No 'significant risk to human health' after northern derailment: Health unit

Environmental officers with the Ministry of the Environment remain on site of a train derailment north of Kirkland Lake.

Last Thursday, four freight cars from an Ontario Northland train were travelling across a bridge  when four cars derailed and crashed into the White Clay River.

• Zinc-copper concentrate leaks into river from derailed ONR train

One of those cars was carrying copper and zinc concentrate from a mine site which leaked into the water.

"Water samples obtained following the derailment  demonstrate slight exceedances of Provincial Water Quality Objectives for copper and zinc," said ministry spokesperson Lindsay Davidson.

• Clean-up continues after Ontario Northland train spill north of Kirkland Lake

Davidson told CBC News that crews are working to prevent the leaked substance from flowing further downstream.

Marine booms attached to thick tarps have been placed around the rail cars and anchored into place to provide a temporary barrier to minimize movement of the copper concentrate that spilled into the river, Davidson said.

The rail company is working with a contractor to determine how to remove the contaminant.

"At this point we have no evidence that there is any significant risk to human health," said Marlene Spruyt, the medical officer of health for the Temiskaming Health Unit.

"The area that the cars have fallen into is actually downstream of most human activity so it's unlikely that there's going to be any issue for humans because no one is drawing water from that particular source," Spruyt said.

There is currently no evidence that the spill poses a risk to human health, Spruyt said.