Good news for Valley fisherman who enjoy eating their catch. After a quarter century, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency has lifted all "Do Not Eat" bans for the Mahoning River.









It's been more than 25 years since the Ohio Department of Health first put a contact ban on the Mahoning River. So, news of it's improvement is significant.









"This is a huge relief for the Mahoning River because now we're starting to see the river come back," said Environmental Program Manager for Youngstown's Eastgate Regional Council of Governments, Stephanie Dyer. "We're starting to see healthy fish populations and bug populations. It's a good indication that the river is cleaning itself."









Dyer said, some of the rivers pollution can be traced back to former steel mills, during a time when health regulations weren't as stringent as they are today.









"What we saw between the 70's and the 80's when they surveyed the river was a lot of those legacy pollutants. The PCB's, the oils, the heavy metals, like the mercury," explained Dyer.









A recent review by the E.P.A determined the fish are healthy enough to eat but, they warn consumers to limit how much they eat.









The EPA advisories include:





Smallmouth bass - one meal per month for all sizes, due to PCBs and mercury (was "do not eat" for fish over 15 inches and one meal every two months if under 15 inches).

Channel catfish - one meal every two months for all sizes due to PCBs (was "do not eat" for fish over 21 inches).

Largemouth bass -- one meal per week.

Northern pike, rock bass, and bluegill -- one meal per month due to PCBs.

Yellow perch -- one meal per week due to PCBs.

Walleye -- one meal per month now due to mercury as well as PCBs.

For more information, visit The Ohio EPA.





