ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — Virginia officials say around 165 gallons of an agricultural-use chemical leaked into a Roanoke-area creek, resulting in a large fish kill.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality said in a statement Monday that a container at a Cloverdale business had a small puncture, and that rain washed the chemical, Termix 5301, into Tinker Creek. Officials were notified over the weekend.
The department says there haven’t been any reports of public exposure, and that the risk to nearby wells is extremely low. The chemical has been contained, but residents should avoid the creek until further notice.
Initial estimates suggest tens of thousands of fish may have died.
Officials say the business, Crop Production Services, has hired a contractor to clean up.
Termix 5301 is added to herbicides and pesticides before application.
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