Suncor officials in Lambton County say they’re cleaning up an oil spill in the St. Clair River.
The township initially sent out a community alert at around 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. It was confirmed that nearby residents may notice ‘an odour’ near the Suncor dock.
Residents are warned not to use water from the river, avoid skin contact, and advising people against using boats in the river.
Officials say the spill involves crude oil and it has been contained by booms from Suncor and Shell, who provided mutual aid to Suncor.
A release by Suncor states:
Suncor is responding to an incident involving the St. Clair River. Our first priority is always for the safety of our employees, community members, and the environment, and we are making notifications to the appropriate parties to ensure this response has the necessary support. As part of this response, community members will notice an odour in the vicinity of the Suncor dock. Should action be required by the community, further instructions will be issued by your municipality. Further information will be provided as they are available.
— Suncor
It was confirmed that township drinking water has not been affected.
In a community alert the source of the spill was confirmed to be a ‘release of hydrocarbons,’ and it was stated that the source had been identified, and confirmed to be isolated.
