Dead Drunk

[Dennis Steele]

Here is an interesting article I found surfing around.

"Associated Press — Sept. 15, 2003

FRANKFORT, Kent. — Jim Beam will pay nearly $27,000 in damages after a fire at one of its warehouses spilled alcohol into a nearby creek, killing thousands of fish.

Jim Beam will pay $26,732.33 to the state to compensate for an estimated 19,000 fish that died when bourbon seeped into Withrow Creek and the Salt River days after a warehouse caught fire last month, a statement from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources said Tuesday.

"The company's proactive measures to minimize the flow of bourbon into the waters of the Commonwealth, along with heavy rains soon after the fire, helped limit the damage," said Benjy Kinman, director of the state agency.

Seventeen species of fish, including largemouth bass, catfish, paddlefish, sunfish and drum, were killed following the blaze.

Kinman said the agency did not expect any long-term damage on the river because of the spill.

"However, when conditions allow, the department intends to do a one-time stocking of certain species," Kinman said.

Thousands of fish died suddenly in a portion of the river that is on the Fort Knox military post less than a week after the fire. The fire, which started after the warehouse was struck by lightning, caused more than 800,000 gallons of bourbon to begin burning and flow into a retaining pond in Nelson County. When the pond overflowed, burning whiskey flowed into Withrow Creek.

Thorough cleanup promised

The fish were killed by a combination of exposure to a lethal concentration of alcohol and by a lack of oxygen in the water that occurs after microorganisms are attracted to the alcohol and use up too much of the oxygen, officials say.

"We will continue to do whatever it takes and will continue to cooperate to the fullest to ensure a thorough cleanup and to fulfill our responsibilities to the environment," said Rich Reese, president and CEO of Jim Beam Brands Worldwide.

There are more than 200 bourbon warehouses in Kentucky, which store about four million barrels.

Jim Beam is the largest bourbon producer in the state, but other bourbon distilleries include Maker's Mark and Wild Turkey.

In 2000, a fire destroyed a seven-story Wild Turkey warehouse in Anderson County, causing a spill into the Kentucky River that left hundreds of thousands of fish dead for 66 miles. Wild Turkey paid $256,000 to the state. "

[Aquaman01]

Whiskey distilleries shouldn't be next to rivers. They should be next to bait shops.

[Guest]

In the interest of avoiding any further massive fish kills, I promise to do all I can to help keep the supply low in those warehouses.....T

[icehousebob]

Years back, I read an article about strange laws that were passed and never repealed. One of the southern states had a law on the books that made it illegal to get fish drunk. No one remembered why it was passed but there were some guesses. One was that moonshiners would put their stills by a creek to have cooling water for the still coil. When the 'revenooers' raided, they would dump the shine in the creek to get rid of the evidence. The law would allow the moonshineers to be arrested for something. Another guess was that it had to do with some strange southern form of fishing. As a kid, I heard old timers tell about people soaking corn in grain alcohol and leaving it on shore for wild ducks to eat. I always figured there were better things to do with alcohol.

[CANOPY SAM]

Pickled Fish! MMMMMMmmmmmmmm.......That's about the smoooothest fish fillet I've ever tasted!