Update – Mimico Creek Cleanup & Monitoring
November 1st Update
Toronto Water has shared an update on the cleanup status at multiple locations along Mimico Creek (see below) .
For the most up-to date information on the cleanup efforts, please contact the ministry’s Toronto District Office Duty Line at 416-326-3381 during regular business hours or during after-hours call the ministry’s Pollution Hotline at 1-866-663-8477.
As of November 1st …
West Deane Park — Containment recently removed, no visible sheen.
Echo Valley Park — Containment no longer in place, no visible sheen.
Tom Riley Park — Containment in place, no visible sheen.
Queensway/Mimico — Containment no longer in place, no visible sheen.
Lakeshore/Mimico & Humber Bay Park — Containments still in place, some sheen observed between the sets of containment. Minor sheen along shoreline, contained by first set of booms. Nothing found after final set of containment towards Lake Ontario.
September 15th Update
Toronto Water has shared an update on the cleanup status at multiple locations along Mimico Creek (see below) and the status of the investigation into the fire:
The investigation into the fire by the Ontario Fire Marshall has concluded, and the response led by MECP on the cleanup continues. The property where the fire took place has been released back to the property owner and Toronto Fire is no longer managing the site.
For the most up-to date information on the cleanup efforts, please contact the ministry’s Toronto District Office Duty Line at 416-326-3381 during regular business hours or during after-hours call the ministry’s Pollution Hotline at 1-866-663-8477.
As of September 15th …
West Deane Park — Fencing was removed, and pedestrian bridge is now open. Rain events impacted water flow, and booms impacted were replaced once water receded.
Echo Valley Park — No clean up crews have been on site and no sheen or material observed in creek. No containment or absorbent booms at this location. Flushing operations began on September 12 and are ongoing.
Tom Riley Park — Reduction in debris/material captured within the boom from the previous week.
Queensway/Mimico — Booms intact and no visible debris accumulation.
Lakeshore/Mimico & Humber Bay Park — Containment and absorbent boom in place at Lakeshore Blvd W. Small amounts of material observed. Multiple layers of containment and absorbent booms are in place at Mimico just before the Lake. GFL staff have been removing debris and adjusting booms where necessary.
August 30th Update:
The Provincial Ministry of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks has shared this update with our office:
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks takes all spills and threats to the natural environment very seriously. Ministry staff continue to monitor the situation to ensure proper actions are taken by the responsible party to contain and clean up the spill as well as restore the natural environment
The discharged material is comprised of several chemical products that were on-site at the time of the incident, with majority being petroleum-based. The discharge also included contaminated douse water and firefighting foam used to extinguish the fire.
A spill of this significance requires several stages to reduce adverse effects and restore the natural environment, which includes containment and cleanup prior to initating remediation activities. Significant progress has been made to remove the spilled material.
The ministry has taken samples of the spill to characterize the impacts on the surface water quality, sediment, soil, and vegetation along the impacted area. While the technical analysis of the samples is currently underway, preliminary results confirm petroleum-based products as the main contributor to the ecological impacts. The ministry continues to sample and gather information to assess the extent of environmental impacts.
The ministry has remained engaged with the City of Toronto to ensure the city’s drinking water supply has not been impacted from the spill and continues to be safe.
August 21st Update:
Toronto Water has shared an update on the cleanup status at multiple locations along Mimico Creek (see below) and the ongoing monitoring and safety of Toronto’s tap water:
Drinking water sources are not impacted and remain safe. Toronto's tap water is continuously tested, monitored and analyzed to ensure it meets the strict standards of Toronto Public Health, the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada. Toronto Public Health has been notified, and the R.L. Clark Water Treatment Plant has been notified so they can take samples as appropriate.
As of August 21 …
West Deane Park & Echo Valley Park— Creek appears to be running clear. Containment measures no longer at this location.
Tom Riley Park — Containment & absorbent boom in place, and 1 vacuum truck to collect material from the boom. Some oil observed along booms, but no new material appears to be passing through.
Queensway/Mimico — A solid boom containment remains in place. Some brownish material observed along the sides of the creek north and south of the boom.
Lakeshore/Mimico & Humber Bay Park — Small plume present at both the Lakeshore and Humber Bay Park areas. Hard containment & absorbent booms and oil snare lines have been installed and are positioned to contain any material still in Mimico Creek. 7 vacuum trucks (2 at Lakeshore; 5 at Humber Bay Park) are working with many boats to collect and remove contents. Trucks and tanks are posted at the shore to pick up materials from boats.
August 18th Update:
The containment in Mimico Creek has been breached due to heavy rain. GFL (the contracted cleanup crew) is re-establishing the containment, and the Ministry of the Environment and the Spills Action Centre are aware and responding to this situation.
GFL and Toronto Water continue to work to cleanup Mimico and Humber Creek, and the TRCA will continue sampling on the upstream and downstream Mimico site locations throughout the weekend and monitoring any impact to the watercourse or resident wildlife.
This week, residents have been reaching out to my office to share questions and concerns about runoff into Mimico Creek from the industrial fire in North Etobicoke, and the impacts on local wildlife. I share your concerns and desire to see the spill cleaned up as soon as possible, and I’ve reached out to Toronto Water and Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA).
Toronto Water has shared the following update regarding the cleanup work underway:
The situation is steadily improving and work is underway to have the spill contained in multiple locations. The company where the fire took place has hired cleanup crews who have been working with City staff and staff from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP), and Environment Canada to contain the spill and remove as much material as possible quickly to restore the waterways.
Mimico Creek and Humber Creek have been impacted but no substances have been have been detected in Lake Ontario.
The company where the fire took place has hired cleanup crews who are using multiple underflow dams, containment and absorbent booms and vacuum trucks to remove substance from the watercourses. The situation is being monitored 24/7 by Toronto Water staff.
The City is aware of ducks and other wild birds along the sides of the creek affected by the run off from the Etobicoke fire and requiring treatment. The City has attended the site and connected with Toronto Wildlife Center (TWC) and the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). TWC and the Ministry are addressing the issue and, if needed, the City remains ready to assist.
TRCA is also monitoring the cleanup efforts at Mimico Creek.
Yesterday morning, TRCA triggered their autosamplers along Mimico Creek to sample the water every hour for a 42 hour period. Samples will be collected at two locations along Mimico Creek:
Just upstream of the spill location at HWY 427, and
Downstream of the spill, just upstream of the Gardiner.
After 42 hours, these samples will be collected and sent to Toronto Water Dee Ave. lab for analysis. Currently TRCA does not know the extent or severity of the environmental damage. TRCA will work closely with its Federal, Provincial and Municipal partners to facilitate any cleanup if needed and to help with the mitigation of any further environmental damage.
My team and I will continue to be in touch with City and TRCA staff, and I will share any updates on cleanup progress as they’re available.
