Montanans are being told to eat less fish in some areas of the state.
A new report from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality says high levels of PFAS are present in fish in the Fort Peck Reservoir, the East Gallatin River, the Missouri and the Clark Fork, among other locations. The chemicals are man-made and accumulate in water and fish over time.
Exposure to PFAS has been linked to health risks like testicular and kidney cancer and immune system problems in children. Researchers found some sampled fish contained thousands of times the level of PFAS considered safe for human consumption.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks updated its fish consumption guide to reflect the data. It now says women and children should not eat large walleye and trout caught at Fort Peck, among other changes.
The state conducted the freshwater fish PFAS study in 2023 and released the report on Thursday. That was two hours before Montana PBS aired an investigation that found Governor Gianforte’s office withheld the release of the report for more than a year. MTPR has not independently confirmed Montana PBS’ reporting, and the governor did not immediately respond to request for comment
