An investigation has uncovered that approximately 900 litres of chromium that spilled onto several Fredericton area roadways, including Vanier Highway, came from XL Plating & Machining.
On Wednesday, the New Brunswick Deputy Minister of Environment identified the company responsible for the chemical spill last week.
Deputy Minister of Environment and Local Government Charbel Awad confirmed the company will be responsible for the cleanup and remediation costs, but did not give an estimate on costs.
“The province acts underneath a polluter pays principle, so once a responsible party has been identified, the onus is on them, both in the cleanup and the remediation and the impacts of the incident itself,” said Awad. “The extent as to all the impacts and potential ramifications of that, they will come as the event continues.”
In a social media post on Wednesday, New Brunswick’s Green Party Leader David Coon, questioned why it took two days to warn the public and begin the cleanup.
Awad said that when the substance was identified, the province began to understand the severity of the situation.
Social media users began commenting about the spill on March 4, noting the distinct yellow colour of the solution on the ground. Speculation continued after the City of Fredericton officially announced the spill on the morning of March 6. Roads were closed as an environmental consultant went to the scene.
The Government of New Brunswick says the spill was first reported to the Department of Environment and Local Government on March 5. Samples were taken during that time and sent for testing. The government says the results were received on March 6.
Preliminary testing identified traces of sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, and hexavalent chromium. The New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization (NBEMO) was then activated at Level 2.
Hexavalent chromium is a carcinogen. The chemical is commonly used in industrial plating and metalwork.
“Hexavalent chromium can sound alarming, and I can certainly understand why,” said Dr. Rita Gad, regional medical officer of health.
“It is true that exposure to this substance over a long period of time can increase the risk of certain cancers. However, I want to stress that one-time or short contact with hexavalent chromium does not increase your cancer risk.”
The doctor added that in this situation, the chemical was dispersed over a long distance on the highway, and the possibility of exposure was considered to be low.
When asked why officials did not close the affected roads when first notified 24 hours prior, the Department of Transportation’s Director of Operations, Mark Scott, said the decision to close roads is not taken lightly.
“Closing a road takes a significant amount of time and resources to do so. We need to do it in a safe manner for both our crews and the travelling public. Once we had a better understanding late into March 5 and early into March 6, that is when we decided to close [the affected roads]. Of course, part of it being the Trans-Canada Highway adds a significant layer of complexity to that,” said Scott.
A car wash was also set up for affected vehicles, and the last day it will be offered is on Thursday, March 12.
It is located off the Vanier Industrial Highway on Beek Court.
EFI Global has been hired to clean up the affected areas.
Anyone with questions about the situation should contact EFI Global on their 24/7 Emergency Spill Line at 1-866-530-4086. Callers should indicate that they are contacting them regarding the chemical spill in Fredericton, N.B.
