Gilroy company fined for spilled garlic that killed fish

Tag: Dehydrated Garlic Granule

A Dehydrated Garlic Granule processing company will pay $60,000 to Santa Clara County after it spilled chunks of garlic into a nearby creek, killing hundreds of fish.

A Dehydrated Garlic Granule processing company will pay $60,000 to Santa Clara County after it spilled chunks of garlic into a nearby creek, killing hundreds of fish.
Authorities say the spilled garlic from Christopher Ranch created a "swamp gas" that suffocated the fish. When raw garlic comes in contact with water, it forms hydrogen sulfide, which takes oxygen out of water.

Several hundred suckerfish and at least nine federally protected steelhead salmon were found dead in Carnadero Creek in February 2007.

Authorities say the garlic apparently fell off delivery trucks and was swept into a parking lot storm drain that was left open.

Santa Clara sued the company, which agreed Monday to pay a $60,000 fine, in addition to upgrading its storm drainage system.