It was a citizen of the Saint-Gérard-des-Laurentides sector who alerted the authorities after noticing a strong smell of diesel in the air. “It smelled so bad that I had a friend who was working on the water who had a headache,” the man in question admits.
For its part, the Ministry of the Environment points out that the accidental leak “could have been caused by a poorly closed valve on the heating oil tank of a nearby residential building.” [de la rivière]”.
When Shawinigan firefighters first arrived on scene, they closed the faulty valve. Assuming that the intervention took place “shortly after the start of the event”, the Ministry agrees in the same breath that “recovery of the hydrocarbons released into the river was not possible” and that the amount spilled “could not be determined “. with precision”.
The ministry emphasizes that it remains in contact with the person responsible for the oil spill. We say we want to ensure that “the necessary measures are taken to recover pollutants, in particular the management of contaminated soils.”
According to authorities, an inspection of the premises will be carried out shortly. On-site observations will determine how the case should be pursued, based on the Environment Ministry’s policy on dealing with violations, it details.
However, the ministry refuses to speak of an investigation, “which is a separate process initiated with a view to a criminal appeal,” it says. There is also no information at this stage regarding the completion of ongoing procedures or the sanctions that may be imposed on the owner of the equipment in question.