PCBs make fish from Choccolocco Creek inedible, report says

By Jessica Centers
Star Staff Writer
01-22-2005

Fish from Choccolocco Creek — especially catfish — are a public health hazard and should not be eaten, according to the final version of a report by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a public health agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The report, called a public health consultation, was released for public comment in 2004. The final version includes the comments received and ATSDR’s responses. According to the report, Choccolocco Creek fish contain elevated levels of polychlorinated biphenyls or PCBs. Of seven fish species examined, PCBs content was highest in catfish. The fish were collected at four locations along the creek. The Alabama Department of Public Health has issued a no-consumption advisory for all species of fish the entire length of Choccolocco Creek from south of Oxford to where the creek flows into Logan Martin Lake. The report says that advisory is warranted, and also warns that other aquatic animals from Choccolocco Creek and nearby Snow Creek may contain elevated PCB levels. If consumed, they could contribute to PCB exposure, the agency says. The ATSDR report resulted from public health concerns about eating Choccolocco Creek fish. The public health consultation is available at: Anniston Public Library, 108 E. 10th St.; Carver Library 722 W. 14th St.; Community Against Pollution, 1521 Cobb Ave.; Environmental Protection Agency office, 1514 W. 10th St.

About Jessica Centers

Jessica Centers, a University of Missouri graduate, covers health and the environment for The Anniston Star.