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