Restoration of Aquatic Systems - Chapter 6 pps

The primary source of fresh water to the bay is the Escambia River; other sources include the Pace Mill Creek and Mulatto Bayou drainage basins in the upper bay, and the Bayou Chico and

chapter 6

The Pensacola Bay System

6.1 Background

of the Pensacola Bay System has been provided by Thorpe et al (1997) There are three major rivers associated with the Pensacola Bay system: the Escambia, Blackwater, and Yellow Rivers The Pensacola Bay system includes five interconnected bay components: Escambia Bay, Pensacola Bay, Blackwater Bay, East Bay, and Santa Rosa Sound (Figure 6.1) The Escambia River system extends northward about 386 km (240 mi) from the north end

of Escambia Bay It runs through Alabama as the Conecuh River The drainage area of the Escambia River basin includes about 10,880 km2 (4200 mi.2), with approximately 90% of the basin in Alabama The Blackwater River basin includes about 2230 km2 (860 mi.2), of which about 81% is located in Florida The Yellow River basin extends 177 km (110 mi.) from Blackwater Bay

Escambia Bay is located east of the City of Pensacola, with the Garcon Point peninsula

to the east and the Escambia River delta to the northwest (Figure 6.1) The primary source

of fresh water to the bay is the Escambia River; other sources include the Pace Mill Creek and Mulatto Bayou drainage basins in the upper bay, and the Bayou Chico and Bayou Texar basins in the lower bay Blackwater Bay receives freshwater inflow from the Black-water River, with East Bay immediately downstream from the BlackBlack-water Bay system East Bay receives freshwater flows from the Blackwater River–Bay system, the Yellow River, and the East Bay River East Bay is bordered to the south by the Gulf Breeze peninsula Pensacola Bay receives flows from Escambia Bay, East Bay, and Bayou Grande, and is bordered to the north by the City of Pensacola and to the south by Santa Rosa Island Pensacola Bay empties into the Gulf of Mexico through a pass at its southwestern terminus Santa Rosa Sound is a lagoon between the mainland and Santa Rosa Island This sound connects Pensacola Bay in the west with Choctawhatchee Bay to the east The Pensacola Bay system is characterized by a relatively shallow shelf, a sloped area, and deeper plain The upper parts of Escambia Bay and Blackwater Bay are relatively shallow Depth in the central parts of both systems tends to increase moving southward, with the deepest parts of the system in Pensacola Bay

6.2 Purpose of Study

A field and modeling study of the Pensacola system was made from May 1997 through October 1998 as part of a comprehensive analysis of the Escambia River and Black-water/Yellow River systems and associated estuaries Field experimental and descriptive Reviews of studies in the Pensacola Bay system (Figure 6.1) are given by Livingston (1999c,

2000, 2002) An outline of these analyses is given in Appendix I A comprehensive review

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data were obtained to increase our understanding of the Pensacola Bay system and evaluate the assimilative capacity of this system for nutrient loading from potential Can-tonment mill discharge The study thus was designed to determine whether a pipeline from the Cantonment paper mill to the Escambia River would be feasible based on established adverse impacts on the Perdido system due to the discharge of mill effluents into Elevenmile Creek

6.3 Summary of Results

The Pensacola Bay system is represented by impacts from various human activities The following is a brief summary of the results of the analyses carried out during 1997 and

1998 (Livingston, 1999c):

1 The Pensacola Bay system is composed of a series of diverse habitats that are commonly found in river-dominated estuaries of the northern Gulf of Mexico

2 The Escambia River is an alluvial stream that is highly colored and turbid with low light penetration relative to the Blackwater River The lowest dissolved oxygen

in the Escambia and Blackwater Rivers occurred at depth in areas having the highest salinity stratification indices during warm periods The numerical abun-dance and species richness of infaunal macroinvertebrates in these rivers are

main-ly associated with sediment characteristics: high species richness correlates well with sandy conditions, high percent organics, low silt/clay fractions, and large particle size Low infaunal numbers and low species richness periodically occur

Figure 6.1 The Pensacola Bay system, showing sampling stations for the basin study Geographic data was provided by the Florida Geographic Data Library (FGDL).

