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Health&Science URBAN JUNGLE


The changing natural world at our doorsteps.


About that Christmas goose . . . An explosive population becomes an abundant harvest


Winter hunting season is underway for resident Canada geese, abundant, non-native waterfowl that linger year-round in the Washington area.


“For the love of all that is holy, please eat them,” blogs Jackson Landers, a Virginia hunting instructor, author and guide who promotes harvesting invasive species for food. Resident Canada geese “represent a tremendous amount of underutilized food,” he writes.


Te big geese are originally from the Midwest but were shipped to the East Coast in the early 1900s by hunters, who tethered them to the ground as lures for smaller migratory geese.


“Tat ended in 1935, when it became illegal to use live decoys,” says Larry Hindman of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Te decoy birds were released and soon began their population explosion, grazing on and fouling golf courses and suburban lawns, and damaging turf farms and agricultural fields.


To help control a population that is twice as large as wildlife managers would prefer, government agencies have adopted more-liberal hunting guidelines. As a result, the resident goose population has been steadily decreasing in rural areas but continues to increase where hunting is not an option.


Anyone on the hunt for geese, whether by bow and arrow, shotgun or even their bare hands, must first attend hunter safety classes and get a hunting license. Buying a killed Canada goose is not an option: Unless it comes from a licensed breeder, the sale of waterfowl is illegal.


Urban geese are relatively safe from hunters unless they threaten to collide with aircraſt. Tat’s when the feds step in and transform a hazard into a harvest. Te Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program donates goose carcasses “to food banks, large animal rescue/ rehabilitation groups and zoos,” says the USDA’s Michael Begier.


In 2009, the USDA donated more than a ton of goose flesh in the Maryland-Delaware-Washington area, says the USDA’s Carol Bannerman. One recipient, the Maryland Food Bank, distributed 325 pounds of ground goose and goose chubs (stew meat) to food pantries and food kitchens across the state.


“It’s a wonderful resource for protein,” says the food bank’s Nancy Smith.


“We are absolutely thrilled. Not many people donate protein.”


Demand is high. “Tis is the first time in 32 years that we’ve seen middle-class families using food pantries,” she says. Goose meat “flies off the shelves as soon as it’s available.”


Some people find goose donations unpalatable. Sharon Pawlak, for the Coalition to Prevent the Destruction of Canada Geese, says, “Donating goose meat to food pantries is nothing more than a public relations ploy to justify the cruel and unnecessary slaughter of so-called nuisance geese.” She also has concerns about feeding potentially toxic meat to people who tend to suffer more health problems than other groups.


Eating a goose can pose a health hazard if the bird has been dabbling in polluted waters. Waterfowl can accumulate heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), especially in their fat.


Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources recommends eating no more than a half-pound of urban goose per week: “Te geese must be trimmed of all fat, either baked or broiled, and no drippings should be used in sauces.” Tat preparation, the department says, should remove 50 to 80 percent of fat-soluble contaminants.


Before releasing goose meat, the USDA tests it for toxins. “Te meat is oſten distributed widely so that no one family or location would be reliant on this meat,” says Bannerman.


Donated geese are hard to find in the District. “We do get deer meat,” says Samia Holloway of the Capital Area Food Bank, “but geese, no.”


Te same goes for Northern Virginia’s Food for Others. Te only wild game handed out there is venison, supplied by Hunters for the Hungry, headquartered in Big Island, Va.


Hunters for the Hungry doesn’t deal with many geese. “Te problem,” spokesman Gary Arrington says, “is finding processors for the birds. It’s just not cost-effective.” But if they do hear of a farmer or golf course with a permit to eliminate a flock, they recommend direct donations to soup kitchens, churches or food pantries that are able to prepare a few freshly killed birds.


“Killing an animal is always a sad thing,” says harvesting advocate Landers, “but eating it at least gives the act some real point and meaning.”


