Update:
Several tons of dead fish were discovered along one of the main rivers in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo after the illegal dumping of industrial waste from a sugar and ethanol plant, authorities and prosecutors said Wednesday.
Several tons of dead fish were discovered along one of the main rivers in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo after the illegal dumping of industrial waste from a sugar and ethanol plant, authorities and prosecutors said Wednesday.
The initial investigation indicates a “irregular discharge of wastewater” from the Estiva de Sao José factory, in the community of Rio das Pedras, which reached a stream that flows into the Piracicaba River, prosecutors said.
“It will take years for the environment to recover,” said Adriano Queiroz, licensing director at Sao Paulo’s environmental agency. Because of the number of fish killed and the variety of species affected, the impact on biodiversity is significant, he added.
The Piracicaba River flows through a protected area called Tanqua, nicknamed the mini-Pantanal of Sao Paulo, named after the tropical wetlands famous for their abundant wildlife and dazzling natural scenes. Its basin covers an area of 4,838 square miles.