Rock Rapids, Iowa — Environmental specialists from the DNR’s Spencer field office were called to an accident scene after a semi flatbed trailer rolled into the ditch near Highway 9 about six miles west of Rock Rapids Tuesday morning, June 28th.
The DNR inspected the site to determine if herbicide from a Countryside Ag Service truck out of Hawarden had reached waters of the state.
DNR officials report that two containers of herbicide were intact. But an unknown amount of a soybean herbicide, and parts of 150 gallons of soybean oil and 5,000 gallons of water reached the ditch and ran into an unnamed tributary of Mud Creek and the Rock River. They say the spilled materials caused a milky white color in the tributary for about 150 feet.
DNR staff say they did not see any stressed fish or other aquatic life.
The ditch has been dammed and will be cleaned up. Spilled materials will be land applied on farm ground.
The DNR says they collected water samples which will be sent to a lab for analysis. They will continue to monitor the cleanup and consider appropriate enforcement action.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office was first on the scene.
