We need to know, now
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission don't know exactly what is causing the disfigurement of smallmouth bass throughout the southern stretches of the Susquehanna River. But they do know this: the lower Susquehanna formally should be declared "impaired" so that the source of the problem can be identified and attacked.
According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, however, no such designation is necessary. In a circular argument, a spokesman contended that disfigurement of fish in the lower Susquehanna doesn't necessarily mean much because the DEP also has found fish dying in streams with no known pollution problems, making it difficult to determine which, if any pollutants are at play in the Susquehanna case.
But the objective is to find out. An impairment designation would require the DEP to identify the source affecting the fish and develop a long-term remediation plan.
According to a foundation report, smallmouth bass are sensitive to environmental changes. The foundation and the fish commission have documented that bass populations are experiencing lesions and intersex traits pointing to contamination and forewarning of potential problems for other types of wildlife.
The federal Environmental Protection should not wait for a formal impairment request from the DEP. It should use its own data, issue an impairment finding and start the process of restoring the health of the fish population. Doing so would serve not only the health of the river but he regional economy since, according to the foundation, fishing and river recreation supports thousands of jobs.