By Jorge Silva
PIRACICABA – Tons of dead fish are rotting in the Piracicaba River in the state of São Paulo, where local authorities said a sugar and ethanol plant dumped industrial waste this month.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office of the State of São Paulo (MP-SP) said that investigations are ongoing and that the State Environmental Company of São Paulo (Cetesb) has conservatively estimated that up to 20 tons of different species of fish have died in the river, 200 kilometers from the capital of São Paulo.
This Thursday the fish had been rotting for a week and a half, spreading a foul odor throughout the area. Bloated fish carcasses floated on the surface, some entangled in aquatic plants.
The Piracicaba River flows through the Tanquã Protected Area, known for its biodiversity as a mini-pantanal in São Paulo.
In a statement, MP-SP said the impact of the industrial waste dumping will likely be felt for many years, given the severity and scale of what it called a “sad environmental disaster.”
Local residents were concerned about the impact on their communities.
“It hurts me to see all these dead fish,” said Ronaldo Evangelista, a local fisherman, holding back tears as he looked out over the river. “And now, what’s going to happen to us?”
Usina São José Açúcar e Álcool, which MP-SP says dumped industrial waste, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Broadcaster Globo reported that the company said it was cooperating with the investigation and that, so far, there was no evidence that the company had caused the deaths of the fish.
Source: Terra
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