Louisiana - Temple-Inland Bogalusa Paper Mill responsible for Pearl River fish kill

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Tests To Determine Cause Of Pearl River 'Fish Kill'

Waste Water Release From Plant Under Scrutiny

POSTED: 5:34 pm CDT August 14, 2011
UPDATED: 11:56 pm CDT August 14, 2011

BOGALUSA, La. -- Authorities are conducting tests to determine what triggered a fish kill on the Pearl River in and around Washington Parish.

Photos From The Scene

Thousands of dead fish floated to the surface of the river in Louisiana and Mississippi, and some area residents are reporting an unusual substance on the water, which they believe may be related to the fish kill. Officials in both states are conducting tests to determine if there is a connection.

"They were just floating up -- belly up -- and the ones that were still alive were on top of the water trying to gasp for air," fisherman Colin Sorrells told WDSU. "It is a concern. Everybody around here is either a hunter or a fisherman, or whatever, and this is how people support their families a lot."

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality said a Temple-Inland Inc. paper plant had a problem last week with its waste water plant. In a statement, the company said it is working with regulatory agencies investigating potential causes.

Read more: http://www.wdsu.com/news/28863602/detail.html#ixzz1V6N9so3Y


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Pearl River fish kill puts fear in residents

Posted:<SCRIPT type=text/javascript orgFontSize="11px"> wnRenderDate('Sunday, August 14, 2011 8:36 PM EST', '', true);</SCRIPT> Aug 14, 2011 7:36 PM CDT <NOSCRIPT orgFontSize="11px"></NOSCRIPT><!--END wnDate-->Updated:<SCRIPT type=text/javascript orgFontSize="11px"> wnRenderDate('Sunday, August 14, 2011 9:10 PM EST', '', true);</SCRIPT> Aug 14, 2011 8:10 PM CDT <NOSCRIPT orgFontSize="11px"></NOSCRIPT><!--END wnDate-->
By Terrance Friday

PEARL RIVER COUNTY, MS (WLOX) -

For the past few days a surge of dead fish has been the scene for folks living along the Pearl River. Residents in Picayune have also been effected by the scare.

For families like the Mitchells, living along the Pearl River isn't just beautiful scenery, it's a complete way of life.

"We feed our families three times a week from these rivers. Whether it be frogs, fish, the wildlife that we hunt during the Winter it's a big portion of our meat for the year," said Mitchell.

But now that way of life is in question and to make matters worse, there's no explanation for the problem.

"I've been out here 59 years and I've never seen nothing like this. I've seen a fish kill before, but nothing like this," said Picayune resident Dan Taylor.

More...

http://www.wlox.com/story/15265295/pearl-river-fish-kill-puts-fear-in-residents

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Re: Louisiana - Tests to determine cause of Pearl River fish kill - Waste water release from paper plant under scrutiny

For Immediate Release Contact: Rodney Mallett
Aug. 15, 2011 Phone: 225-219-3964

Agencies investigating fish kill in Pearl River

BATON ROUGE ? Fisheries biologists with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries received a report of a large fish kill in the Pearl River near Bogalusa on Saturday afternoon, August 13, 2011. Biologists immediately coordinated with emergency responders from the Department of Environmental Quality and began surveys and testing of water conditions in the affected areas.

LDWF personnel tested the water for potential causes of the fish kill, including pH and levels of dissolved oxygen -- some common factors in fish kills. Biologists surveyed 45 miles of the river from Richardson Landing to the entrance of the West Pearl River Navigation Canal. DEQ also sent an emergency responder and a water quality specialist to investigate the fish kill.

Several thousand aquatic species were observed dead or dying along the river, including surface, middle and bottom dwellers. Of the fish species included in the fish kill were Paddlefish, American eels, catfish, bass, bluegill and shad.

DEQ has taken samples of the river water. Those samples have been sent to a lab for analysis and should be back within four to five days. The agencies involved advise the public to be aware of and avoid foam on the river or any water that is discolored. DEQ continues to investigate the cause of the fish kill.

Working together, DEQ, LDWF, the Department of Health and Hospitals, Governor?s Office of Homeland Security, as well as local and federal responders, determined that a slug of partially treated or untreated wastewater reached the river and may have caused or contributed to the fish kill.

