Environmental spill in Châteauguay : decontamination in progress

Work has been underway for several weeks in the Ford Boulevard area of Châteauguay to decontaminate a site where a petroleum product spill occurred in February. The Ministry of the Environment has concluded that this spill was not related to the one in Kahnawake.

Translation Amanda Bennett

In recent weeks, the Ministry of the Environment has required  Pétrolières N et R Sol and the owner of the property at 2325 boulevard Ford to carry out decontamination work and restore the site.  Urgence-Environnement was informed by Environment Canada on February 12 of a fuel oil spill from a tanker truck stored at the site.

"Pumping of the floating portion to the waterway is also carried out on a regular basis up to the boundary of the Kahnawake reserve," explained Ghizlane Behdaoui, regional spokesperson for the ministry. The ministry is present in Châteauguay on a daily basis "to ensure that any residual traces of contamination are contained within the mitigation measures put in place". The ministry is not specifying the quantity of hydrocarbons found in the water and soil to date.

Samples have been taken from the ditch and stream adjacent to the contaminated land. "The results received show no trace of contaminant in the watercourse downstream of the mitigation measures, demonstrating their effectiveness," Ms. Behdaoui pointed out. She added that these measures will remain in place until there is no further possibility of contaminant release into the environment.

Asked what happened between February1, the day the Châteauguay fire department responded to a loss of liquid from the truck in question, and the contamination observed on February 12, the Ministry of the Environment declined to comment further as an investigation is under way.

Unknown source in Kahnawake

The Ministère de l'Environnement du Québec and Environment Canada have confirmed to the newspaper that the spill in Châteauguay is not linked to the spill reported at the same time in Kahnawake in the Zachary Road area. The source of that contamination is still unknown.

The Kahnawake Environmental Protection Office continues its investigation to find the source of the contamination. Band Council Chief Cody Diabo told the Journal that it was "curious" that the same type of fuel was found in Châteauguay and Kahnawake.