Jet Fuel Spill Update From Puslinch Mayor James Seeley
Big thanks to Mayor James Seeley of Puslinch for sending us this update which answers a lot of the questions people have been asking us about the fuel spill:
Aviation Fuel Spill
Sunday, January 13 at 1:40 am
- Puslinch Fire was dispatched to the 401 east bound lanes at highway 6 north for a motor vehicle accident involving a fuel tanker and a second vehicle. The tanker carrying jet fuel rolled on its side and a spill occurred
- Ministry of Environment was notified and were on site as the clean up began
- OPP controlled of the scene
- 401 was closed in both directions for several hours on Sunday
- Environmental Officer on site working with the contractors to clean up the site
- There is evidence the fuel in Aberfoyle Creek and Mill Creek south of the 401
- There is evidence the fuel has gone beyond the Puslinch border (Gore Road)
- Clean up involves several booms being strategically placed and vaccum trucks
Tuesday, January 15
- Spill clean up crews were out last night continuing to remediate the area and Environmental Officers are heading to the site this morning to continue to monitor the situation.
- The trucking company has retained a professional engineer to oversee the clean up.
Thursday, January 17
- Vacuum trucks remain at key locations to skim visibly impacted surface water where possible. Remedial work also continues along near the scene of the accident.
- On January 16, 2019, our technical support staff attended the area to take surface water and sediment samples to support the district office assessment of the clean-up.
- A very strong odour and sheen were observed in Mill Creek at Gore Road. Subsequent observations were then made downstream at a private dam at Grandy Lane where a strong odour was still detected.
- It does not appear that contaminants are exiting the reservoir at this time as there continue to be no visible impacts at the outfall from Shade’s Mill. However, it appears that contaminants have migrated further than originally understood.
- The ministry has required Stantec to undertake additional downstream sampling to delineate the extent of the impact and evaluate the need for additional containment measures as required.
- Based on recent observations, additional booms have been deployed at Mill Creek and Concession 1 (Puslinch Township), and further downstream as an additional precautionary measure at Franklin Boulevard and Clyde Road (City of Cambridge).
Private Wells
- The MOE Guelph District Office continues to receive numerous calls from local residents with concerns about possible private well impacts from the spilled material.
- To date, the ministry has no evidence of impacts to private wells.
- MOE technical support staff are currently evaluating available information in the affected area to assist in determining potential risks. Based on a preliminary review, no impacts to wells near the spill site are expected.
Wildlife
- The MOE has not received any first-hand evidence of impacted wildlife at this time.
Messaging from the Ministry So Far:
“The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks takes all spills and threats to the environment very seriously.
We are working to ensure that the owners of the spilled material are aware of their responsibilities and take the necessary steps to clean-up the site to mitigate impacts.
Environmental vacuum trucks remain at the wetland south of the accident site to skim impacted water. Crews are also working to address any fuel contaminated soil in nearby ditches.
Booms have been deployed in Mill Creek, including the Concession 2 bridge (Puslinch Township) and at Gore Road (City of Cambridge), as some spilled jet fuel (unconfirmed amount at this point) entered Aberfoyle Creek south of the accident site and has migrated into Mill Creek as far as Gore Road (City of Cambridge).
There has been no observed impact to the Shade’s Mill Conservation Area. The area south of Shade’s Mill will continue to be monitored. Yesterday another ocean boom was deployed at the southernmost section of the Shade’s Mill reservoir as a precautionary measure to prevent further migration to the Grand River.
Environmental Officers are heading to the site again this morning to coordinate and oversee containment and clean-up efforts.
The Ministry’s role is to ensure environmental impacts are properly addressed and we will continue to be involved as necessary until clean-up efforts are complete.”
Public Health Update Thursday, January 17 at 3:22 pm
County Communications Manager, Andrea Ravensdale, spoke with Shawn Zenter, Manager, Health Protection at WDG Public Health. Shawn is responsible for safe water, health hazard prevention and management. Shawn met with the Ministry this afternoon and confirmed that the spill did not leak into any private or municipal wells. WDG Public Health does not have any concerns for public safety and have decided not to issue a media release.
