Tanker truck incident near Elko Tunnel

DISCLAIMER: Information provided is based on reports received by Emergency Management B.C. Information provided is considered to be current at the time of posting, but is subject to change as new information becomes available.

Incident Description

Incident Date	July 18, 2018
Name	Tanker truck incident near Elko Tunnel
Source	Tanker truck
Nearest Community	Morrissey, BC
Spilled Content	Calcium Chloride
Who is involved?	RCMP, Fernie Fire Department, Mainroad highway contractors, BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy

 

Response Phase Detail

The responsible person or spiller is legally required to clean-up or manage the clean-up of a spill. In incidents where the responsible person is unknown, unable or unwilling to manage the clean up, the Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy (MOE) may assume the role. The updates below reflect the Ministry’s oversight of the spillers’ actions; details describe the spill response phase, only, and not the complete lifecycle of the spill. See More Information for other related reports. 

Updates are in reverse chronological order, with the most recent at the top. Industry-specific language may be explained in the Glossary of Terms (PDF).

Most Recent Update

July 19, 2018 - 8:45 am

A tanker truck carrying a Calcium Chloride solution was involved in a single motor vehicle accident yesterday evening (July 18, 2018). The incident occurred on Highway 3, approximately 12 km east of the town of Elko, BC. As a result of the accident, the truck and trailer unit were dangling over an embankment approximately 15 m above the Elk River. 

Local  RCMP, Fernie Fire Department, BC Ambulance Services, Mainroad highway contractors and an Environmental Emergency Response Officer (EERO) with BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy responded to the incident last night. 

Some of the Calcium Chloride solution had spilled on to the highway. Highway contractors cleaned the product off of the highway last night. Vehicle offloading and salvage operations are planned for today.

It is uncertain at this time if any diesel from the saddle tanks or any of the Calcium Chloride has entered the Elk River. The responding EERO will continue to follow up with cleanup contractors and monitor this incident to ensure cleanup actions are carried out safely and effectively. 

Please check DriveBC.ca for information on highway closures.

No further updates are expected unless the situation worsens.