Decades of tilting at Hamilton Harbour's PCBs

Session: 04. - Restoring Hamilton Harbour: Tilting at Windmills or a Possible Dream?

Tanya Long, Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change, [email protected]

Abstract

In the Hamilton Harbour Area of Concern (AOC), there are multiple restrictions on the consumption of locally-caught fish, which is one of the beneficial use impairments being addressed by the Remedial Action Plan (RAP).  The consumption-limiting contaminant in this AOC is polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a chemical group banned for import to Canada over 40 years ago.  Despite multiple decades since legislated controls on PCBs were introduced, PCBs concentrations in many media in Hamilton Harbour continue to be at levels seen decades ago in other Great Lakes nearshore urban areas.  This presentation will examine long-term trends in Hamilton Harbour PCB concentrations, as well as context and implications of these data to the over-arching goals of delisting the Hamilton Harbour AOC.

1. Keyword
Hamilton Harbour

2. Keyword
PCBs

4. Additional Keyword
restrictions on fish consumption

5. Additional Keyword
contaminated sediment