Ammonium Nitrate Spill South Branch Raritan

[Bruce Edward Litton]

I got word today from Raritan River Headwaters Association that 4500 gallons of ammonium nitrate spilled into the S. Branch below Califon. A farmer was having his fertilizer tank filled. What will this do to trout and smallmouth bass, I wonder? The news flash from RRHA didn't say, but that it is a threat to human health and wells can be tested. I sure hope there's no fish kill.

 

[Rusty Spinner]

I got word today from Raritan River Headwaters Association that 4500 gallons of ammonium nitrate spilled into the S. Branch below Califon. A farmer was having his fertilizer tank filled. What will this do to trout and smallmouth bass, I wonder? The news flash from RRHA didn't say, but that it is a threat to human health and wells can be tested. I sure hope there's no fish kill.

I was the one that called in to the DEP. Luckily, no fish kills. There's conflicting info on whether or not any reached the river or was contained in a drainage ditch. Here's an article on it and that they quoted me in:

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/...s-fertilizer-leak-into-river-Long-Valley-farm

Worst that can happen is that it will increase algae blooms when the water warms up in summer, but with the river high that day, it likely dispersed throughout the system and caused little or no damage. It's always something.

 

[Oliver10]

I got word today from Raritan River Headwaters Association that 4500 gallons of ammonium nitrate spilled into the S. Branch below Califon. A farmer was having his fertilizer tank filled. What will this do to trout and smallmouth bass, I wonder? The news flash from RRHA didn't say, but that it is a threat to human health and wells can be tested. I sure hope there's no fish kill.

Above Califon. No problems. They said it was safe.

 

[CTobias]

Ammonium nitrate is good for other things besides fertilizer when mixed with certain compounds.

 

[MACFLY]

I was the one that called in to the DEP. Luckily, no fish kills. There's conflicting info on whether or not any reached the river or was contained in a drainage ditch. Here's an article on it and that they quoted me in:

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/...s-fertilizer-leak-into-river-Long-Valley-farm

Worst that can happen is that it will increase algae blooms when the water warms up in summer, but with the river high that day, it likely dispersed throughout the system and caused little or no damage. It's always something.

You are the only that says the solution to pollutions is dilution you boob

 

[CTobias]

You are the only that says the solution to pollutions is dilution you boob

You're a poet and didn't even know it.

 

[Stevester]

1) No one said it was a solution, just a mitigating factor in what the final impact it was going to be.

2) If it was an issue due to spill proximity to the river then a lot of that material was going to end up in the river anyway due to run off from that field. Most pollution now days is what is known as non-point source. So every time you put fertilizer and pesticide on your lawn, you are part of the problem.

Steve

 

[tomfly]

1) No one said it was a solution, just a mitigating factor in what the final impact it was going to be.

2) If it was an issue due to spill proximity to the river then a lot of that material was going to end up in the river anyway due to run off from that field. Most pollution now days is what is known as non-point source. So every time you put fertilizer and pesticide on your lawn, you are part of the problem.

Steve

Road salt is a leading contributor to declines in mayfly populations. Every time you apply it to your driveway to melt Snow and Ice it washes in to the waterways.

 

[Stevester]

Good point Tom. As another example; one of the things that was found to be contributing to the decline of stripped bass in the Chesapeake Bay was that the salt run off in the spring was effecting the fresh water tributaries where they spawned. This type of pollution is hard to control, unlike a manufacturing plant where you can control or eliminate the output.

Steve