According to DHH, there is no impact on drinking water from community water systems, none of which draw water from the river. DHH advises that people should not come in contact with discolored water in the Pearl River and never collect dead or floating fish to eat.

Crews with LDWF, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and DEQ continue to survey the river today, Monday, August 15.

On the Mississippi side, the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality surveyed the river from Pools Bluff Sill to Walkai Bluff.

http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/portals/0/news/pdf/PearlRiverPR.pdf

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Re: Louisiana - Tests to determine cause of Pearl River fish kill - Waste water release from paper plant under scrutiny

DEQ urges residents to stay away from fish kill areas

<TABLE><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD> </TD><TD>Reported by: Sabrina Wilson, Reporter
Email: swilson@fox8tv.net
Last Update: 7:22 pm
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></B>

Excerpt:

DEQ officials said people should not swim in the river or consume any fish from the waterway.

"Avoid fishing or eating this fish tissue until we have more information,? said DEQ Environmental Scientist Jeff Dauzat.

The mill?s owner, Temple-Inland admits it may have exceeded its permit levels for discharges into the river.

?As a result of operating issues at our Bogalusa paper mill predictive testing for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) indicates we may have exceeded our maximum daily permit levels for discharge to the Pearl River.
This discharge could have lowered dissolved oxygen levels in the Pearl River below those required to sustain a healthy fish population. The Bogalusa mill curtailed operations on Saturday evening, and will remain down while we restore mill and treatment plant operations to normal. We are working with all appropriate regulatory agencies, and state and local officials to restore the water quality of the Pearl River back to normal. We will keep all parties informed as the situation is remediated,? the company?s statement said.

?It?s called a black liquor, it's part of the process at the plant, they use the black liquor to process the paper products and apparently there was a malfunction in one of their pieces of processing equipment that allowed that water to be discharged out into the river,? said Dauzat.
...
Dauzat said they are not ruling out that the fish kill is due to the extreme temperatures in the area which can deplete oxygen in the river.

Full text & video:

http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/DEQ-urges-residents-to-stay-away-from-fish-kill/sgkn4LhePkiVI3PikhZKtw.cspx

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Re: Louisiana - Tests to determine cause of Pearl River fish kill - Waste water release from paper plant under scrutiny

Bogalusa Fish Kill Spreads South
Scientists Warn People To Stay Out Of Pearl River

POSTED: 6:06 pm CDT August 16, 2011
UPDATED: 6:28 pm CDT August 16, 2011

BOGALUSA, La. -- Local officials said thousands of dead fish were spotted in the town of Pearl River as the major fish kill in Bogalusa moves further south Tuesday night.

The dead fish were first spotted in the Pearl River in the town of Bogalusa over the weekend, officials said. The Pearl River is more than 444 miles long.
...
"We are actually investigating it. Other state and federal agencies are coming in to assist to try to identify a cause, try to correct that cause and let the river get back to its normal state," DEQ scientist Jeff Dauzat said.

According to environmental officials, the river will continue to allow the major fish kill to move further downstream towards the Rigolets and eventually, Lake Borgne.

Full text and video:

http://www.wdsu.com/news/28886127/detail.html#ixzz1VFPlmytN

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Pearl River

<TABLE style="WIDTH: 22em" class=infobox cellSpacing=5><TBODY><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" scope=row>Origin</TH><TD>Neshoba County, Mississippi</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" scope=row>Mouth</TH><TD>Lake Borgne</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" scope=row>Basin countries</TH><TD>U.S.</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" scope=row>Length</TH><TD>444 miles (715 km)</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" scope=row>Source elevation</TH><TD>400 feet (120 m)</TD></TR><TR><TH style="TEXT-ALIGN: left" scope=row>Basin area</TH><TD>8,760 square miles (22,700 km<SUP>2</SUP>)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[...]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_R...80%93Louisiana)

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Louisiana - Tests to determine cause of Pearl River fish kill - State of Emergency declared in St. Tammany Parish

St. Tammany Parish Goverment

STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED
(08-16-2011)
<TABLE class=mainText border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="98%"><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>7:00PM Tuesday, August 16, 2011


St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis will officially declare a State of Emergency this evening in reference to the fish kill/discharge in the Pearl River Basin. The State of Emergency will allow the parish to request state assistance for the affected area.

