Hamilton Water testing harbour for potential oil leak from rail yard near Bayfront Park
CN says it has no evidence to indicate it caused petroleum sheen from a culvert near Stuart Street Yard
Crews from Hamilton Water are testing water by the harbourfront after learning of a potential oil leak from a CN freight depot.
A social media post on the weekend appeared to show oil from an outflow flowing into the water.
Jasmine Graham, a city spokesperson, said in an email the city learned of the issue after CBC News asked about the social media post. They sent workers to the site on Sunday evening and Monday morning to collect samples.
"Hamilton Water is analyzing the water for various parameters to determine what has been spilled. CN and [the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks] are completing a review now to determine the next steps," she wrote.
Daniel Salvatore, CN's spokesperson, confirmed it received word of a "petroleum sheen from a culvert near CN's Stuart Street Yard" on Sunday evening.
"While the investigation is ongoing there are currently no indications that the source of this sheen is a result of operations or activities by CN," he wrote.
"CN and municipal officials have secured the sheen using booms and have resources on site to ensure the extraction of the reported product."
<a href="https://twitter.com/TheSpec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheSpec</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/HamiltonsMayor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HamiltonsMayor</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonFarrHamOnt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JasonFarrHamOnt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/CNRailway?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CNRailway</a> here’s a bit more of that oil / fuel spill <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HamOnt?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HamOnt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/environnement?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#environnement</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/pollution?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#pollution</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/oilspill?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#oilspill</a> <a href="https://t.co/oA1b0S1GI7">pic.twitter.com/oA1b0S1GI7</a>
—@TeslatitanGary Wheeler, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, confirmed CN retained Green Response Environmental which placed booms at the water outfall and deployed a hydrovac truck that is at the site removing the hydrocarbon from the water.
"Booms have been deployed at other upstream outfalls and the City of Hamilton took samples to try and determine the source," he wrote.
"CN Rail is planning to flush and video scope a stormwater line that outfalls to the harbour to try and determine where the hydrocarbon is coming from. The city of Hamilton has checked upstream of the CN site and did not find any potential sources."
Environment Hamilton calls issue 'unsurprising'
Lynda Lukasik, Environment Hamilton's executive director, said the issue is not surprising.
"It's likely that the culvert was submerged for most of the summer. Water levels are much lower now, making this visible," she said.
"If stuff is draining from the surface in the yard right into this culvert, that is a problem any time and probably needs to be stopped, or there need to be controls to prevent contaminants from flowing in with any stormwater."
"This sure does underscore the fact that having a rail yard right beside our Bayfront Park is far from ideal."
She says the city should consider moving the rail yard.