North Carolina Company Faces Fine Over Red Dye Contamination in Creek

A company could be fined by North Carolina regulators after a rupture at a Winston-Salem plant dumped red dye into a creek, killing some fish and prompting a warning for people to avoid the water.

The spill occurred at Hanes Dye & Finishing Co. last week and some of the dye made it to Peters Creek, where between 100 and 200 fish were killed.

The Winston-Salem Journal reports the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality has released a letter saying that fines can amount to $25,000 per day for similar violations. The letter does not say how large a fine could be proposed for Hanes.

Shortly after the spill, the facility’s branch manager Dan Johnson said the company would fully clean up the spill. Johnson wasn’t available for comment Thursday.