The mystery deepens as to the source of the motor oil spill that soiled the banks in Pointe-aux-Trembles as Quebec suspends its investigation, a decision that is “unacceptable” in the eyes of an environmental group.
“Given that all possibilities have been verified several times, Urgence-Environnement has redirected its efforts towards the recovery of the product. However, if a new lead is brought forward, the investigation could resume,” the Ministry of the Environment indicated on Monday.
Recovery of the black, viscous material was still ongoing, four days after the first report of the pollution slick. No less than 19,000 litres, water and hydrocarbons combined, have been recovered so far, said the Canadian Coast Guard, which is leading the operation.
“This is unacceptable,” said Alain Saladzius, president of the Fondation Rivières, after Quebec announced that it had suspended its investigation into the source of the spill. “We are asking for a full explanation of the deployment that was made. Why would it be too late?” he asked.
The water treatment engineer also points out that if no one is found to be the culprit, citizens may well end up picking up the bill for the clean-up operation, which is expected to be hefty.
Furthermore, nothing excludes the possibility that a new episode like that of last Thursday, when dozens of meters of river bank were covered, could happen again, insists Alain Saladzius, who still does not rule out the possibility that the slick could be linked to the presence of several refineries in the area.
Mowing may be necessary
Since it began last Friday, the product recovery operation has allowed two-thirds of the contaminated vegetation to be cleaned, the Ministry of the Environment said on Monday. While no cutting of vegetation was necessary, mowing could still be required in places.
Three-quarters of the Pointe-aux-Trembles marina, where several ships had been soiled by blackened water, were also cleaned. A sampling of the vegetation was carried out by Urgence-Environnement in order to document the product residues, it was specified.
An inventory of two plant species was carried out by the Ministry to ensure that the copper redhorse’s diet is not affected by pollution. One of them has been identified so far and is more than 30 cm from the water surface, which means that it has not been affected by the engine oil.
Since last Friday, the no-navigation advisory in effect in the area to prevent waves from contributing to the dispersion of pollution has been downgraded to a speed reduction advisory by the Coast Guard.
On Sunday, another suspicious slick was reported downstream, near the eastern beach, but turned out to be a residual that quickly dissipated, the Ministry of the Environment also revealed on Monday.