Up to 7,500 gallons of milk wound up in the Middle Nodaway River after a tanker crashed into a ditch Sunday evening east of Fontanelle. When Department of Natural Resources (DNR) investigators arrived Monday, the trick, owned by Zimmerman Transport, of Wisconsin, had been removed and was almost empty. Milk was found in the ditch along Highway 92 and ran into an unnamed tributary. From there, it traveled about 1.3 miles into the Middle Nodaway River. Milk can cause a fish kill in a stream as oxygen in the stream drops to low levels due to bacteria breaking down the product. Zimmerman Transport had clean-up crews on hand Monday removing milk from the ditch to prevent additional buildup in the river. DNR staff performed inspections today (Tuesday) to determine the environmental effects of the spilled milk and are considering appropriate enforcement action. The Fontanelle and Greenfield Fire Departments, Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Adair and Guthrie County Emergency Management Coordinator all assisted at the scene.
