EPA Addresses Water Concerns at Spill

CHESAPEAKE, Va. - It's been 48 hours of non-stop cleanup after a fertilizer spill in Chesapeake. Concerned about the environmental risk, WAVY.com asked the Environmental Protection Agency about the spill's impact on the environment.

When it comes to the water, there's good news and bad.

First, tests are back on the city drinking water and the Chesapeake Health Director says it's safe to drink.
The bad news is, the EPA estimates up to 200-thousand gallons of fertilizer spilled into the Elizabeth River.

The elizabeth River is already plagued with pollution. Add to it an estimated 200-thousand gallons of liquid fertilizer and you may think twice about boating or fishing there.

WAVY.com asked the EPA's site corrdinator, Laura Casillas, what that much ammonium nitrate could do to sea life. "I'm pretty certain the impact of it will be mild," she said.

Mild, because liquid ammonium nitrate is soluable.  Just like the ammonia you use to clean with, the more water you add to it, the less concentrated and harmful it becomes.

"You've got to take into consideration things are draining, you don't have 200-thousand gallons sitting in one place and soaking," she added.

The river does flow fast and into the Chesapeake Bay. That's another problem.

 "We're not taking any chances. We're working with the DEQ (Department of Environmental Quality) to get some sampling done and then from there determine what can we do about it," Casillas told WAVY.com.

But first they have to figure out where to sample. Two days after the initial spill  the question is where is the water you need to test?
 

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