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A spill in the St. Clair River has been contained, according to Suncor.
The Sarnia, Ont., oil refinery says a hydrocarbon sheen was identified on the watercourse around 6 p.m. ET Wednesday as part of the company’s “regular monitoring.”
A hydrocarbon sheen normally starts off as a black-brown tint from petroleum products, and is shiny or has an iridescent appearance on the surface of water.
In a statement, Suncor said the outlet of the release has been determined and contained.
“Suncor immediately deployed its response equipment including booms and vacuum equipment on the St. Clair River,” company spokesperson Christine Randall said.
“Cleanup is underway, with support from Eastern Canada Response Corporation.”
Ontario’s ministry of the environment says the spill occurred from Suncor’s storm water collection system, and the refinery company was responsible for cleaning it up.
“Cleanup is ongoing, and booms remain in place to ensure any remaining spill material is contained,” the province said in a statement, adding it was unaware of any impact to wildlife.
“The ministry will also conduct an additional field visit today to further assess the state of the cleanup and the status of the spill.”
The size of the spill and how long it was being discharged into the water have yet to be released.
On Thursday, around 9 a.m., the city’s alert notification system said there wasn’t any downstream impact from the spill, and that the municipal water system was not affected.
According to Randall, “appropriate” regulatory agencies and local community organizations have been notified.
The Sarnia refinery has been in operation since 1952 — up to roughly 85,000 barrels of oil per day.
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