A small year-round residential community lives
and Dennys River. Specifically, fillet and whole
in Meddybemps. This population triples in the
body fish samples should be analyzed for PCBs
summer when seasonal residents occupy homes
and mercury. Additional sampling should provide
along the lake. The Passamaquoddy Tribe
data that represent the nature and extent of
lives downstream of the site and reported that it
formerly used the area for gathering medicinal
seasonal variations, and variations in size and age.
plants and for subsistence hunting and fishing.
Because the Passamaquoddy Tribe specifically
named the Atlantic salmon as being important
ATSDR identified and evaluated five potential
to the tribe, ATSDR recommends this species be
exposure pathways in the public health
sampled in addition to the other fish samples to
assessment released in March 2003: drinking
address community health concerns.
water from private wells and Meddybemps Lake;
trespassing and contacting surface soil on site;
ATSDR supports the agreement between EPA
using Meddybemps Lake and Dennys River for
and members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe to
recreation; inhaling airborne contaminants from
survey the site to identify plants used for tribal
the site; and gathering plants, hunting animals, or
purposes. ATSDR will review the data and provide
fishing near the site.
information to the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the
community as data become available.
In the March 2003 public health assessment,
ATSDR classified the site as an indeterminate
ATSDR recommended that the site owner consider
public health hazard. ATSDR classified current
demolishing or implementing access restrictions to
and future exposures at the site as posing an
prevent trespassing at the dilapidated hydroelectric
indeterminate public health hazard because of
power unit straddling Dennys River and to
limited fish data and no plant data to address
eliminate this physical hazard.
community health concerns and to make a public
Callahan Mining Corporation--The Callahan
health call related to these potential exposure
Mining Corporation site is a former zinc/copper
pathways. The Passamaquoddy Tribe has
open-pit mine operated adjacent to and beneath
expressed interest in resuming its use of the site
Goose Pond in Brookesville. The site was
for more extensive fishing, hunting, and plant
contaminated by metals from the open-pit mining
gathering.
operation and residual chemicals from mining
ATSDR determined that other potential exposure
separations processes. Since the mine ceased
operations in 1972, dams preventing water from
water, sediment, and air) pose no current or future
entering Goose Pond have been removed, and the
public health hazards. Furthermore, the U.S.
pit is currently under water. Elevated levels of
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has
heavy metals, including cadmium, copper, lead,
and zinc, have been measured in surface water,
treatment and soil removals) to reduce or eliminate
sediments, biota, soil, and waste piles on site.
current and future exposures to contaminants in
The final public health assessment released in April
these media. ATSDR evaluated EPA's soil cleanup
2003 concluded that the site contains physical
levels to confirm they were protective of public
hazards and elevated levels of heavy metals. These
health.
physical hazards could cause injury to people
ATSDR characterized past exposures at the site as
visiting the site. The levels of heavy metals and
an indeterminate public health hazard because no
data are available to characterize past exposures
are not expected to cause adverse health effects in
(i.e., before remedial activities in the 1980s and
of likely exposures.
biota.
Several contaminants at the site are known to
Additional fish and mussel samples should be
accumulate in biota. Not enough information
collected to assess potential health hazards from
exists about potential contaminant levels to fully
current and future fishing in Meddybemps Lake
determine whether adverse health effects are
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