Up to 3,000 litres of diesel spilled in Port Carling tanker accident.
TANKER ACCIDENT. A jack knifed tanker truck shut down Highway 118 West at Ferndale Road early Wednesday morning, spilling up to 3,000 litres of fuel. Crews worked well into the morning to contain the spill. (Photo by Louis Tam)
Louis Tam
PORT CARLING -Up to 3,000 litres of diesel fuel has leaked after a tanker truck jackknifed in the heart of Port Carling early Wednesday morning.
The accident happened at the intersection of Ferndale Road and Highway 118 West just minutes after 1 a.m. Traffic on Highway 118 remained blocked well into the morning hours as crews worked to clean up the fuel spill. No injuries were reported.
“One compartment of the tanker was damaged. Unfortunately this was the only compartment that was full, with the others being empty,” said Muskoka Lakes fire chief Richard Hayes. “This compartment contains 9,000 litres of diesel. Where the damage is located, there can be a potential loss of 3,000 litres.”
Hayes said a dike has been placed around the tanker to contain the spill, and that crews are working to mitigate the leak. With the truck blocking all traffic, emergency crews have been put on standby on both sides of the accident scene.
Police say the Ministry of the Environment has been notified, and that they will be assisting and supervising the cleanup. A hazmat unit was on scene by 8 a.m. to help contain the spill.
However, it is not yet clear whether any of the fuel has leaked into any surrounding water sources.
OPP spokesperson Sgt. Peter Leon said Highway 118 west of Brown road has been closed, and will remain closed until further notice.
“Due to the location, there is no detour that can be instituted and Highway 118 will remain closed indefinitely until the spilled fuel can be cleaned up and the remaining fuel safely removed from the involved trailers,” said Leon.