The Nation - News from May 13, 1986

Great Lakes fish contain potentially dangerous levels of the suspected carcinogen dioxin, according to preliminary results of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study. The highest amounts of the chemical were measured in Lake Ontario, where some fish contained concentrations far above levels considered safe for consumption by some Great Lakes states, EPA officials told a news conference in Chicago. Although consumers still can safely eat fish from the Great Lakes, “If you consume great amounts of fish (from the lakes) over a period of time, then it would be of great concern,” EPA spokesman Peter Wise said.