Green Bay NRDA Injury Assessment Case Study
The Lower Fox River/Green Bay Environment Home and critical habitat to array of ecological resources, including fish, birds, and mammals
Extensive Human Use and Enjoyment of Natural Resources
Green Bay NRDA Description of Case Approximately 300,000 kg of PCBs released to the Lower Fox River from paper company facilities PCBs have moved throughout the Lower Fox River and Green Bay environment
Multiple Trustees, Multiple RPs Trustee Council USFWS WI MI Oneida Menominee RPs: multiple paper companies Ongoing RI/FS (RP, EPA, WI)
General NRDA Approach Pathways Exposure Injury Services Surface H 2 O Sediments Food chain Surface H 2 O Sediments Food chain Surface H 2 O Sediments Fish Birds Recreation Consumption Ecological Assemble/ Assemble/analyze Comparison to criteria, analyze existing data standards, thresholds, existing data 1996 1997 walleye tolerances Evaluate PCB collection Fish studies fingerprints 1996 lake/brown (reproduction, viability) Mass-balance trout collection Bird assessment (existing models 1996 common/ data) Forster s tern egg collection 1997 waterfowl collection 1997 tree swallow collection
Pathway: Approach PCB release history from paper company facilities Water circulation and sediment transport patterns Spatial and temporal distribution of PCBs in sediment, water, and biota Evaluation of PCB congener patterns in sediment Application of the Green Bay Mass Balance Study to pathway determination
Pathway Determination Sources Fox River the dominant source of PCBs to Green Bay 91% Fox River Atmosphere Other Tributaries 5% 4%
Green Bay NRDA PCB Transport
Injury: Surface Water Surface water throughout Lower Fox River and Green Bay contaminated with PCBs Fish are exposed to PCBs in the surface water PCBs in surface water exceed criteria and standards for protection of biota
Surface Water Injury PCBs throughout river and bay exceed water quality standards by orders of magnitude Mean Total PCB Concentration (ng/l L) 10 1 10 0 0.12 ng/l Injury Criterion 10-1 Lower Fox River Lower Green Bay Upper Green Bay
Injury to Fish Includes direct harm to fish as well as effects on human (and ecological) consumers Consumption advisories All sport-caught species throughout river and bay Limit consumption or do not eat From 1970s until decades into future
Injury: Fish Fish Consumption Advisories Result from PCBs Multiple species throughout Lower Fox River, Green Bay, northern Lake Michigan Advisories range from limit consumption to do not eat In place since 1970s, will continue for many years
Fish Consumption Advisories Advisories at the site cover every sportcaught species as well as non-sport fish Black crappie, bluegill, brook trout, brown trout, burbot, carp, channel catfish, chinook salmon, chubs, coho salmon, lake trout, longnose sucker, northern pike, rainbow trout, rock bass, sheepshead, smallmouth bass, smelt, splake, sturgeon, walleye, white bass, whitefish, white perch, white sucker, yellow perch
Injury: Fish Spatial Extent of Advisories Area of Detail Escanaba #S Big Bay de Noc Michigan Little Bay de Noc ê Esca n aba R. Wisconsin Michigan MI Cedar R. R. WI Walton a y. ê ê #S ê Marinette ê Menominee R. #S Wisconsin P eshtigo R. #S Oconto R. ee R. Pensauk. Big Suamico R Little Suamico R. Green Bay Sturgeon Bay Duck Cr. er Fox R. Low # G r e e n B a y wano Appleton # L a k e M i c h i g a n. Ahnape e R Kewaun ee R. DePere Dam ê First Dam on River N 5 0 5 10 15 20 Miles j:/pr oje cts /gr eenbay/g b_fish co nsu mp.apr
Recreational Fishing Impacts of Advisories Reduced enjoyment of current fishing days Shift fishing days from Green Bay to other fishing sites Reduce fishing days or stop fishing altogether
Biological Injury to Fish Walleye have more hepatic tumors or pre-tumors Tumor incidence (% of Fish with Tu umors) 30 20 10 Lower Fox River/Green Bay Reference areas 10 8 6 4 2 Liver PCB Concentration (mg/kg, ww) 0 Tumor Incidence PCB Concentration 0
Injury: Fish Lake Trout Reproduction Lake trout are not successfully reproducing in Green Bay or Lake Michigan High incidence of embryo mortality Lake trout embryos are very sensitive to PCB toxicity Conducted detailed assessment of possible effects of PCBs on lake trout
Lake Trout Injury Collected lake trout eggs from locations near Green Bay and analyzed for PCBs, dioxins, furans, pesticides, and thiamine Conducted laboratory egg injection studies on Lake Michigan and hatchery lake trout Examined potential interaction between low thiamine levels and PCB toxicity Modeled historical PCB concentrations in eggs from measurements of [PCB] in fillets
Lake Trout Reproduction PCB Injection Studies % 80 30 20 % Fry Mortality Unhatched Eggs/ Total Eggs % % 90 40 70 30 Egg Mortality Unhatched Eggs/ Fertilized Eggs 5 90 100 % 40 % 50 Normal Fry/ Normal Fry/ Total Eggs Fertilized Eggs 9 Abnormal Fry/ Total Eggs 20 Abnormal Fry/ Fertilized Eggs % 4 % 5 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 Total PCB Concentration (ng/g) Total PCB Concentration (ng/g)
Injury to Fish: Conclusions Fish consumptive advisories Extensive Since 1970s Will continue Walleye liver tumors Lake trout currently not injured by PCBs
Injury to Birds As with fish, direct biological harm and effects on human uses Mallard PCB consumption advisory FDA tolerance exceeded Greater scaup, lesser scaup, common goldeneye, ruddy duck, common merganser, red-breasted merganser
Biological Injuries to Birds Forster s terns, common terns, and bald eagles: decreased reproduction Common terns: increased deformities Egg Mortality (%) 80 60 40 20 0 Green Bay Colonies Reference Colony Egg Mortality PCB Concentration 20 15 10 5 0 Egg PCB Concentration (mg/kg wet weight) Reproductive Productivity (Ave. # of young per nest) 1.0 0.5 0.0 Green Bay Inland Wisconsin
Injuries to Birds: Conclusions Adverse effect Reducing hatching success/productivity Adverse Effects Documented in Assessment Area Birds and the Likelihood that They Were Caused by PCBs Species Forster s tern Common tern Double-crested cormorant Bald eagle Physical deformations Forster s tern Common tern Caspian tern Double-crested cormorant Black-crowned night heron Behavioral abnormalities Forster s tern Caspian tern Evidence that adverse effect occurred Highly likely Likely Highly likely Highly likely Highly likely Likely Likely Highly likely Indeterminate Likely Indeterminate Evidence that adverse effect caused by PCBs Likely Likely Likely Likely Likely Likely/indeterminate Indeterminate Indeterminate Indeterminate Likely Indeterminate