Navy Says Waller Mill Fish Not Toxic to Humans

By Kimberly Lenz Thursday, February 11, 2010

The Navy has announced tests conducted on fish caught in the Waller Mill Reservoir contain levels of a toxic chemical that are within acceptable risk limits to humans.

The Navy made the announcement Thursday within its press release about a public meeting they will host next week to talk about the test results.

The tests were necessitated by the discovery of a toxic dump site at Camp Peary. According to the Navy, construction debris containing PCBs known by the commercial name of Aroclor 1260 was dumped in an abandoned swimming pool at the restricted military installation. Discovery of the dump site led to its cleanup of nearly 1,500 tons of debris between October 2008 and January 2009, followed by further testing that showed runoff from the site had raised PCB levels in the drainage pathway from the abandoned pool to the reservoir.

Water safety was never in question; PCBs have limited solubility in water and are more likely to be found in silt or the tissue of animals who live in the water.

The Navy held a public meeting in early April 2009 to discuss the potential contamination with residents and announce plans to test fish from the reservoir. They hired a third-party chemist to conduct the tests, which were completed five months later, in August. Thursday's statement was the first the Navy has made that mentioned the results.

"PCB concentrations in Waller Mill Reservoir that are attributable to releases from Site 49F do not pose an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment," the statement said. There were no specifics, but the statement went on to say that  "based on these results and established risk guidance issued by the EPA, no further investigation or remedial action is recommended for the site. The term 'unacceptable risk' is standard risk assessment terminology, defined by EPA guidance, and is used to help determine whether remedial action is needed."

The draft report is currently under review by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

The Navy will hold a Community Open House next Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 6 to 8 pm. at the Williamsburg Community Building. The open house format will feature poster stations describing the results of environmental investigation activities associated with the Camp Peary site - known as Site 49F - and Waller Mill Reservoir.

In its press release, the Navy said the open‐house format "encourages one‐on‐one communication and allows community participation at a pace that is comfortable for everyone," with "subject matter experts" stationed at each poster to answer questions and provide any additional information residents may need.