Current Status: Recommended for Redesignation

Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption is currently recommended for redesignation to “Not Impaired” on the Canadian side of the St. Marys River Area of Concern.

This does not mean that fish can be consumed without limits. Provincial fish consumption advisories remain an important tool for protecting human health and should continue to be followed. Rather, redesignation means that fish consumption conditions within the St. Marys River are now comparable to those found in similar, non-impaired Great Lakes environments.

The recommendation represents another important milestone in the recovery of the St. Marys River and reflects decades of collaborative work to improve water quality, reduce contamination, and restore ecosystem health.

Why This BUI Was Listed

The Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption BUI addresses whether contaminants in the environment have accumulated in fish or wildlife to levels that require consumption advisories that are more restrictive than those in comparable, non-impaired areas.

Historically, industrial and municipal activities along the St. Marys River contributed contaminants such as mercury, PCBs, dioxins, furans, and other pollutants to the aquatic environment. Some of these contaminants accumulated in fish tissue through a process known as bioaccumulation.

As a result, fish consumption advisories were issued to help protect human health. In some cases, these advisories were more restrictive than those in nearby areas of Lake Superior and Lake Huron, indicating that fish within the Area of Concern may have been more heavily impacted by contamination.

Because of these concerns, Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption was identified as a Beneficial Use Impairment when the St. Marys River was designated a binational Area of Concern in 1987.

What Has Changed

Over the past several decades, substantial efforts have been made to reduce contaminant inputs to the St. Marys River and improve environmental conditions.

Key actions have included:

• Stronger environmental regulations and pollution prevention measures.
• Process improvements at industrial facilities.
• Upgrades to municipal wastewater treatment systems.
• Improved stormwater management practices.
• Sediment investigations and targeted remediation efforts.
• Ongoing fish contaminant monitoring programs.

As environmental conditions improved, contaminant concentrations in many fish species declined. Regular monitoring continued to track fish tissue contaminant levels and assess whether consumption advisories remained more restrictive than those in suitable reference locations.

A recent status assessment used a multi-tiered framework that compared fish consumption advisories within the Area of Concern to advisories in nearby reference areas of Lake Superior and Lake Huron. The assessment also incorporated information about local fish consumption habits to ensure the evaluation reflected how people actually use the resource.

The results showed that fish consumption advisories within the St. Marys River are now generally similar to, or less restrictive than, advisories in comparable reference locations.

Status on the Canadian Side

On the Canadian side of the St. Marys River Area of Concern:

• Wildlife consumption is not considered impaired.
• Fish consumption advisories are generally comparable to those in suitable reference areas.
• Monitoring has demonstrated that contaminant levels have declined significantly from historical conditions.
• The delisting criterion requiring fish consumption advisories to be no more restrictive than reference sites for at least two consecutive assessment periods has been achieved.
• Monitoring and assessment actions identified through the Remedial Action Plan have been completed or are continuing as part of routine environmental monitoring programs.

The assessment concluded that fish consumption conditions within the Area of Concern now perform similarly to those in comparable locations throughout Lake Superior and Lake Huron.

Redesignated to Not Impaired on the Canadian Side

Based on the available scientific evidence, the Restrictions on Fish and Wildlife Consumption BUI has been recommended for redesignation to “Not Impaired” on the Canadian side of the St. Marys River Area of Concern.

This recommendation reflects that:

• Fish consumption advisories within the Area of Concern are no more restrictive than those in suitable reference areas.
• The agreed-upon delisting criterion has been achieved.
• Required remedial and monitoring actions identified through the Remedial Action Plan have been completed or are ongoing.
• The multi-tiered assessment framework supports redesignation.

The recommendation recognizes the significant environmental improvements that have occurred throughout the St. Marys River and the success of long-term efforts to reduce contaminant inputs to the ecosystem.