SOUTHINGTON, Conn. (WTNH)– Crews are still cleaning up a chemical spill in Southington.
The spill happened at a metal finishing company called “Light Metals Coloring” located on Spring Street. Officials say 350 gallons of hexavalent chromium leaked into the surrounding area and the Quinnipiac River.
RELATED: Hundreds of gallons of Hexavalent chromium leaked at Southington company
Crews have been working since Wednesday to clean the spill up and they are trying to figure out how badly the area has been contaminated.
Workers have removed part of the roof of the building and are now replacing it. They have also removed part of the street. They are actively digging behind the building and in the river. They’re testing water, soil and air samples and are expecting the results sometime later Friday.
Crews also had to remove part of the road. They’ve been testing the soil underneath and after the results come back they’ll know if they can replace that road.
Officials say the spill is contained, except for what is in the Quinnipiac River.
“The river looks very, very good,” said David Poynton, Emergency Response Coordinator for the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. “We saw a turtle swimming in there last night swimming around, so aquatic life is living.”
So far, tests have shown that the air is safe, though many workers have been wearing protection. DEEP is asking the public to be careful too.
“We’ll continue to ask people not to take the fish – catch and release – and this is all as a precaution,” said Poynton.
State environmental officials are asking the public not to eat fish caught in the Quinnipiac River between West Queen and South Main Streets in Southington. They are being cautious because hexavalent chromium is toxic. It can cause skin and breathing problems, even cancer. This is something neighbors are concerned about.
“I definitely have concerns for my kids’ safety,” said Matt Noyes, who lives nearby. “I want to make sure the water they’re drinking is healthy as well as for us.”
“I would stay off the banks of the river in the immediate area here,” said Poynton.
RELATED: Crews continue to clean up after Southington chemical spill
Hexavalent chromium is a chemical commonly used in metal finishing, wood preservatives and pigments.
@ConnDEEP urging people not to eat #fish caught in Quinnipiac River in #Southington after #chemical spill #hazmat @WTNH
— Renee Chmiel (@ReneeChmiel) August 26, 2016
