Government emails have revealed that an Irving gas station on the outskirts of Woodstock leaked thousands of litres of diesel fuel into the environment, with estimates suggesting the spill may have exceeded 100,000 litres. The leak, traced to a crack in an elbow pipe connected to an underground diesel storage tank, contaminated local groundwater, forced the closure of a Tim Hortons and an Irving station, and raised concerns about nearby residential wells.
Documents obtained by CBC News indicate that the leak was discovered on December 12 after Tim Hortons reported petroleum contamination in its untreated water. Initial estimates placed the spill at 5,000 litres, but within days, officials revised the figure to between 50,000 and 100,000 litres. The leak’s cause remains unclear, and investigations continue into why it failed to trigger an alarm.
Environmental cleanup efforts, led by Dillon Consulting on behalf of Irving Oil, have included vacuum trucks operating around the clock, containment barriers, and long-term water testing. Residents near the site have undergone multiple well tests, with initial results showing no contamination. However, experts caution that ongoing monitoring will be necessary.
Despite the scale of the spill, Irving Oil has not publicly addressed the incident, and the Department of Environment and Climate Change has yet to provide clear answers on the full impact. Meanwhile, cleanup crews remain on site more than two months after the leak, with affected businesses still dealing with closures.
Source: Swifteradio.com
