Click here to listen to KUER's recent RadioWest program entitled "Selenium and the Great Salt Lake" (original air date: 6/16/2009). The program includes an interview with Lynn de Freitas, FRIENDS Executive Director.

Proposed numeric water quality selenium standards for Great Salt Lake were recently submitted to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by the Utah Division of Water Quality (EWQ) after a relatively large-scale but short-term study of selenium in the open waters of the lake.

On May 18 of 2009, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) submitted a letter to the EPA outlining the agency's concerns that this proposed standard represents a "take" of migratory birds in violation of the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA). The USFWS letter further states that "implementation of the standard would be insufficient toward long-term conservation of the Great Salt Lake's migratory bird resources". The proposed standard is based on concentration of selenium in avian eggs that would result in a 10% reduction in hatchabillity. The USFWS recommends instead that the selenium standard be set at a no effect concentration.   

Want to learn more?

Click here for a letter from the USFWS to the EPA regarding conflicts between state selenium standards and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act:  USFWS letter 291.85 Kb

Click here for a letter  submitted to the Utah Division of Water Quality regarding appropriate selenium standards for Great Salt Lake in which Dr. Joe Skorupa (Clean Water Act Biologist for the US DIvision of Enviornmental Quality and member of the Science Panel) advocates that the Great Salt Lake's unique values warrant a highly precautionary, 'no effect' approach:  Skorupa Letter 155.35 Kb

Click here for an excellent summary of this issue in The Salt Lake Tribune article, 'Agencies at odds on Great Salt Lake bird threat: How much selenium is too much for lake birds?' by Judy Fahys: Fahys article