DELAWARE RIVER NEWS

FLY ASH WATCH–
Paddlers Needed to Patrol Spill Area...

Dear Fellow Paddlers:

From August 24 thru 27, over 60 million gallons of Fly Ash sludge spilled from a ruptured slurry pond into the Delaware River at PP&L's Martins Creek Power Plant (located just below Belvidere NJ and Foul Rift) The spill fouled the river’s extraordinary clarity with a chalky gray plume of pollution that by Friday afternoon stretched nearly thirty miles to Milford, NJ. Fly ash is a byproduct of coal firing. It is a fine silica dust that contains heavy metals and arsenic. The City of Easton Water Plant had to shut down its intakes. Water samples tested by PA DEP found levels of arsenic well above safe levels. A gray muck now coats the river banks and is falling to the bottom in the slow moving pools and eddies.

As yet there are no reports of fish kills or other harm to wildlife, but no one really knows what the long-term impacts will be. The potential for harm to bottom-dwelling organisms is great; an ominous prospect. Bottom dwellers, especially aquatic insects, are the foundation of the life in the river, supplying food and energy not only for fish and other aquatic species, but also for birds that depend on the river’s continual hatch of insects as a primary food source. Contaminated fish may also be a long-term concern for anglers. There is also an increased chance for groundwater pollution in this limestone area.

What Can You Do...
We need paddlers who visit this section of river over the coming weeks (and months) to be alert for any signs of damage to wildlife, such as fish kills. It is important to document any incidences with your camera and if possible, to locate their precise location on a map. You are in a better position to do this than other river users.

Please Report Problems to:
Delaware Riverkeeper Network Hotline 1-800-8-DELAWARE.
PA DEP Hotline 1-800-541-2050
PA Fish and Boat Commission (717) 626-0228