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in the lower Escambia River These conditions are correlated with seasonal changes

in river flow, salinity stratification, associated benthic hypoxia, and sediment qual-ity The Yellow River had the highest species richness of the three rivers, which could be due, in part, to the fact that the sampling area in the study was not influenced by salinity

3 Salinity variation appears to be an important stress factor for biota in the lower parts of the Escambia and Blackwater Rivers The Escambia River infaunal assem-blages were characterized by generally low numbers of individuals and species Trends in the infaunal indices reflected the highly stressful habitat conditions in tidal portions of an alluvial river, including salinity variation and hypoxic condi-tions at depth that accompany the movement of the salinity wedge upstream

4 River flow, wind and tides, the depth of the receiving basin, and the penetration

of salinity from the Gulf caused periodic water column stratification within the Pensacola Bay system Stratification was maximal in deeper parts of middle and lower Escambia Bay as well as in deeper parts of the Blackwater–East Bay system Bottom DO was controlled by salinity stratification in the upper and mid-parts of Escambia Bay and the Blackwater–East Bay system, whereas these relationships were not evident in Pensacola Bay

5 River-associated nutrient loading was a prime determinant of overall primary and secondary production in Escambia Bay and Blackwater Bay Orthophosphate con-centrations, the probable limiting factor for primary production in both estuaries, were highest in upper Escambia Bay, with the Escambia River and possible point source releases in eastern sections of the upper bay as the chief sources of this nutrient Peak orthophosphate concentrations also occurred in mid- and lower Escambia Bay during periods of high rainfall Ammonia concentrations were high

in upper parts of both Escambia Bay and Blackwater Bay Relatively high ammonia concentrations were also observed in mid- and lower Escambia Bay and Pensacola Bay The highest mean concentrations of chlorophyll a occurred in upper Escambia Bay

6 Seasonally averaged light and dark bottle data indicated that the highest net production occurred in upper Escambia Bay, with positive net productivity down

to a depth of 1.5 m Light, temperature, and nutrient (phosphorus) limitation appear to control primary production in upper Escambia Bay The overall chloro-phyll a concentrations in the entire system were relatively low, and there were no signs of hypereutrophication in the Pensacola Bay system over the 12-month sam-pling period

7 Qualitative and quantitative whole water phytoplankton data indicate that Escam-bia Bay is currently in a modestly eutrophic state Sub-dominant phytoplankton populations known to be noxious bloom species in Perdido Bay were found mainly

in mid- and lower Escambia Bay Urban storm water runoff may be a factor in the maintenance of these populations Based on long-term studies of nutrient loading and phytoplankton occurrence in Perdido Bay, it is likely that excessive nutrient loading in upper Escambia Bay could cause future problems if these species reach bloom status It is also possible that the past history of excessive nutrient loading, hypereutrophication, and damage to Escambia Bay food webs has sensitized this system to these bloom species

8 Sediment quality is an important component of the distribution of secondary production in the Pensacola Bay system Herbivorous infaunal populations depend

on sediment quality; this component constitutes the base of the primary estuarine food webs The overall composition of sediments in the Pensacola system is related

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to a combination of factors: depth, proximity to the Escambia and Blackwater/Yel-low River mouths, salinity stratification, dredging activities, and pollution sources

9 The main concentrations of infauna (polychaete worms), epibenthic macroinver-tebrates (brown shrimp, blue crabs), and fishes (Sciaenids) were found in the relatively shallow parts of upper Escambia Bay and Blackwater Bay Upper Escam-bia Bay was the center of primary and secondary production in the entire Pensacola Bay system, a probable result of nutrient loading from the Escambia River The trophic organization emanating from the higher primary production of the upper bay was the main determinant of the distribution of dominant, commercially important populations in the Pensacola Bay system Habitat factors, such as sed-iment type, DO, and salinity distribution, while important in determining the general distribution of organisms in the bay system as a whole, had effects that could only be understood within the context of the distribution of primary (phy-toplankton) production Predation and competition also could have contributed

to population distribution in this system

10 Overall, there was a relatively low biomass of infauna, epibenthic invertebrates, and fishes along eastern sections of upper Escambia Bay and in lower Escambia Bay and Pensacola Bay Indicator species for pollution were found in these areas

of the bay According to results of other studies, these areas are stressed by loading

of nutrients and toxic wastes due to anthropogenous runoff from point/non-point sources

