Publication Summary

A Class II inspection was conducted at the Port Townsend Paper Company′s wastewater treatment system on December 1 and 2, 1987. The inspection was timed to correspond with an investigation of pen-reared salmon mortalities in Port Townsend Bay. No effluent contaminants were detected that would be expected to contribute to the observed salmon mortalities.

A Class II inspection was conducted at the Port Townsend Paper Company′s wastewater treatment system on December 1 and 2, 1987. The inspection was timed to correspond with an investigation of pen-reared salmon mortalities in Port Townsend Bay. No effluent contaminants were detected that would be expected to contribute to the observed salmon mortalities. The treatment system was operating well during the inspection. No NPDES permit violations were noted; effluent BOD and TSS values were almost an order of magnitude less than permitted limits. Chronic toxicity, but not acute, was seen in the effluent, but is not expected to exert toxic effects outside the diffuser mixing area. Slight acute effects were found in outfall near-field sediments. These low-level toxicities may be related to several metals and organics in the effluent and sediments. Several recommendations were made.