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HomeNewsArchivesPink Plume Flows Through Coral Bay Harbor

Pink Plume Flows Through Coral Bay Harbor

Sept. 7, 2007 — Coral Bay residents were surprised around noon Friday to see a big pink plume of liquid in the harbor snaking its way seaward.
By 4 p.m., only a pink shadow remained.
"It's a water-quality study," said Jim Casey, coordinator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A contractor was doing the study for the EPA in partnership with the Planning and Natural Resources Department, he said.
Unfortunately, no one let Coral Bay residents know in advance that a big pink plume would appear in the harbor. Casey agreed that an alert should have been sent out. Since Friday's event was part of an ongoing study, he said, EPA or Planning will issue alerts in the future.
Both a resident and the U.S. Coast Guard called Casey about the matter. The pink dye used in the study, Rhodamine WT, is non-toxic and biodegradable, he said. Rhodamine WT dyes are used extensively in the scientific community as fluorescent tracers.
The study was done to determine the current direction, how the top and lower layers of the water mixed together and the physical characteristics of the water, Casey said. Because Coral Bay waters do not meet water-quality standards, the local government is developing an improvement plan, according to a news release issued by EPA later Friday.
Further studies will be done on St. John and St. Thomas, including one next week in the waters around St. Thomas, Casey said.
The EPA apologized for causing concern among Coral Bay residents.
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