Kentucky Officials Say Whiskey Warehouse Fire Caused Dead Fish in Nearby Creek

AP ^ | August 10, 2003

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

Nearly all of the fish in a creek near a whiskey warehouse have died since fire destroyed the building and spilled its contents last week, and state officials have cited owner Jim Beam.

Lightning set the warehouse on fire on Aug. 4, and more than 800,000 gallons of burning bourbon flowed into a retaining pond and then into the creek.

State officials were investigating whether a larger fish kill downstream in the Salt River also is attributable to bourbon in the water.

Water-quality test results from the Salt River won't be ready for several days, said Joseph Schmidt, a scientist with the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection.

Jim Beam will be asked to reimburse the state for money spent responding to the fire and cleaning up the affected waterways. Those costs have yet to be calculated, Schmidt said.

In 2000, a fire destroyed a seven-story Wild Turkey warehouse, causing a spill into the Kentucky River that killed hundreds of thousands of fish along 66 miles of waterway. Wild Turkey paid $256,000 to the state.

More than 95 percent of the world's bourbon is produced in Kentucky.

[The Radical Capitalist]

No wonder they died -- all that whiskey and they drank like a fish.

[MediaMole]

At least the fish died happy.

[squidly]

Sounds like they died happy.

[StatesEnemy]

Ya, but they died with smiles on their lil' fish faces

[The Radical Capitalist]

"...800,000 gallons of burning bourbon..."

Is that anything like a "Flaming Homer?"

[Old Sarge]

Water-quality test results from the Salt River won't be ready for several days

But why let THAT egt in the way of a sensational, anti-business headline, eh?

[Old Sarge]

egt = get

[FReepaholic]

>>..all that whiskey and they drank like a fish...<<

ROTFLMAO!

I was trying to think up something clever to post but I can't beat that one.

[SES1066]

Anybody care for pickled fish?

[SES1066]

Jim Beam will be asked to reimburse the state for money spent responding to the fire and cleaning up the affected waterways.

Since alcohol is a cleaning and anti-bacterial agent, what are the costs to clean the waterways based upon, the number of fish killed and other wildlife like frogs and other amphibians? Larger creartures who may have drunk the water are unlikely to have died although their hangovers may have made them wish otherwise.

[codder too]

Suppose it wasn't GREEN Label JB......

[SES1066]

...GREEN Label JB ...

Oh, Lord Save Us! Call for Ralph Nader - please use the nearest green phone to contact your campaign office.

[meyer]

Who cares about the fish? What about the lost Wild Turkey? We can breed more fish, but we can't replace the perfectly aged Bourbon.

[putupon]

Leave 'em there a few days, they might just be passed out.

[JHrules]

MOre importantly why was JB sited? Did they cause the lightening? last time I heard nobody except god could be made responsible for acts of god. We should site God for the loss of fine whiskey.
Does anyone know if these dead fish were cooked by the fire, or drowned in bourbon?? either way they are not lost, just broiled and marinaded

[skinkinthegrass]

I suggest no more bourbon & water...next time bourbon & coke.

[StatesEnemy]

[Atlas Sneezed]

"I never drink water. Fish **** in it!"

--W. C. Fields