Size Of Fuel Spill Smaller Than First Reported

Size Of Fuel Spill Smaller Than First Reported

Monday, December 08, 2008 at 15:11

 

 

More steps have been taken to clean up a fuel spill north of La Ronge.

 

Last Wednesday a truck owned by Federated Co-op overturned on Highway 102 between Sucker River and Stanley Mission.

 

As a result of the crash, gas spilled out into the ditch beside the road and onto the ice near a culvert.

 

Most of the spilled fuel was burned off last week.

 

However, Federated Co-op vice-president Eric Lorenz says a soaker bern was placed around the culvert’s entrance, while a trench was dug near the lake.

 

He says the latest estimate they have is that 2,900 litres of fuel spilled from the truck.

 

A commercial fisherman from La Ronge says he can still see fuel at the site.

 

Gordie Carle says it’s sitting on top of the trench.

 

Lorenz says environmental experts are working on a long-term mitigation plan to present to government by the end of the day.

 

Carle says he’s worried about the length of time it took officials to act in the face of the spill.

 

He claims precautionary measures like the soaker and the trench weren’t put in place until local residents complained to the co-op that enough wasn’t being done.

 

Carle believes there would have been more urgent action taken if this event had taken place near Wascana Lake in Regina.

 

He adds no one will know until the spring just how extensive the impact of the spill actually was.