By Staff
April 10, 2015
BURLINGTON, ON
It took several days for the city to get on top of the damage being done by some fuel that was poured into a catch basin on Spruce Street between Shoreacres Road and Goodram Drive.
By the time the problem was reported to the city a lot of damage had been done – Burlington Animal Services removed three Mute Swans in distress. The animals were taken to a wildlife rescue for rehabilitation. Two of the swans have since died.
City crews responded to the spill on Friday, April 3 after being notified by local residents.
“City staff and the Ministry of the Environment have been on site every day and used absorbent pads and booms to soak up the fuel in the water,” said Scott Stewart, general manager of development and infrastructure at the City of Burlington.
“The source of the spill is suspected to be a catch basin on Spruce Avenue where the substance was dumped. The toxic fuel then traveled to Shoreacres Creek and downstream towards Lake Ontario.”
The heavy rains rose the water levels in the creek destroying one of the books that had been put in place.
The city has not yet said what was dumped in a catch basin nor have they any idea who did the dumping or how much was poured into the catch basin.
“It is completely unacceptable that the irresponsible actions of one or more individuals have caused such terrible injury to animal life and to the natural environment,” said Stewart. “Paletta Lakefront Park is a popular spot where residents go to enjoy the waterfront and trails and wildlife lives. The deliberate disposal of hazardous pollutants has negatively impacted the community’s ability to enjoy and thrive in this space.”
A prefab bridge being installed at Shoreacres Creek. With heavy spring rains the volume of water flowing into the lake is significantly higher.
Residents with information related to this event can call the Ministry of Environment’s Spills Action Centre at 1-800-268-6060. More information about reporting spills to the Ministry of Environment is available at https://www.ontario.ca/environment-and-energy/report-spill.
The Ministry of Environment’s Investigations and Enforcement Branch division is responsible for investigating alleged environmental infractions. Prosecutions can result in fines, court orders and probation or jail terms.
Hazardous Waste Disposal
Burlington residents with household hazardous waste (such as paint, fuel and motor oil) for disposal can drop it off, free of charge, at the Halton Waste Management Site, located at 5400 Regional Road 25 in Milton, Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
I truly hope whoever dumped that waste will be caught and prosecuted.