- Manure from a biogas plant enters the river - fish die
From a biogas plant in southern Thuringia, large quantities of a slurry mixture entered the Milz river, resulting in the death of fish - both in Thuringia and Bavaria, as reported by the police and fire department. Various media outlets had previously reported on this incident.
The mixture reportedly leaked from a plant in the Romhild municipality of Simmershausen (district of Hildburghausen) and flowed into the river via a feeder ditch. When dead fish were discovered approximately 20 kilometers downstream near the Bavarian town of Aubstadt (district of Rhön-Grabfeld) on Friday, authorities traced the source back to Thuringia.
150,000 liters of the mixture were estimated to have leaked, according to Romhild's city fire chief Stefan Laube. While sewage is not inherently harmful, a high concentration can be detrimental to aquatic life, Laube explained. It is difficult to estimate the number of fish that perished as a result.
The cause of the substance leak could not be determined with certainty by the police and fire department. They also could not provide information on the extent of the damage. However, the affected business has reportedly installed a dam to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Firefighters were called to assist in controlling the aftermath of the slurry mixture leak from the biogas plant, as firefighting techniques are sometimes employed in managing environmental disasters. The cleanup efforts to save any remaining aquatic life and restore the Milz river to its previous state fall under the jurisdiction of firefighting and environmental protection services.
