Sunbury, Iowa-Another incident ?Çô the fourth since mid-September ?Çô involving the release of fertilizer or manure into the state’s streams has caused the deaths of 19,000 fish near here. Dept. of Natural Resources investigators say the latest, on Oct. 1, was caused when 1,500 to 2,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen escaped from a tank at River Valley Cooperative; thousands more were killed when a hose ruptured Sept. 27 while manure was being pumped from a dairy operation near New London. DNR Environmental Specialist Ryan Stouder told Green Markets that a broken hose on a 12,000-gallon tank containing 28 percent liquid nitrogen at River Valley allowed the fertilizer to escape and flow nearly 6 miles down stream in a stretch of a Mud Creek tributary. Stouder said River Valley had done a fairly good job containing the flow when investigators arrived on the scene, but the fertilizer reached a low spot on the property and high levels of ammonia were found when they checked a tile inlet. He said mostly non-game fish were involved, including minnows, darters, and white suckers, but some green sunfish, which are considered game species, were counted. He said legal action is pending against River Valley. The DNR investigation is continuing in the New London area manure release, which was partly contained by large bales of hay placed at three locations to slow the flow in a tributary of South Big Creek and allow pumping onto nearby crop fields. Downstream livestock producers were advised of the spill, and some fenced their cattle from getting to the water.
Transparency Across the Fertilizer Value-Chain