10,000 tonnes of gravel slides into Detroit River
Approximately 10,000 tonnes of gravel slid into the Detroit River on Dec. 17.
Wet weather and a waterlogged shoreline are to blame for the accident. No one was injured.
The spill occurred at a Windsor Port Authority gravel dock leased by LaFarge when the dock gave way and slid into the water.
Gravel docks are not manmade structures but rather simply shoreline on which ships dump their load.
"When we have a very wet period of time, there will be a slide into the river," port authority president and CEO David Cree said. "It doesn’t happen that often."
Saturday's spill was the fourth in approximately 15 years.
Cree said engineers have been on site this week trying to determine how to make the docks stronger in order to prevent future collapses.
In the meantime, Cree said the spill is not a safety hazard.
"The material that went into the river will not have an environmental impact," Cree said.
He also said boating navigation will not be affected by the accident and the remainder of the lengthy dock is still useable.
The shipping season ends in a week and crews will turn their attention to scooping the gravel out of the river.
"It’s not terribly sophisticated," Cree said of the removal process. "We’ll be working over the course of the winter to rectify the situation."
Tim Byrne of the Essex Region Conservation Authority said the impact of the spill is minimal and short-term because it's winter, the water is very deep and the stone will be removed.
"It's still being looked at," Byrne said. "There shouldn't be any impact on fisheries."
Byrne said a long-term solution to slides needs to be found in order to prevent future slides.
"We need to make sure break walls and other things are suitable to contain and hold these materials," he said.