YURI CORTEZ/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES Amember of theOstional IntegralDevelopmentAssociationhelps anolive


ridley sea turtle returntothe sea after layingits eggsonabeachinCostaRica’s Ostional NationalWildlife Refuge. About 800,000 turtlesmay come to the PacificCoast refuge this year to lay eggs, according to the association.


trictdrinkingwaterresurfaced this month with the publica- tion of a new study that con- cluded that nearly 15,000 Dis- trict homes where service pipes were replaced between 2004 and 2006 may still have some lead in their water. Offi- cials with DC Water say the general water supply is safe— well below the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard of 15 parts of lead per billion— but the study fromtheCenters for Disease Control and Pre- vention said some homesmay still have high lead concentra- tions. Below, experts from the CDC, DC Water, EPA and GeorgeWashingtonUniversity answer questions about drink- ingwater andlead. —LeslieTamura


How can I check the lead


levelofmywater? Ask DC Water (202-354-


PATTERSON CLARK/THE WASHINGTON POST clarkp@washpost.com To learn more, go to washingtonpost.com/urbanjungle.


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3600) for a free lead test kit and information about your specific pipes. The agency will deliverakit toyouwithinthree tofivebusinessdays.Using the kit involves collecting several water samples in the provided bottles, which DC Water will then pick up. The agency will send the samples to a lab and get the results within four to six weeks, forwarding themto youseveraldays later. The CDC recommends that


urbanjungle101221-g


you use bottled or filtered wa- ter if you can until you know thatyourwaterdoesnothavea lead concentration of 15 parts per billion or more. For those using tap water, it’s important


Worries about drinking water 6


Concerns about lead in Dis-


on washingtonpost.com More questions?


Chat online with pediatrician Lynn


Goldman on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at


washingtonpost.com/liveonline.


Carcinogen concerns For up-to-date information about hexavalent chromium in your drinking water, see The Post’s A-section and washingtonpost.com.


to try to lower the level of lead bytakingsuchstepsas running the cold water tap for at least twominutesbeforeusingitand making sure to use cold tap water, sincepreheating thewa- ter may cause lead to leach from lead-contaminated plumbing inside yourhome. How much lead is too


much?WhenshouldIworry? The EPA action level of 15


partsperbillionis thestandard forwhat’s okay inwater. (Some experts believe even that may be toomuch; lead can build up in the body over time.) As for lead levels in the blood, “there is no known safe lead level,” saysLynnGoldman, apediatri- cian and the dean at George Washington University’s School of Public Health and HealthServices. Why is lead such a health


concern? Leadcanhave lasting effects


on mental and physical devel- opment, building up in your body for years. Lead poisoning can cause such symptoms as headaches, muscle weakness,


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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2010


INSURING YOURHEALTH Michelle Andrews


No-limit rule has loopholes


tice that yourplanhas eliminated lifetime andmost annualdollar limits oncoverage.Thatwasman- datedby the federalhealth-care overhaul.But for some consumers, coveragemay still be restricted: Limits onthenumber ofdoctor visits orprescriptions or other ser- vices continue to bepermittedand canstymiepatients’ efforts to get necessary care. TakeReneBane.A50-year-old


W


sign-language interpreterwho lives inBowie,Baneneeds surgery topreventher shoulder blade from rubbing against one of the tendons inher shoulder.Leftuntreated, the rubbingmight cause the tendonto snap,herdoctor says.Meanwhile, the inflammationis verypainful. Banewouldneedthrice-weekly


physical therapy sessions for at least threemonths following sur- gery.Butwhile the insurance that shehas throughherhusband’s job doesn’tplace adollar caponphysi- cal therapy benefits, it covers only 20 suchvisits a year. “This seems like a terrible loophole,” she says. “Removing thosedollar limits just means they’llput onlimits inadif- ferentway.”Banehasdecidednot to get the surgery, at least fornow. Sofar,most companiesdon’t


seemtobeaddingnewnumerical limitsonservices tocompensate for the eliminationof lifetimeandan- nualbenefits, saysMikeThompson, ahumanresource servicesprinci- palwithbenefits consultantsPwC. But “it couldpotentiallybeabigger problemmovingforward,” saysSte- phenFinan, seniordirector forpoli- cyat theAmericanCancerSociety’s CancerActionNetwork. Thehealthlawrequires thatplans


