Fish
and wildlife are often injured by
pollutants at lower levels than humans because they remain in constant
contact contact with their environment.
Wildlife may be exposed to pollutants in soil, air, water, and
food for extended periods of time at a contaminated site.
We use the latest toxicity research to set pollution cleanup
levels that are safe for wildlife and the environment.
Enabling Legislation
The
Department of the Interior and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have
authority to act as trustee for natural resources injured by the release
of hazardous substances. The
trustee authority is defined in the following federal laws:
Comprehensive
Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (Superfund)
Clean
Water Act
Oil
Pollution Act
Migratory
Bird Treaty Act
The
Chicago Field Office works with the Environmental Protection Agency to
ensure that clean ups initiated under the Superfund program at hazardous
waste sites are protective of wildlife and the environment. Our office also works with the Environmental
Protection Agency to ensure that discharges authorized under the Clean
Water Act do not impact fish, wildlife, or the environment.
Additional
information on these acts and on environmental regulations is available
at the U.S. EPA website
and the Service's main web site.
Technical
Assistance
The
Chicago Field Office provides technical assistance to the public as well
as to other federal, state and local agencies. The assistance involves procedures for protecting wildlife from
the effects of pollutants such as pesticides, spilled chemicals and
hazardous wastes. We
also provide assistance to those interested in restoring wildlife
habitats degraded by pollutants.
Spill/
Die-Off Response
The
Chicago Field Office investigates major wildlife kills that may be
attributable to chemical exposure or disease.
Natural
Resource Damage Assessments
The
extent of injury to natural resources from a release of hazardous
substances is determined using a process called natural resource damage
assessment. This process is
designed to allow federal trustees and state trustees to determine the
restoration and damages that will be required from the responsible party
to compensate the public for the loss of natural resources. Modeling, chemical analysis and toxicity testing are used to
evaluate a release and to prepare a case.
Additional
information on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Natural Resource
Damage Assessment program is available at the web area of the Service's environmental contaminants
program.
Midewin
National Tallgrass Prairie
The
Chicago Field Office is assisting in the conversion of the former Joliet
Army Plant site into the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.
The former munitions manufacturing site is contaminated with
explosives, heavy metals and other pollutants. We are working with federal and state agencies to ensure that the
clean up levels are protective of wildlife.
Additional information is available at the Midewin
web site, and the U.S. EPA web site.
For
additional information on the environmental contaminants program of the
Chicago Field Office please contact Edward Karecki at 847-381-2253 ext.
217.
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