Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 17, 1990 TAG: 9003172433
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: MADELYN ROSENBERG NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Medium
And they've been calling the county Health Department and the state Water Control Board over the past few weeks to see what's giving the water its reddish tint.
Officials from the water board say industrial waste of some type - a solid, red dust - has been getting into the creek from an abandoned chemical plant in the southeast section of town.
"Apparently when it rains, the waste has been washing into the creek," said Bob Burnley, regional director of the board's west-central office.
Burnley said he doesn't know what health effects, if any, the contamination may cause.
"It's still fairly early in our investigation," he said.
Burnley said he doesn't believe the problem is getting worse. But "since people have been made aware of it through one source or another, they've been wondering what it is."
Residents have their own theories.
Some have blamed the color on dye from a nearby plant. Others have suggested the culprit is sewage from another factory.
Officials believe the waste includes sulfuric acid, which was manufactured at the old Allied Chemical plant off Virginia 99, and iron ore.
"The red color comes from a high concentration of iron," Burnley said. He said the waste apparently was improperly stored.
The material is believed to be harmful to aquatic life, Burnley said. So far, its effect has been seen only on insects.
"The population of aquatic insects downstream of the place is significantly less than upstream," Burnley said. "It may be that the insects live primarily on the bottom and are covered up or smothered, or there may be a toxic effect."
Fish apparently have been unfazed, Burnley said.
The creek is not a direct source of drinking water, but it does feed into Claytor Lake, a major water source for the county.
"If it doesn't get stopped it will go right into the lake," Burnley said. "It doesn't belong in the creek or in that lake. Our goal is to keep it from getting in there."
Officials are tracking down the owners of the property that is suspected as the source of the contamination to make sure it is cleaned up as soon as possible, Burnley said.
Violations of state water quality standards are punishable with fines, he said.
by CNB