Investigation Underway Following Fish Kill In Black River

An investigation is underway after a reported fish kill was discovered last weekend in a tributary to the West Fork of the Black River located in Reynolds County.

The Department of Natural Resources immediately notified the Department of Conservation about the fish casualty event which the Doe Run Company reported  may have been the result of a potential release from the copper and zinc producer’s wastewater treatment facility exceeding permitted effluent limits of pH.

Several water quality samples were collected upstream and downstream of the West Fork with results showing the samples were within acceptable levels for pH and dissolved oxygen and are protective for whole-body contact for human health and aquatic species.

This event is no longer an environmental emergency but the fish kill does remain under investigation.