State Issues Warning Against Eating Canal Fish

The Michigan Department of Community Health has issued an advisory to anglers to not eat fish caught in the 10 Mile-Lange-Revere canals due to high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) found in bottom-feeding fish.

Laboratory analysis of carp, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed and black crappie collected in the canal in 2010 has indicated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the fish that are too high for people to safely eat, according to Kelly L. Niebel, spokeswoman for the department.

Niebel added that letters have been sent to homeowners along the canal and signs will be installed near the canals to inform anglers of the advisory.

State officials will also brief the city council on June 6 and a public meeting will be planned.

Business owners like Dan Chimelak of p hope this does not deter anglers from fishing in Lake St. Clair.

"It is a very limited area," said Chimelak, who was a bit confused by the timing of the advisory. "The only time people fish in the canals is when there is ice."

The advisory comes as the Environmental Protection Agency recently completed soil borings in the Harper and Bon Brae area in an attempt to locate the source of the PCB contamination. 

Crews from the EPA collected samples in April and May throughout the area and within the trenches of the utility corridors.

According to Colleen Moynihan, project manager, the EPA is now working to validate the data and stated that, "we are reasonably confident there was no source of PCB, or high levels of PCBs, within the water line or sanitary sewer line."

She added that samples collected at 12 to 13 feet within the 10 Mile Drain corridor adjacent to manhole locations on Bon Brae and Harper found a pooling of elevated PCB contamination.

The chemicals were first discovered in 2001 in the Lange and Revere canals prior to a dredging project. The EPA worked with the city, county and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to determine the contamination came from the 10 Mile storm sewer.

The EPA removed sediment from the storm drains and canals, removed PCB-contaminated soil and lined the storm sewer drain to prevent future seepage of the chemicals into the drain.

According to the EPA, PCBs were manufactured  from 1929 until the chemicals were banned in 1979 and have been shown to cause cancer in animals.

The drain was named a Superfund National Priorities Site in 2010.