Waller Mill Fish, Critters Unaffected by Camp Peary Dump Chemicals

By Desiree Parker Thursday, February 18, 2010

At a public information meeting Wednesday evening that drew only a few people, Navy officials explained that rigorous tests showed concentrations of a toxic chemical found in Waller Mill Reservoir are within acceptable risk limits.

The meeting was a culmination of nearly a year of testing and analysis of soil, sediment, fish and worm tissue that was deemed necessary after the Navy discovered an old dump site at Camp Peary had released PCBs into the reservoir. Read more about the site’s background here.

While the final report with hard numbers on the amount of PCBs won’t be available to the public until it has been reviewed, experts and Navy representatives at the meeting assured people that every sample tested proved within safe limits not just for human consumption, but also for area wildlife.

With the help of Virginia Game and Inland Fisheries, the Navy collected striped bass, bluegill, catfish, gizzard shad and multiple little fish over the summer to test. They also tested sediment samples all along the path most likely taken by the chemical as it migrated from the source as well as worms, to find out the likely concentrations in wildlife, which feed on the worms.

When asked why it took so long for the Navy to release results in tests completed in August, Public Affairs Officer Jim Brantley explained the process was actually expedited because of public interest, and would normally have taken longer.

He and experts at the meeting agreed that if any samples contained levels higher than deemed acceptable according to Environmental Protection Agency limits, the Navy would have contacted the health department right away so they could have issued a fish advisory.

The PCBs settle into sediment, which gets eaten by small creatures, which are then eaten by fish. They have limited solubility in water and haven’t been found in the water, which the city tests regularly.

Based on the results, no further action is warranted, according to the Navy. Once the final report is complete, concerned agencies like the city, the Department of Environmental Quality, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Department of Health and others will be notified.

For more information, contact Jim Brantley at james.brantley@navy.mil.