Experts: Lochsa River is too high to flush toilet paper | Environment | Idaho Statesman

The effort to remove the giant rolls from the Lochsa River is on hold until unseasonably high flows subside.

John Cardwell of the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality at Lewiston said the toilet paper is neither toxic nor a danger to the environment.

“It could be considered to be biodegradable, but that is not exactly what we would like to have happen,” he said. “We are treating it like any other deleterious material, or litter, if you will, and we have water-quality standards that restrict disposal of litter in the state’s waters.”

A tractor-trailer carrying unprocessed toilet paper from the Clearwater Paper mill in Lewiston crashed July 15 on U.S. 12 and spilled eight of the massive rolls into the upper reaches of the wild and scenic river near Powell.

A recovery crew from Miles Towing of Kooskia removed two of the rolls earlier this week. Because the saturated rolls fell apart during the removal, the effort was halted. [...]

Full article at idahostatesman.com

This is just amusing. I wonder, though, are these chlorine-bleached rolls, and if so can they damage the river environment like they can a septic system?

Posted via email from Moments of Awareness