Roanoke Times
Water quality has since returned to normal, a spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Quality said Monday.
The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon when a contractor for the Virginia Department of Transportation was repairing a corrugated metal pipe through which the creek passes under Bradshaw Road .
A lining material that was used by a crew with US Infra-Rehab was not given enough time to cure, and several failures allowed creek water to come into contact with wet concrete, according to DEQ and VDOT .
The fish kill, caused by increased acid levels in the water, extended about 1,800 feet downstream from work site along the 8000 block of Bradshaw Road . Not all of the fish were killed, with the Mountain Redbelly Dace being the most affected species, according to a DEQ report.
The preliminary report cited inadequate containment measures, a too-low coffer dam, and failure to keep a pump running to divert water from the culvert as the causes.
A VDOT spokesman said the agency has taken corrective action and is cooperating with an investigation by DEQ.
Laurence Hammack (540) 981-3239laurence.hammack@roanoke.com