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An "exhaustive" analysis by the state Department of Environmental Protection has found no chemicals, poisons or manmade contaminants in Renziehausen Park's Lake Emilie.

However, the 16-page report, released Tuesday, does indicate the presence of fecal contamination --- animal droppings --- in the lake, DEP spokeswoman Katy Gresh said.

That's very likely caused by the geese that inhabit the lake each spring and summer, Gresh said Tuesday, and is not a health hazard.

"It's about what we would expect for an urban pond," she said. "The fecal matter is definitely not the cause of the fish kills."

. . .

Lake Emilie's water quality became an issue several weeks ago after Councilman Paul Shelly Jr. reported he had found 75 fish dead at the man-made pond over the span of several days.

City officials said they had found only about a dozen, and speculated the fish were injured by rough handling during a fishing derby.

Shelly accused Mayor Jim Brewster and other administrators of covering up a public health hazard, and speculated sewage was getting into the lake.

. . .

Gresh said the fecal contamination is "not a high enough level" to kill fish.

DEP's tests, she said, cannot conclusively determine whether the contamination is from geese, human waste or pet droppings.

But she said the geese are a more obvious source than sewage runoff.

"We conducted an exhaustive amount of sampling," Gresh said. "It's most likely a result of having geese on the pond."

. . .

According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, fecal coliform bacteria are not harmful, but can indicate whether other harmful bacteria are present. Besides human and animal waste, coliforms are naturally present in the environment.

The DEP found 440 coliforms present per 100 milliliters of water in samples near Lake Emilie's spillway, and 1,200 coliforms per 100mL at the north end of the lake.

Federal and state guidelines consider average coliform levels above 126 units unsafe for swimming, according to public documents posted at the EPA's website, but swimming is not permitted at Lake Emilie, which is a stormwater retention area.

The same reports indicate that coliform levels below 2,000 units are safe for recreational uses other than swimming.

. . .

Persons who catch fish in Lake Emilie should wash their hands thoroughly, she said. Consuming fish from the lake is not unhealthy, Gresh said, as long as the fish are cleaned and cooked thoroughly.

In a statement emailed Tuesday to the Almanac and Daily News, Shelly said county and state agencies are not taking the issue seriously enough.

"I need more information on their data and opinions to form a strong opinion on the safety of the lake for humans and the cause of death of the catfish," he said.

. . .

Shelly added he had "bigger city and personal issues to deal with" --- a reference to his June 13 arrest on charges he pulled a gun on a Downtown business owner during a argument.

A preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi, originally scheduled for Monday, has been moved to 9 a.m. July 13. Shelly remains free on $10,000 bond.

Gresh said DEP did not attempt to determine the cause of death of the fish. Fish kills are the purview of the state Fish and Boat Commission, she said.

. . .

A message left for a spokesman at the Fish and Boat Commission was not immediately returned Tuesday.

Anyone who has concerns about the water quality of Lake Emilie can call the DEP's SouthWest Regional Office at (412) 442-4000, Gresh said.

"If people do find more dead fish, or if there is anything awry, we do want to hear about it," she said.