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Mountain Creek clean-up completed

Land O’Lakes spill was caused by tank overflow.
Andrea Ciccocioppo Reporter email
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By Andrea Ciccocioppo, Sentinel Reporter, July 18, 2008

Last updated: Saturday, July 19, 2008 3:54 PM EDT

It’s been nearly two weeks since a spill at the Land O’Lakes facility in South Middleton Township dumped waste into Mountain Creek.

Since then, officials say clean-up has been completed and measures have been taken to ensure it won’t happen again.

The state Department of Environmental Protection was called in to investigate after the July 6 incident.

“We had a tank overflow in the plant. As a result, partially treated water was released into the creek,” explained Lydia Botham, spokeswoman for Land O’Lakes, Inc., corporate office in St. Paul, Minn.

According to DEP officials, waste was discovered in the east branch of Mountain Creek within 100 yards of the point where it merges with Yellow Breeches Creek.

The extent of the contamination was not available, but DEP spokesman John Repetz said fish were killed, likely due to lack of oxygen.

Clean-up was completed July 12.

“Our neighbors were very helpful in allowing us to go through their properties to clean up,” Botham said. “We thank them.”

And Land O’Lakes said it has done its part to avoid another incident.

“We made corrections in the plant so this won’t happen in the future,” Botham said.