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Fish kill continues to grow, thousands of fish now reported dead. Dear River Lovers,
Yesterday we reported a fish kill on Brier Creek outside of the town of Keysville Ga. We now have a little more information and would like to share it. The City of Waynesboro has ceased pulling drinking water from the creek, EPD is reporting thousands of fish currently counted as dead, and aluminum sulfate is the expected cause at this time. Water quality chemistries collected by Savannah Riverkeeper today support the suspected cause of the fish kill. As this investigation unfolds please continue to stay clear of the waterway until more in depth results are available. Please if you are fishing, drinking, or swimming in this creek, cease doing so until we have a firm grasp on the causes of this kill and the potential harm to human health. Your Savannah Riverkeeper,
Tonya Bonitatibus
| Do you have information:If you have information about this case, please call us at
706 826-8991
or e-mail us |
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What we know right now:1. Thousands of fish have been counted dead, count is still ongoing. Fish of all sizes and many species have died, snakes have been reported dead.
2. Land owners noticed the black water creek starting to turn clear on Friday. Thursday it was milk chocolate colored, also not normal.
3. Saturday land owners noticed the fish starting to die off
4. There are 4 kaolin mines with discharge permits within the suspected fish kill origination zone. A kaolin mine is the suspected cause of the fish kill.
5. Waynesboro has ceased its drinking water intake from Brier Creek
6. EPD currently has reason to suspect Aluminum Sulfate as the cause of the kill. Our independent investigation supports that theory.
7. GA Environmental Protection Division has an active investigation, no formally announced enforcement action.
8. We urge precautionary methods of interaction with the creek. Those with shallow wells along the creek might consider bottled water until results are available.
10. initial reports of a truck spill being responsible have been ruled out as the cause of the kill |
Additional stories were in the works when this was distributed. Links above should lead to additional stories.
Brier creek (below) is usually black making it very difficult to see through. The clarity of this waterway is indicative of a problem and hints to the possibility of an additive that causes settling being introduced to the creek.
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Next Steps:
We were pleased by the media response today, significantly helping alert the general public about this fish kill. Over the next couple of days our investigations into the bredth of the kill and the exact location of the industrial discharge responsible will continue to unfold. Our most immediate concern continues to be that the public be aware of this fish kill and be able to make informed decisions about their interactions with the creek.
We will be holding a public meeting on October 27th in the Keysville area. We will announce location tomorrow. |
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Please contact us with any questions or concerns. |
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