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Waste Site Reports: Georgia
NOAA trust species in Georgia include anadromous and catadromous fish species such as Atlantic sturgeon, short-nose sturgeon (endangered), blueback herring, American shad, American eel, and striped bass. Also, marine and estuarine species such as Atlantic menhaden, spotted sea trout (important game fish), summer flounder, southern flounder, and spanish mackerel. Invertebrate species include blue crab, eastern oyster, grass shrimp, brown shrimp, and pink shrimp and white shrimp (important commercial fisheries). Other trust species include the federally listed threatened loggerhead turtle, the federally listed endangered Kemp's ridley turtle, and the bottlenose dolphin.
Military Sites in Georgia
Georgia is dotted with 222 military installations and formerly used defense areas. Currently, 19 installations are addressed under Superfund (CERCLA) or Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) programs. The nature of defense-related activities involves chemicals that are highly toxic and persistent in the environment. In Georgia, military-related contaminants of concern include VOCs, PCBs, PAHs, heavy metals, pesticides, and solvents. NOAA's input is needed now to ensure that cleanups are protective of coastal natural resources as well as human health. NOAA offers technical expertise and a neutral perspective that is valued by both the military and the local public.
Areas of Special Concern in Georgia
The NOAA RRC program works to protect and restore natural resources throughout Georgia, however the Brunswick area has been a special concern for NOAA. The area provides nursery and adult habitat to support important commercial fisheries as well as sea turtle and marine mammal populations. NOAA participated in the EPA / state-sponsored Brunswick Initiative which evaluated the level of contaminants in water, sediments, and soils in the Brunswick area. There are several Superfund sites in the area where NOAA, in coordination with EPA Region 4 has been involved. The LCP Chemical site is located adjacent to 500 acres of marsh next to the Turtle River. This wetland and supporting creek system received discharges of high levels of PCBs and mercury while the facility was in operation. NOAA, in coordination with EPA Region 4, has planned and conducted studies on the effects of PCBs and mercury on reproduction in resident fish species. Reports of the result of this study will be documented in a report prepared for EPA. Other sites of concern to NOAA in the Brunswick area are the Terry Creek Dredge Disposal site and the former Escambia Wood Treating facility.
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