30 Year Later, McBride Drops the Mic
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- Published: Tuesday, 29 June 2021 19:33
Thirty years ago, two really important things happened. First, a newly minted graduate from the University of Washington’s master’s degree program in toxicology joined the Washington Department of Health (WDOH). His name: Dave McBride.
The second is that WDOH released its first Lake Roosevelt fish advisory which also happened to be the first fish advisory issued in Washington. The advisory focused on limiting sport fish consumption due to dioxins coming downstream from the Celgar pulp mill in Castlegar, British Columbia.
Beginning in 1993, Dave became the go-to-guy for assessing fish tissue, water quality and other data of keen interest to Lake Roosevelt communities. Steady and patient as he worked his way through dioxin, lead, mercury and PCB issues, his work provides the foundation for people confidently and safely recreating and playing on Lake Roosevelt. Said Dave, “I didn’t always provide answers people wanted to hear. But I always gave them the best information we had to make their decisions.”
Reflecting on 30 years of work on Lake Roosevelt, Dave has been “pleasantly surprised that the volume of contaminants that entered the lake over the past decades has not led to unusually high concentrations in fish, water and sediment. Lead in soil remains an issue.” That’s translated into good news for swimming, beach play and angling on Lake Roosevelt.
Dave, however, does not see a day when contaminant levels will make fish advisories a thing of the past. While organic compounds like PCBs and dioxins can break down over time, heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium will stay in the system forever.
Statewide, Dave is gratified by the progress being made in reductions of legacy contaminants such as PCB and DDT. “We can see that success is being made and can be observed by monitoring contaminants trends in osprey eggs showing declines in many of the bad actors over the past decades,” said Dave. PFAS and other compounds, however, are now threatening the environment. “Prevention is key. It’s really expensive and difficult to get these human-engineered toxics out of the system ounce they are released.”
Because contaminants and human health will always need monitoring, Dave’s best advice to the community is to “Stay engaged and make sure agencies are doing what they should be doing.” He’s confident that will be the case for Lake Roosevelt. Said Dave “I’m amazed by the number of people who stay engaged in this process year after year. It’s the type of community I’d be proud to live in.”
The grassroots dedication to education and outreach provided by the Forum, Citizens for a Clean Columbia and others is essential. Dave notes that agency campaigns such as the WDOH “Eat fish, be smart, choose wisely!” are good. But they also come and go based on budget priorities. Communities, on the other hand, will always be on the frontline of caring for their neighbors.
“Hopefully,” said Dave, “COVID has given governments and communities a better appreciation of what public health does.” Experience shows achieving confidence in messages starts with consistent public engagement.
Dave’s retirement from WDOH, however, isn’t really retirement. Dave’s off to Switzerland to direct a pharmaceutical lab that identifies counterfeit drugs being pawned off on unsuspecting consumers. His kids promise to visit Mom and Dad although they are a bit busy themselves. His son will be pursuing a PhD in Astrophysics from the University of Utah, and his daughter is currently on a research vessel in the Gulf of Mexico exploring life at the bottom of the ocean.
According to Dave, “My kids inherited my wife’s smarts and good looks. I gave them my warped sense of reality and my allergies.” The Forum believes, as always, the truth is more subtle.
On behalf of all the people Dave has touched with his good work and caring nature, THANK YOU! And please send chocolates.