted the Great Lakes Consortium for Fish Consumption
Advisories. To date, levels of PFAS observed in fish collected from
the Great Lakes are generally below the current fish consumption
advisory benchmarks that would advise eating less than one-mealper-month
from the Great Lakes.
Recent advisories:
dep.pa.gov/Business/Water/CleanWater/
WaterQuality/FishConsumptionAdvisory/Pages/
default.aspx
June 5 is World Environment Day!
Celebrate this day by encouraging awareness and
action for the protection of the environment including
environmental issues such as pollution, global warming,
sustainable development, and wildlife crime.
World Environment Day:
un.org/en/observances/environment-day
http://dep.pa.gov/Business/Water/CleanWater/WaterQuality/FishConsumptionAdvisory/Pages/default.aspx http://dep.pa.gov/Business/Water/CleanWater/WaterQuality/FishConsumptionAdvisory/Pages/default.aspx http://dep.pa.gov/Business/Water/CleanWater/WaterQuality/FishConsumptionAdvisory/Pages/default.aspx http://un.org/en/observances/environment-day
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - May/June 2023

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