BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Academy Creek is a popular spot for fishermen and one of many tributaries that feeds into Turtle River. The problem is, the danger that lies beneath this water may be worse than people think.
Its contamination is decades in the making.
"The EPA has known about this problem for 34 years," said Daniel Parshley, project manager for Glynn Environmental Coalition. He knows all about the LCP Chemicals Superfund Site.
The once-booming chlorine plant shut down in 1994, but not without leaving its mark. At least three plant workers were arrested for dumping harmful chemicals, like mercury, into nearby Turtle River. Now, the wildlife is tainted.
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"When they eat the seafood, it accumulates in people and they have children. It can affect their children," Parshley said.
Billy has been fishing the area for 60 years. He says he's not worried about the long-term effects.
"I'm just for the sport of it. I hook 'em and I throw it back in," said Billy.
Parshley said a recent study of dolphins in Turtle River turned up the highest polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) levels of any marine mammal recording ever. If ingested, PCB can lower a person's IQ, and cause birth defects. The EPA does have a proposed cleanup plan in place, but Parshley doesn't think it will be enough.
Still, if they don't try:
"We will continue to have chemicals in the seafood and rob their kids of their IQ," Parshley said.
If the EPA's plan is approved, it can still take four years to begin. In the meantime, Glynn Environmental Coalition is passing out sheets to let fishermen know to beware.
This Thursday, there will be a public hearing meeting about the proposed clean up. It goes from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Brunswick-Glynn County Library on Gloucester Street.
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