Crews continue to track the environmental impact of the massive Jim Beam warehouse firein Northern Kentucky, as run-off from the fire has traveled more than 20 miles along the Kentucky River, killing thousands of fish. No one was injured in the Versailles, Kentucky fire that burned more than 45,000 barrels of bourbon, but the contaminated liquor is beginning to travel from the Kentucky River into the Ohio River.
CBS affiliate WKYT-TV reported that an emergency response team is tracking the plume of alcohol that is moving at an estimated .6 miles per hour. Crews are testing for dissolved oxygen and officials with the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet say the alcohol is leading to extremely low oxygen levels in the water. The low oxygen levels have created conditions that threaten the atmosphere of the fish, leading to an increase in deaths.
In a Facebook post on Monday, the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet said, "The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is on the river again today to continue wildlife assessments and fish kill count. Results are pending." They added, "We continue to see dead and dying fish. People using the Kentucky River in the area of the plume will likely see and smell dead fish."
Full Story:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jim-beam-fire-thousands-of-fish-dead-bourbon-whiskey-runoff-into-kentucky-river/
CBS affiliate WKYT-TV reported that an emergency response team is tracking the plume of alcohol that is moving at an estimated .6 miles per hour. Crews are testing for dissolved oxygen and officials with the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet say the alcohol is leading to extremely low oxygen levels in the water. The low oxygen levels have created conditions that threaten the atmosphere of the fish, leading to an increase in deaths.
In a Facebook post on Monday, the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet said, "The Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources is on the river again today to continue wildlife assessments and fish kill count. Results are pending." They added, "We continue to see dead and dying fish. People using the Kentucky River in the area of the plume will likely see and smell dead fish."
Full Story:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jim-beam-fire-thousands-of-fish-dead-bourbon-whiskey-runoff-into-kentucky-river/