December 9, 2009
The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) has released a Public Health Consultation for the former Petoskey Petrolane site. The consultation finds that contact with sediments and surface water at the site should not cause harm. Groundwater containing small amounts of mercury may be entering the surface water. People should follow the advice in the Michigan Family Fish Consumption Guide to avoid eating fish with too much mercury. The local health department should sample beach surface water to ensure there are no unsafe levels of bacterial contamination.
The Petoskey Petrolane site is a former manufactured gas plant. It is located at the western end of Bayfront Park in Petoskey, Michigan, and is currently used as a public park and beach. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has performed several excavations at the site to remove coal, tar, contaminated soil, and groundwater remaining from the former manufactured gas plant operations. The removal actions were intended to address immediate hazards. The local health department requested an evaluation of public health implications of exposure to sediments and surface water at the site and whether the contamination was affecting mercury concentrations in locally caught fish.
People wading would not be exposed to high levels of contaminants in the sediment. People swimming would not likely be exposed to high levels of chemical contaminants in the surface water. Therefore, users of the park and beach should not be at any risk of harm from the contamination. The small amount of mercury detected in groundwater at the site may be entering the surface water and could accumulate in fish tissue. The Michigan Family Fish Consumption Guide offers advice in selecting fish that are safe to eat. Geese were observed resting on the beach and swimming in the water. Goose droppings can be a source of bacterial contamination. Beach water monitoring can help ensure that the public is safe from exposure to high levels of bacteria.
The health consultation document is available at www.michigan.gov/mdch-toxics, under Health Assessments and Related Documents.
The Michigan Department of Community Health Division of Environmental Health conducted the public health consultation for the former Petoskey Petrolane site under a cooperative agreement with the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Information concerning the human health effects of exposure to environmental contaminants can be found on the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Web site at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaq.html.
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