Estimated 175,000 fish killed in Black Warrior River after huge wastewater spill
CULLMAN COUNTY, Ala. (WBMA) — CULLMAN COUNTY, Ala. (WBMA) -- ABC 3340 News is staying on top of an unfolding river disaster after a massive wastewater spill in the Black Warrior River on Thursday, June 6.
Today we traveled by boat along the Mulberry Fork of the river where the spill happened.
We wanted to show you the impact one week later after an estimated 800,000 gallons of waste water went into the river.
The dead fish on the surface have mostly been cleaned up but it’s eerie... we didn’t see any turtles, birds... no wildlife. Just a few scattered dead fish.
Morgan Crawford has lived on the river some 20 years he says he’s never seen anything like it.
He asks why signs are not posted about no fishing or swimming.
Today the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) was sampling the water. Results should be back tomorrow.
Chris Greene with the state fisheries department says their conservative estimate is that 175,000 fish were killed.
He called the incident "significant" and said it will take some time to replenish the river.
Locals are calling on Tyson Foods, which owns the company that spilled this waste water, to clean up their operations.
Tonight there was a large community meeting where Walker, Cullman and Blount County residents expressed their outrage and concerns over the spill. One person said they’re “tired of being a dumping ground" and questioned ADEM's record of enforcing environmental regulations.
ADEM has requested a meeting with Tyson Foods upper management to take corrective measures calling this an "extremely serious and severe incident."
On Wednesday, June 12 nearly a week after the spill, River Valley Ingredients issued the following statement:
River Valley Ingredients would like for the public to know that as of today, June 12, 2019, the Mulberry Fork and the Sipsey Fork near Hanceville, Alabama, are available for recreation. Oxygen levels in the water have returned to normal, which are appropriate for area wildlife.
Again, we deeply regret the incident and appreciate the coordination of efforts and help we received from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. We will be seeking guidance from both agencies on our longer-term remediation efforts and will communicate those to the community once we’ve decided on the course of action.
Black Warrior Riverkeeper said their water samples showed double the maximum safe level of E-coli allowed by the state and said that just because the oxygen levels have improved, doesn't mean the water is safe.
A review of ADEM public records reveals a wastewater spill at the same plant owned by Tyson Foods in May of this year. A citizen reported toxic smells coming from the area around the same time.
The previous month the plant passed ADEM inspection.
Count on ABC 3340 news to stay on top of any action ADEM takes over the polluted river.
