.. haices f9.r Cleanup: eciding the Future of a Great River

St. Lawrence River Remedial Action Plan Options Discussion Paper

St. Lawrence RAP Team and St. Lawrence (Cornwall) Public Advisory Committee

August 1994 ,,:,,; ...... "The environment is the business of everybody, development is the busi­ .. ness of everybody, life and living is the business of everybody. I think the .. solution will be found in encouraging mass environmental literacy so that .. there can be democratic and literate decisions, because if decisions are taken .. by a few without the incorporation of the opinion of the masses ... the likeli­ .. hood is that the situations will not succeed. They will be imposed from above, .. the people will not respond positively to them, and the project is lost before it .. is launched." .. Joseph Ouma Dean of School of Environmental Studies • Mol University • Nairobi, 23 September 1986 • • • • • • • • • • •.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Choices for Cleanup: Deciding the Future of a Great River was prepared by Susan Dreier (Project Officer, St. Lawrence RAP) and the members of the St. Lawrence RAP Team. The RAP Team also wishes to thank Elaine Kennedy (Chair, St. Lawrence RAP Public Advisory Committee), John Wood (Chair, St. Lawrence RAP Remedial Options Review Committee), Andy Code (Chair, St. Lawrence RAP Public Outreach Committee) and the members of the PAC for their input, support and advice. The photographs used in this report were kindly provided by Mike Eckersley, Ministry of Natural Resources, Cornwall, Ontario...... TABLE OF CONTENTS .. 1. INTRODUCTION...... 1 .. History of RAP development ...... 1 .. How a RAP works ...... 2 .. The St. Lawrence (Cornwall) RAP...... 2 .. How public input will be considered...... 5 .. 2. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE: Mercury Contamination ...... 7 .. 2.1 Environmental and health effects of mercury...... 7 .. 2.2 The problem ...... 9 .. Mercury in water ...... 9 .. Mercury in suspended solids...... 9 .. Mercury in bottom sediment...... 10 .. Mercury in fish ...... 10 .. 2.3 Causes of the mercury problem ...... 12 .. 2.4 General approaches for addressing the problem ...... 15 .. 3. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE: PCB Contamination ...... 17 .. 3.1 Environmental and health effects of PCBs ...... 17 .. 3.2 The problem ...... 18 .. PCBs in water...... 18 .. PCBs in bottom sediment...... 18 .. PCBs in fish ...... 21 .. PCBs in other animals ...... 22 .. 3.3 Causes of the PCB problem...... 22 .. 3.4 General approaches for addressing the problem ...... 23 .. 4. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE: Presence of Other Contaminants ...... 24 .. 4.1 Environmental and health effects of persistent toxic contaminants ...... 24 .. 4.2 The problems and their causes ...... 24 • Phenolics and fish tainting ...... 24 • Oils and greases...... 25 • Dioxins and fur ans ...... 27 • P AHs (polynuclef1r aromatic hydrocarbons)...... 27 • Pesticides ...... 27 • Chloroform and carbon tetrachloride ...... 28 • Metals ...... 28 • 4.3 General approaches for addressing the problem ...... 30 • 5. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE: Bacterial (Fecal) Contamination ...... 31 • 5.1 Health risks associated with bacteria in water ...... 31 • 5.2 Sources of bacteria...... 31 • Municipal sewage systems ...... 32 • Surface runoff from agricultural lands ...... 32 • 5.3 Extent of the problem ...... 33 • 6. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE: Excessive Growth of Nuisance Aquatic Plants...... 35 6.1 The problem...... 35 6.2 Reasons for excessive plant growth...... 35

7. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE: Habitat Destruction and Degradation ...... 38 7.1 Wetlands ...... 38 Location of wetlands in the area of concern...... 38 Causes of wetland destruction...... 39 7.2 Physical alteration, destruction or disruption of aquatic habitats ...... 40 Seaway and dam construction...... 40 Residential, commercial and industrial development...... 41 7 .3 Shoreline erosion...... 41 7.4 Overall extent of habitat loss .... ;...... 42 7 .5 Conclusion ...... ,... 43

8. ENVIRONME