Clean-up continues for Armstrong Regional Co-op after one of its trucks crashed near Enderby Tuesday morning, spilling thousands of litres of fuel.
READ MORE: Potentially explosive situation after fuel truck crashes; river contamination possible
The truck went off Mabel Lake Road down an embankment and struck some trees. A large flooded field separates where the crash happened and the Shuswap River.
The company estimates roughly 60 per cent of the diesel and gas aboard, about 10,000 litres, spilled in the accident.
The spill happened near the Shuswap River and prompted Interior Health to issue precautionary water advisory for residents living downstream of the crash.
The health authority said it was unclear if fuel entered the river, but advised, “any residents along the river in the impacted area should not use water if it smells or tastes like fuel or if there is fuel visible in the water.”
At this point, an environmental clean-up team on-site said it doesn’t appear the fuel has made it into the Shuswap River, but there is a sheen on the water of the flooded field.
Two booms have been set up on the field to try and stop any further fuel from spreading.
Clean-up is now underway along with an environmental assessment. For much of the day Tuesday the area had a stark smell of gas, which created concerns any sort of spark could start a fire. That is no longer believed to be a factor.
“An environmental impact assessment and sampling plan will be implemented in the next few days,” according to a ministry of environment news release.
Hydro-vac trucks started sucking up fuel Tuesday and are arriving back on scene again Wednesday. Another truck has emptied the remaining fuel from the crashed vehicle.
A large tow-truck is on-site preparing to remove the vehicle from the scene.
-with files from Megan Turcato
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