HORNEPAYNE — A March 4 crash near the Jackfish River in Hornepayne has raised concerns among locals.
While the incident remains under investigation, residents have taken to social media to make each other aware of the scene.
Images shared on Facebook show fuel leaking from the overturned truck.
The crash occurred on Canadian National Railway (CN) property near a train track access road, prompting a response from the company in an effort to contain the spill and monitor the situation.
CN’s senior manager of public affairs, incident management and safety, Daniel Salvatore, shared a statement with Dougall Media addressing the crash and how CN is handling the cleanup.
“On the morning of March 4 a third party, or non-CN fuel transport truck, crashed on the side of a road on CN property resulting in the release of some of the diesel fuel it was transporting.
"The response was immediate to establish a containment perimeter. All observations to date inform that the spilled product has been contained and there are no concerns of product reaching nearby Jackfish River,” wrote Salvatore.
“CN and local environmental contractors will remain active at the site monitoring until a remediation plan can be implemented once the weather permits.”
The Ontario Provincial Police provided further clarification about the truck, telling Dougall Media that it was a Pepco truck carrying approximately 25,000 litres of diesel fuel -- with about 250 litres of fuel spilling into the river.
OPP notified the Ministry of the Environment, who have been attending the scene with CN's Dangerous Goods branch and a Green For Life Hazmat Recovery team for clean-up.
The cause of the crash is believed to have been icy road conditions, according to the OPP's investigation.
The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries, was transported to the Hornepayne Hospital and released shortly thereafter.
