On March 27, Cumberland Bay near Plattsburgh, New York was removed from the New York State list of Inactive Hazardous Waste Disposal Sites (the State Superfund Program). After a lake-wide survey of toxic contaminants in the 1990s, the state led a $36-million cleanup effort of the Bay in 2000. Decreasing PCB levels have resulted in a removal of the special fish consumption advisory issued by the Department of Health for Cumberland Bay.
Reduction of PCBs and other toxic substances is a priority of the Lake Champlain Basin Program. Continued monitoring of PCBs in fish tissue is a priority task in the Lake Champlain management plan Opportunities for Action, and is part of the Toxic Substance Management Strategy for Lake Champlain.
From the NYS DEC’s Public Notice of Delisting:
Remedial actions have been completed to address the potential for human exposures to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in sediment, surface water, wood chips and fish in the site area. These actions included hydraulic dredging of sludge contaminated with PCBs, removal of contaminated wood chips from the local beaches and implementing a site-specific fish consumption advisory for Cumberland Bay. Confirmatory sampling and extensive monitoring of PCB levels in sediment, surface water and fish have shown a significant decrease in PCB levels in all media following the remedial actions. The site-specific fish consumption advisory was removed as PCB levels in fish are now comparable to state-wide levels. However, the fish consumption advisories for Lake Champlain still apply to the area. This site no longer poses a threat to public health or to the environment.