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Memorandum

Date

Subject

To

From

UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

REGION 1

5 Post Office Square Suite 100

Boston MA 021093912

January 30 2015

Analysis of suppression questions from Chemrisk Study

File

Ellen Weitzler

This is to document calculations made to analyze responses to questions from the

19891990 Chemrisk survey of licensed Maine anglers regarding suppression due to fish

consumption advisories

Data Provided

By email of October 32013 Ellen Ebert primary author of the Chemrisk study sent me

excel spreadsheets consisting of raw data from the survey in two files

CHEM6 DAT lof2 Axis and CHEM6DAT2of2Bxls as well as a summary

spreadsheet of fish consumption from consuming anglers MaineConsumingAnglersxls

and the users guide to the data Users Guidepdf

This analysis is of the raw data

Methodology

I used Microsoft Excel to tally question responses and calculate basic statistical

functions I analyzed the responses to questions 38 through 44 for all survey respondents

consuming and nonconsuming anglers

Results

Below are the questions asked on the survey and results for each question

Intro to questions provided in survey

Some people have raised health concerns about water quality in public waterways

We would like to learn about any concerns you might have about the areas you

fish

Question 38 Are you aware of any official fish consumption advisories concerning fish

caught in Maine

ChernRisk A Division of McLarenHart Consumption ofFreshwater Fish by Maine

Anglers Portland Maine July 24 1992

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No If no skip to Question 45 1017 or 65

Yes 556 or 35

Question 39 The following are some statements about fish consumption advisories in

Maine For each statement indicate whether each statement is true false or if you dont

know

The existing fish True 25 or4 False 460 or Dont know 71 or

consumption advisories 83 13

apply only to fish caught in

lakes and ponds

Only some rivers in Maine True 436 or False 75 or Dont know 45 or

are the subject of fish 78 13 8

consumption advisories

The fish consumption True 149 or False 347 or Dont know 59 or

advisories recommend that 27 63 11 no one eat any fish caught

in locations covered by the

advisories

The fish consumption True 76 or 14 False 389 or Dont know 90 or

advisories cover only 70 16 certain species

The fish consumption True 411 or False 52 or9 Dont know 93 or

advisories cover all sizes of 74 17 fish

Question 40 During 1990 did you ever eat fish at locations covered by an official fish

consumption advisory

No If no skip to Question 44 341 or60

Yes 160 or28

Dont know if dont know skip to Question 4570 or 12

Question 41 Do fish consumption advisories affect whether you keep the fish caught at

locations covered by fish consumption advisories

No 29 or 18

Yes 135 or82 If yes circle all that apply

I keep no fish 81 or60 I keep fewer fish 27 or20 I keep only the smallerfish 2 or1 I keep only certain species 18 or 13 Other 12 or9

Question 42 Do fish advisories affect whether you eat the fish caught at locations

covered by fish consumption advisories

No 27 or 16

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Yes 137 or 84 If yes how do they affect whether you eat the fish you catch

I dont eat any of the fish 91 or66 I eat only the smaller fish 4 or3 I eat only certain species 23 or 17 Other 17 or 12

Question 43 Do fish consumption advisories affect how you prepare and serve the fish

caught at locations covered by a fish consumption advisory

No 106 or71

Yes 44 or29 If yes how do they affect how you prepare and serve the fish

I only broil or grill these fish 8 or 18 I trim and discard any dark flesh 11 or25 I trim off all fat 13 or30 I trim off the lateral line 9 or 20 Other 24 or55

Question 44 Suppose conditions were different so that there were no fish consumption

advisories in Maine Would you have fished any additional bodies of water during the

19891990 ice fishing season or 1990 open water seasons

No 388 or 81

Yes 93 or 19

Discussion

Awareness

Although there were fish advisories for certain waters in Maine at the time of the survey

only 35 of the respondents were aware that there were any fish advisories in Maine see

Question 38 During the 19891990 fish seasons there were fish consumption

advisories for sections of specific Maine Rivers but no statewide fish advisories Maine

issued two of the fish advisories for the first time in the year of the study These were the

main stem of the Penobscot River where the Penobscot Nation reservation is located the

Androscoggin River 1985 and the Kennebec River 1987 and it issued advisories for

the Presumpscot River and West Branch of the Sebasticook River in 19902

Impact of Fish Advisories on Fishing

Of those respondents who were aware of the site specific fish advisories 20 indicated

that they would have fished in additional bodies of water if there were no fish

consumption advisories see Question 44

Impact of Fish Advisories on Fish Consumption

2

Maine DEP testimony to the Maine Legislature April 25 2011 p 20

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The survey provides evidence that fish advisories affected whether fishers kept and ate

their catch see Questions 40 through 42 Of those respondents who were aware of fish

advisories and fished in those waters anyway 82 responded that the fish advisory

affected whether they kept the fish the caught there Of those 80 reported that they

kept no fish or fewer fish from those waters because of the fish consumption advisories

Of the same group most84 responded that the fish consumption advisory affected

whether or not they actually ate the fish they caught with most of them 66 saying that

they didnt eat the fish caught from those waters at all and the rest adjusting their

consumption by eating smaller fish only certain species or other modifications

Conclusion

EPA analysis of the ChemRisk survey response data indicates that 35 of respondents

556 individuals were aware of the advisories during the time of the survey Of the 160

respondents who reported that they ate fish from locations covered by fish consumption

advisories 82 135 reported that the advisories affected whether they kept the fish

caught at those locations 3 It is not clear because the question was not asked whether

anglers avoided certain waters in the 19891990 fishing season because of the fish

advisories and whether that avoidance affected their total fish consumption Nonetheless

it is clear that the existence of the advisories did result in some anglers reducing their take

from those rivers

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