MDEQ Lifts Closure for Bayou Casotte
(JACKSON, Miss.) – The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Friday lifted a fishing and water contact closure that was issued August 19 for Bayou Casotte and the adjacent waters of the Mississippi Sound within 1,000 feet of the mouth of the bayou.
Monitoring by MDEQ staff indicates that the pH values of Bayou Casotte have returned to normal levels.
The closure was issued after MDEQ staff investigated a fish kill in Bayou Casotte linked to low pH waters released from the Mississippi Phosphates Corporation. Mississippi Phosphates Corporation notified MDEQ of a discharge due to excessive rainfall, but it was not authorized by the agency. MDEQ staff are reviewing the incident and will pursue any violations by the company.
MDEQ has closely monitored and inspected Mississippi Phosphates Corporation for many years and will continue to do so to protect the health of residents in the area and the environment.
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