When 15 year-old Mike DiMaggio discovers that the fish in the creek near his home are all dead, he is determined to find out what killed them. Were they poisoned by one of the farms in the area or by the nearby landfill? Could the dead fish be connected to the recent cancer deaths and mysterious illnesses in his tiny town? Mike decides that he must find out the cause, even if it means he must fight with his father, who works at the landfill, as well as the powerful County Commissioners. However, when disaster strikes and his community is almost wiped out, even Mike nearly gives up his quest.