Tons of dead fish cover large river in Sao Paulo after alleged industrial waste was dumped

ANDRE PENNER and ELÉONORE HUGHES, Associated Press

23 mins ago

Fisherman Alan Belucci, 48, examines dead fish on the banks of the Piracicaba River in a rural area of ​​Piracicaba, in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024. The state’s environmental agency claims the cause of death was the irregular disposal of industrial waste into the river. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

TANQUA, Brazil (AP) — Several tons of fish have died in one of the main rivers in the state of São Paulo after industrial waste from a sugar and ethanol factory was allegedly illegally dumped there, environmental authorities and prosecutors said Wednesday.

According to a preliminary analysis, an estimated 10 to 20 tons of fish have died in the Piracicaba River, the Sao Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a press release.

Initial investigations indicate an “irregular discharge of wastewater” from the Estiva plant in Sao Jose, in the municipality of Rio das Pedras, and the water entered a stream that flows into the Piracicaba River, prosecutors said.

Estiva, the company that operates the plant, did not respond to multiple requests from AP for comment.

“It will take years for the environment to recover,” said Adriano Queiroz, licensing director of Sao Paulo’s environmental agency, in a video call. Due to the number of fish killed and the variety of species affected, the impact on biodiversity is significant, he added.

The Piracicaba River passes through a nature reserve called Tanqua, also known as the “mini Pantanal of São Paulo” after the tropical wetlands famous for their diverse wildlife and stunning nature.

On Wednesday, a carpet of floating fish carcasses covered the waterway and polluted large parts of the river.

“This sad environmental disaster has moved everyone because of the severity and magnitude of the impact,” prosecutors said, adding that the situation of fishermen and the local population was also “very worrying.”

Prosecutors have requested a comprehensive report on the condition of the water and are awaiting further technical information before taking the next steps regarding civil and criminal liability.

Police are investigating to determine whether an environmental crime was committed, São Paulo’s public security minister said in a statement.

The company faces a hefty fine.

The environmental agency of the state of Sao Paulo, known in Portuguese as CETESB, first received reports of the mass deaths and the strong smell emanating from the river on July 7.

On the same day, the authority asked the Salto Grande hydroelectric plant to release more water to reduce pollution.

By July 9, data showed an increase in the amount of dissolved oxygen, which improved the survival conditions of the fish, CETESB said.

But then reports emerged of another mass die-off in Tanqua, about 60 kilometers from the city of Piracicaba, where the first reports of dead fish had appeared.

The Piracicaba River flows through one of the oldest settlements in the state of Sao Paulo and served as a navigation route for small steamships and supplied water to sugar cane and coffee plantations, according to the country’s national statistics agency. Its drainage basin covers an area of ​​12,531 square kilometers.

A severe drought in the Amazon region last year also claimed the lives of large numbers of fish. Their carcasses contaminated the water source that supplies thousands of people.

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