Used Oil Spill in Fish Creek
Last updated on May 29, 2024Disclaimer:
- 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 | May 19, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Name | DGIR: 241995 |
| Source | Unknown |
| Nearest Community | Charlie Lake, B.C. |
| Spilled Content | Used oil |
| Who is involved | Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (ENV), Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (EMCR), Northern Health Authority, First Nations Health Authority, Peace River Regional District (PRRD), Doig River First Nation, Blueberry First Nation |
Response phase details
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 cleanup, the Ministry of Environment and 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. 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
May 25, 2024
Emergency spill response actions have concluded.
Work onsite is transitioning into a longer-term monitoring and recovery project. Considerations are ongoing to determine if further actions will cause more environmental harm than natural degradation.
Work and manual cleanup of the spilled material, where needed, continues onsite with reduced staff.
Sediment and water sampling will continue onsite.
Long-term containment measures will remain on site. These measures include collection booms, absorbents, and wildlife deterrents. Collection booms and absorbents will collect and recover residual spilled material. They will be removed when the spilled material no longer accumulates to a volume that is recoverable.
The Conservation Officer Service (COS) continues to lead the investigation to identify a Responsible Person. The investigation is ongoing.
Residents in the area can find a summary of the site's current status and next steps in the Information for Impacted Residents (PDF, 236KB).
May 24, 2024
ENV staff and a spill response contractor have been onsite daily to conduct spill recovery work.
The spilled material has been identified as used oil.
Bulk removal of the spilled material was completed today. Heavy equipment has been demobilized from the site. The heavy equipment was no longer effectively or efficiently collecting the spilled material. Crews on site continue to manually clean areas of residual spilled material.
The Responsible Person of the spill has not been identified.
COS is leading the investigation to determine the Responsible Person.
A coordination call with Indigenous stakeholders, local authorities, health authorities, and EMCR was held today.
The transition from emergency spill response to longer-term monitoring and recovery is ongoing.
May 21, 2024
On May 19, ENV was notified of a spilled oily substance in Fish Creek, located between Charlie Lake, B.C., and Fort St. John, B.C.. The source and total quantity of spilled material has not yet been determined. Confirmatory sampling is ongoing to identify the oily substance.
A wetland and fish bearing creek have been impacted by the spilled material. There are potential impacts to local wildlife. There are residential and agricultural water users downstream of the impacted area.
Notifications have been made to the Northern Health Authority, First Nations Health Authority, Peace River Regional District (PRRD), Doig River First Nation, and Blueberry First Nation.
An Environmental Emergency Response Officer (EERO) was dispatched to the site on May 20, 2024. Due to the extent of the impacted area and unknown source of the spill, ENV has retained a spill response contractor.
An EERO, Recovery Officer, spill response contractor, and spill response equipment were dispatched to site on May 21, 2024. They conducted spill recovery work and implemented defensive tactics to help contain the spill and deter wildlife from the impacted area.
Assistance from the COS has been requested for investigation.
Until a Responsible Person is identified and impacts are mitigated, ENV will continue to lead the spill response.
