Tag: mercury

Author SuzannePosted on Categories Land Use, WaterTags , , , , ,

Assembly bill carries renewed hope of improvements for Clear Lake

Glenda Anderson, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Cloud-shrouded mountains towered above the glistening waters of Clear Lake on a recent April day as pelicans dove for fish and pairs of grebes dashed side by side across the water in a mating ritual. But not all is pristine on the lake, which suffers from chronic problems with algae overgrowth and mercury contamination from old mining operations, issues that have plagued the ancient lake for decades.
Local, state and federal officials over the years have launched numerous efforts to address the problems and avoid potential new ones like invasive mussels, with limited success. The efforts have included three failed county tax measures since 2012 aimed at improving lake quality, an ongoing federal cleanup of a mercury mine and a long-awaited wetlands restoration project.
Now, a bill sponsored by Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, is offering new hope for lake improvements. AB 707 doesn’t currently include funding, but local and state officials say it could make such financing easier to obtain by getting multiple agencies and groups to work together on a common goal.
“This is a big deal,” said Lake County Supervisor Jim Steele, a former Fish and Wildlife scientist and manager.
AB 707 would create a “blue ribbon” committee that would bring together a battery of scientists, elected officials, tribal members, environmentalists and others to study the problems and come up with potential solutions.
Read more at: Assembly bill carries renewed hope of improvements for Clear Lake | The Press Democrat

Author SuzannePosted on Categories Water, WildlifeTags , , ,

Two-thirds of Clear Lake fish recently tested above acceptable mercury levels 

Clark Mason, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
On a weekday morning, Johnnie Heal caught four largemouth bass from a pier in Clearlake Oaks, but tossed three back in the water.
“I don’t eat anything out of this lake,” said Heal, 32, who likes fishing for sport. “They say you can eat so many a month. But if you have to put a limit on it, I’m not going eat it.”
But the fourth bass he gave to an elderly woman who wanted it for her meal.
Because of high mercury levels in Clear Lake fish, women older than 45 and all men should eat only one serving per week of largemouth bass, according to guidelines issued by California’s Office of Environmental Assessment.
Warnings and guidelines, which are posted at public boat ramps, are less restrictive for other species such as carp, crappie, bluegill and catfish, allowing for several servings per week.
But women of child-bearing age and children are advised not to eat any largemouth bass at all out of Clear Lake and to limit consumption of other fish to only one serving per week.
There are similar warnings for many of the state’s other lakes and streams.
Read more at: Two-thirds of Clear Lake fish recently tested above acceptable mercury levels | The Press Democrat

Author SuzannePosted on Categories Water, WildlifeTags , , , ,

Mercury contamination in Clear Lake a legacy of mining

Clark Mason, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Standing on a bluff overlooking Clear Lake, it’s possible for Elem Indian Colony elder Jim Brown III to envision a time more than 10,000 years ago, when humans first arrived and settled the area.
“We are the oldest tribe classified as Pomo ever created,” the tribal historian said, explaining there were large geysers and hot springs close to the lake “where our people did our sweats. Thousands traveled to the place.”
But what was once an area of spiritual significance is today a toxic dump. For more than a century, an abandoned mine named Sulphur Bank has leached tons of mercury into Clear Lake and poisoned not only the food chain and the fish the tribe traditionally relied on, but possibly the people, too.
Fifteen years and several cleanup operations after it was made a high priority by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Sulphur Bank still defies efforts to stop the contamination.
This spring, the EPA expects to complete a feasibility study describing its latest evaluation and possible cleanup method that will be available for public review and comment.
Clear Lake is a poster child for mercury contamination, but is not unique. The state has identified roughly 150 “mercury impaired” reservoirs including Lake Sonoma, Lake Mendocino, Lake Berryessa and Lake Pillsbury. Even Spring Lake in Santa Rosa is on the list for future study, due to concerns about mercury levels in fish.
Read more at: Mercury contamination in Clear Lake a legacy of mining | The Press Democrat