"Fisherman's Paradise" faces another major environmental disaster, a Fisherman's Hell
In one of Earth's largest and last remaining virgin Cypress stands, health and Earth rights in Louisiana are again spotlighted, the spectacle now including thousands of dying and dead fish floating down the now slimy black Pearl River into Lake Pontchartrain north of New Orleans, admittedly related to waste from Temple-Inland paper mill that failed to report the accident to authorities after which health officials stalled issuing a public advisory. Wednesday, scientists warned people to to stay out of Pearl River according to WDSU about the scene once called "Fisherman's Paradise" now turned Fisherman's Hell.
A Bald-cypress tree, designated Louisiana's official state tree in 1963, considered a symbol of southern swamps, now stands with others, surrounded by cypress knees and several thousand aquatic species dying or dead in Pearl River, from Bogalusa into St. Tammany Parish, according to The Times Picayune. The dramatic horror scene, according to environmental officials, is to be continued, with dying or dead fish and other animals moving further downstream towards the Rigolets and eventually, Lake Borgne near the Gulf of Mexico dead zone.
“This is a serious environmental disaster, one that threatens many people’s livelihoods and possibly also their health,” Jennifer Coulson told The Times-Picayune.
Local fisherman Ryan Williams, near Interstate 59, was shocked at what he saw according to MSNBC.
"I want the (fish kill) to be noticed, and I want it to be recognized. The sooner we get it recognized, the sooner we get it picked up. We don't want this to last for long," he said.
Thursday, another local, an environmental engineer, told the Examiner under anonymity, "I woke up this morning to an armada of boats running up and down the river."
"Turns out volunteers showed up with about 250 boats to clean up the dead fish. I believe the Paper Mill is even providing them with respirator masks and other equipment. It's good to see so many locals that care enough to help."
The engineer furthered, "The last estimate I heard was that the amount of black liquor dumped may be in the millions of gallons."
"They are claiming it is a non-toxic black liquor, which would make it somewhat comparable to dumping raw sewage, but with completely different types of microbes," he stated.
"The danger is not that the microbes are infectious, but that as they grow and die, they consume all the oxygen out of the water, resulting in low oxygen levels that kills the fish."
Right to health requires expedited public official actions in emergencies
Coulson, an ecologist with Orleans Audubon Society, had worried about Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality not issuing a public advisory sooner than it did."
Due to state agencies not immediately issuing an advisory, Coulson feared many people along the river filling ice chests with dead fish, believing they died from low oxygen not toxins, reported the states largest newspaper, The Times Picayune.
On Monday, Coulson told The Times Picayune that over the weekend, fisherman reported dead or dying fresh water mussels, shrimp, several fish, including sturgeon, and larval stages of aquatic insects.
Dead fish spanned all waters levels – surface, middle and bottom dwellers – and included Paddlefish, American eels, catfish, bass, bluegill and shad, according to a statement.
Saturday, she drove along Pearl River, speaking with fishermen, determined that the spill and fish kill covered at least 47 miles of the river.
The Times Picayune had reported that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality "did not release a statement until Monday morning, warning the public to avoid foam on the river and any discolored water, and not to eat dead or floating fish," over two days since first citizen reports had been made.
Anne Rolfes, Founding Director of Louisiana Bucket Brigade, stated Thursday, "Things must be bad in Pearl River. Not only are there dead fish floating down the river and washing into Lake Pontchartrain, but our Department of Environmental Quality dispensed with its usual “everything is fine” response and actually acknowledged fairly early on that the culprit was likely a nearby paper mill."
The paper mill Temple-Inland admitted Wednesday that a discharge from its facility depleted the oxygen and led to the fish kill according to Rolfes.
"News reports seem to indicate the usual lackluster response for cleanup so far.”
Usually, in worst heat of summer, several small-scale "kills" occur, scattered around Louisiana where oxygen levels drop to somewhere near 1-2, usually in small isolated areas where water is stagnant or water flow is minimal.
This kill is different in that it seems to have dropped the oxygen levels to near zero for a large stretch of river, in flowing water, not stagnant.
"This was the first clue something was more wrong than the average summer fish kill as scientists initially suggested" the environmental engineer told Dupré Thursday.
Sunday, owners of Bogalusa's paper mill, Temple-Inland, admitted their mill had exceeded its allowed wastewater discharge levels and maybe that is what had lowered oxygen levels in the river enough to cause fish deaths according to The Times Picayune.
Temple-Inland paper mill closed its operation Saturday evening, but the damage was done.
Rolfes, having seen wealth and the poverty created by corporations drives her to work toward making industry more equitable, is now urging people to call or write to Louisiana DEQ's Rodney Mallet, the public relations chief.
He is "the one who usually says everything’s fine," says Rolfes, with her Peace Corps background spunk kicking in gear, as needed on Louisiana these days.
"Let him know you are concerned about pollution from the paper mill and you want action."
Mr. Mallet cane be reached by telephoning 225-219-3964 or e-mailing rodney.mallett@la.gov.
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