U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Fisheries and Habitat Conservation
Environmental Contaminants Program
Our mission is
working with others
to conserve, protect,
and enhance fi sh,
wildlife, and plants
and their habitats for
the continuing benefi t
of the American
people.
Pollution is one of the American
public’s greatest environmental
concerns. Like the proverbial “canary
in the coal mine,” fish and wildlife
often signal pollution problems that
ultimately affect people and their
quality of life. The U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service) is the
primary federal agency dedicated to
protecting wildlife and their habitats
from pollution’s harmful effects,
helping to create a healthier world for
all living things.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Environmental Contaminants (EC)
Biologists have unique expertise and
experience that sets them apart from
other biologists in the Service. They are
experts on:
Oil and chemical spill response,
Restoring habitats harmed by
pollution,
Water quality effects on fish and
wildlife, and
Pesticide effects on fish and
wildlife.
The EC Program’s operations are
interwoven with all other Service
activities, and the Service’s
Contaminants Biologists regularly
work as partners with other agencies
and organizations that have come to
rely on our expertise.
SPILL RESPONSE
Serious, long-term ecological damage
often accompanies major oil and
hazardous waste spills. To prevent or
reduce the impacts of these events
on fish, wildlife and their habitats,
the Service’s EC Program places
a strong emphasis on pre-spill
contingency planning at local, state,
and national levels. During a spill,
EC Biologists advise the Federal On-
Scene Coordinator about possible
impacts of response actions to
threatened and endangered species,
migratory birds, anadromous fish,
some marine mammals, and Service
lands. Environmental Contaminant
Biologists also oversee the collection
and rehabilitation of oiled wildlife and
evaluate the extent of wildlife injury
caused by a spill.
RESTORATION
Service Contaminant Biologists play
a major role in restoring habitats
and natural resources degraded by
pollution. The entities responsible
for spilling oil or releasing hazardous
Dolores Savignano/USFWS
This mussel release is part of a program to restore mussels in the Clinch
River. In 1998, nearly all aquatic life for seven miles was killed when over
1,300 gallons of a toxic chemical were spilled.
Oiled crested auklet from M/V
Selendang Ayu spill. The spill occurred
on December 8, 2004 and impacted the
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife
Refuge. Nearly half a million gallons
of fuel were spilled. This was the
biggest spill in Alaska since Exxon
Valdez.
USFWS
substances are liable for restoring
or funding restoration of natural
resources affected. In partnership
with other affected state, tribal, and
federal natural resource trustees, EC
Biologists plan and implement natural
resource restoration activities.
WATER QUALITY
Aquatic species are declining at an
alarming rate. More than 400 aquatic
species either have, or need, special
protection in at least part of their
natural or historic range. These
species include important recreational
and commercial fish such as salmon,
sturgeon, and trout. The Service’s EC
Program helps the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and others
evaluate how water pollutants affect
fish and wildlife and their habitats. This
information is critical for developing
effective water quality standards, which
protect these valuable resources and
the watersheds that support them.
PESTICIDES AND PEST MANAGEMENT
Pesticides can benefit society when
used to manage disease-causing
organisms and other pests. Pesticides
also pose some risk to the environment.
To prevent and minimize unintended
Affairs, and Law Enforcement.
Our Analytical Control Facility is
responsible for sample analysis,
sample quality control, and database
management. This emphasis on quality
assurance results in high quality data
that decision-makers can rely on for
making management decisions. The
EPA, U.S. Coast Guard, Department
of Defense, or other Federal or State
agencies responsible for cleaning
up contaminated areas often call on
EC Biologists to ensure that fish
and wildlife and their habitats are
adequately protected during, and upon
completion of, the cleanup.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
1 800/344 WILD
http://www.fws.gov
For more information please contact:
Division of Environmental Quality
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 322
Arlington, VA 22203
703/358 2148
http://contaminants@fws.gov
October 2005
impacts of pesticides, EC Biologists
work cooperatively with EPA during
pesticide registration and labeling.
National Wildlife Refuges use
pesticides as part of an integrated
pest management (IPM) approach
to manage invasive plant and animal
species or potential disease carrying
organisms, like mosquitoes. When
Service land managers determine that
pesticide use will be necessary, EC
Biologists help to ensure fish, wildlife,
and people are protected through an
internal pesticide use proposal review
and approval process.
INVESTIGATIONS
The EC Program designs and conducts
investigations to identify and quantify
contaminant impacts to fish and wildlife
resources on and off Service lands.
The investigations result in specific
management actions, which prevent,
reduce, or eliminate these impacts.
Recent examples include investigating
contaminants in fish feed and fish
raised at National Fish Hatcheries, and
an ongoing cooperative effort between
the United States and Canada to
determine the sources of lead causing
trumpeter swan poisonings and die-offs.
HEALTHY NATIONAL WILDLIFE HABITAT
Approximately 17% of National
Wildlife Refuges have major
contaminant issues that must be
addressed. Refuges face a wide variety
of contaminant threats including
impaired air and water quality and
an ongoing threat of spills. EC
Biologists investigate potential sources
of contamination on refuge lands,
prioritize cleanups, and assist Refuge
Managers on cleanup and restoration.
EC Biologists survey lands prior to
acquisition to prevent the Service from
unknowingly acquiring contaminated
parcels that will be costly to clean up.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
The EC Program provides
contaminants expertise to all Service
programs including the National
Wildlife Refuge System, Endangered
Species, Migratory Birds, Fisheries,
Marine Mammals, International
A former sludge pit that was
contaminated with cadmium, lead,
and zinc, now cleaned and converted
to a lush vernal pool that provides
valuable breeding habitat for New
Jersey endangered blue-spotted
salamanders.
Mike Horne/USFWS
Phyllis Cooper/USFWS
The Environmental Contaminants
Program works to ensure clean water
and healthy habitats throughout the
United States. Father and son fishing
at Eufaula National Wildlife Refuge.
Roxanna Hinzman/USFWS
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Environmental Contaminants
Biologists conducted shoreline and
aerial assessments after Hurricane
Katrina to locate hazardous materials
that threatened human health and the
environment. This drum was marked
and mapped to facilitate retrieval by
EPA.
