Ministry of Environment (MoE) crews have been actively working to clean up a load of hazardous resin spilled Dec. 17 near Attwood Creek on Highway 24.
An MoE spokesperson says the spilled phenol formaldehyde resin remained in the immediate area of the accident and did not migrate towards the creek.
The spill occurred when a tandem trailer went into the westbound ditch just east of Barrett Road and flipped, bursting a bladder full of resin and spreading it some distance.
A berm was built to prevent resin from leaching into the creek, and the MoE attended to do the cleanup.
A very thick, molasses-like material, the resin does not flow far unless it is diluted with rain or snow melt, which the spokesperson notes was not the case at this incident.
However, it demonstrates why it was necessary to have the emergency personnel react quickly to ensure containment of the spill, he adds, and also why the MoE attended the incident.
There was free liquid remaining at the scene, which was collected with a vacuum truck that recovered about 2,700 litres of product. The bladder and trailer were removed, and the contaminated soil and snow was collected and temporarily stored on tarps at an adjacent property awaiting testing, trucking and disposal.
The snow actually posed more problems, with further waste material generated because it was impossible to separate clean snow from contaminated snow, whereas the thick product would have involved removing only a surface layer of soil, he explains.
The responsible party’s consultant will assess the site to ensure no further contamination is present, prepare a report and present the findings to MoE.
MoE assures the public the product did not threaten the creek, which was more than 100 metres away.
Sand was made available to block any flow towards the creek if necessary, but the ministry spokesperson won’t speculate about the consequences if it had gotten into the waterway, as he says every incident poses “unique risks,” which are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
However, the product’s Material Safety Data Sheet recommends avoiding dispersal of spilled material and runoff and contact with soil, waterways, drains and sewers.
It further advises against direct contact with or walking through any spilled material, or breathing the vapour or mist.
The MoE rep says these incidents are uncommon, but winter conditions bring an increase in motor-vehicle incidents and, consequently, spills of dangerous goods.
It is very important to plan and be prepared to respond quickly and efficiently to spill incidents, he adds, and the MoE responds to minimize resulting impacts to both the environment and the public.
An approved professional environmental consultant is assessing the site as work progresses to ensure the cleanup is complete.
This is expected to be completed in January, as crews are currently co-ordinating with BC Hydro for replacement of a contaminated, live power pole.
A tarp-covered pile remained on site Dec. 27, but as it is also on top of plastic, MoE says it is adequately contained.
