Lambton Public Health lifts do not drink advisory for well users in Corunna following Saturday diesel spill

CBC

August 9, 2024 at 3:56 p.m.·1 min read

A no-use water advisory first issued on Aug. 3 for some well-water users in Corunna has been lifted.

Lambton Public Health issued the advisory on Saturday after 10,000 litres of diesel from a CSX train spilled in Sarnia. The rail company says it is unsure how much of the fuel made it into the St. Clair River.

The health unit said Friday that it had received confirmation from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) that the spill is no longer causing any impact to private well use. It also gave the all-clear swimming and recreational water use in the area.

Lambton Public Health also reminded well users in the affected area of the proper steps to take after a do not use advisory is lifted:

Flush cold water taps for at least one minute before using.
Run drinking water fountains for one minute.
Flush all garden hoses by running water for one minute.
Drain and refill hot water tanks.
Replace water filters used to filter untreated water.

CSX told CBC News Thursday that the cleanup efforts continued and lab tests have been completed on water samples drawn from the river downstream of the spill site.

"Lab results confirm that there is no detectable level of impact to the water apart from the impacted area immediately adjacent to the Arlanxeo site," wrote Austin Staton in an update provided to CBC News.

LISTEN: St. Clair Township mayor speaks with Windsor Morning earlier this week following diesel spill

Following the spill, CSX said they immediately activated its emergency response procedures and deployed a containment boom on Saturday.

They also contacted local and provincial authorities, as well as the Ontario environment ministry

Earlier this week, St. Clair Township Mayor Jeff Agar said that he's frustrated by how the company alerted his community about the spill.

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