Last week, an unknown substance entered the Pearl River near the paper mill in Bogalusa, in Washington Parish. The river began turning black and fish began to die. The discharge area is now 40 ? 50 miles long reaching from south of Bogalusa to the Rigolets Bridge. The black area is moving southward slowly. Fish and shellfish are being killed by the substance.

Acting upon direction from the LA Department of Health and Hospitals, it is ordered that no citizens should swim, wade, fish, or come in contact with waterways in the Pearl River watershed, including its tributaries. According to DHH, do not eat, handle or collect any fish or shellfish from the affected waters. Pets should follow these same regulations. This is a public safety concern.

Drinking water from public water systemS are NOT affected.

Residents coming in contact with the tainted water and experiencing illness such as skin irritation or infection, upset stomach or sore throat, or breathing difficulties should seek immediate medical assistance according to DHH.

St. Tammany Parish officials have met with representatives of the LA Department of Environmental Quality and the LA Department of Health and Hospitals to gather relevant data. Testing is underway and more information will be available at the end of that process.

The St. Tammany Parish public emergency hotline, 898-2323, will open at 10:00AM tomorrow, Wednesday, August 17th.

http://www.stpgov.org/news.php?id=2049

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Re: Louisiana - Tests to determine cause of Pearl River fish kill - State of Emergency declared in St. Tammany Parish

Polluted discharge from Pearl River may be in lake, says group

wwltv.com
Posted on August 17, 2011 at 10:55 AM
Updated today at 11:04 AM
Michael Luke / Eyewitness News

NEW ORLEANS ? Elements of the foul water that is responsible for killing scores of fish along the Pearl River may now be spilling into Lake Pontchartrain.

Strong evidence is showing that the polluted discharge from the river is now in the lake, according to the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation.
The evidence comes on the heels of St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis declaring a state of emergency Tuesday in response to a fish kill in the Pearl River Basin. Officials are working to determine if the discharge came from a pipeline for the Temple-Inland paper mill near Bogalusa.

The evidence comes on the heels of St. Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis declaring a state of emergency Tuesday in response to a fish kill in the Pearl River Basin. Officials are working to determine if the discharge came from a pipeline for the Temple-Inland paper mill near Bogalusa.

More...

http://www.wwltv.com/news/Polluted-water-from-Pearl-River-in-Lake-Pontchartrain-says---127942128.html

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Re: Louisiana - Tests to determine cause of Pearl River fish kill - State of Emergency declared in St. Tammany Parish

Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation

Dead Fish and Foamy Water from Pearl River Appear in Lake. Scientists with LPBF have confirmed that there is strong evidence that the polluted discharge from the Pearl River is within Lake Pontchartrain. Read press release and maps and photos.

http://www.saveourlake.org/

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Re: Louisiana - Tests to determine cause of Pearl River fish kill - State of Emergency declared in St. Tammany Parish

Massive fish kill spotted on another St. Tammany waterway

wwltv.com
Posted on August 17, 2011 at 1:05 PM
Updated today at 1:21 PM

Michael Luke / Eyewitness News

Excerpt:

Wednesday morning, agents from the Wildlife and Fisheries gave a tour of Porters River, a canal that runs near the city of Pearl River, where thousands of dead fish could be seen floating in the water and a rancid stench filled the air from the decaying fish. A majority of the dead fish appeared to be catfish.

An official from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality said the fish may have been floating in the water for days.

?This is worst fish kill I?ve ever seen,? said Richard Artique, a St. Tammany Councilman who took the tour of Porters River with Wildlife and Fisheries agents, aside from a lack of oxygen in the water, ?we still don?t know what?s doing it.?

Artigue said the parish is advising people to stay out of Porters River.