11 Compared to other alluvial river-dominated Gulf estuaries such as the Apalachi-cola, Choctawhatchee, and Perdido systems, the Pensacola Bay system appears to have relatively low overall secondary productivity In fact, lower Escambia Bay–Pensacola Bay areas were among the most faunally depauperate of all systems sampled Currently, non-point pollution from the City of Pensacola and other urbanized areas of the Pensacola Bay basin, together with major pollution of the bayous (Texar, Chico, and Grande) in this region, present a serious problem in terms of continuing, and possibly increasing, multi-source urban contamination

12 The Pensacola Bay system is one of the most polluted bays in the state in terms

of concentrations of toxic agents in sediments High levels of metal contamination have been found in Bayou Grande (Cd, Pb, and Zn) and Bayou Chico (Cr, Zn) Bayou Chico is also contaminated with polynucleated aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) In Pensacola Bay, PAHs and PCBs have been found in sediments close to shore and in central parts of the bay Phenolic compounds have been found at one site near Pensacola Harbor The most impor-tant generalization to date from all of the studies in the Pensacola Bay system is how difficult it will be to restore aquatic systems that are adversely affected by urban runoff

13 Current levels of nutrient loading in the Escambia system are comparable to loading in other (largely unpolluted) alluvial systems along the northeast Gulf coast Nutrient loading represents the chief concern of the potential discharge of effluents from the paper mill into the lower Escambia River Analyses of simulated nutrient loading in the Escambia River have indicated that the overall increases in orthophosphate loading in Elevenmile Creek of the Perdido Bay system during the 1994–1995 period, when added to current Escambia River loadings, would lead

to relatively high summer–fall loadings and river nutrient concentrations

14 Because the Escambia Bay system has already been adversely affected by nutrient loading in the past, and because this bay appears to be in a recovery phase,

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increased nutrient loading, such as that of Elevenmile Creek during 1994–1995, was considered problematic There were indications of the presence of bloom species in Escambia Bay as sub-dominant populations that could cause problems

if stimulated by increased nutrient loading Increased Escambia River nutrient loading could adversely affect areas of the bay that are currently the most produc-tive in terms of populations of important sports and commercial fisheries The presence of a commercial oyster fishery in Escambia Bay also creates a situation where nutrient-stimulated plankton blooms could cause public health problems

15 The Escambia Bay system is most vulnerable to hypereutrophication from in-creased nutrient loading during periods of drought and low river flow, either as

a function of seasonal and/or interannual trends of river flow Thus, both the timing and extent of nutrient loading and resultant nutrient concentrations enter-ing upper Escambia Bay should be taken into account in any review of increased nutrient loading to the Escambia River Modeling efforts to date have not allowed the determination of effects of nutrient loading on projected changes in phyto-plankton species composition

16 The main residential areas in the Pensacola drainage basin have the highest nor-malized non-point source pollution loadings of the entire system The primary threat to the Pensacola Bay system remains non-point sources and sub-surface seepage from toxic waste sites

6.4 Contamination of the Pensacola System

Escambia Bay receives freshwater flow from the Escambia River Other water sources in upper Escambia Bay include the Pace Mill Creek and Mulatto Bayou drainage basins, among others (Thorpe et al., 1997) Sources of water in lower Escambia Bay include the river via the upper bay and the Indian Bayou, Trout Bayou, and Bayou Texar basins Tidal flushing in Escambia Bay is considered poor by various investigators (Thorpe et al., 1997) Circulation is strongly influenced by wind and tidal action, as well as inflow from the Escambia River There is a net southward flow of river water along the western shore, with water of higher salinity intruding along the eastern shore This tends to produce a generally counterclockwise circulation pattern Railroad and highway bridges may inhibit flushing and exchange between the upper and lower bay

Historically, Escambia Bay has had high levels of toxic agent contamination and nutrient loading It has received substantial industrial and domestic wastewater dis-charges, and is still affected by various point and non-point sources Non-point source pollution is received from the City of Pensacola, unincorporated areas, and the river basin Pensacola Bay receives direct and indirect runoff from the City of Pensacola and unincor-porated areas On an outgoing tide, surface waters tend to move toward the pass from the more northerly and western portions of the bay Olinger et al (1975) found that circulation within the bay could be strongly influenced by surface winds, with effects not necessarily limited to the upper layers Point source discharges to Pensacola Bay include the Main Street and NAS Pensacola wastewater treatment plants Component bayous, formerly centers of productivity in the system, are now among the most polluted in the entire Pensacola system In Bayou Texar, an area noted for fish kills related to nutrient overenrichment and hypoxia, nitrate has been reported to control primary productivity

to a greater degree than phosphorus (Moshiri et al., 1987) Bayou Texar is also contami-nated by toxic agents, with two U.S EPA-desigcontami-nated Superfund sites These bayous act

as sinks for sustained urban runoff and other non-point source pollution Bayou Chico

