A later spill of sulfuric acid into the North River in Colrain in September, however, did result in an immediate and very large fish kill.
Ongoing studies continue to evaluate any long-term impacts of the acid spill.
The slug of milky-colored water was visible as it traveled downstream to the Connecticut River, where it was further diluted. Samples of water, soil, and sediment from the spill site showed no detectable levels of vinyl acetate. Vinyl acetate is considered the only harmful constituent in the latex solution. These communities are sensitive indicators of pollution impacts. The investigations confirmed that there was minimal impact to the river ecosystem from the spill and no difference in the health of biological communities located upstream and downstream of the spill area.