Landcrab test results out next month

Officials of Tanapag Action Group yesterday disclosed that the results of the laboratory test of land crab samples for possible PCB contamination will be released next month.

TAG chair Juan I. Tenorio said the 94 crab samples taken from selected areas in Tanapag village and at the Smiling and Outer Cove Marina are currently being prepared for PCB analysis in a Washington laboratory following instructions made by EPA Region-9.

Mr. Tenorio said the organization will discuss the issue when TAG members meet today with the Division of Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency for its weekly PCB project operation update.

“We were told that it is going to be released on March, but we will be discussing this with the DEQ and EPA representatives, we want to know what happened and what is the initial result,” the TAG chair said.

But DEQ acting director Tony I. Guerrero explained that no official words have been forwarded to the division, only a notification from the EPA Region-9 that land crab samples are being prepared for PCB analysis.

“We’re not notified yet as to when the results of the land crab study will be made available, we are still waiting for the result,” Mr. Guerrero said.

Last year, experts from US-EPA collected land crabs from four areas in Tanapag village to determine whether or not the crabs are contaminated with the PCB.

The test was the second study made by the EPA on land crabs, the first was 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.

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. (EGA)