Nearly a week after a chemical spill in Fredericton that has raised concerns for residents and motorists, the province of New Brunswick has offered an update on the investigation, saying the health risk is low and analysis continues.
The substance, which was bright yellow and spanned 14 kilometres, was spilled by a vehicle travelling on the Vanier Highway/Trans-Canada Highway between Fredericton and Oromocto.
Testing later revealed the substance included hexavalent chromium, which is described as being toxic and possibly carcinogenic.
During a media availability Wednesday, Charbel Awad, deputy minister of Environment and Local Government, said about 900 litres had spilled.
The spill happened on the evening of Wednesday, March 4, and was reported to the province by the City of Fredericton the next day.
In explaining the timeline, Awad said preliminary lab results were received on Friday at noon.
Once the presence of hexavalent chromium was identified, the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization (NBEMO) was activated at Level 2.
Based on the timeline, there has been criticism the province took until Friday to shut down the section of the highway.
Mark Scott, director of operations with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure, said closing the road was “not a decision that we take lightly” and that it took “a significant amount of time and resources to do so.”
“We need to do it in a safe manner for both our crews out there as well as the travelling public. So once we had a better understanding late into Thursday, early into Friday, that’s why we made the decision to close it,” he said.
“And for us, (it) being the Trans-Canada Highway adds a significant layer of complexity to that.”
Awad said XL Plating & Machining has been identified as the “responsible party” and the company is responsible for paying for the remediation.
Global News reached out to XL Plating & Machining, and a spokesperson declined to comment for the story.
“Over the coming weeks, monitoring, testing and remedial work will continue. As the investigation concludes, the respective parties will evaluate appropriate enforcement actions, which may include charges and fines,” said Awad.
Awad said the province understands that some members of the public feel there were gaps in communication, adding that potential improvements will be part of an upcoming review.
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“We always strive to do better and understand where we need to go to provide that information and how we provide it,” he said.
“But also trying to balance the fact that we don’t want to speculate. We want to ensure we have the facts and that we’re providing specific information and specific guidance that won’t change over time that people can depend on.”
Green Party Leader David Coon, who is also the MLA for the area, has been critical of the province’s response and transparency.
“The actual test results must be made public so we know what levels of chromium they found,” he said in a social media post Wednesday.
“Why did it take two days to warn the public and begin the clean-up? I will continue to try to push for answers to this question and many others.”
Among the questions Coon feels are unanswered is when the chemical-carrying vehicle was last inspected, if the government has been in communication with the company since the spill, if it was a tanker truck or a truck carrying containers and the exact route it took.
Health risk is low: medical officer
The province set up a decontamination site and car wash beginning Saturday for vehicles that drove over the spill.
A spokesperson said 775 vehicles have gone through the wash so far.
Dr. Rita Gad, Regional Medical Officer of Health, said while she understands the concern around hexavalent chromium, she still categorizes this exposure risk as low.
The chemical was dispersed over a long distance, she added, and the samples assessed were collected the morning after the spill and from where “the heaviest visible spill” was seen.
“These levels were expected to be elevated. I still assess the possibility of exposure as low,” she said.
“Hexavalent chromium can sound alarming, and I can certainly understand why. It is true that exposure to this substance over a long period of time can increase the risk of certain cancers. However, I want to stress that one time or short contact with hexavalent chromium does not increase your cancer risk.”
She said the province doesn’t believe there are issues with the drinking water, although a “long-term plan to sample soil and drinking water” is being established.
“And if through this process we identify information that changes our understanding of the health risk, we will let you know,” she said.
People are advised not to touch the substance or any residue, and to keep an eye on children and pets who may come into contact with it.
If there is contact on the skin or the eyes, people should rinse the area with clean water for 15 minutes and seek medical help if there is persistent irritation or coughing.
EFI Global, an environmental consulting service, has been hired to clean up and remediate the site.
Kevin Burgher, the company’s vice-president, told reporters they don’t expect “significant remediation” to be required because the vehicle carrying the chemical travelled along the road and spread it “over a significant distance.”
“We are doing analysis. Those analyses will be pending,” he said.
“The concern at this point would be around the Allison (Boulevard) overpass area, where obviously the vehicle was (at) slower speeds, where there could have been potentially a little bit more dispersed in that area.”
Burgher went on to say the company has been fielding calls from concerned citizens who may have driven on the road and washed the substance off at home or live out of town and can’t make it to the province’s dedicated car washes.
“We are triaging these calls based on those situations. So obviously, if people did wash off a vehicle in their garage or at home, or for example, if they do have a well nearby, those are priority sites that we’re evaluating initially,” he said.
“We are getting back to everyone and triaging based on that.”
— with a file from The Canadian Press
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