Feds test land crabs for PCB contamination

One of Saipan’s most popular delicacies will be subjected to a thorough testing by environmental experts who arrived over the weekend from the mainland United States as part of efforts to protect public health against polychlorinated biphenyl.

Experts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will be collecting land crabs from four areas in Tanapag village to determine whether or not these local delicacies are contaminated with PCB.

This is the second time EPA is conducting a tests on land crabs in the Tanapag, the first being done in May 2000 were five of the eight crabs collected and examined from an area near the village’s Cemetery-2 showed some PCB contamination.

Immediately after the first EPA examination indicated PCB contamination on land crabs, the CNMI Department of Public Health issued an advisory against the consumption of land crabs gathered from Tanapag pending further investigation.

“We were concerned when five crabs showed some PCB contamination. We decided we needed to conduct a more thorough scientific assessment to be sure eating Tanapag land crabs doesn’t pose a risk,” said Cross Media Division Director Enrique Manzanilla.

According to a media statement from the EPA regional office in San Francisco, over 50 crabs will be collected by EPA hydrogeologist Kathy Baylor from four locations in Tanapag. Sampled will also be taken from a control location in San Jose village.

Experts from the CNMI Division of Environmental Quality and private volunteers will assist EPA in the undertaking.

Results of the testing of land crabs will be submitted to the DEQ, the health department, the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substance Disease Registry, the Army Corps of Engineers and will be immediately made known to the public.

EPA and DEQ have been strictly monitoring the cleanup of PCB contamination in Tanapag which is being carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Commonwealth Attorney General’s Office has previously threatened to take legal action against the EPA and the Corps following its investigation which revealed that the two federal agencies violated U.S. laws that relate to standards in the carrying out of the cleanup project.

Federal cleanup standard provides that excavated soil contaminated with PCB must be replaced with clean soil which contains less than 1 ppm.

Last Sept. 19, 2000, an EPA hazardous waste order was sent to the Corps, requiring it to adhere to its published cleanup schedule, use scientifically proven methods for minimizing and eliminating the PCB waste and transporting waste out of Saipan if it cannot be safely and completely eliminated.

Also, the AGO previously warned that it will take legal action against the two federal agencies if they fail to order the Department of Army to post signs and fence the 18 areas in the village contaminated by PCB.

AGO previously said EPA must take all measures necessary for the protection of the citizens of the CNMI including temporary relocation at the cost of DOA through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.