I'm in Michigan so I believe I'm too far north to be affected, but there have been massive fertilizer spills in Iowa which will spread into the Missouri River.
spills of any kind take a long time to get cleaned up, and speaking as a river-dweller myself, heres tips we had to follow when we had issues with spills in rivers:
Avoid swimming, kayaking, or boating around these rivers. Many fish have died, so fishing is of lesser concern, but avoid eating fish out of these rivers and any river that may be contaminated. As a general rule you shouldn't drink straight river water to avoid dysentary, but any water you're unsure of can generally be boiled to remove impurities.
Of course, check your local guidelines for any and all precautions to take. a tumblr post 4 people will see isn't going to be specific or all encompassing for health and safety standards. I wanted to talk about it still because this is something that gets swept under the rug and people may not know theres anything going on, especially with the haberdashery of bullshit in the news these days.
Not to mention, the organization at fault here is being hit with a small fine, which will enable them to repeat ecological crises like this. Animals and plants to not deserve to suffer the consequences of our human errors and yet they are always the first to be sacrificed. USAmericans, no one will convince you to give a shit, but its your own home being destroyed. Pull it together
This site has more information on the spill itself:
An unintended liquid nitrogen release devastated the ecological health of a 50-mile stretch of the East Nishnabotna River.
