What’s in the river: PCBs
The River Raisin in downtown Manchester
by Claire Pajka
Buried in the clay and sediments of the lower River Raisin, a stubborn contaminant refuses to be degraded. Polychlorinated biphenyls, also known as PCBs, have become a major issue for the River Raisin over the past few decades. PCBs were used in everyday commercial products as well as industrial processes, and were often found in motor and hydraulic oil, electrical equipment, and plastics. Though production was banned in 1979 after studies began to show that PCBs may have negative consequences on both the environment and human health, their contamination had already been compiling in the riverbed from companies along the banks of the river, such as the Ford Motor Plant in Monroe.
PCBs belong to a group of contaminants called persistent organic pollutants: pollutants that are of a global concern due to their resistance to natural degradation in the environment, ability to bioaccumulate in ecosystems, and significant negative health effects to both humans and the environment.
Because they don’t naturally degrade, PCB removal is crucial for aquatic ecosystem remediation. However, PCBs pose a difficult challenge to remove – they sink to the bottom of riverbeds and have an affinity for binding to clay – and one of the only effective ways of removing PCBs is to remove and dispose of large areas of contaminated sediment and clay.
Why should we be cognizant of PCB levels? PCBs are listed by the EPA as a “probable human carcinogen” when ingested for extended periods of time, though the long-term effects of PCBs, including liver damage and endocrine system disruption, are still being studied.
After the last 2.6 miles of the river were designated by the EPA as an Area of Concern site, officials on the local, state, and federal level planned and executed the removal of approximately 110,000 cubic yards of PCB contaminated sediment. About the restoration, leader of the Monroe Council of the Environment Barry LaRoy explained, “All of the EPA/EGLE Management Actions and projects have been completed including placement of a “CAP” over the residual PCB laden glacial till below the river (approximately 30 feet) in the federal navigation channel … We now have so many more geese, ducks, peregrine falcons, and bald eagles throughout our downtown area and watershed – this is truly amazing!”
Even though this cleanup near Monroe was completed in 2016, PCBs are still pervasive throughout the lower four miles of the river, and certain fish in this area should not be consumed due to significant contaminant levels. Luckily, because PCBs largely attach themselves to sediments, they are not present at harmful levels in surface waters, so touching the water and swimming pose little risk for human PCB exposure unless sediments are churned and suspended, such as after large rainstorms.
Through the many restoration efforts of different organizations through the years, we are attempting to pay for the crimes we’ve committed against the Raisin. But what does the future hold?
In asking LaRoy about industry restrictions and regulations to avoid future degradation, he explained that “Despite our efforts to safeguard our waterways, it is regrettable that the current Federal Administration is rolling back environmental safe guards put in place to protect our waterways, making it easier for areas to become contaminated. The inception of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA/1980) and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA/1976) has set the stage for comprehensive environmental remediation that has occurred through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and the Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) as funding sources for implementation of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).”
He went on to say that, “Hopefully, our leaders will once again refocus attention to the laws that we’ve instituted to protect our environment. Monroe has worked with State and Federal regulators to develop a viable industrial pretreatment program, but we need federal support to continue our fight for clean water.”
To learn more about the region’s big polluters and pollutants, keep an eye out for the What’s in the River? article series over the next few weeks.
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