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Michigan biologists to study river fish amid chemical fears

picture of DEQ logo
wcmu.org

Biologists with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality are planning to take a second look at fish in the Rogue River due to growing water contamination concerns from nearby tannery dump sites.

The Grand Rapids Press reports that testing from four years ago found elevated levels of toxic industrial chemicals in fish north of the Rockford dam, prompting the state to issue limits to eating those fish in a health advisory.

New test results released Thursday show the same perfluorinated chemicals known to have been used by Wolverine World Wide in waterproofing shoes are present in the river both north and south of the dam.

Scientists say the new data means the health advisory should be revisited over a wider fishing area that extends south of the dam.