The day after a slick of oil was reported floating on the St. Lawrence River near Pointe-aux-Trembles, in eastern Montreal, authorities began pumping the substance Friday morning and announced that it was motor oil, the source of which is still unknown.
“Mitigation measures have been put in place and a company has been mandated to pump the product. Work to find the source of the pollution continues,” wrote Environment Minister Benoit Charette on the X network.
“It is not excluded that the product is the same that was reported at the Port of Montreal on Wednesday. A small portion of the product could have remained stuck in this sector,” adds a spokesperson for the ministry, Ghizlane Behdaoui. “Urgence-Environnement ensures that the necessary measures for the safety of the population and the protection of the environment are put in place.”
Floating barriers have been installed to try to contain the iridescent, viscous puddle, while a long hose connected to a tanker pumps the material from the surface of the water.
Representatives from the Canadian Coast Guard, the Quebec Ministry of the Environment, the Quebec Wildlife Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were on scene, but none were authorized to speak to the media.
Members of environmental protection organisations also attended, concerned about the possible consequences for flora and fauna.
“At least the leak is contained, and finding the source should not take long,” stressed Alain Saladzius, president of the Rivières Foundation.
The slick extends offshore for several hundred meters, between the boulevards of Tricentenaire and Saint-Jean-Baptiste. Dozens of meters of shoreline are covered in black matter near the marina of Pointe-aux-Trembles.
“As a preventive measure, we are maintaining the closure of the boat launch and we are asking the population to avoid the area for water activities until the situation has resolved. We would like to reassure people that the water in the area is drinkable and can be consumed safely,” said Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante in a written statement.
The mayor of the borough of Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles, Caroline Bourgeois, went to the scene, but she said she was waiting for the results of the analyses from the Ministry of the Environment before commenting on the incident.