Spills revive U.S.-Canada waterway concerns

October 14, 2013

Three environmental accidents straddling the U.S.-Canadian border during the past 15 months have revived longstanding questions about the ability of the two countries to protect water supplies in emergencies in Metro Detroit and elsewhere.

Officials from both nations agreed there was confusion last year when a dredge sinking in U.S. waters north of Port Huron leaked diesel fuel and another loading cargo in Sarnia, Ontario, leaked ethyl benzene into the St. Clair River. A rupture nearly five weeks ago in an underground pipe in Sarnia that released diesel fuel into the St. Clair also prompted criticism about post-accident communications.

The waterway from the lower half of Lake Huron down the St. Clair River to Detroit contains several intake pipes that provide drinking water to communities in both countries. In worst-case scenarios, when accidents and spills aren't reported promptly, those communities can't close the pipes in time to keep contaminated water from reaching the public.

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