Ontario NDP demands answers about Etobicoke chemical fire cleanup

Members of Ontario’s Official Opposition are demanding answers about what exactly is in the chemical runoff that has spread to two Etobicoke watersheds and into Lake Ontario following a massive industrial fire on Aug. 11 and the risks that this “dangerous sludge” may pose.

In an Aug. 24 letter to David Piccini, the province’s minister of environment, conservation, and parks, NDP MPPs Sandy Shaw (Hamilton West-Ancaster-Dundas), Peter Tabuns (Toronto-Danforth), and Bhutila Karpoche (Parkdale-High Park) say that the six-alarm fire at chemical distributor Brenntag Canada Inc., at 35 Vulcan St. in Rexdale, “caused chemical sludge to spill and spread rapidly,” killing “countless local wildlife and destroying their habitats.”

“Local residents and visitors have been impacted and are in need of clear information,” they wrote.

“Neither Brenntag nor your Ministry have been transparent with the public about which chemicals were spilled, let alone the risks that they pose.”

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On Aug. 18, the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks said GFL, the contractor tasked to clean up the spill, has deployed four boats to assess how much material made it into Lake Ontario and come up with additional measures after various structures put in place to contain the mess from spreading further in Mimico and Humber creeks were breached due to heavy rain.

A boom encapsulates contaminants in Mimico Creek in Toronto on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2023. After an industrial fire in Etobicoke, Ont. last week lead to contamination of Mimico Creek, nearly 80 ducks have been pulled from the contaminated creek to be treated and housed at the Toronto charity. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston

The Ministry said earlier this week that cleanup efforts could take until October.

The letter’s authors, meanwhile, are seeking a “clear timeline and expectations for the clean-up operations” with details about why it is expected to take until October to be done, what measures have been taken to ensure those affected are fully informed about the risks of contamination at nearby beaches and watersheds, and what chemicals are involved.

“As Minister of the Environment, it is your responsibility to ensure transparency and stewardship of Ontario’s precious green space, and the safety of the people and wildlife who visit and live within in,” they said.

Shaw, Tabuns, and Karpoche are also calling on the Province to provide emergency funding for the Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC), which they called a “critical public partner in the efforts to protect local wildlife” that is “repeatedly under resourced.”

Following the fire, TWC quickly stepped up to assist with mitigating its impacts on local wildlife. As of Tuesday, the non-profit organization confirmed that it rescued more than 100 birds, however 18 have died.

“We share (Toronto Wildlife Centre’s) concern, and request that they be provided with emergency funding to ensure they can provide timely and effective operations,” the MPPs said, adding with the Auditor General’s recent scathing report on the Greenbelt, Ontarians have “good reason to doubt your government’s intentions when it comes to environmental protection.”

“By releasing a full transparent timeline for this cleanup operation and fully funding the public partners who are protecting the environment, you can help rebuild that vital trust, day-by-day.”

Thick brown substance flows from Humber Bay into Lake Ontario.

In a statement provided to CP24.com on Friday morning, Daniel Strauss, a spokesperson for Piccini, said that the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks has been “on the ground since the morning of the fire ensuring that the responsible party takes all appropriate actions to clean up the spilled materials.”

“The spill has been contained with significant clean up already completed, however, to ensure Ontario’s strict environmental standards continue to be met, the Ministry expects to remain on site to monitor the situation until October,” he said, noting that the province is “fully committed to providing updates to the public on the status of the clean up as details become available.”

Strauss also said that the ministry has taken samples of the impacted creeks and is doing a technical analysis of them.

It has also required Brenntag Canada Inc. to develop a 24/7 hotline [phone]) for inquiries from the public about the progress of the cleanup, he said.

Further, the chemical distribution company must establish a “wildlife response plan” and provide Environment and Climate Change Canada, the lead agency for addressing impacts to wildlife, with updated numbers of impacted wildlife. The agency was notified of the incident shortly after it happened, Strauss said.

“Brenntag Canada Inc. is also engaged with Toronto Wildlife Centre and are working with the centre and environmental consultants are conducting impact assessments,” he added.

Strauss also noted that there are no concerns with drinking water and that they’ve been advised by Toronto Public Health that “precautionary” closures of the city’s beaches are not needed at this time. He noted that “relevant agencies” would immediately notify the public if that changes.

In a statement on Friday, Brenntag said it continues to cooperate with authorities on the investigation into the fire as well as the ongoing cleanup.

“To minimize the impact on the environment resulting from the fire and the fire suppression activities, and to protect the community, Brenntag takes and supports all necessary measures,” the statement read.

“The cleanup work along the creeks and lakeshore is ongoing and progressing well, according to MECP and GFL.”

 

Residents who have further questions are being urged to contact the ministry’s Toronto District Office Duty Line at 416-326-3381 during regular business hours or after-hours to call the ministry’s Pollution Hotline at 1-866-663-8477.

CP24.com has also contacted Brenntag for comment.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Alex Arsenych and CP24’s Bryann Aguilar.