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Freshwater Biology Lab - Wheeling, WV
The Association of Mid-Atlantic Aquatic Biologists 
sponsors an annual meeting, hosted by a different state each year. The board of this association includes representatives from EPA and our mid-Atlantic states.
US Environmental Protection Agency
1060 Chapline Street, Suite 303
Wheeling, WV 26003-2995
304-234-0231
Fax 304-234-0257
A Brief History - The US Public Health Service opened an office in Wheeling in February 1963 as part of their Ohio River Basin Water Quality Control Project, which was sponsored by Senator Byrd. The Upper Ohio River Basin Office at Wheeling conducted comprehensive studies of watersheds incorporating chemical, biological and engineering evaluations. Another Federal project was soon opened at this site, to locate and sample all coal mines in the Monongahela River basin. Similar coal mine inventories were conducted in Ohio and Pennsylvania with field crews consisting of State and Federal employees.
When the US EPA was formed in 1970, the entire staff at Wheeling became part of that new program. The Wheeling Office staff have performed diverse tasks for the Region through the years including:
- performing several types of stream assessments
- drafting water discharge (NPDES) permits
- responding to major spills of oil and chemicals, and
- supporting national Office of Research and Development programs like the Mid-Atlantic Highlands Assessment
The EPA staff working out of the Wheeling Office are a microcosm of the Regional Office and include personnel from the Environmental Assessment & Innovation Division, the Hazardous Site Cleanup Division, the Criminal Investigation Division, the Waste and Chemicals Management Division, the Office of Communications and Government Relations, the Air Protection Division, and the Water Protection Division.
Mission and Services of the Freshwater Biology Laboratory - The mission of the freshwater biology laboratory is to provide professional and high-quality technical, field and laboratory support in the areas of bioassessment and biocriteria. We provide support to US EPA programs, other federal agencies, state programs and citizens groups. We provide services in:
- toxicity testing
- macroinvertebrate and fish community assessments
- fish tissue collections
- qualitative and quantitative stream habitat assessments
- technical reviews, and
- training
Biology staff also participate in biological methods development, provide the lead for the regional biocriteria program, provide technical support to the Clean Water Act 305(b) and 303(d) programs, and serve on many national and regional workgroups concerning bioassessment and biocriteria.