Early findings of Lake Roosevelt samples show beaches are safe

SPOKANE — A preliminary study found that 15 beaches along Lake Roosevelt on the Columbia River are safe for limited use by humans, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Monday.

The beaches were tested for arsenic, lead, copper, pesticides and other pollutants, many of which migrated for decades down the Columbia River from a lead smelter just north of the border in Trail, B.C., the EPA said. Lake Roosevelt is the reservoir on the Columbia behind Grand Coulee Dam and is part of the Coulee Dam National Recreation Area.

The study looked only at recreational uses, meaning people who stayed no more than two weeks per year on the beaches, said Marc Stifelman of the EPA.

"It's qualified good news," he said.

However, an environmental group said it is too soon to give a clean bill of health because the study did not account for people who spend more time on the beaches, including Native Americans who gather food there.

"There should be some postings letting people know they are safe only for this limited use," said Amber Waldref of The Lands Council in Spokane.

Stifelman said no warning signs are contemplated as a result of the study.

The pollution is from past activities at the Teck Cominco lead and zinc smelter in Trail, which stopped dumping slag from the smelter into the river in the early 1990s, Stifelman said.

Last week, the U.S. government announced an agreement with Teck Cominco of Vancouver, B.C., to pay for a study of heavy-metal pollution in the Columbia River. Teck Cominco agreed to put up an initial $20 million.

The settlement is the result of a lawsuit filed in 2004 by the Colville Confederated Tribes, whose reservation is along the lake, and the state of Washington. They accused the company of dumping millions of tons of heavy metals into the river for nearly 90 years. Stifelman said the agreement and the study results announced Monday are not connected.

The screening found that 12 of the 15 beaches were safely below health-risk standards for all the contaminants tested. The 12 are Spring Canyon, Keller Ferry, Lincoln, Columbia, Rogers Bar, AA Encampment, North Gifford, French Rocks, Haag Cove, Kettle Falls, Marcus Island and North Gorge.

Three beaches near the Canadian border — Black Sand, Northport and Dalles — had levels of arsenic or lead that were slightly above screening levels and will be studied again. But risks are very low and these beaches present "minimal risks," the EPA said.

The study was requested by the Colville tribes and is based on sediment samples and fish tissue collected from the lake last year. It did not include more intensive uses of the beaches, such as food gathering, fish consumption or cultural practices. Those uses will be evaluated later.

Public hearings on the findings will be held today in Northport, Stevens County, and on Wednesday in Colville, Stevens County, the EPA said.