Rupture at Plant Contaminates North Carolina Creek with Red Dye

A rupture at a plant in Winston-Salem, N.C., dumped red dye into a creek, killing some fish and prompting a warning for people to avoid the water.

The Winston-Salem Journal reported the spill occurred at Hanes Dye & Finishing Co. late Tuesday morning.
Some dye was contained in the building but some ended up in Peters Creek. There was no immediate work how many gallons of dye had spilled. Firefighters contained some of the dye before it reached the creek.

City employees noticed the creek was red and there were some dead fish.

Dan Johnson with Hanes says the dye was biodegradable. But Marla Sink with the Department of Environmental Quality says more than 100 fish were killed, indicating something hazardous.

Hanes hired an environmental company to clean the spill.