UPDATED Aug. 19 at 4:58 p.m.:
The president of American Proteins, Mark Ham, has just given us this statement:
"On Wednesday, August 17, 2016, the Company’s Hanceville facility experienced a spill from its sulfuric acid tank. The Company promptly notified the appropriate agencies and has been working closely with them in addressing this spill. The spilled sulfuric acid was contained; however, due to the nature of the spilled material, the containment system failed and a small portion of this material along with storm water was spilled into a tributary of the (Black) Warrior River. The Company estimates that approximately 150 gallons of sulfuric acid along with 750 gallons of storm water was spilled into the tributary. The Company took immediate steps and stopped the flow of the spill. The Company is also taking steps to ensure that this type of spill does not occur in the future. The Company continues to coordinate with those agencies."
MONTGOMERY – The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) says that it is continuing to investigate a release of approximately 900 gallons of sulfuric acid into the Mulberry Fork. The release occurred on Thursday at the American Proteins facility located in Hanceville.
“The material reached the Mulberry Fork resulting in a subsequent fish kill,” said a statement from Jerome Hand of ADEM.
Hand says that while ADEM continues to investigate the cause of the release and monitor the situation, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (ADCNR) has been contacted to assess the extent of the fish kill.
ADEM cautions against all recreational activities in the area of the Mulberry Fork until further information is available.
The Mulberry Fork is a tributary of the Black Warrior River.
http://www.adem.state.al.us/
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