Tons of decomposing fish in Brazil, prosecutors say 1 company is to blame

Tons of fish have died along one of the main rivers in São Paulo, Brazil, after environmental officials and prosecutors said on Wednesday, July 17, that illegal dumping of industrial wastewater into the Piracicaba River caused the massive die-off. Preliminary findings reveal that anywhere between 10 to 20 tons of fish died in the river.

Prosecutors and environmental authorities said that the industrial wastewater dumped from the plant reached a stream flowing into the river. One environmental official said that he expects “it will take years for the environment to recover” because of the number of fish killed and the variety of species impacted. The official said that the biodiversity of the area will be greatly impacted as a result of the environmental disaster.

The Piracicaba River crosses a protected tropical wetland that is famous for its abundance of wildlife and natural scenery.

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Prosecutors requested a full report into water conditions and are awaiting more information before they take any additional steps to determine criminal or civil liability in the investigation.

Meanwhile, police involved in the investigation said that they are working to determine whether an environmental crime was committed. If they determine a crime was committed, the company would reportedly face a significant fine.

Estiva, the company in charge of the sugar and ethanol plant, has not yet responded to the investigation.