Contamination Concern for Fish in Connecticut

The Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Health issued a warning Friday about eating fish taken from part of the Little River.

The fish may be contaminated with PCBs, according to a release from the DEP.

An electrical transformer damaged when it was knocked over along route 67 in Oxford Wednesday evening, leaked oil into a catch basin that drains into the Little River. Tests found the oil contained significant levels of PCBs, the DEP said.

"As a temporary precaution, we are advising people not to consume fish from this stretch of the Little River until testing confirms that the fish are safe to eat," said Bill Hyatt, Bureau Chief, Natural Resources for the DEP.

The warning includes the Little River from Seth Den Road in Oxford to mouth of the river where it meets the Naugatuck River in Seymour.

PCBs are chemicals often used as coolants and lubricants in transformers and other electrical equipment because they don't burn easily and are good for insulation, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. Exposure to PCBs can cause liver damage. Long-term exposure has led to cancer in humans.

Firefighters deployed booms to contain the oil in the river. The booms are expected to remain in place over the weekend.

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