LANSING – A discussion on two “cheery” subjects – the state’s efforts to control perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances and efforts to prevent the Asian carp getting into the Great Lakes – were outlined Thursday to the House Appropriations Natural Resources Subcommittee, with members hearing how the state is trying to get control of both issues.
In the case of PFAS/PFOS, subcommittee members were briefed on how much the state and everyone else has to learn on the toxic, man-made substances that have already been confirmed in at least a dozen groundwater sites in the state.
And they also heard how dangerous the chemicals – used in waterproofing products, cleaning products, firefighting chemicals and other items – could be. In February, officials in Blades, Delaware had to take action after a number of private wells were found contaminated with the more than 70 parts per trillion allowable. Officials in the small town near Maryland have provided homeowners with filters to minimize exposure to the substances.
Tammy Newcomb, senior water policy advisor in the Department of Natural Resources, said the chemicals “do not biomagnify in a predictable way” as does a substance like mercury.
And while much is still unknown about the chemicals, it is known the effects on wildlife, especially fish, are much the same as it is in humans. For example, PFAS affect how wildlife and people process lipids, meaning they can get fatter faster, she said. She added that in fish it can affect their overall survivability against predators. She said testing on the potential effects on mammals, such as deer, is now starting.
But because of the contamination, the state is now recommending that people do not eat certain species of fish from specific areas. For example, in the Au Sable River the state’s safe fish guidelines suggest no largemouth or smallmouth bass be eaten because of PFAS/PFOS. That, Ms. Newcomb said, is a pretty astonishing development.
In terms of controlling access to the Great Lakes by Asian carp, either the silver carp or big head, Ms. Newcomb said there has been no evidence that the fish have reached the Great Lakes.
The focus on controlling their access is now on the Brandon Road lock and dam in Illinois, south of Chicago. The area creates a pinch point, Ms. Newcomb said, and the only way the carp can get past is to get up the lock.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has outlined a plan to control the fish from getting north of the lock that would involve electric barriers, flushing locks and jets to clear the hulls of ships. The entire project is anticipated to cost $275 million, with the Corps paying 65 percent.
But Ms. Newcomb the timing on the project is what worries the state, with construction not expected to begin before 2020 and not being finished until 2025.
