[CPEO-MEF] GLOBAL, PCB's: "Army report on toxic fish sparks call for action by Marshalls leaders" (Micronesia)

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Army report on toxic fish sparks call for action by Marshalls leaders


By Giff Johnson 
Marianas Variety
June 10, 2016	

MAJURO - Chemical contamination of fish at Kwajalein Atoll “is a public health concern of epic proportion that we cannot take lightly,” Kwajalein Sen. David Paul said Wednesday before this week’s annual Marshall Islands-United States defense consultation in Majuro.

Paul and other Marshall Islands officials called for action on the contamination issue at the Joint Committee Meeting or JCM, which annually addresses defense-related issues, particularly those affecting the U.S. Army operated Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll. Kwajalein is an important missile defense base, which is used as a target for missiles launched from California and from submarines, and also launches interceptor rockets against the incoming missiles.

The Army issued draft reports in 2014 that identified significant levels of PCBs - polychlorinated biphenyls - a cancer-causing chemical used in electrical transformers and other industrial products. Army scientists concluded that because Marshall Islanders eat the “whole of fish,” and eat a lot of fish, human health risks for islanders who work at the Army base dramatically exceed U.S. safety standards - particularly for fish found in the Army harbor and near the base landfill, which were popular fishing spots, until the Army banned fishing in response to the reports.

…

For the entire article, see
http://www.mvariety.com/regional-news/86855-army-report-on-toxic-fish-sparks-call-for-action-by-marshalls-leaders


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Lenny Siegel
Executive Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org

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