B.C. Mill closure prompts toxin tests at Grande Prairie and Hinton...

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The same toxic effluents that caused the closure of a pulp mill in British Columbia were found in the Wapiti River south of Grand Prairie last year.

An Environment Canada report conducted in May 1988 revealed levels of toxic furans were found in four samples of white sucker fish taken form the Wapiti River in May 1988.

An official with Alberta Environment said the amounts found were in "ultra trace amounts" and pose no threat to human safety.

John Szumlas, executive assistant to Environment Minister Ian Reid, feels there should be no comparison made between the amounts of the chemical compounds found in shellfish

near Prince Rupert, B.C. And the amounts found in the Qapiti because "they had higher concentrations."

Szumlas says passing off information that the dioxins found in the Qapiti River could be harmful to humans, is irresponsible.

"We're dealing with peoples health. You can't transmit erroneous information with out significantly impacting on peoples fears....We're just talking about one drop of dioxins in an Olympic sized swimming pool."

Bev Huston, spokesman for Health and Welfare Canada, indicates 2,3,7,8,TCDD is considered the most toxic dioxin in the family of 75 related chemical compounds. But the levels found in the Wapiti aren't enough to pose a safety threat to humans.

The 2, 3, 7, 8 TCDD level was found to be below the 20 points per trillion allowance in the Canadian Food and Drug regulations. However, the compound 2, 3, 7, 8, TCDF was

found to be in excess of 200 points per trillion in the Wapiti River.

The 2, 3, 7, 8, TCDF compound is considered less toxic by Environment Canada's standards.

Richard Coudron, president of West End Fish Producers Ltd. In Grande Prairie, says the fish that were tested by Environment Canada weren't for commercial use and didn't address

the problems with draft mill effluents.

He says the Qapiti is used exclusively for sport fishing, so the government should be paying attention to the commercially-fished areas to the north of Grand Prairie which are directly effected by kraft pulp mills.

Caudron is worried the fish in Lesser Slave Lake, where other mill effluents would eventually go, will become too contaminated for commercial use.

Lyle Fullerton, executive director of the Alberta Fish and Wildlife Association, says the Canadian public is becoming more confused by the government's ambiguous reports.

"On one hand we're hearing everything is in great shape, looking fine. Yet we get another report that comes out telling that there's a significant problem....Obviously we have to

know who is right so we can know what to expect."

Last month, Environment Canada forced the closure of Skeena Cellulose Inc. In Prince Rupert because its pulp mill effluents were exceeding standards.

Large amounts of 2, 3, 7, 8 TCDF were found in nearby shellfish.

Vancouver Greenpeace spokesperson Renate Kroesa says the toxic chemicals found in Alberta are as harmful as the ones in B.C. But there was more pressure from environmentalists to close the Prince Rupert plant.