According to an emailed "Spill Incident and Response Draft Report", a toxic
spill has occurred on the Clinch River on Route 460 at Cedar Bluff,
Tazewell County, Virginia, USA. This river is celebrated as having one of
the most diverse freshwater faunas in the United States, including
endangered species of mussels. The spill was reportedly of Octocure 554 or
Octolite 554, a rubber accelerator, from a tanker truck. An emergency team
arrived quickly and prevented some of the material from spilling. The
spilled substance flowed into the Clinch River from a drainage located
along the highway on August 27, 1998. Die-off was continuing on a 5-mile
(8-km) stretch of the river as of September 4, the date of the report.
 
This incident underscores the danger that freshwater molluscan populations
are in. Many species were originally restricted to one river system, and
are now restricted only to the most pristine part of that river system. A
single untoward event, such as an accidental spill on a highway, can have
devastating and long-lasting consequences for endangered species. They have
nowhere else to go.
 
Tom, Doug, others: What is the proper role of the conchologist in
freshwater mollusk conservation?
 
Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama