Update On Mimico Creek

Making proactive progress to cleanup and restore Mimico Creek

November 3, 2023

Etobicoke-Lakeshore -Christine Hogarth MPP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore, is pleased to provide an important update on the ongoing efforts to address the ongoing cleanup efforts of Mimico Creek.

We are delighted to announce that the cleanup is currently transitioning to the restoration phase, marking a significant milestone in the process. There have been multiple phases related to cleanup efforts when dealing with the significant spill, which include containment, large-scale cleanup, and restoration.

The Ministry, in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), has been rigorously verifying the cleanup measures taken to date to confirm their acceptability. This crucial step in the process began in mid-October and may extend into late November to ensure that all necessary precautions are in place. In addition, Brenntag has submitted a comprehensive restoration plan. Which will be assessed, restored and monitored to demonstrate the effectiveness of the cleanup efforts.

The ministry continues to monitor the situation through daily site visits to Mimico Creek and Humber Creek as part of the verification of the shore clean up assessment, maintaining regular communication with the company and partner agencies to ensure appropriate containment and cleanup activities continued to be carried out.

MPP Christine Hogarth wants to clarify:

1.  The wildlife numbers have been updated to 91 wildlife being treated and released. Currently, there are no wildlife under care.
2. With respect to the ministry’s response to the letter from Environmental Defence taking five weeks for a response:

The letter was received on September 7, 2023, and the ministry replied on September 18, 2023. It’s important to note that the incoming communication was a joint letter from Environmental Defence, Toronto Environmental Alliance, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Women’s Healthy Environments Network, and Swim Drink Fish.

Key Facts:

• A 6-alarm fire at Brenntag Canada, a chemical distribution facility that blends lubricating oils, was reported to the ministry on Friday August 11, 2023. The company indicated that approximately 700,000 litres of oil, transmission fuel and solvents were stored at the facility.

• The Hazardous Materials Unit from Toronto Fire Services and the ministry’s Trace Atmospheric Gas Analyser (TAGA) were deployed and confirmed that there were no air quality concerns resulting from the fire. 

• Ministry staff have remained on-site to monitor the situation since early morning of August 11, 2023, and have been engaged with the City of Toronto Water department, Brenntag Canada and its spill cleanup contractor.
  
• The company estimates that the total amount of product/water mix removed from waterways is currently 6.5 million litres. The company is still working to estimate the amount of product that has been sent directly to the sanitary sewer.

• Following the cleanup, the company will be required to begin necessary work to mitigate and restore the natural environment as much as practicably possible. This may include undertaking assessments to determine appropriate mitigative and remediation measures.

• A spill of this significance requires several stages to reduce adverse effects and restore the natural environment, which includes containment and cleanup prior to initiating remediation activities.

MEDIA CONTACT Palakh Dhawan Communications and Outreach Specialist Office of MPP Christine Hogarth Etobicoke-Lakeshore 416-259-2249 palakh.dhawan@pc.ola.org