Testing method helping to curb Staunton River contamination

ALTAVISTA — A new testing method is giving the Department of Environmental Quality a better grasp on PCB contamination in the Staunton River.

The method is significantly more sensitive than those currently used for state tests, said regional biologist Mike Shaver.

“One of the reasons that we’ve identified some of these new sources or found the source was we got a much lower detection limit.”

Water test results from the past two years show three significant sources of PCBs to the Staunton: the Altavista wastewater treatment plant, which had an average level of 9.9 parts per trillion; the recently closed Burlington Industries plant in Hurt, which had an average level of 19.2 parts per trillion; and an unnamed stream in Altavista, which had levels of 1,489 parts per trillion. DEQ’s limit is 1.7 parts per trillion.

The stream collects stormwater from the BGF Industries and Lane Furniture plants. A part per trillion is akin to a drop of water in 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. BGF Industries recently completed a $4.5 million cleanup plan to remove PCBs from soil on the property.

These tests are part of a larger mandated cleanup plan that will eventually determine PCB sources and how long it will be until river fish are no longer contaminated above the state health department threshold. The Staunton has been under a VDH fish consumption advisory since 1998 because of the contamination.

PCBs, or polybichlorinated biphenyls, were once used in transformers, carbonless copy paper, hydrolic fluids and many other industrial uses, but U.S. manufacturing was banned in 1978. However, some products with the chemical are still in use, said DEQ water compliance manager Fred DiLella. The chemicals are a known carcinogen and accumulate in fatty tissue, particularly in older fish.

The biggest problem with PCB contamination is it takes a very long time for the chemical to break down in the environment, DiLella said.

The plan, also called a total maximum daily load study, is expected to be ready for public comment in the spring and finished in September 2009, DEQ water planning engineer Amanda Gray said.

DEQ officials in 2007 released new data detailing the PCB contamination in fish. Some larger striped bass and catfish had levels more than double the VDH concern level. Data also released then showed that some large striped bass had very high levels of mercury.

Since then, there has been no measured change on fish levels, said David Miles, DEQ regional deputy director. Other than fish contaminated with PCBs and mercury, the river water quality is “very good,” Miles said.

Steve Bond, a worker at the Altavista wastewater treatment plant, said a major problem with identifying the source is that the contamination may have lodged in the pipes several decades ago.

“There could still be a problem without a source. The source could have been gone for 40 years.”

Wayne Childress fishes for fun along the Staunton River in Altavista on Tuesday. Childress practices catch-and-release, where fishermen don’t keep the fish they catch, instead putting them back in the water.
KIM RAFF/THE NEWS & ADVANCE