Full text & video:

http://www.wwltv.com/news/Massive-fish-kill-spotted-on-another-St-Tammany-river-127952138.html

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Re: Louisiana - Tests to determine cause of Pearl River fish kill - State of Emergency declared in St. Tammany Parish

For Immediate Release Contact: Rodney Mallett
August 17, 2011 Phone: 225-219-3964

Agencies continue investigation of fish kill in Pearl River

BATON ROUGE ? State, local and federal agencies continue to respond to a fish kill in the Pearl River that originated near Bogalusa in Washington Parish. This fish kill was reported on Saturday and the slug of black water believed to have caused or contributed to the fish kills has moved south through St. Tammany Parish.

In response to the event, the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness has deployed its Mobile Command Unit to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Pearl River Wildlife Management Area to serve as unified command area to support local emergency management and other state agencies in this response effort.

GOHSEP has also activated its Crisis Action Team. LDWF and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) continue to monitor the water in Pearl River. Water sampling results for dissolved oxygen and pH show the river is returning to normal water quality.

Officials from DEQ worked with its counterparts in Mississippi to have the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District increase the discharge from the Ross Barnett Reservoir to increase the flow in the Pearl River, according to the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. The increased flow in the river will increase the amount of fresh water in the river and help increase the low oxygen currently in the river.

LDWF fisheries biologists continue to survey the Pearl River, beginning in Pools Bluff Sill south to the Rigolets. On Tuesday, August 16, LDWF staff surveyed 36 miles of the West Pearl River from Holmes Bayou to the Rigolets.

The total number of dead fish and mussels is still being compiled; information from each day‟s surveillance will be assembled for a total count at the end of the event. The final total estimates will include those from DEQ and Mississippi DEQ. To date, 24 species of fish have been identified as part of the fish kill, including paddlefish, American eels, catfish, bass, bluegill and shad. Two species of freshwater mussels have also been identified in the fish kill.

Also included in the kill are Gulf sturgeon -- a species listed as ?threatened? under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. As of August 16, 19 Gulf sturgeon were collected by LDWF. Specimens are being handed over to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as part of their investigation. LDWF fisheries biologists and enforcement agents are assisting USFWS in the investigation.

The Department of Health and Hospitals recommends the following precautions, if you encounter or come into contact with (are exposed to) a fish kill:
? Stay out of the affected waters ? If you were exposed to these waters, then bathe well with soap and water. Use antiseptics on any open cut or wound.
? Do not eat, handle, or collect any fish or shellfish from the affected waters.
? Do not let pets wade or swim in, drink, or eat fish from the affected waters.
? Seek medical advice if you experience illness that may be related to exposures to a fish kill, such as skin irritation or infection, upset stomach, sore throat, or breathing difficulty.

The investigation into the cause of the fish kill continues.

The agencies involved have put together the following list of frequently asked questions to assist local officials and the public:

Pearl River

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q. Where do we call with complaints/information?
A. The DEQ hotline number is 225-342-1234 or 1-888-763-5424. The DEQ Regional Office number is 504-736-7701. The LDWF 24-hour hotline for reporting further fish kill impacts is 1-800-442-2511. If someone has questions about coming into contact with ?black water,? the number for the Louisiana Poison Center, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, is 1-800-222-1222. Media inquiries should go to 225-219-3964 or 225-329-9743.

Q. Is my drinking water safe?
A. Yes. No public water systems take water from the Pearl River, so there is no risk to drinking water from community water systems. Additionally, out of an abundance of caution, DHH sampled three public water systems along the Pearl River for volatile organic contaminants (VOCs) to confirm that the ground water supply was not impacted by the discharge incident. The samples showed no increase in VOCs and no VOCs above contaminant levels set by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Q. What about private well water?
A. Private wells should be constructed in a way that does not take water from the river, so they should not be impacted. Additional testing of public water systems shows no VOCs above the level of concern in groundwater. People who are concerned should have their wells tested and/or treated.

