A State Department of Environmental Conservation study has found traces of silver escaped from Eastman Kodak’s film making operations over the decades, causing a possible risk for wildlife and humans. But the agency says the risk to both seems to be low.
Silver was and remains an integral part of making photographic film at what’s now Eastman Business Park. The DEC studied the river downstream from Kodak’s wastewater treatment plant at King’s Landing in the Genesee Gorge. According to a fact sheet the agency just released, it expects to issue a report next month and call for a more detailed investigation.
The preliminary study found traces of silver in river sediments, soil along the banks, in fish and in mussels. The DEC says the risk to wildlife and people is low, but metals are potentially toxic if ingested. The detailed, or “Corrective Measures Study,” will puzzle out how much of a risk actually exists and if anything needs to be done about it.