Ontario Construction News staff writer
Algoma Steel continues to work with authorities after an accidental release of lubricant oil into the St. Mary’s River last week.
“The Company continues to actively work to mitigate any possible impact to the environment,” the company said in a community update. “We are maintaining an open dialogue with our stakeholders and have extended an offer to the Village of Echo Bay to cover the cost of purchasing and transporting water to their community on an interim basis.”
While the sheen has dissipated and is no longer visible, sampling continues at the site and the waterway is being closely monitored. A technical assessment of the incident continues as Algoma Steel tries to identify the cause and implement the appropriate controls to prevent such an occurrence from happening again.
The estimated amount of oil that was ultimately discharged into the river from the water treatment plant is in the range of 1,000 to 1,250 litres and the analysis methodology have been provided to the Ministry of Environment, Conservation, and Parks, whom we continue to work closely with.
“This event certainly did not live up to the high standard we set for ourselves. I assure you the entire Algoma team has felt the weight of this incident’s impact on our community,” said Algoma Steel Chief Executive Officer Michael Garcia.
“We are focused on mitigating any possible impact and are grateful for the collaboration with all parties involved as we work together to do what needs to be done to protect the environment.”
