Nishnabotna spared from Nachurs chemical release
An unknown chemical was accidentally released into a drainage ditch leading to the Nishnabotna River last week by a local fertilizer plant, but damage is minimal, according to the Montgomery County Emergency Management Agency.
According to a press release from the fertilizer plant Nachurs Alpine Solutions, workers were releasing storm water from a retention area into the drainage ditch when an employee noticed the water looked cloudy.
Brian Hamman, coordinator of the Montgomery County EMA, informed citizens through the organization’s Facebook page “there is no immediate health risk to the public, however there may be an environmental impact to fish downstream.” He later urged people to keep their pets and small children away from the area.
So far, the contamination has had little effect on the environment other than a small number of minnows killed.
Initial tests have been conducted and have found that the water and sediment affected by the spill contained mostly calcium, with small traces of fertilizer. According to Nachurs’ press release, “the calcium is likely from the dust of the limestone gravel which is the driving surface in the Nachurs Alpine Solutions Plant.”
Nachurs officials declined to comment beyond what was contained in the press release.
The test samples were sent to an outside laboratory for further testing. When the accident was reported last Tuesday, the Department of Natural Resources and officials from the City of Red Oak were also called in to assist.
“When we first got the call, you know, their concern was trying to contain it, trying to isolate it, obviously, not knowing exactly what it was,” Red Oak City Administrator Brad Wright said. “When we first got out there, they were already starting to sandbag on the land side of the levy. We closed our floodgate structure and the levy to help contain it. Obviously, it was visible that it had already gotten past that to some degree and made it all the way or close to the river. We were just really assisting in closing that [floodgate] and then just support from then on.”
After the water had been contained, Nachurs employees began pumping and removing water from the drainage ditch.
Once the water was pumped out of the drainage ditch, a cloudy film was left on the sediment. Nachurs originally planned on removing the layer of film.
After learning of the possible excavation, Wright became concerned it could damage the integrity of the city’s levy.
“I had to get the Corps of Engineers involved as well,” Wright said. “I met with them [Friday] morning out there. My primary reason for getting them involved was if Nachurs ended up doing any excavation to clean out the ditch … especially in the area adjacent to the intake of our flood structure, I was concerned that it could potentially enhance erosion or eroding underneath and around the concrete flood structure. My primary concern was protecting the city’s levy and flood structures.”
While waiting on the test results of the water and sediment, cleanup and monitoring have continued. If the results show the residue on the sediment is mostly calcium, it is unlikely any excavation will take place.
“If [the test] comes back okay, [Nachurs’ staff members] believe the DNR is going to allow them to be done at that point,” Wright said.
Nachurs Alpine Solutions is a liquid chemicals manufacturing company that specializes in liquid fertilizers. The company has facilities Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Louisiana and Canada. Their headquarters are located in Marion, Ohio.