European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 23, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine in Many town along the Rhine contamination of the River Matte the water Supply unit of. Truck brought in drinking water Ana Chi onteme to fill up Container. By Hanns Neuerburg associated Pressa fire alarm in Basel. Switzerland just 19 minutes into All saints Day. Nov. 1, began an environmental disaster that nearly killed Europe s busiest River. Thirty ions of toxic malarial washed into the Rhine while fireman aught the warehouse Blaze at a Riverside chemical Plant near Basel. By tha time the Poison had travelled hundreds of Miles Down the winding Scenic River to the North sea half a million fish were dead municipal water supplies were contaminated and the Rhine s ecosystem was so badly damaged ii May need a decade to recover. Only a Tew weeks before the fire an advertisement was published promoting West Germany s chemical Industry. It said dear fish this will make you feel Good. Organic Emmels Slons into the Waters have been reduced by More than go percent during the past 20  the disaster s magnitude was slow to emerge. It was nol Clear at first that go much Poison had entered the water it could not be been in the Muddy Rhine. This is what happened a police Highway patrol sounded the alarm at 12 19  nov. 1 warehouse no. 956 o the Sandoz company is  that alarm sent 160 firefighters in scores of trucks to Schweizer Aee a Small Community six Miles East of Basel on the Rhine s left bar. More than 3,000 Gallons at water a minute was pumped from the Rhine to fight he flames and keep the lire away from neighbouring warehouses. Tha Fli burned on. Fed by about 1,250 tons of agricultural chemicals in tha warehouse most of them toxic and la Ammala. A 12,000-gallon catch Basin in which both water and chemicals collected began overflowing into the River. Flames shot up to 200 set above the warehouse which sprawled Over 1.5 acres steel Drums of chemicals exploded like tombs in the intense heal. Gas and smoke spread toward the outskirts of Basel and at 3 30 , a Hasty convened crisis staff declared an emergency. Air raid sirens woke up residents of mul Tenz a town of 15,000 closest to Schweiz Halle the last Page in every Swiss Telephone Book says this is a signal to turn in Dib radio Foi further instructions Gas has escaped because of a chemical Accident in Schweizer Hatle the radio announcements said. The population is urged to close windows and stay  Gas masks were prepared a a Basel civil defense Arsenal Public transport in the area was halted and at 5 32  sirens also sounded in baser. Officials ended the emergency 90 minutes later when readings spotted no dangerous concentration of toxicity Theair. Authorities said no one was Hurt the deaths of several thousand fish at a Breeding farm on the Rhine was attributed to Lack of oxygen Calm returned to Basel which is Switzerland s second largest City and has one of the greatest concentrations of chemical plans in Europe. Basel fortunately escaped serious harm said a headline in the newspaper Baster Zeitung meanwhile the management or the Sandoz chemical company sent e Lenox to All municipal water systems along the 520 Milas of River Between Basel and the dutch North sea port of Flo Eierdam urging checks on pollution Levels. It listed eight tone chemicals most of them used in insecticides Hal May have washed into the Rivar. Early official reports conflicted. The Basel environmental office referred loan immense fish kill but environment minister Gerhard Weiser of the neighbouring West German Sale of Baden Wuerttemberg which does not use the Rhine Tor drinking Walor told reporters samplings showed absolutely minimal . Farther North West German Waler systems were shut Down As the 44-Mile.Long Palch of toxic material moved downstream on nov. B. A week after the disaster. 6,000 people held a protest rally in downtown Basel a newspaper spoke of an uprising against the chemical Industry the City s biggest employer. In the Rhine the Poison chemicals were moving at about 2.5 Mph approaching the West German Border with the Netherlands dutch authorities ordered sluices closed to keep contaminated water out of Rhine estuaries. West Germany s parliament was Lold half a million fish were killed and aquatic Lile had ended in Large stretches of the River. Fisheries officials now say new fish for Breeding probably will not Start for several years and it May be 10 years before the River recovers. On nov. 11, the environmentalist greens party of West Germany accused Sandoz of ignoring unsafe conditions at the warehouse trial burned. The greens released a confidential report by a Swiss insurance company compiled in 1981 that said chemicals could Wash into the River during a lire Sandoz  said