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Tribal member urges zero‑tolerance for toxins in Smith River during public comment
Summary
A Tallawa tribal member told the board that copper and other toxins are leaching into the Smith River, harming salmon and other fish, and urged a transition to nonchemical soil treatment methods and a 0‑detection policy for neurotoxic runoff.
During the board———public comment period, Tallawa tribal member Ethan St. Clair told supervisors he believes ongoing agricultural discharges—including copper and other neurotoxins—are damaging Chinook, coho and steelhead by disrupting olfactory neurons the fish use to migrate and spawn.
St. Clair cited peer-reviewed literature and argued trace amounts of copper (he cited levels as low as 2 parts per billion) can harm fish olfactory systems, asserted that vegetative buffers are failing to stop some soluble toxins, and called for a "0 detection" standard and a transition to nonchemical alternatives such as low‑pressure thermal soil steaming. He said universities and international growers have demonstrated steam as a nonchemical method and argued it could replace chemical fumigants used on the Smith River Plain.
The board did not take immediate action on those remarks; the comment was recorded during the general public comment period. Supervisors acknowledged the concern and public commenters stressed the need for further technical review and possible multiagency involvement to evaluate the claims and potential regulatory or permitting implications.
