JEFFERSON CITY, MO, – In the afternoon of Saturday, June 6, a concerned citizen notified the Missouri Department of Natural Resources of the presence of dead fish in a tributary to the West Fork of the Black River located in Reynolds County. The department immediately notified the Missouri Department of Conservation and began an investigation into what caused the fish casualty event.
On the evening of June 6, the Doe Run Company notified the department of a potential release from the company’s wastewater treatment facility. The released wastewater was suspected of exceeding permitted effluent limits of pH contributing to the fish kill.
The department collected water quality samples upstream and downstream of the West Fork of the Black River, including sampling points for several miles downstream on the river. The water quality monitoring results were within acceptable levels for pH and dissolved oxygen, and are protective for whole-body contact for human health and aquatic species.
This event is no longer an environmental emergency, and the department continues to investigate. Any violations discovered during this investigation will be referred for enforcement action.