The Ohio Department of Natural Resources announced Thursday in a virtual meeting that it estimates the spill affected more than seven miles of streams and killed approximately 43,785 fish, mostly small ones such as minnows.
The department reached the calculation after removing dead fish from four survey sites across the affected area. It previously estimated 3,500 fish were killed.
Mary Mertz, the director of ODNR, said none of the species affected are threatened or endangered and that fish are beginning to return to the rivers and streams in the area.
“Ohio’s natural areas are resilient and it will come back,” Mertz said.
ODNR said it’s not aware of direct impacts to any wildlife other than the small fish and certain other aquatic species.
It did receive reports on three dead birds and an opossum. It submitted those animals to the Ohio Department of Agriculture and the department confirmed no evidence of chemical poisoning to those animals.
Officials said emergency cleanup efforts are mostly complete, but ODNR will continue to monitor the area for several weeks in partnership with the Ohio EPA.
Mertz said ODNR will bill Norfolk Southern for the loss of fish and for the time and resources department personnel have spent monitoring the area.
“Under Ohio law, when there is a take or kill of wildlife, ODNR has both civil and criminal remedies,” Mertz said.
--------
Subscribe to our YouTube channel: [ Ссылка ]
Subscribe to Bloomberg Originals: [ Ссылка ]
Bloomberg Quicktake brings you global social video spanning business, technology, politics and culture. Make sense of the stories changing your business and your world.
Connect with us on…
YouTube: [ Ссылка ]
Breaking News on YouTube: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
