The St. Clair River is being assessed following a crude oil spill from a Sarnia refinery.
According to Suncor, the St. Clair Parkway refinery was alerted to the spill at around 1 p.m. on Thursday. The company said it immediately deployed its response equipment including booms and vacuum equipment on the St. Clair River.
The source of the release has also been identified and isolated.
“We continue to work with local organizations on our response, who are assisting with shoreline assessment and air monitoring in the vicinity,” Suncor said in a statement.
Chatham-Kent officials said there is currently no concern for drinking water within the municipality as a result of the spill.
However, the CK Public Utilities Commission will close the water intake to the Wallaceburg water treatment plant on Friday morning as a precaution to prevent the possibility of water contamination. According to the municipality, it takes approximately 24 hours for water to travel along the St Clair River between Suncor to the treatment plant intake.
“The Chatham-Kent Public Utilities Commission will continue to monitor the situation as it evolves,” the municipality said in a statement.
St. Clair Township has also confirmed that the spill has had no impact on its water distribution system.
As well, Officials with Walpole Island First Nation have said the tap water on the island is safe to use as the water intake into the First Nation has been closed. Water access is currently restricted to the island’s water tower.
