FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 11, 2001 For pictures and more
information; Lake Apopka The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
today released detailed laboratory results from the 1999 Lake
Apopka area bird deaths to members of the Technical Advisory
Group which includes representatives of interested state, local
and federal entities. The laboratory data show elevated levels
of organochlorines (pesticides) in the birds tissues, including
toxaphene, dieldrin and DDT. Some necropsies, including one for
an endangered wood stork, prepared by the National Wildlife
Health Center in Madison, Wisconsin, determined that levels of
dieldrin alone were sufficiently high to cause death. The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service is continuing to investigate the bird
deaths. The detailed report may be viewed at:
http://law.southeast.fws.gov. The Service responded to this
incident on Jan.12, 1999. Since then, Service Law Enforcement
Agents and Contamination Specialists have conducted
investigations into the cause of the deaths as authorized