In Ohio, what you don’t know can hurt you: The state has just cut a program that warned the public about consuming pollution-tainted fish. In the past, the state EPA and Department of Natural Resources collected fish samples and tested them for pesticides, mercury, and other toxic chemicals; the resulting information was then assessed by the state Health Department for its effects on humans and Ohioans were alerted of possible dangers. Now, fish samples will still be collected and tested, but the fish-consumption advisory program has been abolished to save the Health Department $100,000 per year. Although Michigan drastically reduced its advisory program this year, Ohio is the first Great Lakes state to fully terminate its program. According to the state Health Department website, health effects from eating contaminated fish caught in the state can include birth defects and mental and physical retardation in newborns.