Q. Are there any human health risks from the substance that was discharged into the river?
A. Fish kills occur for several reasons. The most common cause of death in a fish kill is a sudden shortage or absence of oxygen in the water. This does not pose a major human health risk. If a hazardous substance is involved, more caution will be required. Testing is currently underway by public safety officials. In the meantime, DHH recommends the following precautions, if you encounter or come in contact with (are exposed to) a fish kill:
? Stay out of the affected waters ? If you went into these waters, then bathe well with soap and water. Use antiseptics on any open cut or wound.
? Do not eat, handle, or collect any fish or shellfish from the affected waters.
? Do not let pets wade or swim in, drink, or eat fish from the affected waters.
? Seek medical advice if you experience illness that may be related to contact with the water or dead fish and might include skin irritation or infection, GI upset, sore throat, or breathing difficulty.

Q. Are any waterways closed as a result of this incident?
A. No. The Pearl River is a federally designated waterway; only the U.S. Coast Guard may issue a closure for this river and it has not done so at this time.

Q. What is the ?Black Water? that is referred to in this incident?
A. We believe that the black water originated from an upset condition in the wastewater treatment system at the Temple Inland facility in Bogalusa. However, we are in the middle of investigating the existing facts of the matter and are awaiting the results of analytical tests. This material is what is commonly known in the paper industry as black liquor. This material has a very high level of organic material that quickly reduces the available dissolved oxygen in the water. Fish and other aquatic life actually suffocate when trapped in this water.

Q. Who is responsible for this incident?
A. An investigation is ongoing by Louisiana, Mississippi and Federal officials to determine the cause or causes that lead to the fish kill. Again, we believe that the black water originated from an upset condition in the wastewater treatment system at the Temple Inland facility in Bogalusa. However, the investigation continues as agencies continue to gather data.

Q. When the responsible party is found what happens to them?
A. The various agencies involved will each take the appropriate enforcement action based on the facts each uncovered during the investigation

Q. What are the terms DO and pH?
A. DO stands for dissolved oxygen. It is a key factor in a healthy ecosystem and sufficient dissolved oxygen is necessary for fish to ?breathe‟. While the level of DO varies widely depending on the water body, a level of 5-7 parts per million would be normally expected in the upper reaches of the Pearl River. Additionally, pH is a chemical description for the acid/base condition of water. It is based on a 0-14 scale with 6-8 considered generally to be normal.

Q. When will the river be back to normal?
A. The facility has been shut down since Saturday. As such, there is no flow of effluent from the facility. The material has flowed down the river to the Rigolets. Subsequently, the water at the source of the discharge has already recovered. DEQ has specialized personnel that will be on scene tomorrow that will examine the hydrology (movement, distribution, and quality of water) of the river. After that examination we may better be able to determine when the water quality of the river will be back to normal. Water monitoring in the river shows the DO and pH levels are getting back to normal.

Q. Who is going to clean up the dead fish?
A. Temple Inland is hiring contractors and local fishermen to clean up the floating dead fish. Citizens should leave the clean up to the contractors since federal and state law requires certain information be collected in these types and numbers of fish collected in these incidents. The estimated cleanup time if four to five days, but no timeframe is set because of the number of fish to be recovered may increase.

Q. Where will the dead fish go?
A. The fish will be disposed in a manner that meets local state, and federal laws.

Q. What kinds of fish are included in the fish kill?
A. As of now, LDWF biologists have identified 24 different species of fish in the fish kill. Some of those species are the paddlefish, the American eel, catfish, bluegill, bass and shad. Two species of freshwater mussels were also impacted by the fish kill.

Q. Were Gulf sturgeon, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, impacted by the
fish kill?
A. Yes, 19 Gulf sturgeon (as of August 16) have been collected by LDWF officials and are in the custody of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for further investigation.

Q. Is the responsible party going to be shut down?
A. The facility suspected of the source of the discharge is currently not in operation. They will not resume operations until we have assurance that they can do so safely. Also, agencies are working with the company to assure that preventative measures are taken to prevent recurrence.

Q. When did the fish start dying?
A. The investigation of the exact chain of events is still ongoing. We were notified of the incident on Saturday, and the fish appeared at that time to have been dead for several days.

