Imperial Oil (Esso) of Canada reported that its industrial facility in Sarnia dumped wastewater containing hydrochloric acid into the St. Clair River on Tuesday night.
According to the Sarnia Observer, the company said in a Wednesday press release that the discharge was discovered at approximately 10:15 p.m. and stopped at approximately 10:45 p.m. It’s not clear how long the chemical spill occurred and what volume of acid-tainted water reached the river.
Numerous drinking water plants, on the U.S. and Canadian side of the river, operate downstream from Sarnia’s “Chemical Valley” industrial complex where Imperial Oil is located. It appears that no U.S. plants that extract water from the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair or the Detroit River were immediately notified of the spill.
The Observer reported that the company said it alerted Ontario’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change — the Canadian Coast Guard — downstream water users, and the Chemical Valley Emergency Co-ordinating Organization of the incident.
The company said it is investigating the cause of the pollution dump and the volume of the spill. Hydrochloric acid is occasionally used at the site to clean processing equipment.
It should be noted that this industrial accident is typical of an industry mindset dating back to the 1960s that “the solution to pollution is dilution.”
Imperial Oil offered assurances that the spill consisted of wastewater containing less than 10 percent hydrochloric acid. The company also self-reported that their monitoring of water quality after the discharge identified no impact downstream, but the process was continuing as a precaution.
This is total BS everyone knows it’s cheaper for they people to pay fine than haul it away. If the fines were increased for this there would be less accidents.
True. But in order to do that, the EPA needs to be able to enforce the Clean Water Act. But to support their funders/friends in the oil industry, the Republican House has dramatically reduced the EPA’s enforcement budget. And they’ve launched 14 separate attempts in this Congress to weaken the Clean Water Act. So don’t blame the EPA for “not doing its job.” It isn’t being allowed to by the Republicans.
This story is ridiculous. HCl wastes, specifically FeCl, are used by water plants across North America to clarify drinking water. Look up coagulation. How PVS Nolwood makes all the money they contribute to Republicans. Within 15 minutes the water off Sarnia was clearer than it was before this spill.
If you are concerned about chlorides in the Great Lakes basin, focus on road salt.
What is important is that people will have safe and clean waters. Without clean water, we will all get sick and die. So if the chemicals thrown to the waters can positively give our waters the cleansing it needs, it’s much better than waters becoming contaminated by the different water pollutants.