It’s one of the worst starts to the summer season the area has ever seen.Fire and police resources were stretched to the limit to deal with a string of fires, a drowning and a deadly Victoria Day crash that caused a highly toxic chemical to spill into the city’s source of drinking water.Residents who are on a private water system on Trout Lake are warned not to drink the water after a tanker truck overturned in a single-vehicle crash on Highway 63 north of Silver Lady Lane.
The crash at about 8:30 a.m. caused fuel and a load of formaldehyde the truck was carrying to spill directly into the lake.The North Bay and District Public Health Unit released a statement saying the municipal drinking water supply is not in danger.Anyone using a private water system must find another water source until further notice. The public is advised not to swim in Trout Lake or use the water for pets or livestocks.Formaldehyde cannot be removed by boiling the water or using ultraviolet or other home water treatment devices.Ontario Provincial Police have confirmed the truck driver from Quebec was transported to North Bay Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.A post-mortem is scheduled.Police were notifying the driver’s next of kin and expected to release his name on Tuesday.Police are continuing to investigate whether the driver died as a result of the collision or exposure to the highly toxic formaldehyde he was transporting from Longueuil, Que., to the Tembec plant in Temiscaming, Que.Formaldehyde is used in pressed wood products, hardwood, plywood paneling, medium density fibreboard, paints, adhesives, varnishes and floor finishes, wallpaper, cardboard and some paper products, according to Health Canada.Police believe the tanker would have been carrying a full load, and emergency crews are trying to determine how much of the chemical spilled, said OPP Const. Shawn Fougere.Even though it’s a large amount of formaldehyde, it can dissolve in water and is expected to dissipate quickly in the lake, said North Bay CAO Dave Linkie.He was part of an emergency meeting with chemical engineers and said the leak was contained and didn’t require the city to declare an emergency.Formaldehyde is heavier than water, so it would pool and be contained in the area of a sandbar where it entered the lake, Linkie said.The city is increasing its water testing as a precaution.The crash closed Highway 63 from Lees Road to the detour on Four Mile Lake Road, and that was expected to remain closed Tuesday.The spill forced the evacuation of about 50 households, and residents were kept away from the area overnight because of fumes.Environment experts on site have been hampered by unpredictable winds and weather.Formaldehyde fumes cause immediate burning in the eyes and throat.Police were checking homes in the area to make sure residents complied with the mandatory evacuation.Penny Russell was out running errands when the evacuation order prevented her from returning to her Silver Lady Lane residence.She and her husband tried to sneak back on their pontoon boat on Trout Lake to check on their three cats and were swiftly blocked by OPP patroling the waterway.They decided instead to make plans for a hotel room.Meetings will resume Tuesday morning to assess the situation, said Mayor Al McDonald who thanked citizens for their co-operation.OPP brought in manpower from outside the area to help with the workload which included a drowning investigation in Calvin Township, and North Bay fire crews were kept busy with fires made worse by the extremely dry conditions.The chemical spill is a reminder all households should keep a survival kit stocked with basic needs in the event of an emergency, said Mike Duncan, the health unit’s program manager of environmental health.The kit should contain enough supplies for three days, including four litres of bottled water per person each day, according to Emergency Management Ontario.Specialized hazardous waste cleanup teams have been brought in from Sudbury and Barrie.North Bay Fire and Emergency Services, the Environment Ministry, OPP’s Technical Traffic Collision Investigations and its Dangerous Goods Enforcement units, Transport Canada and North Bay Police Service were among the organizations at the scene.
- RSOE Edis
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