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MOLINE, Illinois -
Evidence of a large fish kill is flowing through the Quad Cities and experts warn it could be the largest of its kind in state history. Investigators want to know if a train derailment and explosion up-river is responsible for killing all those fish.
Friday night, near Rockford, a train carrying ethanol crashed and caught fire killing one person. The D.N.R. says ethanol may have flowed in to a creek and then into the Rock River. One day later thousands of fish began to die. As investigators search for answers, we found dead fish floating in the Rock in Moline earlier today.
News 8's Chris Williams spent the day talking with biologists and has the latest from the Rock River in Moline.
According to Illinois D.N.R. maps, it's 122.5 miles from here up-stream to where the Kishaukee River enters the Rock. That's where all of this appears to have begun. Throughout the entire stretch you can see white bumps in the river. Those are bloated, dead fish.
"There was, I don't know, a couple hundred per minute going through here yesterday", explains Fisheries Biologist Ken Russell. "It was just white with carcasses yesterday."
So today, Russell and other D.N.R. Fisheries Biologists from across the region converged on Prophetstown State Park for another look. They're job is to physically identify, measure and count the dead fish in case scientists rule on a man-made cause. If man did cause this, the Attorney General can try and sue for damages.
These men have worked around Illinois natural resources nearly a half century each, but this is a first for each of them.
"I've never seen anything like it", said Ken Russell.
When you get right up next to the evidence you can sense what the heat is doing to those fish.
Russell explains, "It's causing the fish to bloat. I mean, the fish are disintegrating fast."
So is the evidence of what caused this.
"We're trying to cover as much of the river as we can in order to get us an assessment", Fisheries Biologist Wayne Herndon told us.
They point out, it's easy to see what's on top of the water, what's happening down below is just as concerning and nearly impossible to judge right now. If the ethanol derailment caused this kill, they want to know what it's doing to the creatures living under the surface, to the soil, and plants and just how far the contaminants have spread.
We spoke with the E.P.A., D.N.R. and Rock Island County Health Department. While none of them would tell people to stay out of the water they point out it is best not to eat fish or get into the water when there's a fish kill in an area.
Not only are you putting yourself at risk of whatever caused the kill, there are also biological concerns like bacteria and viruses that may be in the fish carcasses.
State and Federal agencies say it may take some time for test results to determine what is responsible for the fish kill.
Friday night, near Rockford, a train carrying ethanol crashed and caught fire killing one person. The D.N.R. says ethanol may have flowed in to a creek and then into the Rock River. One day later thousands of fish began to die. As investigators search for answers, we found dead fish floating in the Rock in Moline earlier today.
News 8's Chris Williams spent the day talking with biologists and has the latest from the Rock River in Moline.
According to Illinois D.N.R. maps, it's 122.5 miles from here up-stream to where the Kishaukee River enters the Rock. That's where all of this appears to have begun. Throughout the entire stretch you can see white bumps in the river. Those are bloated, dead fish.
"There was, I don't know, a couple hundred per minute going through here yesterday", explains Fisheries Biologist Ken Russell. "It was just white with carcasses yesterday."
So today, Russell and other D.N.R. Fisheries Biologists from across the region converged on Prophetstown State Park for another look. They're job is to physically identify, measure and count the dead fish in case scientists rule on a man-made cause. If man did cause this, the Attorney General can try and sue for damages.
These men have worked around Illinois natural resources nearly a half century each, but this is a first for each of them.
"I've never seen anything like it", said Ken Russell.
When you get right up next to the evidence you can sense what the heat is doing to those fish.
Russell explains, "It's causing the fish to bloat. I mean, the fish are disintegrating fast."
So is the evidence of what caused this.
"We're trying to cover as much of the river as we can in order to get us an assessment", Fisheries Biologist Wayne Herndon told us.
They point out, it's easy to see what's on top of the water, what's happening down below is just as concerning and nearly impossible to judge right now. If the ethanol derailment caused this kill, they want to know what it's doing to the creatures living under the surface, to the soil, and plants and just how far the contaminants have spread.
We spoke with the E.P.A., D.N.R. and Rock Island County Health Department. While none of them would tell people to stay out of the water they point out it is best not to eat fish or get into the water when there's a fish kill in an area.
Not only are you putting yourself at risk of whatever caused the kill, there are also biological concerns like bacteria and viruses that may be in the fish carcasses.
State and Federal agencies say it may take some time for test results to determine what is responsible for the fish kill.
