Toxic Contaminants Research Outcome:Logic & Action Plan

Chesapeake Bay Program partners have committed to taking a series of specific actions to support the management approaches guiding this outcome. These actions directly address the factors that could impact our progress. More information about performance targets and participating partners can be found in the complete Logic & Action Plan.

Download Logic & Action Plan (.pdf)

Watershed-Wide Actions

Ongoing

  • Working in the Susquehanna and Potomac watersheds, generating information to document fish health in the watershed.
  • Monitoring levels of PCBS in fish and shellfish and moving contaminated sites toward cleanup.
  • Better defining the sources of PCBs, including those on land, through stormwater and through atmospheric deposition.
  • Considering the developing of a PCB mass balance model for the Chesapeake Bay.
  • Better defining the sources and occurrence of endocrine disruptors and other contaminant groups affecting the health of fish and wildlife in the watershed.
  • Better defining the potential impacts of unconventional oil and gas activities.
  • Generating information on mercury in order to determine whether regional strategies are needed to supplement national efforts to reduce its impact on fish and associated consumption advisories.
  • Developing approaches to assess the relative risk of contaminants to help inform policy and prevention strategies.
  • Sharing approaches for assessing relative risk with the Toxic Contaminants Workgroup to the workgroup can consider options for mitigating contaminant impacts.

July – December 2016

  • Using existing information to provide overviews of the effects toxic contaminants can have on fisheries and shellfish.
  • Summarizing existing studies and considering additional research activities to assess the effects of toxic contaminants on wildlife.
  • Better defining the sources and occurrence of contaminant groups in tidal waters.

Actions in Maryland

  • Assessing the effects of toxic contaminants on fish and shellfish in the tidal Potomac River. (Ongoing)
  • Generating information on select pesticides in order to help the Toxic Contaminants Workgroup consider a future management strategy. (2016)