Improved Tests Help Detail PCB Woes / Three Major Sources That Exceed State Limit Are Identified

A new testing method is giving the Department of Environmental Quality a better grasp on PCB contamination in the Staunton River. The method is significantly more sensitive than those currently used for state tests, said Mike Shaver, regional biologist.

“One of the reasons that we’ve identified some of these new sources or found the source was we got a much lower detection limit,” Shaver said.

Water tests from the past two years found three significant sources of PCBs to the Staunton that exceed DEQ’s limit of 1.7 parts per trillion:

– the Altavista wastewater-treatment plant, which had an average level of 9.9 parts per trillion;

– the recently closed Burlington Industries plant in Hurt, which had an average level of 19.2 parts per trillion; and

– an unnamed stream in Altavista, which had levels of 1,489 parts per trillion. The stream collects stormwater from the BGF Industries and Lane Furniture plants.

A part per trillion is akin to a drop of water in 20 Olympic- size swimming pools. BGF Industries recently completed a $4.5 million cleanup plan to remove PCBs from soil on the property.

These tests are part of a larger mandated cleanup plan that eventually will determine PCB sources and how long it will be until river fish are no longer contaminated above the state Health Department threshold. The Staunton has been under a fish- consumption advisory since 1998 because of the contamination.

PCBs, or polybichlorinated biphenyls, were once used in transformers, carbonless copy paper, hydraulic fluids and many other industrial uses, but U.S. manufacturing was banned in 1978. Still, some products with the chemical remain in use, said Fred DiLella, DEQ water-compliance manager. The chemicals are a known carcinogen and accumulate in fatty tissue, particularly in older fish.

PCBs take a long time to break down in the environment, DiLella said.

The cleanup plan, also called a total maximum daily load study, is expected to be ready for public comment in the spring and finished in September 2009, said Amanda Gray, DEQ water-planning engineer.

DEQ officials in 2007 released new data detailing the PCB contamination in fish. Some larger striped bass and catfish had levels more than double the Health Department concern level. Data also released then showed that some large striped bass had very high levels of mercury.

Since then, there has been no measured change on fish levels, said David Miles, DEQ regional deputy director. Other than fish contaminated with PCBs and mercury, the river water quality is very good, Miles said.

Steve Bond, a worker at the Altavista wastewater-treatment plant, said a major problem with identifying the source is that the contamination may have lodged in the pipes several decades ago.

“There could still be a problem without a source. The source could have been gone for 40 years.”

Sarah Watson is a staff writer for The News & Advance in Lynchburg.

Originally published by WATSON; Media General News Service.

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