(Châteauguay) Prime Minister François Legault wanted to reassure the population of Châteauguay and Kahnawake after a petroleum product spill in a stream on the edge of the city and the Mohawk community.
A fuel oil spill from a tank occurred on February 12 at 2325 Ford Boulevard in Châteauguay, according to the Emergency-Environment intervention register of the Ministry of the Environment.
“Each spill of toxic products into the environment is a horror and a tragedy for the population and the environment. It is certain that we are collaborating with the federal and provincial authorities as well as with the Kahnawake Band Council so that the person(s) responsible for this accidental spill or, if it was intentional, this wild spill, assume all the consequences and the costs,” indicated the mayor of Châteauguay, Éric Allard, in a press release published by the City.
While in the region on Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Legault indicated that he had discussed the situation with the great leader of the Mohawk Council, Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, and with the local CAQ MP, Marie-Belle Gendron.
“The Ministry of the Environment is involved. What I want to ensure is that the work that needs to be done will be done to ensure that there are no impacts on humans or animals. . So, I will make sure, with Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, that we do the work that is necessary,” indicated the Prime Minister, who briefly commented on the situation.
Category 1 emergency
According to the Ministry of the Environment, the fuel oil spill would be a category 1 environmental emergency. This means that the consequences “are minor and easy to identify” or “easily controllable by usual, well-known and well-established response means » or that “impacts on property are relatively minor and human health is not affected”.
The main witness is dead
It is unknown what caused this “what appears to be an accidental or criminal spill on private land,” according to Mayor Allard.
The city’s press release indicates that “the owner of this tanker unfortunately died last weekend, making the investigation more complicated.”
The press release issued by the administration of Mayor Éric Allard emphasizes that the contamination was discovered on February 9 in Kahnawake by a resident whose property was affected by the spill, but it was not until February 12 that the municipal authorities of Châteauguay would have been informed of the spill.
Still according to the press release published by the City, the Châteauguay police and fire services were called to the scene by the owner of the site around 1er FEBRUARY. He then noticed a leak on a tanker truck and requested that the vehicle be towed.
“The firefighters inspected the scene and noted that the leak was limited and contained, that there was no spread of contamination on the site, nor in the storm sewer and the ditch. On site, the owner of the tanker truck then agreed to properly dispose of the few liters recovered in sealed containers and then to have his truck towed,” we can read in the press release published by the City.
The contamination would have occurred a few days after the intervention of the police and firefighters and to date, the situation would be “contained and under control”, according to the municipal administration.