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Iowa Fish Kill Blamed on Ammonia Leak
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8/30/2010
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says numerous game fish were found dead after last week's anhydrous ammonia leak near Lacona.
LACONA, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says numerous game fish were found dead after last week's anhydrous ammonia leak near Lacona.
DNR fisheries staff reports nearly 2,800 fish were killed. Most of the fish were shiners, minnows and gizzard shad, but the DNR says game fish such as channel catfish, sunfish, white bass and drum also were found dead.
A leaking pipe spewed anhydrous ammonia and forced most of the small central Iowa town of Lacona to evacuate on Aug. 19.
When firefighters sprayed down the ammonia plume, the DNR says the runoff had high ammonia levels and caused a fish kill when it reached Mill Branch Creek.
The fish kill proceeded downstream as the polluted water flowed into Cotton Creek, then into White Breast Creek east of Lacona.