Q. How far did the pollution spread?
A. The investigation is ongoing; however DEQ believes the main mass of ?Black Water? travelled down the West Pearl to the Rigolets.

http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/portals/0/news/pdf/pearlriveraug1711.pdf

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Re: Louisiana - Tests to determine cause of Pearl River fish kill - State of Emergency declared in St. Tammany Parish

<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=3 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=ccbnBgTtl><TD vAlign=top>Temple-Inland Provides Update on Bogalusa Paper Mill</TD></TR><TR class=ccbnBgTxt><TD vAlign=top>
AUSTIN, Texas, Aug 17, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Temple-Inland Inc. (NYSE: TIN) today provided an update on the shutdown of its Bogalusa, Louisiana paper mill following an operational issue at the mill and its waste-water treatment facility.

Predictive testing for Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) indicated that the Bogalusa mill would exceed its maximum daily permit levels for discharge to the Pearl River from the mill's waste-water treatment facility. The Company believes that this exceedance may have depleted the oxygen level in part of the river below that necessary to sustain a healthy fish population and resulted in a fish kill.

On Saturday, August 13, 2011, upon receiving the results of predictive testing, Temple-Inland immediately shut down the mill. The Company promptly informed the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) of the situation and began taking corrective actions to restore the water quality of the River.

Temple-Inland's Chairman and CEO Doyle R. Simons said, "The health of the Pearl River and surrounding communities are our utmost concerns. Temple-Inland has a strong environmental record and we sincerely regret this incident, which is contrary to our culture of good community stewardship as both an employer and a resident of Bogalusa and the State of Louisiana.

"We never lose sight that we are members and supporters of the Bogalusa area and apologize for the impact this issue at the mill has had on the Pearl River, its aqua culture and surrounding communities. We are working diligently and expeditiously to remove the fish kill and restore the quality of the River," Simons concluded.


</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
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http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=61680&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1597535

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Louisiana - Tests to determine cause of Pearl River fish kill - State of Emergency declared in St. Tammany Parish

For Immediate Release Contact: Rodney Mallett
August 18, 2011 Phone: 225-219-3964

Responsible party comes forward in Pearl River fish kill

BATON ROUGE ? On Wednesday, Aug. 17, DEQ received a letter from the Temple-Inland Bogalusa Paper Mill that stated that the facility had an exceedance of its maximum permit limit for biological oxygen demand, which the company believes may have led to the depleted oxygen level that killed thousands of fish in the Pearl River in Washington and St. Tammany Parishes.

This statement is consistent with what the department has witnessed, and what early water monitoring data, beginning on Sat., Aug. 13, indicated. The department received word of a large fish kill on the river near Bogalusa from a media source on Saturday morning, several hours before the company reported a fish kill in the Pearl River.

?We received word of a fish kill event Saturday morning and dispatched water quality experts to the Pearl River,? said Secretary Peggy Hatch. ?This quick response helped us to identify the probable source of a slug of poorly treated wastewater that can produce low dissolved oxygen conditions in the river.

The low DO, coupled with the historic low flow in the river led to an extensive fish kill. That?s the bad news. The good news is the dissolved oxygen levels in the river show signs that it is already beginning to recover.?

The material causing the low dissolved oxygen was paper mill effluent with excessive ?black liquor? as a result of an equipment malfunction. Black liquor contains lignin separated from wood pulp. Wood pulp is used to make paper.

It is produced by cooking wood chips and adding sodium hydroxide, which has a high pH. The process breaks down lignin and makes the liquor easily digested by bacteria in the water. The digestion robs the water of oxygen and suffocates fish.

While there are no indications that persistent chemicals are involved in the fish kill, DEQ is waiting on sample results to confirm that the cause of the fish kill was low dissolved oxygen alone. Initial sample results are scheduled to be back from the lab on Friday, with additional results coming later. When
DEQ?s investigation is complete, the agency will take appropriate enforcement action. Louisiana law also requires restitution to the state for loss of the fish as a public resource.

Evidence of the fish kill extends south to the US Highway 90 bridge over the West Pearl River. No dead fish have been confirmed south of this point, but normal stream flow is expected to carry some carcasses downstream. However, thousands of dead fish remain in the river system.

Officials at Temple-Inland have hired workers to clean up dead fish and have established a reporting line for areas in need at 985-516-9192. The DEQ asks that citizens witnessing the fish kill use common sense and avoid handling or eating fish that are already dead or acting abnormally.