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has also received substantial historic point source discharges Incoming waters from these bayous tend to move along the bottom into the bay and then eastward along the southern part of the bay

Santa Rosa Sound is a lagoon between the mainland and Santa Rosa Island Most waters within the sound are designated as Class II, and waters within the National Seashore are designated Outstanding Florida Water (OFW) The Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) transects the sound and supports moderate commercial barge traffic The Navarre Bridge Causeway divides the sound into eastern and western regions, leading to a bi-directional tidal flow with relatively little freshwater inflow (Hand et al., 1996) This area has some of the most diverse and stable seagrass beds in the region Human impacts on the lagoon’s environment include non-point source pollution and habitat loss resulting from increasing development on Santa Rosa Island and along the U.S Highway 98 corri-dor The Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) discharge to the sound (Hand et al., 1996) along with runoff from several golf courses The Pensacola Bay system has been subjected to continuous anthropogenous stress for decades Submerged aquatic vegetation, formerly abundant in this system, has been largely absent since the mid-1970s (Collard, 1991a,b) Formerly productive oyster bars are

no longer commercially viable, although a small oyster fishery still exists The most extensive fish kills in the scientifically documented literature occurred in Escambia Bay during the late 1960s and early 1970s (U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 1971) Livingston (1997c), in a detailed study of the Mulat–Mulatto Bayou, indicated the processes involved in the observed fish kills One classic response of an estuary to anthro-pogenous nutrient loading is extreme hypoxia with resultant disruption of the biological relationships of the receiving system through changes in the natural food webs During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Escambia Bay was subject to nutrient loading from various point and non-point sources, resulting in extreme dissolved oxygen fluctuations (U.S Environmental Protection Agency, 1971; Livingston, 1973, 1997c) The Mulat–Mulatto Bayou was a focal point for the extensive fish kills This area had been subjected to physiographic changes due to dredging associated with the construction of a nearby highway In 1965, the Florida Department of Transportation removed approximately 1,028,933 cu yd of sediment from Mulatto Bayou During this period, nutrients and toxic agents were released into Escambia Bay by a broad array of sources (Olinger et al., 1975), severely altering the aquatic habitat Dye studies in the Mulat–Mulatto Bayou (R.J Living-ston, unpublished data) indicated that the dredging created cul-de-sacs (i.e., the finger-fill canals) that were isolated from direct tidal current exchanges This resulted in exacerbation

of the effects of nutrient loading of the bay by changing turnover rates and the general exchange patterns of this part of the bay

Massive fish kills occurred in Escambia Bay during the late 1960s and early 1970s The timing and location of the fish kills indicated that the combination of hypereutroph-ication due to nutrient loading and habitat alterations due to dredging were responsible for the fish kills Dredging activities enhanced the effects of cultural eutrophication by inhibiting tidal and wind-produced exchanges of bay water The fish kills were the final consequence of a distorted DO regime, which, in turn, was influenced by the sequential interaction of temperature, precipitation, altered water circulation patterns, nutrient-enhanced primary production, and a disjunct food web organization

6.4.1 Upper Escambia Bay

Eastern sections of upper Escambia Bay are characterized by water quality changes and some weakness in biological indicators Hudson and Wiggins (1996) identified two main industrial sites in eastern sections of upper Escambia Bay: Air Products and Chemicals,

