184 



DONALD J. BENSON 



a salinity range at Station A from 6 to 29.6 parts per 



thousand. The lower ranges may have resulted in the poor 



oyster response with prolonged exposure. One week of 



has 

 exposure below 10 to 13 parts per thousand/been demonstrated iiy 



other investigators to cause adverse effects upon both 



survival and condition factor of oysters. 



4. The FWPCA data of oyster growth studies 

 show that, except for Station A, growth was generally greater 

 at stations with higher levels of SSL. Interestingly 

 these data were considered invalid and were ignored in 



the FWPCA analysis. 



5. An analysis of the data supplied for 

 Stations B through G shows no correlation between dis- 

 tance from mill or SSL to condition factor and mortality 

 in Bellinghara Bay. 



An additional study described in the FWPCA 

 report is used to conclude that the SSL concentrations 

 are inimical to plankton activity in Port Gardner and 

 Bellingham Bay, Port Angeles plankton data were not 

 reported. 



The report states that nearly equal numbers 

 and varieties of plankton are found throughout both 

 Bellingham Bay and Port Gardner. This ovservation holds 

 even for the several stations very near to mill outfalls. 



