LAPLATTE RIVER... VT HEALTH DEPT RESPONSE

[popster]

I received this response yesterday from VT Health Dept Commissioner, Harry Chen.
No politics involved here.

RE: LAPLATTE RIVER LAMPREY TREATMENT
Aug. 29 12:30

Mr. Lowell,
Thank you for your comments. Everyone agrees that a healthy lake is vital to our economy. At the same time, everyone expects clean and safe drinking water. There is a challenge that can be met to balance the two in a reasonable way. The Governor is committed to doing everything he can to get something done this year while protecting public health.

The Health Department's responsibility is to protect the health of Vermonters by making recommendations to the Department of Environmental Conservation regarding chemicals in drinking water. This year, two things triggered a change in thinking about the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services' application for lampricide (TFM) use:

1. The LaPlatte River is a new river proposed for treatment.

The mouth of the LaPlatte is near the intake for the Champlain Water District. The Champlain Water District is a public drinking water system, regulated by DEC, which provides drinking water for 70,000 people. If applied to the LaPlatte River, lampricide (TFM) will likely be in the water at the intake for the Champlain Water District, and could enter the public water supply.

Activated charcoal filtration works to remove this chemical from water, and is used to treat drinking water in other places in the country where TFM is applied. The Champlain Water District does not have an activated charcoal filtration system, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service did not include any mitigation measures in its lampricide treatment plan.

After speaking with state and federal partners in other areas of the country, we learned that it would be unprecedented to apply TFM near a public drinking water system that does not have activated charcoal filtration to remove the chemical before it reaches the consumer.

2. There has never been a drinking water health advisory level set for TFM.

Having recently reviewed the presence and impact of PFOA found in water supplies for Vermonters, the Health Department is carefully reviewing chemicals and adding an extra layer of scrutiny in such instances. In this case, there is no known amount of TFM that would be safe for people to ingest. This is partly due to the EPA having "no expectation that people would be exposed through consuming drinking water." For many years, 35 parts per billion (ppb) has been considered safe, but the study that supports that level is more than 40 years old and of questionable quality.

Before making an assurance that drinking water with TFM is safe, the Health Department must review a modern, rigorously done, toxicity study. Until that time, we recommend that water containing TFM not be used for drinking, cooking, or preparing food or beverages.

In an effort to move ahead, Vermont state agencies, EPA, and the Fish & Wildlife Service are in discussions to find a way forward that will achieve both goals: continuing the lampricide program while protecting drinking water sources.

Best,

Harry Chen, M.D.
Commissioner, Vermont Department of Health
108 Cherry Street
Burlington, VT 05401
802.863.7280
http://healthvermont.gov
Please note my new email address: harry.chen@vermont.gov

[C-Hawk]

I wonder if Dr. Chen is a customer of the Champlain Water District?

[digitroll (ron)]

This isn't very good news.

It's sounds to me that the LaPlatte river first time treatment has become the "tipping point" with the Department of Health to halt Lamprey treatment for the time being until it's studied that it's safe.

And it also seems they have done their homework in regard to other waters a charcoal treatment is in place for those water supplies near the treatment sites and with no standard for TFM for drinking water they can impose any standard they wish as they have done at this very low level. With no charcoal system in place it will be interesting what happens next.

Not good.

[raz]

I got a bag of charcoal they can have...

[Sleepswithdafishes]

I totally agree with Ron this is not good!!!! Very interesting how they waite until right before treatments are to begin then they come up with B.S!!! Not sure what can be done??? Sleeps

[digitroll (ron)]

Just like the Circ highway Williston leg when it was hours before the heavy equipment in place ready to start and it was halted in its tracks and later mothballed.

[Sleepswithdafishes]

I dont want to beat this to death !!!! But the thing that really pisses me off is that we are taken for fools !!! They had this planned way in advance and then spring it on us when its to late to do anything about it !!! It makes me sick!!!There I think I feel a little better!! Sleeps

[Reelax]

I can't believe Champlain water district doesn't already have a charcoal water filter system in place.
You would think that would be part of the standard lake water filtration system in place.. I think
CWD need to improve filter techniques and this will be resolved??

I's obvious the Laplatte has never been treated when you see the size and number of lamprey coming out Shelburne Bay.... This need to be addressed this year!

[Captain Paul]

I talked with Louis Porter yesterday and he assured me that the Governor is fully behind Lamprey control and they are working with CWD to try to get filtration in place for this Falls treatment and we should know something very shortly if it can be done in time

[raz]

I talked with Louis Porter yesterday and he assured me that the Governor is fully behind Lamprey control and they are working with CWD to try to get filtration in place for this Falls treatment and we should know something very shortly if it can be done in time

Nice...your the guy for the job Paul. Thanks from the rest of us for being on top of it.

[flyguy]

Just my two cents. I agree with most of what has already been said here. BUT... activated charcoal is very expensive and requires a great deal of other infrastructure changes. Really, the issue is whether or not there IS an issue. Why can't they simply change the treated area to one that doesn't pose an intake proximity issue for the time being until this gets sorted out. At least, they'd be doing something beneficial. Just sayin'

[Registered Kayak]

I wonder where the money that was alloted for lamprecide will go now. Probably not towards preventing sewage dumps, fertilizer, or pesticides entering the water. So what will it be used for?

[tamiron]

Nice...your the guy for the job Paul. Thanks from the rest of us for being on top of it.

Nice work , Paul

[lazycs]

why would they drop the parts per billion to 3 every where and not just for the laplatte river, never been an issue with it at 35 ppb in the past...

[digitroll (ron)]

If it was as simple as a bag of charcoal to treat water for 70,000 it would have been a non-issue. I agree with Fly Guy that it's not that easy to put an expensive complex system in place in a few weeks.

Red tape / funding / proper documents= Time