Lead-tainted fish prompt advisory
Lead-tainted fish prompt advisory

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By Josh Rabe

Published: March 16, 2008

Environmental officials are warning residents in some northeastern Oklahoma lake communities about lead contamination in certain fish.

A recently completed survey studying fish from mill ponds in the Tar Creek community, the Spring River, Neosho River and Grand Lake prompted an advisory to residents to limit their intake of certain fish due to elevated levels of lead.

Leo Blom, who owns 3 Day Tackle in Bernice near Grand Lake, said he is more concerned about the panic the warnings might create than the quality of the fish.

"A lot of people here, especially a little shop like mine, depend on tourism to survive,” Blom said.

Carol Williams, an environmental specialist for the state Department of Environmental Quality, said her agency isn't trying to scare people away from eating the fish, but to help them do so safely.

"Fish makes up a good, quality portion of many people's diets,” Williams said. "They just need to be aware of this and to make educated decisions.”

Residents of Tar Creek, where the ground is polluted with lead, cadmium and zinc from years of mining in the area, are urged to limit the number of meals consisting of locally caught fish to anywhere between just a few servings to as many as 14 per month, depending on the variety of fish.

Visitors can catch and eat game fish such as crappie and bass in any of the tested areas without any fear of detrimental effects on their health, according to the Department of Environmental Quality's advisory.

Residents in the polluted areas already have higher exposure to lead from mining dust, and therefore can tolerate less lead contamination from fish, Williams said.

Visitors, however, are urged to limit their consumption of sunfish and nongame fish such as carp, freshwater drum, redhorse sucker and smallmouth buffalo.

Lead contamination accumulates in the bones of fish, so most of the contamination can be removed by eating only boneless, skinless fillets, Williams said. Contamination is more of a concern in fish cooked whole because they are difficult to fillet, she said.

Environmental officials last surveyed fish in the polluted mining district in 2003, and a subsequent study completed this year resulted in more relaxed recommendations on catching and eating contaminated fish, Williams said.