Open Valve Causes Syrup to Reach Mississippi River in Keokuk

Iowa Department of Natural Resources

KEOKUK – An open drain valve at Roquette America, Inc. in Keokuk resulted in an estimated 6,000 gallons of corn syrup reaching the Mississippi River.

An operator at Roquette did not get a drain valve closed at the facility on Dec. 30th after a tank was being cleaned. It was originally thought that the material would drain to the Keokuk wastewater treatment facility, but water monitoring later confirmed that the syrup entered a storm sewer system that drains to the Mississippi River. The spill was discovered in the early morning hours of Dec. 31st.

Corn syrup can lower oxygen levels in the water and be toxic to fish, but because of the high dilution factor that would occur in the Mississippi River, the spill is not expected to have a significant environmental impact.

The company will likely receive a notice of violation for failure to timely report the spill.

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