06_Example Correspondence with Regional DEQ Office (Fish Kill)

Strumbel, Blake
From: Graznak, Jenny <[e-mail]>
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2022 9:04 AM
To: Strumbel, Blake; Shoffner, Debbie
Cc: Boone, Ron
Subject: RE: [External] RE: Fish Kill, Lindley Park in Greensboro
Thank you for keeping us posted on this!
Jenny Graznak
Assistant Regional Supervisor
Winston Salem Regional Office
Division of Water Resources
Department of Environmental Quality
450 West Hanes Mill Road, Suite 300
Winston Salem NC 27105
336-776-9695 office
336-403-7388 mobile
[e-mail]
Email correspondence to and from this address is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed
to third parties.
From: Strumbel, Blake <[e-mail]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2022 4:27 PM
To: Shoff ner, Debbie <[e-mail]>; Graznak, Jenny <[e-mail]>
Cc: David.Phlegar <[e-mail]>; Boone, Ron <[e-mail]>; Guilford Co EM
<[e-mail]>; Guilford Co EM <[e-mail]>; Vickery,
Brian <[e-mail]>; Christopher Susi <[e-mail]>; Smith, Matthew N
< Matthew. Smith @greensboro-nc.gov>
Subject: [External] RE: Fish Kill, Lindley Park in Greensboro
CAUTION: External email. Do not click links or open attachments unless you verify. Send all suspicious email as an attachment to
Report Spam.
Hey Jenny,
I have attached a map above with some field notes for your reference. As discussed during our previous conversation,
we ended up counting —67 dead fish in the creek between W Wendover Avenue and Sherwood St (predominantly
shiners with some sunfish and chubs). We also observed countless dead worms that had settled in the slower moving
water. We inspected North Buffalo Creek where the above referenced stream enters and found live fish.
Parameters taken with our multi parameter probe seemed normal at every location we tested and the chlorine levels
throughout the stream were negligible.

Our inspection of the stormwater conveyance system that feeds into this stream uncovered no signs of hazardous
material entering it.
Please feel free to give me a call at my cellphone number (336-209-7887) if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Blake R. Strumbel, Water Quality Analyst
Department of Water Resources
City of Greensboro
From: Shoffner, Debbie <[e-mail]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2022 1:41 PM
To:'[e-mail]' <[e-mail]>
Cc: Strumbel, Blake <[e-mail]>; Phlegar, David <[e-mail]>;
[e-mail]; Guilford County Emergency Management <[e-mail]>;
Guilford County Emergency Management <[e-mail]>; Vickery, Bryan
<[e-mail]>; Susi, Chris <[e-mail]>; Smith, Matthew N
<[e-mail]>
Subject: Fish Kill, Lindley Park in Greensboro
Hi, Jenny. I wanted to give you a heads -up about a fish kill at Lindley Park in Greensboro. The Fire Department
responded to a report of a fish kill, and we are looking into it.
I know there are close to 50 dead fish, and there may be a petroleum product in a pooled area of the creek but that
hasn't been verified. (It may also be unrelated either way.)
Either I or Blake Strumbel (copied here) will fill you in as we investigate further (how far the creek has been impacted,
possible causes, etc.). I just wanted to give a heads -up before too much time passed.
If this should be reported to someone else, let me know.
Debbie
Debbie Shoffner, Water Quality Analyst
Department of Water Resources, Stormwater Division
City of Greensboro
Ph: 336-373-2741; Fax: [phone]
PO Box 3136, Greensboro, NC 27402-3136
www.greensboro-nc.gov

Call Details
Call Received:
Call Origination:
Spill or Concern:
Location of Spill:
Notification Only:
3/16/2022
Contact Center
Spill
301-329 E LINDSAY ST
No
Company:
Caller Name:
Phone Number:
Email:
Remain Anonymous:
Fire Department
Matthew Smith
No
Notes: We received a phone call through our spill pager from the city's fire department about an accident at
the corner of Lindsay and Church St where about 5 quarts of gasoline leaked out of one of the cars in
the accident. Hazmat responded to the call and built a dirt berm next to the storm drain downstream to
prevent the gasoline from going inside the storm drain.
Investigation Details
Investigated: 3/16/2022 Subbasin: North Buffalo 4
Weather: Clear Spill Violation:
Substances: fuel/oil Location Type: highway/interstate
Investigators: Reyna Ocampo
Conditions: Source Identified, Eliminated
Referral Info:
Investigation I arrived at the site and Field Ops was already there spreading sand on the road where there was still some
Details: gasoline. Hazmat was downstream next to the first impacted storm drain, and where they had built a berm.
They added a containment boom inside the storm drain, as well as downstream at an outlet along the
stream at the corner of E Lindsay and Cumberland St. They also added another containment boom at the
stream next to the Greensboro
Curb Farmers Market.
Followup Details
Followup Date Weather Activity Hours Notes
3/21/2022 Clear site visit 1.0 I stopped by the site to check that all containment booms were
removed from the storm drains as well as the ones in the stream
downstream.
Time Spent Investigating Approximate Amount
Initial Investigation: 3.00 Spilled: 5.00
Total Investigation: 4.00 Entered: 3.00