ATHENS, Ga. – The state Environmental Protection Division says the amount of formaldehyde contaminating a north Georgia creek is sharply lower.
Trail Creek near the North Oconee River was contaminated on July 28 after a big fire at an Athens chemical plant.
The EPD says water samples taken Aug. 2 contained formaldehyde concentrations of 404 parts per billion. EPD scientists say that’s too low to pose a threat to human health.
Water samples taken from about the same place July 29 contained 2,310 parts of formaldehyde per billion.
The EPD says lab tests on samples taken farther downstream detected no formaldehyde at all.
Runoff from water used to fight the fire contaminated the creek with perfume oils and other chemicals.