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California Toxic Spill

photograph from Science and Technology story

(before 2003)


Scientists have been watching chemicals float down the Sacramento River. The spill is 13 miles long. It is heading for Shasta Lake.

They think it will take 45 days for the chemicals to get to the dam. The water in the lake is for drinking and farming. The water with the chemicals in it has killed many fish. It would be very bad for humans to drink.

Some people who live by the river were not told about the chemical spill. They wanted to know why the spill was not stopped before it reached the lake.

Another man wanted to know if the chemicals would cause health problems. The government said that the chemicals that spilled into the water did not harm people right away. This spill may change the way chemicals are checked for safety from now on.

The river is one of California's best places to fish. It may be a while before people come back to fish. It will take a long time for the chemicals to go away.

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