Cleanup operations to remove the motor oil slick that soiled the banks of the St. Lawrence River in the Pointe-aux-Trembles area have recovered more than 19,000 litres since Friday. But authorities are still trying to identify the source of the spill in the river.
The most recent report from the Canadian Coast Guard indicates the recovery of 19,000 litres of a “mixture of water and hydrocarbons” during pumping operations taking place in the St. Lawrence River, in the east of the island of Montreal.
The motor oil spilled in recent days has polluted the area of a recreational marina in Pointe-aux-Trembles, as well as seagrass beds in the area. According to the Quebec Ministry of the Environment, two-thirds of the affected vegetation has been cleaned at least once and an assessment is underway to determine whether some of it will need to be removed.
In addition, the Quebec Ministry of the Environment conducted a plant inventory in the area, where there are areas suitable for feeding the copper redhorse, a species of fish unique to Quebec and classified as “endangered.” The seagrass beds would not be affected by the spill, it was specified by email.
While cleanup operations continue, the big unknown remains the source of this oil pollution, since authorities have still not identified the person responsible for the spill. The Canadian Coast Guard only indicates that it is continuing the investigation “with partners to try to confirm the source of the pollution.”
The Quebec Ministry of the Environment “does not exclude” the possibility that it is the same substance that was reported in recent days in the river, in the Port of Montreal sector.
In addition, birds carrying traces of engine oil have been seen in the area, but their numbers and potential impacts on birdlife are currently unknown.
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