Washington, Iowa-Golden Furrow Fertilizer Inc. was preparing a 12,000-gallon NH3 storage tank for pressure testing when a release of 2,700 gallons saturated with ammonia spilled into a nearby stream and killed thousands of fish, according to a report provided to the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources. DNR is holding Golden Furrow responsible for the fish kill, which involved 7,681 fish and was reported Sept. 14. Golden Furrow officials told DNR they were not immediately aware of the fish kill and were not able to take preventive action. They theorized that the absence of rain allowed the water and nitrogen to move in concentrated amounts down a semi-dry creek. Subsequently, a six-inch layer of dirt was removed from the spill site and replaced with gravel, which deepened the drainage ditch on the property. The contaminated soil was removed to nearby farm fields. DNR Senior Environmental Specialist Terry Jones told Green Markets that Golden Furrow calculated the total release as 127.76 pounds of actual ammonia or 155 pounds of anhydrous. Jones explained, “The contents of the 12,000-gallon ammonia tank was being bubbled into 500-gallons of water in the 1,000-gallon water tank to keep vapors from venting to the atmosphere so that Golden Furrow could change some seals and then pressure-test the tank,” Jones reported. “During this bubbling process, the water became saturated with ammonia. When the 12,000-gallon tank was filled with water for the pressure test, the overflow drained to the 1,000-gallon water tank, which eventually overflowed onto the ground. The mixture flowed into the nearby creek, resulting in the fish kill.”
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