THE COURIER-JOURNAL - June 16, 2011

Officials testing dead fish to determine chemical spill in Ohio River

Officials are still trying to determine what substance or chemical leaked into the Ohio River late Wednesday night near Rubbertown and killed several fish.

A sheen was reported on the river by employee of Rohm and Haas and several Asian Carp were found dead later, Bud Schardein, executive director for the Metropolitan Sewer District, said Thursday morning.

He said MSD investigators gathered a few of the fish to perform tissue samples to determine what the chemical or substance is. He said water samples upriver and downriver from Rubbertown will also be tested.

A source for the leak has not been found, said John Wilkinson, fire chief for Lake Dreamland. He said representatives for Dow Chemical were also looking into what was in the river, but the company was not the source.

Lake Dreamland Fire Department and the Coast Guard responded to the scene in the 4300 block of Campground Road, but it was designated as a Level One hazmat situation, the lowest threat level. Wilkinson reported early Thursday morning there was "absolutely" no danger to the public.

Further details were not immediately available.