RICHMOND — State Fish & Game officials said today that a toluene spill that contaminated marshland near Richmond's Parchester Village neighborhood killed about 400 small fish and three ducks.

The mallards and fish all were poisoned by the chemical in a drainage ditch that led to San Pablo Bay, said Carol Singleton, spokeswoman for Fish & Game.

A broken tank at a Morton Avenue business caused at least 3,600 gallons of the toxic solvent to leak into the ground and nearby waterways. Authorities discovered the spill Monday and began cleanup that morning.

Singleton said crews would use charcoal filters to flush the chemical out of the ditch today.



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