Worry over any possible long range affects of biosolid contamination in the Ocoee River prompted Monica Farrow to question Catfish Consumption warning signs downstream from Copperhill Industries.
Farrow, secretary/treasurer of the Polk County Industrial Economic Development Board, said she feared any water pollution would hurt the county’s biggest industry – tourism.
Farrow first saw a warning sign at the rafting take out below the Number 2 powerhouse. The sign warns, “These fish should not be eaten by children, pregnant or nursing women. All others should limit consumption to one meal per month.”
A similar sign appears at the Parksville Lake boat ramp.
Jennifer Donnals, senior communications advisor for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), said the warning is a precautionary advisory to limit consumption of catfish caught in the Parksville reservoir.
The advisory is in place due to the level of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), a group of man-made, toxic industrial chemicals banned in the United States in 1979 due to environmental and health concerns. These chemicals remain in the environment for a long time.
The precautionary advisory can be found among 28 pages of various advisories currently issued by TDEC.
For example, the advisory immediately preceding the Parksville warning is a “Do Not Eat the Fish” in the North Fork of the Holston River in Sullivan and Hawkins counties due to mercury contamination.
According to the TDEC website, approximately 263,000 reservoir acres and 548 river miles are currently posted for fish tissue contamination. PCBs are among the most common contaminates found in dangerous levels, others including mercury, chlordane and other organics.
Recognizing the importance of fish to a balanced diet, the website says, “The department recommends that residents and visitors continue to eat fish from Tennessee rivers and reservoirs, but they should also follow the published advisories on consumption hazards in individual reservoirs.
Donnals also said there is not a contact advisory for water in the Parksville Reservoir, or anywhere on the Ocoee River, from pathogens or E. coli.