Crews responding to oil spill in St. Clair River

CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 4:28 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 minutes ago

Suncor successful Sarnia is responding to an lipid spill successful the St. Clair River Thursday afternoon, prompting a downstream township to counsel its residents against coming into interaction with the water. 

An alert from Suncor issued Thursday astir 2 p.m. advises of an "incident" and says radical volition announcement an "odour" successful the country of the Suncor dock. 

St. Clair Township, conscionable downriver from the spill, has identified the spill arsenic being of crude lipid that is present being captured by Suncor and Shell. 

Water successful the St. Clair Township h2o strategy is harmless to portion and is not affected by the spill, the township said. The metropolis of Sarnia besides said successful a connection its drinking h2o is safe. 

The Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks has been notified, the metropolis says. 

In a consequent alert conscionable aft 4 p.m., Suncor said the root of the "release" has been identified and isolated. 

The incidental was reported astir 1 p.m. and determination were nary injuries, the institution said successful a statement. 

"Suncor instantly deployed its effect instrumentality including booms and vacuum instrumentality connected the St. Clair River," the institution said. "We proceed to enactment with section organizations connected our response, who are assisting with shoreline appraisal and aerial monitoring successful the vicinity."

St. Clair Township is advising recreational boaters to debar interaction with the water. 

Shell successful Corunna has been asked to supply assistance "on behalf of different manufacture member" and is providing exigency effect instrumentality and personnel, the institution said successful its ain assemblage alert.

"During this time, the assemblage whitethorn announcement boats, booms and exigency effect vehicles responding."

The Town of Petrolia's h2o strategy is not affected by the St. Clair spill, the municipality said successful a station connected its societal media channels.

Those connected the Petrolia h2o strategy see residents of Petrolia, Enniskillen, Oil Springs and Dawn Euphemia.

The Walpole Island First Nation assembly has said its pat h2o is harmless to usage due to the fact that the intake has been closed and the First Nation is moving disconnected its h2o operation supply.