Fuel spill North of Vavenby

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	May 30, 2019
Name	Fuel Spill North of Vavenby (DGIR: 190685)
Source	Motor Vehicle Incident
Nearest Community	Vavenby, B.C.
Spilled Content	Diesel
Who is involved?	B.C. Ministry of Environment & Climate Change Strategy (ENV), Interior Health Authority, Twin Pol Express, First Nations Health Authority, ICBC

 

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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 (ENV) 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

May 31, 2019 - 9:15 am

A motor vehicle incident involving a transport truck on Highway 5, north of Vavenby, occurred yesterday (May 30, 2019), resulting in a diesel spill into the North Thompson River. The vehicle cargo also included resin and resin hardener. 

An environmental consultant was on site yesterday to assess potential impacts. The river is fast-moving at the incident site and the spilled diesel was likely broken down and diluted very quickly due to turbulence and the fast flow rate. At this time, there is very little risk to human health or aquatic life. 

As a precautionary measure, Interior Health released a Public Service Announcement (PSA) for residents who draw their water from the river between the crash site (12 km north of Vavenby near Mad Creek) and the confluence of the North Thompson with Clearwater River. The PSA can be found here. 

No further updates are expected unless the situation worsens.