THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 12, 1996 TAG: 9606120492
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY LANE DEGREGORY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 65 lines
Anglers who catch largemouth bass and bowfin at Lake Phelps should not dine on their catch more than twice a month, state regulators said Tuesday.
Children and women of childbearing age were warned not to eat any bass or bowfin caught at Lake Phelps.
Unusually high levels of mercury found in tissue samples taken from fish found in the 16,600-acre lake 20 miles southwest of Columbia prompted North Carolina Health Director Ron Levine to issue an advisory Tuesday.
State recommendations say that no more than 1 part per million of mercury should be found in fish tissues. Largemouth bass at Lake Phelps had 1.3 ppm of mercury while bowfin had 1.18 ppm.
Anglers can continue to catch and consume other species of fish found in the lake. And they can keep catching and releasing bowfin and largemouth bass - also called blackfish.
Swimming, boating and wading in the lake also is safe, state Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources spokeswoman Johanna Reese said Tuesday.
``The advisory is indefinite until the levels drop. They'll continue monitoring at the site.''
Located in Washington and Tyrrell counties at Pettigrew State Park, Lake Phelps is the second largest natural lake in North Carolina. It is fed solely by rainwater, not connected with any other streams or rivers. The lake is rimmed by wilderness and farmland. Scientists do not know where the mercury contaminants originated.
Mercury can be released into the environment either by people or natural sources, state officials said. People can release mercury by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas or by medical waste incineration, chlorine manufacturing, municipal solid waste incineration or copper smelting. Natural sources of mercury includeforest fires and soil run-off.
``It could have come from the air. No one's really sure at this point,'' said Reese. ``It's stumping everyone because the lake is self-contained and surrounded by land.''
Mercury contamination affects a person's spinal cord and brain. Early signs include abnormally sensitive lips, tongues, fingers and toes; fatigue and blurred vision. Severe contamination in humans is characterized by problems with hearing and speech and a loss of coordination.
Lake Phelps is the fifth area in North Carolina to be posted because of mercury contamination. Nationally, there has been a steady increase over the past decade in fish consumption advisories due to airborne mercury concentrations. Officials in at least 33 states besides North Carolina have issued advisories in recent years because of high mercury levels in fish tissues.
About 80,000 people visit Pettigrew State Park each year, Superintendent Sid Shearin said. At least 20 percent of those people come to fish in Lake Phelps. But since most anglers don't eat bowfin - and many bass fishermen release their catch anyway - the health advisory may not have as large an impact on visitation as it once would have, said Shearin.
``It's not as bad as it sounds. There will be signs posted around the lake. But I don't know anybody who eats those fish in big quantities anyway,'' said Shearin. ``It's hard to say how the warning will affect tourism overall.''
Manteo resident Michael McOwen enjoys bass fishing at Lake Phelps as often as he can. He always lets his catch go, he said. So despite Tuesday's health advisory, he'll probably continue making the hour trek from the Outer Banks.
``It's such a shame to see a place that's so pretty and pristine get contaminated,'' McOwen said. ``To even imagine that there's toxins lurking around in that lake shows what an intrusion we humans have had on this world. It's just sad.'' by CNB