Emergency situation in Marathon - Yet another chemical spill

A third chemical spill since December occured in Marathon, Ontario on Sunday, and is continuing to leak at the rate of 1,200 litres per hour.

The pipeline being used to transfer the black liquor chemical from the bankrupt Marathon Pulp mill to a spill basin is the source of the leak. The chemicals are leaking 5 metres below the surface, just 50 metres from Lake Superior.

Tembec officials are calling the situation an emergency. They have no more safe storage available at the site for the chemicals. Clean-up crews are on site, but have been unable to fix the leak. The only option left for Tembec is to vacuum the spilled chemicals into two industrial clean-up trucks.

Once the trucks are full, they'll be driven to a spill basin where the chemicals will be deposited.

The Ontario Ministry of the Environment is monitoring the process.

Source:

Chemical spill in Marathon (TbNewsWatch)