Mayor says company behind diesel spill on St. Clair river didn't contact him
The mayor of a municipality along the St. Clair river says he's upset with how a company notified his community about a spill involving thousands of litres of diesel over the weekend.
Jeff Agar, mayor of St. Clair Township, said citizens in Corunna reported seeing an oily sheen on top of the St. Clair river's surface, accompanied by a strange smell, on Saturday. Agar says the local fire service investigated citizen's complaints and also observed the sheen.
"The people were scared," Agar said. "We have a lot of residents that … live and play on that river."
Rail company CSX said the fuel tank of one of their trains in Sarnia ruptured, spilling about 10,000 litres of diesel. It's unknown how much of the fuel made its way into the St. Clair River, the company said in an email to CBC News.
Agar said he wasn't contacted by CSX directly, however the local fire service was contacted by the health unit after they issued a warning.
"I'm frustrated and I'm very angry right now," Agar said.
CSX says its working to contain the spill
CSX said the fuel tank of one of their trains in Sarnia ruptured, spilling about 10,000 litres of diesel.
The company said they activated their emergency response procedures and deployed a containment boom immediately after the spill. They also contacted local and provincial authorities, as well as the Ontario Ministry of the Environment.
"Our primary focus continues to be on the health and safety of onsite staff and personnel, the surrounding community, and mitigating risk to the environment," CSX said in the statement. "Crews are continuing to monitor containment measures and have observed no new impacts to the river."
Lambton Public Health's Medical Officer of Health told residents not to swim in the St. Clair River and those with private wells that pull water from the river not to use their tap water due to the possibility of contamination.
The Walpole Island water department also closed their treatment plant's intake as a precautionary measure on Saturday night.
According to rail company CSX, the fuel tank of one of the trains at their Sarnia yard ruptured on Saturday, spilling about 10,000 litres of diesel. (Chris Ensing/CBC)
CSX said the cause of the incident is still under investigation.
