Page 16
The INDEPENDENT, November 1, 2000
E x t e n s i o n f o r s t u d y o f c h e m i c a l h o r m o n e d i s r u p t i o n in s t u r g e o n
Pacific University Professor
Deke Gunderson, director of
the University’s environmental
studies program, has received
a two year extension to contin
ue his study of endocrine dis
rupting chemicals in white stur
geon of the Columbia River.
Gunderson’s $60,000 grant
is part of a $350,000 commit
ment from the United States
Geological Survey and the En
vironmental Protection Agency
to study the impact of chemi
cals on the white sturgeon. In
collaboration with researchers
at Oregon State University and
Portland’s Department of Envi
ronmental Quality, Gunderson
is examining reasons for the
white sturgeon’s population de
cline.
“We suspect that one prob
lem is the hormone-mimicking
properties of certain chemi-
cals,” said Gunderson, whose
specialty is environmental toxi
cology. The sturgeons may be
mistaking chemicals for hor
mones, leading to reproductive
problems and suppression of
the immune system, among
other problems.
While a faculty member at
the University of Southern Indi
ana, Gunderson found fish in
the Ohio River were “loaded
with pesticides not used in a
F a m i l y c a t s h o t in V e r n o n i a ; v a n d a l s s t r i k e a g a i n
A cat owned by Carol Brown,
a resident of Washington Av
enue, was shot
with a .22 caliber
bullet Oct. 18. In
spite of a veteri
narian’s efforts to
save her, the cat
died two days lat
er.
curred late Oct. 27 or early Oct.
28, when all of the decorative
hanging baskets on the Rock
Creek bridge were torn off and
thrown into the creek. Five of
the eight baskets were recov
ered but were badly damaged.
The baskets are provided by
volunteers with Vernonia Pride.
least 20 years.” In the Colum
bia River, he similarly finds
sturgeons with a chemical
called DDE, a derivative of
DDT, which has not been used
for 25 years.
“The white sturgeon is not
considered endangered in the
Columbia yet,” said Gunder
son, “but there are certainly in
dications that they might be in
trouble. They’re definitely ex
posed to chemicals and have
been exposed for a long time.
The next step is to see how
particular chemicals are affect
nority of individuals, but their
acts are noticed and despised,”
Walters added.
• R e d i- M ix C o n c re te
• R e s id e n tia l, C o m
m e rc ia l, I n d u s t r ia l
Those with information re
garding these crimes are urged
to contact the police depart
ment. The phone number is
503-429-7335.
“There is no gain to persons
who
commit these crimes,”
Vernonia City ordinance pro
hibits discharging a weapon said Vernonia Chief of Police
within the City limits and state Jim Walters, “except for some
law specifies that intentionally type of warped self-satisfac
killing an animal is Aggravated tion. There is certainly no mon
Animal Abuse I, a Class C etary gain when committing
Felony that is punishable by up vandalism.
to five years in prison and a
$100,000 fine.
“We all know these crimes
Another senseless crime oc- are committed by a small mi
ing them.”
Endocrine disruption, the fo
cus of this particular research
project, is one of the primary
signs of pesticide poisoning.
The white sturgeon is particu
larly vulnerable because fe
males do not reproduce for at
least the first 20 years of their
lives. “In other words,” said
Gunderson, “they have to sur
vive 20 years of exposure to
chemicals before they can re
produce.” At that point, the
sturgeon eggs are frequently
contaminated with pesticides.
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