The fish swimming in our drinking water reservoir are toxic...
The following article appeared in the St Catharines Standard on Thursday, April 22, 2010
Written by Julie Greco, Standard Staff
View the original article at the Standard website >>
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Don't plan on eating fish from Lake Gibson anytime soon.
Signs will soon be popping up around Lake Gibson to warn local residents about risks and restrictions, now that the results of a study are in.
Doug Rodrigues, human resources and support services manager of Ontario Power Generation, presented the study's conclusions to the City of Thorold Tuesday evening.
More than 10 years ago, the OPG launched an environmental site assessment of Lake Gibson and Lake Moodie, which forms the reservoir for the DeCew Generating Station, because the historic activity of upstream industries contaminated the sediment of Lake Gibson, he said.
A Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment concluded that contaminants in the sediment pose negligible risk of adverse health effects to residents and area visitors, as long as consumption of fish is restricted and sediments aren't used for garden soils.
As a preventative measure, signs will be posted around the lake to advise visitors of these restrictions and to warn against swimming, wading or boating in the lake.
A newsletter has been mailed to area residents and stakeholders, and the OPG will continue to monitor the lake.
