State officials are advising outdoor enthusiasts to avoid fishing or walking the banks of a stretch of the Quinnipiac River in Southington, following a chemical spill at a manufacturer Wednesday.
Light Metals Coloring, located on Spring Street, reported an approximately 300-gallon leak of hexavalent chromium Wednesday morning.
The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said Thursday that the spill was the result of a malfunction that causes liquid containing the salt-like toxin to be released through roof vents and through a drainage system onto the road surface and soils below. Some also leaked into the river through a catch basin, DEEP said.
Officials are testing the river water and sediment for the chemical, and said they could have results by Friday.
“We recommend that people not eat any fish taken from the Quinnipiac between West Queen Street and downstream to Route 10 – South Main St. – in Southington until we have an opportunity to determine the extent of any lingering contamination in the river resulting from a chemical release yesterday,” DEEP Deputy Commissioner Susan Whalen said in a statement.
Hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6, can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions, according to OSHA.
The Environmental Protection Agency is currently studying data from a 2008 animal study that suggested it may be a human carcinogen. The EPA may eventually opt to revise the longstanding limit on chromium in water, which has been 0.1 milligrams for liter since 1991.
Southington officials said they have stopped using two drinking water wells that are part of the public water supply until they can test them.
Officials characterized the action as a precaution and said they are confident there will be no adverse impact to the water supply.
