Milledgeville, GA, 28 October 2019 – Due to a small fire at our plant in Milledgeville, Georgia, on October 21, 2019, large quantities of water were discharged by our fire suppression system. As a result, liquid containing SMO and SML LV in small quantities flowed into our storm drains and was discharged into an adjacent creek. Both products are based on sugar and natural oils, pH-neutral, biodegradable and non-hazardous.

However, the release caused cloudy water and created a temporary disturbance in oxygen level in the stream. Due to the rise and subsequent fall of the water level in the creek, a number of small fish were caught in stagnant pools of water. Zschimmer & Schwarz took action to restore continuous water flow to these pools, but we are very sorry to report that about 40 of those fish perished due to low levels of oxygen in the water. They were removed from the creek by our environmental contractor.

EPD has confirmed that all necessary steps were taken by Zschimmer & Schwarz in a correct and timely manner and that the stream was completely clear from the source to the dam within 72 hours, with active and healthy wildlife observed.

"We would like to apologize for any harm caused to the environment as a result of the incident at our plant,” said Bill Burton, CEO of Zschimmer & Schwarz, Inc. “Safety and environmental protection are of the highest priority to us. Therefore, we will conduct a thorough investigation of the incident in cooperation with the authorities and implement any necessary changes to further improve our procedures and enhance our safety protocols.”