Tribal Perspectives on Fish Consumption: The Long Hard Paddle to Revised Water Quality Standards and an Accurate Fish Consumption Rate
Presentation Abstract
Fish consumption rates, cancer risk rates, and other factors are part of the human health criteria in water quality standards under the Clean Water Act. These standards are set by states and tribes using EPA guidance, and are used to determine the amount of pollutants that can be discharged into water bodies. Washington State’s rates were set in the early 1990’s and assume a FCR of 6.5 grams per day, or one meal of fish per month. This grossly underestimates the amount of fish consumed in tribal communities, putting tribal people at a higher risk of exposure to toxic chemicals through the fish consumption pathway. Tribes in Washington have been working for several years to achieve water quality standards in Washington that will reflect what tribes and other high fish consumers—such as Asian and Pacific Islander groups, actually eat and thereby protect human health. The last two years of state processes to set the standards for both toxic cleanup and water quality standards have been particularly controversial, due to opposition to more stringent standards from business and industry. The Washington Department of Ecology is scheduled to release new rules for human health criteria by the end of March, 2014. Tribal reaction to the status and choices by the Department, and the relation to data on tribal fish consumption, will be reviewed.
Session Title
Session S-03B: Washington Fish Consumption Rate: One Number, Hundreds of Human Health and Environmental Management Decisions, Millions of Consumers
Conference Track
Toxics
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
30-4-2014 3:30 PM
End Date
30-4-2014 5:00 PM
Location
Room 608-609
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Fish as food--Contamination--Washington (State); Indians of North America--Food--Washington (State)
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
United States. Federal Water Pollution Control Act
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Washington (State)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Tribal Perspectives on Fish Consumption: The Long Hard Paddle to Revised Water Quality Standards and an Accurate Fish Consumption Rate
Room 608-609
Fish consumption rates, cancer risk rates, and other factors are part of the human health criteria in water quality standards under the Clean Water Act. These standards are set by states and tribes using EPA guidance, and are used to determine the amount of pollutants that can be discharged into water bodies. Washington State’s rates were set in the early 1990’s and assume a FCR of 6.5 grams per day, or one meal of fish per month. This grossly underestimates the amount of fish consumed in tribal communities, putting tribal people at a higher risk of exposure to toxic chemicals through the fish consumption pathway. Tribes in Washington have been working for several years to achieve water quality standards in Washington that will reflect what tribes and other high fish consumers—such as Asian and Pacific Islander groups, actually eat and thereby protect human health. The last two years of state processes to set the standards for both toxic cleanup and water quality standards have been particularly controversial, due to opposition to more stringent standards from business and industry. The Washington Department of Ecology is scheduled to release new rules for human health criteria by the end of March, 2014. Tribal reaction to the status and choices by the Department, and the relation to data on tribal fish consumption, will be reviewed.
