Cleanup of runoff from Toronto area industrial fire won't be completed until October: ministry

It’s been nearly two weeks since the runoff from the six-alarm industrial fire in Etobicoke, Ont. seeped into Mimico Creek – but the ministry says cleanup efforts may take until October.

A spokesperson for the ministry of environment, conservation and parks confirmed to CTV News Toronto in a statement that it expects to stay on site, monitoring the situation until then while remaining “actively engaged” with Brenntag Canada Inc., GFL Environmental, Toronto Water and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

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GFL, the contractor tasked to cleanup the spill from Aug. 11, deployed four boats as of last Thursday to assess whether the runoff made it into Lake Ontario following a bout of heavy rain.

The ministry confirmed Tuesday the spill did not reach open water.

“Containment efforts have been successful and the material was contained within the Humber Bay Park area of Mimico Creek,” the statement reads.

Officials have not disclosed what kind of chemicals are in the runoff. A recent video of Mimico Creek showed a thick, sludge-like substance flowing on top of the water.

Several measures are being done to stop the spill, including placing booms, hay bales, installing underflow dams, and deploying vacuum trucks to collect the oil slurry.

“As of August 21, 2023, the oil slurry had been collected and efforts will focus on the cleanup of the creek banks,” the statement reads.

“Moving forward, GFL will be working with Toronto Water to begin focusing on flushing storm sewers from the Brenntag site to the stormwater outfalls and the cleanup of creek banks.”

Coun. Amber Morley, who represents the area where the chemical plant is located, provided an update Monday on the ongoing cleanup from Toronto Water.

“Drinking water sources are not impacted and remain safe,” the online statement reads, adding the tap water is regularly tested, monitored and analyzed to adhere to government standards.

Morley noted containment remains in place at Tom Riley Park, and Queensway and Mimico, adding seven vacuum trucks are working with boats to collect and remove contents from Humber Bay Park and Lakeshore.

The runoff from the industrial fire has impacted local wildlife, as Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC) confirmed 106 birds have been rescued so far though 18 have died.

“Most of the birds in our care from the industrial spill are ducks, except for two ring-billed gulls and one great blue heron,” TWC’s Executive Director Nathalie Karvonen told CTV News Toronto in a statement.

In an update on Facebook, the centre urged residents to continue reporting wildlife who appear to be sick or oiled to its Wildlife Hotline.

With files from CP24’s Bryann Aguilar