anemia, behavioral problems, lethargy, difficulty focusing, metallic taste in mouth and digestive problems, according to the National Institutes of Health. Lead can damage kid- neys, nerves and red blood cells. Although lead poisoning af-


fectsallages, childrenyounger than 6 aremost vulnerable be- cause their brains are still de- veloping. Small amounts of leadhavebeenassociatedwith a low IQ, hearing loss, hyper- activityandatendency toward aggressive or violent behavior. A blood test is the only way to determine if you have lead poisoining. When should I take my


childtoseethedoctor? The District’s Department


of Health recommends that children receive two blood- lead tests: the first between 6 and 14months, the second be- tween 22 and 26months. Con- tact the department at 202- 671-5000 to learnabout blood- lead tests in your area. The CDC says Medicaid and many other health plans will cover the cost of this testing. How is lead poisoning


treated? Lead poisoning can be diffi-


cult to treat. The first line of treatment is to identify and re- move sources of the problem. That alone can often reduce lead concentrations. Children younger than 6 years old with very high lead levelswill bene- fit froma therapy called chela- tion, saysGoldman.Thisneeds to be done under carefulmedi- cal supervision.


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soldonthestate-basedinsurance exchanges thatwill startupin2014 covercertain“essentialhealthbene- fits,” includinghospitalization,pre- scriptiondrugsandrehabilitative care, suchasphysical therapy. The secretaryofHealthandHu-


manServices is chargedwithdefin- ingexactlywhat the coveragewill be for these essentialbenefits,but thosedetailsaren’t expecteduntil next year. (Implementationof the health-careoverhaul ismovingfor- warddespite court challenges.) Somepolicy experts say they


hope that the coverage require- mentswill steer clear of arbitrary numerical limits andinsteadem- phasize evidence-basedresearch onthemost cost-effective treat- ments.That approachwouldper- mitphysical therapy to the extent that itwasmedicallynecessary,no more andno less.Using blunter in- struments suchasdeductibles or limitations onvisits risks “discour- aging botheffective andineffective care,” saysEdwinPark, co-director ofhealthpolicy at theCenter on Budget andPolicyPriorities. WhateverHHSdecides about


“essential” coveragewill only be re- quiredofplans soldonthe state- basedexchanges,primarily to indi- viduals andcompanieswithfewer than100workers, andof small- groupandindividualpolicies sold ontheprivatemarket. Itwon’t af- fectmillions ofpeoplewho get theirhealthinsurance onthe job throughbig companies. But since large employers tend


to offermore-generoushealth insurance benefits thansmall ones, theymay alreadymeet the newstandards once they’re set, say experts.Those thatdon’tmay find itprudent tomove inthat direction. “For better or forworse, that [benefitspackage]willhave the imprimatur of the federal gov- ernment,” saysFinan. Thenewbenefit standards


couldhelpKayAnnSchuck of Pinckney,Mich.Laidoff fromher job as amedical technologist, Schuck receivedadiagnosis of breast cancer inMay 2009. She hadsignedupforCOBRAcoverage throughher former employer whenshewas laidoff, andthat car- riedher throughher initial treat- ment.ButherCOBRAranout at the endof lastMay, andshe signed upfor anindividualpolicywitha $254monthlypremium. Schuck, 48,has regular appoint-


mentswitha radiationoncologist, breast surgeonandother special- ists tomanageher treatment. She underwent breast reconstruction surgery over the summer.Afterher surgery, she couldn’tunderstand why shewas getting billedfordoc- tor visits.Thenshe learnedthat herpolicypays for only two visits to adoctor’s office annually. She es- timates she owes$11,000 to vari- ousproviders. She is slowlypaying downthedebt. “I’ve beenintearsmore times


thanI cancount,” she says. “I just don’tunderstandthe logic of these insurance limits.”


This columnisproducedthroughacollaboration betweenThePostandKaiserHealthNews.KHN, aneditorially independentnews service, isa programof theKaiser Family Foundation,a nonpartisanhealth-care-policy organizationthat isnotaffiliatedwithKaiserPermanente.E-mail questions@kaiserhealthnews.org.


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