New Fish Test Results From Mt. Polley Area
Williams Lake, B.C.- The latest results of testing of fish samples taken from Quesnel Lake are in line with samples collected from 54 uncontaminated lakes in B.C.
The samples from Quesnel Lake were collected on Aug. 9 and 10, less than a week after the tailings pond breach at the Mt. Polley mine sent millions of cubic meters of water and tailings into Polley Lake, Hazeltine Creek and Quesnel Lake.
47 lake trout, 12 burbot, 2 whitefish and one long nose sucker were collected from Quesnel Lake for testing. None of the fish showed any visual signs of distress and Interior Health says the fish remain safe for human consumption.
The testing shows the flesh is below the human guideline consumption for selenium. Selenium guidelines for human consumption were exceeded only in the liver and gonads. This means a person would need to consume one cup of lake trout, rainbow trout or whitefish liver and gonads in one day to exceed the high consumption threshold.
There were mercury exceedences in the liver and gonads, but these exceedances would only be of concern if the liver/gonads were consumed.
Minnows and salmon samples have been collected from Quesnel Lake and are being analyzed. Results of those tests will be released as they become available.
Comments
Where’s all the doom and gloomers? Hey Morton tell us a story.
This study tells us nothing other than some guy got paid to catch fish. Did the fish come from the area of the plum… how long have they been in the area of the plum and at the right depths… what kind of food are these fish eating and do they feed on the same stuff year round? Lots of factors at play and Quesnel Lake is a massive deep lake that can hide the effects for a delay period of time. Continued studies should be the order of the day. So we have some base samples to work with is all this news really tells us.
Mmmm, a cup of fish liver and gonads per day, sounds wonderful!!
NOT!!
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