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Inc., and Sterling Fibers, Incorporated (formerly Cytec Industries [American Cyanamid]) Air Products discharged at mean flow rates of 1.18 MGD, with discharges of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), phosphorus, nitrogen, and toxic agents (cyanide, chromium, silver, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls) (Florida Depart-ment of EnvironDepart-mental Protection, 1996) Analysis was also made of the Sterling Fibers effluent site (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 1997) Sterling Fibers, Incor-porated, had a design flow of 1.53 MGD and discharges BOD, TSS, nitrogen, and ortho-phosphorus There are also discharges of toxic agents such as cyanide, silver, and copper (Florida Department of Environmental Protection, 1997) According to Hudson and Wig-gins (1996), the Pace wastewater treatment plant discharges at the head of the Escambia changes in eastern parts of upper Escambia Bay attributed to the two industrial discharg-ers Because of the postulated poor tidal flushing and the highly organic sediments, together with a long history of pollution from industrial and domestic wastewater dis-charge, upper Escambia Bay has long been considered the most stressed of all the various parts of the Pensacola system

6.4.2 Lower Escambia Bay

Relative to the upper bay, lower Escambia Bay and Pensacola Bay have improved circu-lation and turnover rates due to the physiographic characteristics of this part of the Pensacola Bay system and the proximity to open Gulf waters However, the non-point source pollution from the City of Pensacola and the Naval Air Station, together with major pollution of the bayous (Texar, Chico, and Grande) in this region, present a serious problem

in terms of continuing, multisource contamination that is difficult to evaluate and even more difficult to mitigate The most significant point source discharges in this region are the Main Street and Naval Air Station STPs (Thorpe et al., 1997) Storm water outfalls are particularly numerous from Devil’s Point to Magazine Point (City of Pensacola) and on the inshore side of the Gulf Breeze Peninsula In addition, septic tank numbers are extremely high in the vicinity of lower Escambia Bay The bayous in this area collect urban runoff and have a long history of poor water and sediment quality and fish kills The Northwest Florida Water Management District (1994a,b) conducted a study of non-point source loading in the Pensacola Bay system The findings included the fact that Mulatto Bayou and the main residential areas of the Pensacola Bay system have the highest normalized loadings of the entire system The district suggested that undeveloped areas currently zoned for residential development be targeted for storm water management plans (including specifications or designs for alternative land use practices and storm water treatment facilities) if water quality is to be improved in the Pensacola Bay system Bayou Texar has been well studied (Hannah et al., 1973; Moshiri, 1976, 1978, 1981; Moshiri and Crumpton, 1978; Moshiri et al., 1978, 1979, 1980) According to Thorpe et al (1997), various studies (Hood and Moshiri, 1978; Raney, 1980; Northwest Florida Water Management District, 1978; Moshiri, 1981) were associated with recommendations designed to improve water quality in the Bayou Texar and the Carpenters Creek System However, water quality remains generally poor (Thorpe et al., 1997) Recent analyses by the U.S EPA (Pensacola Bay System Technical Symposium, 1997) indicate that, due to increasing residential and commercial development in the Carpenter Creek basin, there has been an accumulation of sediments, forming a delta at the confluence of Carpenter Creek and Bayou Texar This has required increased dredging by the City of Pensacola These sediments have elevated concentrations of Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn

as well as increased concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) Continued maintenance dredging may result in the release of these pollutants from estuary (Figure 6.1) Tide, wind, and river effects add the Pace effluent to the observed

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the sediment into the water Bayou Chico receives runoff from various industrial and urban sources Storm water entering the bayou failed state water quality standards for turbidity, suspended solids, DO, BOD, nutrients, total and fecal coliforms, copper, lead, mercury, zinc, oils and greases, and phenols New studies under the state of Florida’s SWIM program are continuing, and the U.S EPA is working on an Ecosystem Criteria Research Program However, no written reports on this endeavor were available for this review

Seal et al (1994) conducted statewide sediment tests for metals and organic contam-inants They found that urban storm water runoff was the major cause of contamination

of sediments in Florida’s coastal areas The highest concentrations of toxic agents were found in coastal sediments at sites near Tampa, Pensacola, Miami, and Jacksonville The Pensacola Bay system was one of the most heavily impacted bays in the state in terms of contamination from highly toxic and long-lasting substances High levels of metal con-tamination were found in Bayou Grande (Cd, Pb, Zn) and Bayou Chico (Cr, Zn) Bayou Chico was also contaminated with PAHs and PCBs In Pensacola Bay, PAHs and PCBs were found in sediments close to shore and in central parts of the bay Phenolic compounds were found at one site near Pensacola Harbor Long et al (1997) carried out a study of the “magnitude and extent of sediment toxicity in four bays of the Florida Panhandle.” The sediments of the Pensacola Bay system were compared to those of the Choc-tawhatchee, St Andrews, and Apalachicola Bays The greatest toxicity of all bays analyzed occurred in Bayou Chico, with the other developed bayous in the Pensacola area showing

