Beneficial Use Impairment 1a: Restrictions on Fish Consumption
What the delisting guidance says -
IJC Listing Guideline:
An impairment will be listed when contaminant levels in fish populations exceed current standards, objectives or guidelines, or public health advisories are in effect for human consumption of fish or wildlife. Contaminant levels in fish must be due to contaminant input from the watershed.
State of Ohio Listing Guideline:
This beneficial use shall be listed as impaired if:
1) An advisory or restriction to fish consumption issued by the Ohio Department of Health in the AOC is more stringent than one meal per month or Lake Erie advisory.
State of Ohio Restoration Target
In the riverine waters upstream from the lake affected waters (lacustuary or fresh water estuary), the fish consumption advisories issued by the Ohio Department of Health in the AOC are the same or less stringent than one meal per month; AND
In the lake affected waters (lacustuary or fresh water estuary), the fish consumption advisories issued by the Ohio Department of Health in the AOC are the same or less stringent than the current Lake Erie advisories; OR
If consumption advisories in the AOC are more stringent than the respective state-wide or lake-wide advisories and a study was conducted that demonstrates either (1) the source of contamination originates outside of the AOC or (2) the fish tissue concentrations within the AOC are not statistically different than non-AOC areas, reference sites or region-wide, background concentrations.
REMOVED!
THIS BUI HAS BEEN REMOVED, as of December, 2018, having met the pertinent targets.
Current Ohio Sport Fish Health and Consumption Advisory restrictions show that the fish within the Cuyahoga River AOC meet removal criteria.
However, it should be noted that this only means that the frequency of consumption of Cuyahoga AOC fish is no more stringent than advisories for Lake Erie fish.
The Lake Erie (includes the Cuyahoga River lacustuary) restrictions show Common Carp 27” and over at a stringent advisory to keep consumption to “one meal per two months”. This advisory is the same as the current Lake Erie advisories designating this as meeting the removal target. The rest of the fish within this area are all within the state’s “one meal per month” target.
The Lake Erie Tributary (Includes the Cuyahoga River lacustuary and upper riverine) restrictions are all within the “one meal per month” delisting target.