Communities shut water intake from B.C. lake after fuel spill reaches 80,000 litres

The Canadian Press

· Posted: Nov 06, 2025 8:41 PM EST | Last Updated: November 7

UPDATE, Nov. 6, 9:37 p.m. PT — Michael Grenier, manager for Area J of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD), said h2o trial results person shown the h2o meets B.C. standards for drinking, wildlife and irrigation arsenic of Thursday. TNRD h2o systems are unfastened and backstage h2o strategy operators person been informed of the trial results. The h2o volition proceed to beryllium tested.

Original story:

A section authoritative says tiny communities connected Kamloops Lake successful British Columbia person been shutting down their intakes from the waterway aft it was revealed that much than 80,000 litres of aviation substance spilled connected its shores successful a bid derailment past weekend.

The province's estimation of the spill size was accrued precocious Wednesday, prompting a petition for water-quality results from Michael Grenier, manager for Area J of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

Grenier said the spill is "substantially larger" than what was "originally anticipated," creating a interest for communities that gully h2o from the water and downstream.

He said he's anxious to spot h2o trial results that the territory was "insisting on" connected Wednesday.

B.C.'s Environment Ministry said results from samples collected connected Sunday and Monday person been "received and reviewed" by the Interior Health authority.

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) said the derailment occurred connected Saturday night, astir 20 kilometres westbound of Kamloops, and it progressive a locomotive and 17 obstruction cars, 2 of which were carrying aviation fuel.

WATCH | A CPKC locomotive derailed adjacent Kamloops, B.C., Saturday evening :

The ministry said Tuesday that astir 12,700 litres of aviation substance had been released into the environment, but precocious Wednesday said a further 68,000 litres had escaped a 2nd obstruction car.

It said 3 bare obstruction cars containing residual gasoline stay astatine the derailment site, with 1 connected the slope starring to the lake, and the different 2 successful the water.

Grenier said helium expects the trial results to travel backmost antagonistic for contamination, but immoderate measures person been taken retired of "abundance of caution."

He said that crossed the lake, the assemblage of Frederick has been advised by Interior Health not to gully h2o from the lake. Instead, the railway institution has been providing bottled water, said Grenier.

He said the lakeside assemblage of Tobiano, 7 kilometres from the derailment site, had taken the precaution of shutting disconnected its h2o intake.

"They person a reservoir that tin past them respective days, and truthful ... they person that capability," helium said, adding that the trial results would beryllium known "long earlier they tally retired of water."

Grenier, who visited the derailment site, said the aviation substance didn't spill straight into the lake, but onto the shoreline.

The railway has placed aggregate contamination booms to incorporate immoderate spillage.

The ministry said the liable institution is legally required to cleanable up immoderate spill. It said the railway had recovered a shoreline cleanup nonrecreational who would beryllium connected tract connected Friday.

CPKC said successful a connection that it remains afloat committed to the cleanup of the site, and that 2 obstruction cars were "safely removed from the tract connected Thursday."

"CPKC situation crews stay connected tract moving with federal, provincial, section and Indigenous responders connected the cleanup of the spilled substance and the removal of the remaining obstruction cars," the connection says.

The railway has said determination were nary injuries, and the origin of the derailment is nether investigation.