_RESUL ts, FROM a recently-released Fisheries’ land Oceans.
Canada study show levels of the most toxic member of the
dioxin family “were up to 33. times greater. than currently, ac-
‘cepted..Canadian tolerance levels. in shellfish specimens ”

taken, ear two Howe Sound pulp mills.’ : i

Bur: Health and Welfare Canada :

has decreed “all fish species caught
in‘: Howe Sound to be safe to cat
“because“the dioxin levels found in

_ edible. portions , of the specimens
studied were. judged~ 1o Pose no
health hazard. ;

Fourteen -pulp and paper mill
Sites in : four. : provinces were —
studied by Fisheries and. Occans,
Canada as’ part. of a program to
‘monitor possible dioxin ‘and furan
. contamination from bleached kraft
» pulp millse 3,

The study. was, initiated ‘to ade
dress gtowing: fisheries ‘ concerns

“over dioxins released from Cana-
. dian pulp mills following results of
, a.1986 U.S. Environment Protec-
tion “Agency. study, that detected.
‘dioxins and. furans’ in efflucnis,
sludges and pulps “ prodticed at’
mills in the United States.

“An, addition, ’ Greenpeace: ‘an- |
nounced : in . January that dioxins”
“had been. found’ in sediment taken.
‘by. the environmental group) in’
‘September .- i987° near: MacMillan:

: Bloedel’s ° Harmac: pulp” mill: ne,

~ By TIMOTHY RENSHAW ,
News Reporter

Though no egsidues of. 23, 7,8-
tetrachlorodibenzo- -para-dioxin
“the most toxic

dioxin, were.found in most finfish
samples taken from. around the
Canadian mills, concentrations of
the cancer-causing chemical ranged
up to 662 and 356 parts per trillion
(ppt) in Dungeness crab heptopan-.
creases: (a digestive :gland) taken’
from’, waters -around Port Mellon

_(2,3,7,8, TCDD),

and Woodfibre mills respectively.

<The tolerance’ level. established
by Canadian Food and Drug regu-
o hations for 2, 3,7, 8, TCDD. is: 20

MHigh Tevels of. 2,3,7,8. TCDD
were also found in crab heptopan-:
creas samples taken, from, waters
in. “Prince

around ‘a: pulp mill
Rupert... ;

/ “According” to the “Fisheries and
“Qeceans study, the heptopancreas j is.

not normally eaten.’
“In addition ‘to.°2,3,7, 8, TCDD;:

75-member “dioxin
rr ae sows \
i

rf

- couver, he said,

“samples that

levels of Iexs toxic dioxins from the.
+ family were

found in concentrations ud up to

4,682 ppt in crabs taken from Port’
- Mellon,

Woodfibre and Prince
Rupert.

Mike Nassichitk, head‘ of water
quality for’ the - federal _ fisheries
department, said! discovery ‘of
dioxins around B.C,
unexpected because of the findings
from the U.S. study.

“The high Jevels in Dungeness .
crabs were not unusual in the sense _,

that the heptopancreas of the crab

is where we would expect to find
~ the chemical,’* Nassichuk said. :

| But he added that further studies
are underway to determine if the
Canadian study’s findings were
accurately”

" areas.

““We need more data to better
‘understand the. extent of
tamination,"’ Nassichuk said.

Specimens for the subsequent
studics, taken from

already been collected.

No. fish have been ‘taken from |.

to West ° Van-
because fisheries
felt there was. no reason to assess
distant

“waters adjacent :

mills.

Current pulp mill water effluent 7
“permits do not cover dioxin and -

‘furan. levels, Nassichuk. said,

“210-memobcr

mills was not

representative _ of the
con-..

; varying~
* distances around. the mills, have

from the .

}- 1 Pen May 20,

were in. pulp mill effluent is rela
tively recent.

Dioxins and furans belong. ta a
family of
polychlorinates. The chemicals are
- extremely resistant to biological
breakdown.

Howe © Sound waters. support

,commercial bottom fish, prawn, ©
‘crab and shrimp fisheries.“

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because. discovery that’ the toxins”

_also. fished

628

Se

Ka SSiueth Shore News ,

Crab, prawns and salmon are
recreationally from
Howe Sound.

United Fisherinen and Allied
Workers’: Union spokesman. John |
Katnich said the findings of | the ; :
study were a concern.to all fish-
ermen because the fish taken from
Howe Sound arc used as a food:
source by the genera al public. oe

: jorials High naar 18°.
“Saturday, mostly sunny.

» COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY MEETING c ADDREsseS CRISIS’

: ed almost AS, 50 ni din ¢

ices “Committee,
‘almost ieehise

we iaetand y what. the.
Are they. the «:
“going to” meet:

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STEPHEN WISENTHA
: - Comeritnting Weiter .

‘iates break the older marke
nto three different market groups
pre-retirement (45-64, » years) old)
nupheices “6

"units: on’ the, ‘North: ‘Shore: are ‘oc- u

eupied by seniors: and’ demand for

The Next Generation was the topic of the’ ‘snout meeting’ of the Capilano: Community Services'/:

“forsa’ ‘single

I per: month}: or

pai the. poverty
é said

of issues that affect iocal

nlors,- with he ag,