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week of 1/15/03 | ||
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Fish
advisory lifted on section of Pigeon SMN Tennessee state environmental officials last week removed fish consumption advisory signs that have been posted along the Pigeon River since 1989. The signs, which warned children and pregnant or nursing women not to eat catfish, carp, and redbreast sunfish, were removed along a 30-mile stretch of the Pigeon River stretching from the North Carolina-Tennessee line downstream to the mouth of the French Broad River. Environmental officials posted the warnings due to dioxin, a cancer-causing contaminant that accumulates in the tissue of fish. Recent tests show that dioxin levels in the Pigeon River have dropped due to improved pollution control practices at the Canton paper mill, formerly Champion International but now owned by Blue Ridge Paper Products. The first advisories posted along the Pigeon River in 1989 warned against eating all species of fish and pertained to all individuals. At that time, dioxin levels in fish tissue samples exceeded the 5 parts per trillion level “trigger point” that Tennessee sets for posting fish consumption advisories. According to recent tests, fish in the Pigeon River — the three species on the advisory and additional game fish and rough fish species — consistently have tested at dioxin levels below 1 part per trillion. In August 2001, North Carolina, which has a dioxin posting limit of 3 parts per trillion, removed its fish consumption advisory on the Pigeon River. |