“relatively severe toxicity.” Toxicity of the Pensacola Bay sediments was attributed to high-molecular-weight PAHs, zinc, dichlorodiphenyl-dichloroethane/dichlorophenyl-trichlo-roethane (DDD/DDT) isomers, total DDT, and the highly toxic organochlorine pesticide known as dieldrin There were elevated PAHs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Status & Trends (NS&T) Program stations in Pensa-cola Bay and Indian Bayou In addition to the bayous and portions of PensaPensa-cola Bay, toxicity was also detected in upper and mid-portions of Escambia Bay Toxicity was also noted in Blackwater Bay and East Bay The NOAA study confirmed high concentrations

of lead, mercury, and PCBs in the sediments of the urbanized bayous and in Pensacola Bay More recent studies by various government agencies are being conducted in the Pensacola Bay system, including evaluations of Bayou Texar, Bayou Chico, and Bayou Grande Analyses by the U.S EPA (Gulf Breeze, Florida) using annual samples of infaunal macroinvertebrates (Benthic Index) indicate good indices in upper and mid-parts of Escambia Bay and in the Blackwater–East Bay areas (Pensacola Bay System Technical Symposium, 1997) Poor indices were noted in lower Escambia Bay and Pensacola Bay (Pensacola Bay System Technical Symposium, 1997) Metals, PAHs, and pesticides were implicated in the deteriorated conditions in lower Escambia Bay and Pensacola Bay (asso-ciated with the City of Pensacola) Metals (As, Ni, Cr) and pesticides were also found in areas associated with the Gulf Breeze Peninsula According to recent data (Pensacola Bay System Technical Symposium, 1997), the bayous of Pensacola are the most contaminated areas in both the Pensacola Bay system and the state of Florida It is hypothesized that the three bayous act as contaminant sinks that reduce the impact of toxic agents on the bay system Other studies by the U.S EPA (Pensacola Bay System Technical Symposium, 1997) indicate that benthic conditions in Escambia Bay degraded between 1992 and 1996 According to recent FDEP studies (D Heil, Pensacola Bay System Technical Symposium, 1997), Pensacola Bay continues to have increasing oyster closings due to urban pollution with moderate to high fecal coliform levels Every 5 to 10 years, there is a major oyster die-off; reasons for this phenomenon remain unknown Non-point sources of pollution continue to be the most problematic because most point sources in the Pensacola Bay system have been controlled

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PAHs are among the most widely distributed toxic agents in sediments of aquatic systems in Florida (Livingston and McGlynn, 1994; Seal et al., 1994) These agents represent

a family of planar organic compounds composed of benzene units PAHs are derived from petroleum products such as coal, oil, asphalt, gasoline, diesel, rubber, and plastics The major routes of entry into the aquatic environment are biosynthesis, spillage and seepage

of fossil fuels (a major source of bi- and tricyclic PAHs), discharge of domestic and industrial wastes, dry and wet deposition from the atmosphere, and urban runoff Fresh-water and marine biota rapidly accumulate PAHs upon exposure to low concentrations PAHs have been associated with a wide variety of biological effects, including immuno-suppression in fishes and assorted acute and chronic toxic effects Many PAH compounds are on the EPA’s priority pollutant list and some are considered carcinogenic

Lower Escambia Bay and Pensacola Bay have the lowest biological values (i.e., low biomass, species richness) of any of the systems that have been part of the long-term studies by the Center for Aquatic Research and Resource Management (Florida State University) (Livingston, 2002) The current condition of the Pensacola Bay system is an example of a lack of attention to urban development in coastal areas Overall, non-point sources of pollution in the Pensacola Bay system will have to be cleaned up for any measurable improvement of water quality and natural productivity Evaluation of the point sources should also be made, especially because sewage spills constitute a continuing source of pollution in some parts of the bay system Mitigation of the effects of future non-point sources of storm water loading to the bay is essential for recovery

6.5 The Press and the Pensacola Bay System

The proposed move of the pulp mill effluent to the Escambia River galvanized the Pensacola News Journal as a leader in opposition to such a move The Perdido Bay “environmental-ists,” on the other hand, were enthusiastically in favor of the pipeline for obvious reasons

