It took just a few hours for a chemical spill to cause what is believed to be one of the worst fish kills ever recorded in Virginia. But it could be several years before aquatic life on Tinker Creek returns to normal.
Four days after an agricultural-use chemical leaked from a plastic storage tank at a Botetourt County business and made its way into the creek, state regulators were still trying to determine Wednesday just how many fish died along a 4.5-mile stretch of contaminated water.
With estimates in the tens of thousands, “this may be one of the biggest fish kills in Virginia history,” said Bill Hayden, a spokesman for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.
Although the spill was quickly contained with no known harm to humans, Hayden said it will take several years for all forms of creek life to make a comeback.
