Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) this week lifted the fish consumption advisory for the Quinnipiac River in Southington following a chemical spill last week.
DEEP officials reported that laboratory test results show no evidence of contamination from an Aug. 24 chemical spill in the waters or banks of the river. Light Metals Coloring, located on Spring Street, had reported an approximately 300-gallon leak of hexavalent chromium. The chemical is a salt-like substance associated with public health impacts, and is used in Light Metals’ manufacturing process.
At a briefing at the Southington Fire Department late Monday, DEEP emergency response personnel said results of tests on water and soil samples did not detect the presence of that chemical. DEEP officials also noted that there has been no evidence of any fish kill or mortality to other aquatic life in the river.
DEEP had issued the advisory Aug. 25 for a portion of the Quinnipiac River in Southington from West Queen Street and downstream to Route 10 – South Main St. and urged the public to stay away from the area where the spill occurred.
The Quinnipiac River, as it flows through Southington, is designated a wild trout management area, where any trout caught by anglers must be released. It is possible, however, to catch other species of fish in those waters – which anglers are allowed to take.
