What's in the water in Bel Air?
Readers, Watchdog got a tip last week about a possible chemical spill in a creek outside of Bel Air in Harford County that had killed fish.
I called the Maryland Department of the Environment to see if they were investigating any complaints or reports and discovered that inspectors *did* check out a call about Bynum Run in Bel Air on Friday.
Analysis revealed a sweet answer:
The mysterious substance turned out to be several hundred gallons of molasses spilled from a holding tank in the 400 block of Franklin Street, according to MDE spokeswoman Kim Lamphier. But inspectors observed no fish killed as a result of the syrupy contamination.
I'm still trying to nail down the source of the slow-moving stuff, but this is a good opportunity to share a helpful number with you.
To report fish kills, algae blooms or chemical spills (tasty or otherwise), call the Maryland Department of the Environment's Emergency Response hotline at 866-633-4686. Staff will come out to investigate reports and to take action if necessary.
Here's a list of handy Maryland Department of the Environment phone numbers for non-emergency problems.
Unfortunately, this caller left too few details about the location of the spill/dead fish (and did not leave her name or a way to reach her) so I was unable to confirm whether she was calling about Bynum Run.
But if you can share any details about the syrup spill, please post in the comments or e-mail me. Very curious!
