IV-457 



River points out the extreme difficulty in obtaining positive 

 confirmation of a use damage. 



On June 27, 1962 a delivery of No. 6 fuel oil was made to a storage 

 tank which was not emDtied sufficiently to accommodate all the oil 

 delivered. An unknown quantity was spilled in Wappingers Creek, a 

 direct tributary of the lower Hudson River. The Oil Company receive- 

 ed complaints from property owners along the stream and decided, a- 

 fter skimming and pumping failed, to use a chemical, Ozene, which 

 would be sprayed on the oil. It is estimated that about 30 gallons 

 of Ozene was actually used in the stream spraying operation. It can 

 safely be assumed that at least 20 gallons went directly into the 

 waters of Wappinaers Creek. 



An abundance of dead fish was observed from the site of the sprayinq 

 operation to about one mile downstream. Occasional dead fish were 

 observed as far as four miles downstream. The fishkill was estimated 

 at 10,000 fish, with about 75 percent beino rough fish and minnow, 

 15 nercent pan fish, and 10 percent trout. 



A bio-assy was conducted using a solution of Ozene at the Rome Hatch- 

 ery using spring water, and a solution concentration of 4.5 ppm ortho- 

 dichlorobenzene. ^ne hundred percent of test fish were killed in 

 eiaht hours. On this basis, 20 qallons of Ozene would be capable of 

 making toxic approximately 5,125,000 qallons of water. Since spray- 

 ing would result in even higher local concentrations before complete 



