Fertilizer spill reported in Red Oak, Iowa

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has said in a press release that New Cooperative in the city of Red Oak, Montgomery County, notified it on Monday of a fertilizer spill.

The DNR said that 1,500 tonnes of liquid nitrogen fertilizer (32% solution) discharged into a drainage ditch, before running into the East Nishnabotna River, a tributary of the Missouri River.

According to the department, the release occurred because a valve was left open overnight on an aboveground storage tank. Areas of pooled fertilizer have been pumped into a vacuum truck and will be used later.

The DNR said that dead fish have been spotted in the East Nishnabotna. The extent of the damage, however, is currently unclear. The department’s field staff have launched an investigation and collected samples for analysis.