Industrial Vehicle in the Beatton River
Last updated on April 5, 2023DISCLAIMER: Information provided is based on reports received by Emergency Management B.C. Information provided is considered to be current at the time of posting, but is subject to change as new information becomes available.
Incident Description
| Incident Date | September 27, 2017 |
|---|---|
| Name | Industrial Vehicle in the Beatton River (DGIR #: 172197) |
| Source | Pumper truck |
| Nearest Community | Pink Mountain, B.C. |
| Spilled Content | Hydraulic fluid, engine fluids |
| Who is involved? | B.C. Ministry of Environment & Climate Change, Emergency Management B.C., Halliburton, Progress Energy Canada Ltd., First Nations Health Authority, Northern Health |
Response Phase Detail
The responsible person or spiller is legally required to clean-up or manage the clean-up of a spill. In incidents where the responsible person is unknown, unable or unwilling to manage the clean up, the Ministry of Environment may assume the role. The updates below reflect the Ministry’s oversight of the spillers’ actions; details describe the spill response phase, only, and not the complete lifecycle of the spill. See More Information for other related reports.
Updates are in reverse chronological order, with the most recent at the top. Industry-specific language may be explained in the Glossary of Terms (PDF).
Most Recent Update
October 2, 2017 - 8:43 am
The pumper truck was removed from the Beatton River on Thursday, September 28, 2017. A release of hydraulic oil and diesel was observed when the truck was righted but the boom in place was effective at containing and collecting the product. A member of the Blueberry First Nation was on site to observe the response. Cleanup work at the incident site continued throughout the weekend.
Some recoverable sheen was observed in pockets as far as 2.5 km downstream of the incident. An environmental response contractor, hired by Halliburton, worked through the weekend to address these areas. A lower containment boom was installed at an access point 5 km downstream of the site but no product or sheen was visible that far downstream.
Initial sampling of the area has been conducted. Depending on the results of these initial samples, a more thorough sampling and monitoring plan will potentially be put together.
An Environmental Emergency Response Officer (EERO) will be back on scene today, Monday, October 2, 2017. An assessment of the riverbank where the vehicle was removed will be completed to determine any further remediation requirements.
No additional updates on this incident are anticipated unless the situation deteriorates.
(Truck being removed from the Beatton River on Thursday, September 28, 2017)
Previous Updates
September 28, 2017 - 8:36 am
An Environmental Emergency Response Officer (EERO) with B.C. Ministry of Environment & Climate Change arrived at the incident sight last night. Boom was deployed 150 m downstream from the pumper truck and was effectively collecting product. The total volume of all products on board is estimated to be a maximum of 2500 L. It is unknown at this time the exact amount of product that has been released to the environment.
Progress Energy Canada Ltd. initially responded to the incident in place of the responsible party, Halliburton. Halliburton has now assumed full control of the incident. An emergency response contractor and an environmental consultant have both been hired by Halliburton to aid in spill cleanup and remediation.
Additional containment boom has been put in place and no recoverable product has been observed outside of the boomed area. Halliburton has contracted a heavy lift crane and other necessary equipment to recover the truck and trailer. The recovery equipment is expected to be on site by noon today to lift the truck out of the Beatton River.
Once the truck has been removed a more comprehensive remediation plan will be put in place. The Environmental Emergency Response Officer will be back on site to oversee the the recovery of the pumper truck this afternoon.
First Nations Health Authority and Northern Health have been notified. Emergency Management B.C. is working to notify six local First Nations that have interests in the area. These Nations include: Blueberry River, Doig River, Halfway River, West Moberly, Dene Tha' and Horse Lake.
September 27, 2017 - 3:00 pm
A Halliburton pumper truck left the road while crossing the Beatton River on the 135 Mile Rd, approximately 125 km northwest of Fort St. John.The pumper truck was not carrying any dangerous goods, however it had an estimated 1000 L of hydraulic fluid in the equipment on board.
The pumper truck is now resting in the Beatton River. Hydraulic fluid and other engine fluids are currently leaking into the river. Halliburton and Progress Energy Canada Ltd. have activated their emergency response plans and two vacuum trucks are on site. Booming equipment is also on site and additional resources are en route.
B.C. Ministry of Environment & Climate Change will continue to monitor this incident and more details will be provided when new information becomes available.