Motor Vehicle Incident Toad River

Disclaimer:

• Information provided is based on reports received by Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR)
• Information provided is considered to be current at the time of posting, but is subject to change

Incident description

Incident Date	April 07, 2025
Name	DGIR:  251388
Source	MVI
Nearest Community	Fort Nelson
Spilled Content	Diesel
Who is involved	MFP Resources, Environmental Emergency Branch (EEB), Ministry of Environment and Parks (ENV), Fort Nelson First Nation, Northern Rockies Fire Department, RCMP, Northern Rockies Regional District, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Public Service and Procurement Canada (Highways), BC Parks, Northern Health, NorthwesTel, and Toad River Area Club.

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Response phase details

The responsible person or spiller is legally required to cleanup or manage the cleanup of a spill.

In incidents where the responsible person is unknown, unable or unwilling to manage the cleanup, the Ministry of Environment and Parks (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. Visit the 'More information' page for other 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, 106KB).

Most recent updates

April 17

Flushing operations to wash contaminants from the shoreline started on April 16. Vacuum trucks and skimmers collect these contaminants as they enter the containment area. Flushing operations will continue through the long weekend. They continue to be monitored by the RP’s aquatic biologist.

Water quality sampling continues. Recent water sampling did not detect hydrocarbon impacts outside the containment area.

Soil sampling continues to monitor cleanup along the highway.

All non-essential equipment and machinery demobilized from site

The EEB EERO has demobilized from the site. They will continue to monitor response activities remotely.

Impacts are being effectively mitigated and cleaned up.

No further updates are expected.

April 15

Booms and absorbent pads have been replaced.

The RP's aquatic biologist has undertaken an aquatic habitat assessment within the back channel and right bank of the Toad River.

Sediment samples have been collected along the dry beach near spill location. This is to characterize pre-remediation sediment quality and determine the extent of contamination.

Surface water samples have been collected at benchmark locations along the back channel and Toad River.

EFI Environmental continues with surface water recovery and removal of temporary berms.

Sheen and mousse recovery continues at control points within the back channel.

Appropriate permissions have been secured to allow shoreline and bank treatment. This includes flushing around the highway and the collection of contaminated water.

An EEB EERO returned to site today to monitor these actions and will be back tomorrow.

April 14

Two additional boom sets were installed in the Toad River.

Fort Nelson First Nation representative completed a walk through of the site.

The RP's aquatic biologist (SWAT) is on-site and completed an initial assessment of the side channel. A SCAT assessment continued over the weekend. Sheening, staining and some odour has been observed under the river ice at a couple of locations.

Skimmers have been recovering product trapped at control points within the Toad River side channel.

Excavation and hydro-vac activities continued along the south highway ditch. Approximately 16 m3 of mixed snow, soil and surface water was recovered. Approximately 120 tonnes of impacted soil was also recovered.

Based on first water sampling results, the water well and spring in Toad River community results were below detection limits. The samples from within the Toad River side channel and main river have some hydrocarbon impacts at the spill location. No exceedances have been detected outside the containment area.

An EEB EERO will be on site to monitor the RP's response efforts.

April 11, 1500 update

This morning remediation excavation began in the northbound lane abutment. Absorbent booms were replaced in the back channel. Additional safety lines and larger equipment were added in case river flows increase over the coming days.

Sampling continues and will include testing the water wells at Toad River community, at the request of Northern Health.

Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique (SCAT) will began this weekend. The initial efforts will be on-water SCAT, followed by shore access SCAT, as required.

First Nation monitors are on site.

Work will continue over the weekend.

EEB staff will be monitoring progress.

The next update will be provided on Monday, unless the situation changes over the weekend.

April 11, 1130 update

The RP's Qualified Environmental Professional, EFI Environmental remains on site. They conducted four surface water samples on April 9 and ten on April 10.

Booms remain in place and effective in the Toad River backchannel.

