Do not eat the fish in the shenango river.

Just a heads up.
 
http://www.post-gazette.com/local/north/2017/08/21/pcb-fish-contamination-shenango-river-new-castlemercer-county-lawrence-county/stories/201708210159
 
 
 

read the article   10x the norm is quite alarming   especially in the stretch mentioned     has to been a long term polluting source somewhere in that stretch  pcbs settle in the sediment on bottom and once in ..... there   its pretty much permanent,,,,,,,,,,,,, buuuuut on maybe a little more positive note   im not a fisheries biologist but i have jus as much knowlege as them... FACT ,,WHEN THEY TEST FISH FOR PCBS MERCURY ETC,,  they take the whole fish grind them up and get the results.....meaning  most of the contaniments build up in the brain fatty belly meat and organs...... well dont know bout you but i dont eat fish heads or entrails.... cancers and other sicknesses dont usually aquire in lean tissue aka  trimmed fillets  so  guess consume at your own risk

Wonder if the 13,000 gal oil mix spill that happened back in 2015 out of duferco has anything to do with it. That's a big jump for a river that has little industry on it anymore, comparetively speaking.

So I'm not a fish biologist, but how did the river get contaminated with PCBs up near the dam?  Especially the area from the bridge where the old gun range is (was) up to the dam?  There was never any industry up there to pollute the water!?  
Of course I imagine they could be  considering the fact that  the fish could migrate up river from the polluted areas to that stretch of the river??  **** shame

Any drilling or convoys of tanker trucks??

Dave I would agree with you 100 per cent if the PCBs were being tested and found in the water. But the public water suppliers say such is not the case which now makes me wonder, thank you very much.

I believe the PBFC issued their consumption advisory over actual testing of the fish they have posted.

Kokanee Killer
read the article   10x the norm is quite alarming   especially in the stretch mentioned     has to been a long term polluting source somewhere in that stretch  pcbs settle in the sediment on bottom and once in ..... there   its pretty much permanent,,,,,,,,,,,,, buuuuut on maybe a little more positive note   im not a fisheries biologist but i have jus as much knowlege as them... FACT ,,WHEN THEY TEST FISH FOR PCBS MERCURY ETC,,  they take the whole fish grind them up and get the results.....meaning  most of the contaniments build up in the brain fatty belly meat and organs...... well dont know bout you but i dont eat fish heads or entrails.... cancers and other sicknesses dont usually aquire in lean tissue aka  trimmed fillets  so  guess consume at your own risk

You are correct about grinding the whole fish up testing for PCBs but for mercury and cloradane are found in the adipose tissue the part we eat.You cant limit them only by limiting your meals.

The dredging, if done recently, can be a reason why. Outside of everything already mentioned, the only other new thing on the river is all those gas wells around Pulaski.

There was a huge dump site up on North River road that closed years ago. I believe it was forcibly closed by enacted environmental laws . It actually overlooks the river across from old Shenango Steel. There is a cemetery across from it ( how coincidental ). That dump took in tons and tons of waste in its day until closed. Ironically it's also above (upstream)  our drinking water process plant. One has to trust or wonder how safe that continues to be.
 
Shenango Steel , Sharon Tube , Westinghouse, National Castings, Sharon Steel , Wheatland Tube all were built and had river access for years. The river was in bad shape in those days as far as pollution. Now most are gone and environmental laws have put in many usage restrictions. Maybe late but never the less much safer.
 
A few years back there was a small business in Sharon along the river and the owner was rolling and dumping out barrels of used chemicals or oil waste from his place into the river at night ! The low life was finally nailed and arrested but I forget the final outcome. One has to wonder how long did this pig do this and I hope he served some stiff jail time and fines.
 
As far as that dredging of river sediment that was done years ago and Westinghouse was held for most of that cost since they admitted to PCB contamination in and around the plant. I was told the fear of PCB future lawsuits was one of the main reasons for shutting the plant down. I worked there for a few short years and the PCB's were in the transformer oils that cooled the large transformers we built. It was actually a clean plant inside and I seen no actual bad handling of oil and chemicals , but who knows what went or leaked into sewer systems with a plant almost a mile long!
 
It's too bad about Shenango's PCB pollution problem it's actually loaded with fish and wildlife all along it's banks. I've spent years of outdoor time there and still do .        

Just wondering if those torrential downpours will have much affect on the lake level. That was some heavy stuff twice today plus what fell yesterday. Betcha Clark Boat launch get closed.


According to info from the park, as of this mornings report, the lake has fallen a few inches in the past 24 hours.

I remember these warnings before, I can't remember exactly but I think it was around 2005 they dredged back of Sharon tube / Westinghouse.
I remember the orange floats and removal equipment.
Also mercury warnings from way back.

Ever watched "Erin Brockovich"?

Last I heard she is still active.

Yea I've actually seen the "Love Canal " area in NY while heading up fishing the Niagara. It's all older homes in Buffalo near a huge older landfill all empty ! Might be all demolished by now, that was about 25 years ago or more. Dow Chemical was a lead company behind all that ground poison destruction I believe.
 
One has to wonder how & where these PCB's are coming from to increase that number so high. Like we said earlier most of the industries along the river are gone or monitored. If it is this old dump leaching then some kind of action should take place or be looked into. Remember all this water in Shenango River comes from the lake, and that is fed from about 80% from Pymatuning.  
 
Wonder how often they test fish from all the different local waterways ?
 
Ever wonder where all that weed killer goes from those nice green lawns we have, or those weed less county corn fields. I'm sure all that spraying of chemicals doesn't hurt us one bit! 
  
 

Captain, regarding your question on agriculture herbicides. I wonder the same about the aquatic herbicides and the excuses for it being used in such concentrations over such a small area.

Jigs I see the excuses as "crying wolf".

Eventually people turn a deaf ear.

Another excuse may be to stop the trout stockings. There have been comments by the PFBC saying cut backs in the trout program are expected.

I know my comments about Arway's pet SOS program fall on deaf ears but folks should study, the history of that program especially the "scientific studies" conducted and, Arway being railroaded into his position.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least to see major dredging on the Mighty Susquehana so those big bass boats can navigate from one end to another.

That will cost a pretty penny and for a long time.

Ooops..... rambling again, damed old timers disease.😏