“Environmentalist” letters to the editor were now full of praise for the researchers of the Perdido system However, those opposed to the move, egged on by the news media, attacked the researchers with the usual accusations of selling out to the pulp mill However, the data showed that the mill effluent should not be placed into the Escambia River The assimilation capacity of Escambia Bay had been reduced to such an extent by anthropo-genous nutrient loading and toxic waste dumping that any added nutrient loading would only cause further harm These problems were due to various point and non-point sources that included industrial waste sites, sewage treatment plants, and hundreds of storm water pipes Of course, when the decision was made for the mill effluent to remain in the Perdido system, the results of the Pensacola Bay Study were not publicized In fact, the news media rarely if ever reported on the actual perpetrators of the pollution of the Pensacola system

as many of these interests represented clients of the newspaper Rare indeed was the reportage of impacts on the rivers and bay system due to construction activities and the urban runoff created by such activities The Pensacola News Herald rarely saw a develop-ment it did not like As for the toxic waste problem, everyone in the area was strangely silent on the issue

Based on the publicity and adverse press concerning the mill’s effect on the Perdido system, one would think that some kind of public discussion based on the science would have been appropriate However, even after the decision was made, such a discussion never came And the tactics of the Pensacola News Journal in its campaign against the move are illustrative of the ways in which the news media take advantage of their political power in such decisions And, as in the past, what better way to oppose the move than attack the research associated with it Consequently, before the study even ended, there was a full-scale attack on the research

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CRITICS QUESTION OBJECTIVITY OF CHAMPION-FUNDED RESEARCH:

“’They are trying to clearly show what they want,’ said the chief of the EPA’s Coastal Ecology Branch at Gulf Breeze ‘It’s a question of what you model,’ said a Pace resident ‘You can go out and hire anybody to support your point

of view You can prove anything you want to.’ … The EPA official questions some of Livingston’s and HydroQual’s methodology He said some of the data measures only water conditions, but does not say what the effect on algae growth and fish would be.”

—Scott Streater, Pensacola News Journal, June 16, 1998

The Study Plan was distributed to the state and federal regulatory agencies for public review The plan included an 18-month analysis of river and bay components in the entire data sets were taken to model salinity–temperature relationships and the distribution of anoxia and hypoxia in the bay Quantitative, species-specific collections were made con-cerning seasonal changes in phytoplankton, infauna, epibenthic macroinvertebrates, and fishes The biological data were transformed into detailed food web distributions in space and time, with specific application to present and future impacts on algal growth and fishes/invertebrates The entire study was aimed at the potential impact of the mill effluent

on the entire Pensacola Bay system This included processes such as wind/rain events, nutrient loading from the rivers, sediment oxygen demand, light transmission, and the various phases of primary and secondary productivity based on both water and sediment interactions and biological processes Detailed timetables were provided, along with pro-tocols for all sampling and analytical methodology

In response to the blatant misrepresentation of the study by the Pensacola News Journal,

the project leader wrote a letter to the reporter explaining that he wanted to issue a response that would correct open falsehoods in the article This included corrections concerning the number of measurements and stations in the bay, the frequency of sam-pling, and the overall objectives and scope of the work A conversation with the EPA official indicated that the official had not even seen the study outline The response included an objection to the insinuations that the study team would come to conclusions that were based on pressure from the pulp mill rather than the facts The response from the Pensacola News Journal was not unexpected

“…in checking with…the chief of the coastal ecology branch of the Environ-mental Protection Agency’s National Health and EnvironEnviron-mental Effects Labo-ratory in Gulf Breeze, (he) tells us he believes he was accurately quoted and does not take issue with the facts or tone of the article you are questioning Since your letter deals with statements attributed to (the chief), I trust that you understand that we believe the article to which you refer was factually accurate Thus, we stand by the story.”

—Letter to Project Leader, Bob Bryan, Deputy Managing Editor,

Pensacola News Journal, July 6, 1998

The refusal of the newspaper to explain both the purpose and the scope of the Pensacola Study was a blatant attempt to impeach the research before it even began Misrepresentation and omission were used to make sure that the public was not informed

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Pensacola system (Figure 6.1) Water and sediment quality were analyzed, and extensive

An outline of the proposal for the Pensacola system research is given in Appendix I