The Clean Water Act sets out a formula that helps protect human health by limiting the levels of bioaccumlative toxins that can be dumped into fresh and near-shore waters. A key factor in the formula is how much fish and seafood a state's residents eat.
Ignoring the reality that many, many Alaskans subsist on wild, healthy seafood, the state has arbitrarily set this number outrageously low. In fact, Alaska's “fish consumption rate" - currently listed as 6.5 grams of fish per person per day (about the size of a small strawberry) - is among the lowest in the nation. This is over 20 times lower than the EPA’s recommended minimum for coastal communities who traditionally rely on seafood.
Alaska remains home to some of the cleanest waters, healthiest salmon runs, and wild, abundant seafood left in the world. Act now to protect this rare and precious resource for generations to come.
Read more about Alaska’s fish consumption rate.
To the Environmental Protection Agency: I want to keep Alaska’s clean water clean and ensure our seafood stays safe and healthy. I eat far more than 6.5 grams of fish each day, and I’m confident most other Alaskans do as well.
Please issue an administrative action to raise Alaska’s Fish Consumption Rate to 175 grams per day per person, and reduce Alaska’s acceptable cancer risk from 1 in 100,000 to 1 in a million, as is common in other states.