Thread: PCB's in Crab Orchard?

Hi everyone.
Can anyone provide me the latest info on PCB's in Crab due to the dumping of Sangamo transformers in the lake from back in the 1970's?
I've discovered that this is the reason my grandfather switched to Lake of Egypt some 30 years ago.
After such a length of time, is this still a concern? Some of the locals that have been here 70-90 years, tell me that this was never cleaned up?
Thanks for any info.
Floater

For a history of this....heres a good article that explains it. Fish advisories focus on Carp, Catfish, and Bass mainly....with more caution recommended east of wolf creek...which is the area of the lake that the bulk of anglers dont fish.

http://journal.siu.edu/shawnee/index...tyle=f-default

Great information CP.
I guess with my fishing skills, I have nothing to worry about nor do the fish.
Thanks again for the info.

I am not a biologist or anything but I would think this is the case for alot of lakes in Illinois. I know for the local lake that we have where I live they publish this information every year in the paper. Alot of the lakes in Illinois, unfortunately, are at the mercy of the run off around them which mostly consist of farmland. We all know that there are not too many organic farmers in the area. I would think that even if this dumping would not have taken place at Crab way back when, chemicals would still be present in the water and there would still be warnings for consuming too many fish. I am not too worried about it. I have heard that you would have to eat a BUNCH of fish before you start glowing! Interesting article CP! Thanks.

It would be interesting to talk with someone who can elaborate on the history of this and whats actually there or not there now in terms of transformers and whatever else that caused the problem to begin with. Im thinking an old timer once told me there were transformers actually in the lake down in that area but that the feeling was they are better off buried in the silt than removed to contaminate someplace else. I dont get that from reading the article though. It seems to indicate the materials were on land...and leaked into the lake. Who knows. I do know that the area of concern is down east in a part of the lake that is mainly filled with rough fish, is extremely shallow, and is not anywhere close to where anyone that halfway knows what they are doing would be crappie fishing. Also, Ive done a little research and I am not able to find any warnings on crappie...just bass, carp, and catfish.