The Temple-Inland letter and a timeline of how the events took place are available at www.deq.louisiana.gov.

http://www.deq.louisiana.gov/portal/

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Re: Louisiana - Tests to determine cause of Pearl River fish kill - State of Emergency declared in St. Tammany Parish

Temple-Inland Agrees to State Request to Support Sampling of Private Water Wells and Seafood


Release Date: 08/19/2011





August 19, 2011 ? The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH), Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) are working with local officials in Washington and St. Tammany parishes to conduct a new round of precautionary testing of a sample of private water wells along the Pearl River. Temple Inland agreed to support the state?s request to begin precautionary testing earlier today.

Initial testing of drinking water from public water systems by DHH and of the river water impacted by the discharge by DEQ showed non-detect levels of volatile organic contaminants, as well as acceptable levels for other types of potential contaminants. The new testing is being done out of an abundance of caution.

For private well sampling, DHH is working with local officials and engineers in Washington and St. Tammany parishes to identify a sample of 10 registered private water wells in each parish to test. Those samples are being collected today and tomorrow and will be analyzed over the weekend by DHH?s lab in Metairie, which also analyzed the public water system samples taken earlier this week. Results are expected back by Monday and Tuesday.

More information about private water well safety and testing can be found at www.privatewaterandsewage.dhh.la.gov.

Seafood testing also set to begin

DHH and LDWF will also begin testing seafood from areas that could have been or will be impacted by the ?Black Liquor? that was formed after the Temple-Island discharge. Temple Inland agreed to support DHH?s water testing efforts earlier today.

LDWF began pulling live samples of crab, shrimp and finfish following a protocol similar to the one used during last year?s BP oil spill, and will provide those samples to DHH to be tested. LDWF fisheries biologists are sampling at multiple locations, including in the upper, middle and lower Pearl River, two control sites, and sites in the Rigolets at the mouth of the Pearl River and in Mud Lake.

Because of the nature of potential contaminants from the mill, DHH will conduct more complex testing that requires specialized equipment and specially trained personnel. Results are expected by the middle to end of next week.

DHH, which oversees safety of the state?s oyster areas, has been monitoring Oyster Areas 1, 2 and 3, which could get water from the Pearl River for signs of the ?Black Liquor.? Samples already pulled from those areas routinely will be used to conduct baseline testing so that if the discharge material gets to the area, DHH will be able to do additional testing to ensure the safety of the oysters in those areas.

Temple-Inland, which has admitted responsibility for the incident that led to a large fish kill, agreed to the state?s request to pay for the precautionary random testing of private water wells and seafood.

Incident Command Centers in St. Tammany and Washington Parishes

Incident command centers for LDWF and DEQ have been set up in Washington and St. Tammany parishes to assist in the response. LDWF Mobile Command is located in Washington Parish just south of Bogalusa at Pools Bluff off of Hwy 21 in Washington Parish on the Pearl River. This is a high-profile location from where cleanup vessels and other vessels are launching. DEQ is sending a command post to this same location as water sampling along the Pearl River continues. The Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and DEQ have command posts set up in St. Tammany Parish at the Crawford Landing boat ramp.

Water quality back to normal in some areas

Water samples throughout the Pearl River from the discharge point at Temple-Inland Bogalusa Mill to below Pools Bluff show the water quality is back to normal. These are areas that are above the plume. Information from a DEQ over-flight today shows a dramatic improvement in water quality since yesterday. As the plume dissipates it gets harder to identify.

Preliminary in-depth water quality samples taken on Aug. 14 at the discharge point returned from the lab today and show there were no chemicals of concern released from the Inland-Temple Mill outfall. Dozens of daily samples have been taken in the Pearl River since August 13. Recent assessments show water quality levels in Pearl River, from Washington Parish to the end of the river, are not lethal to fish.

Further Information Available

People with questions about the incident can call the DEQ hotline number is 225-342-1234 or 1-888-763-5424. The DEQ Regional Office number is 504-736-7701. The LDWF 24-hour hotline for reporting further fish kill impacts is 1-800-442-2511. For health questions people can call the Louisiana Poison Center, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-800-222-1222. Media inquiries should go to 225-219-3964 or 225-329-9743.

http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/news/34461