EFI Environmental has retained subcontractor, SWAT to conduct shoreline assessment. SWAT is bringing additional boom and absorbents to boom the Toad River.

Excavation of contaminated soils on the highway is expected to start today. This will be done with input from NorthwesTel and Public Service and Procurement Canada.

Overnight monitoring is occurring at the site.

Outside of incident operating hours (08:00 – 18:00), the highway has reopened at reduced speed. During daytime hours it is single lane alternating.

The EEB EERO remains on scene to monitor the RP's response efforts.

Further updates will be provided.

April 09, 1830 update

EFI Environmental and additional spill equipment arrived on site today.

Multiple collection boom and additional absorbent boom were installed in the side channel.

A coordination call and an environmental coordination call are planned for tomorrow.

Plans are being developed to clean up the contaminated soil along the highway. The area includes NorthwestTel’s fiber optic cable. The intent is to minimize disruption to the services the cable provides to northern BC and the Yukon.

Traffic control services (intermittent single-lane alternating traffic) will remain on site throughout operations.

The EEB EERO will remain on scene to monitor the RP's response efforts.

Further updates will be provided.

April 09, 1300 update

The RP has retained EFI Environmental as their Qualified Environmental Professional. They will oversee and coordinate the cleanup and assess environmental impacts.

Efforts have focused on cleaning up the highway and shoulder. Contaminated soil and material are being removed.

It has been confirmed that the waterbody adjacent to the Highway is a side channel of the Toad River. Water is flowing in the side channel, and a sheen has been observed. Absorbent boom has been deployed in the side channel. Additional materials are being mobilized to address impacts to the side channel.

A coordination call was held yesterday morning (April 8). Participants included: the RP and their contractor, Fort Nelson First Nation, Northern Rockies Fire Department, Northern Rockies Regional District, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Public Service and Procurement Canada (Highways), BC Parks, EEB, and Toad River Area Club.   

An environmental coordination call will be undertaken to guide response and recovery efforts. participants include: Fort Nelson First Nation, WFP Resources, WFP Resources' environmental consultant, Toad River Area Club, Environment and Climate Change Canada, BC Parks and EEB.

The community of Toad River is approximately 20 km East of the incident site.

The incident site within Muncho Lake Provincial Park.

Traffic control remains in place for response operations.

The estimated amount of diesel released is 9,000 litres.

The EEB EERO will remain on scene to monitor the RP's response efforts.

Further updates will be provided.

April 07, 1500 update

The Northern Rockies Fire Rescue and the RCMP arrived on scene at approximately 12:00 hours. An EERO is still on route to the incident.

The RP’s response contractors have arrived on scene and undertaken mitigative measures.

Reports indicate the rear tanker was compromised and an estimated 7,000-13,000 litres of diesel was released.

The highway was bermed, absorbent boom has been placed in the creek, and a vacuum truck is on site to collect product.

The situation is stable at present and the highway is being assessed for reopening to one lane alternating traffic.

April 07, initial report

On April 07, 2025, the Environmental Emergency Branch (EEB), Ministry of Environment and Parks received an initial report of a fuel tanker involved in a motor vehicle incident (MVI). The MVI is on the Alaska Highway near Toad River, approximately 200 km West of Fort Nelson.

MFP Resources have been identified as the Responsible Person (RP).

It is unknown how much fuel was on board at time of incident. The initial report indicates that up to 10,000 liters of product may have spilled (unconfirmed at this time).

It was reported that an unknown amount of product had made its way into a small creek that discharges into the Toad River.

Northern Rockies Fire Rescue and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have mobilized to site from Fort Nelson.

MFP Resources has also mobilized resources from Fort Nelson and on route.

An EEB Environmental Emergency Response Officer (EERO) is travelling to the incident to conduct an assessment.

The Highway is currently shut down and posted to Drive BC.

More information will be provided once the EERO has completed the assessment.

Updates about the spill will continue to be posted here.