Before long, dead carp and minnows were piling up on the banks. Two dead fish rest on the banks of the White River as it flows through the north side of Indianapolis. Hundreds of thousands of fish, more than 85 tons, have been collected along a 50-mile stretch of the White River since the water was poisoned five weeks ago by what investigators suspect was an industrial polishing agent used at an auto parts plant. The fish had jumped 6 or 7 feet onto the shore. The water was polluted even before the fish kill.
Industries line the banks upstream from Indianapolis.
Then, environmental officials said, the high levels of ammonia and carbon disulfide, a byproduct of DMDK, were released into the river. Ten industrial companies in Anderson filter their waste through the treatment plant. Last week, Guide hired a new chairman and chief executive. Guide employees are not the only ones under fire. The state said it acted on the information it had at the time.