PEI

'Major liquid manure spill' leaves 500 fish dead on P.E.I.

The P.E.I. government says it is investigating what it describes as "a major liquid manure spill" at Cousins Pond Wednesday evening. 

Fences and dams were constructed and installed to stop the flow of product into the waterways

A manure spill at Cousins Pond was discovered June 5. Contaminated water was found four kilometres away on the North Shore.  (Nicola MacLeod/CBC)

The P.E.I. government says it is investigating what it describes as "a major liquid manure spill" at Cousins Pond Wednesday evening. 

The spill impacted about four kilometres between the stream near Irishtown to the North Shore at Cousins Pond. 

A statement issued by the province Friday morning says 500 dead fish were collected. 

The province says silt fences and a series of three dams were constructed and installed to stop the flow of product into the waterways. As of 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the product was no longer entering the stream, the statement said. 

Collected samples are being sent for analysis and clean up efforts continue. The statement says the incident remains under investigation.

A waterway along the eastern shore of Cousins Pond. (Nicola MacLeod/CBC)