DEP Expands Fish Advisories

Good, But Needs to Do More

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) released a statement today on their updates to recreational fish advisories. The DEP will not only expand testing but include new chemicals such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, known as PFAS (including PFOA, PFOS and PFNA). This chemical was tested for within water, sediment, and fish tissue. FAS is a category of man-made chemicals that have been widely used to make products because of their stain-resistant, waterproof and/or nonstick properties. Fishing advisories are maintained by the state online. Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, released the following statement:

“The DEP is working to protect us from toxic chemicals found in fish. Adding PFAS to the advisory testing is an important step forward. These dangerous chemicals have been shown in studies to damage the liver, thyroid, pancreas and hormone levels. Under the Christie Administration, we saw more pollution in our waterways. Now the Murphy Administration is taking steps to identify and address this issue by including more contaminates in their testing. People will know where they should and shouldn’t fish and what they should and shouldn’t eat. This is especially important for children and pregnant women.

“We have found different contaminates in our fish, even from the most pristine areas. Toxic mercury gets released into the air and then it rains down into our lakes, streams and other waters. Mercury then accumulates in fish in our waterways and reservoirs putting our public health at risk. Mercury is particularly harmful to pregnant women and children causing severe birth defects, such as developmental disorders and learning disabilities. Even in the middle of the Highlands and the Pinelands we see mercury advisories. We need to do a better job at not only setting these standards, but educating the public about them.

“It’s good that they’re expanding testing but there’s more to be done. Now that we have a new Administration, we need to look at the advisory standards and make them more protective for other chemicals. When they calculate the risk for ingesting a contaminated fish, especially for PCBs, its based on a cancer risk. The fish advisory uses the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standard of a cancer risk in 1 in 10,000 people, not the 1 in one million, which is the standard New Jersey uses for drinking water and toxic site cleanup. Using one in 10,000 gives the false impression that it may be safer to eat than it is. We believe those ratios should be much higher to protect more people from these dangerous substances.”