Little Sackville River Remediation, Update

The team of federal, provincial and municipal officials investigating the cause of the fish kill in the Little Sackville River has narrowed the cause to two possible events: the introduction of a manmade substance or naturally occurring chemicals leaching from pyritic slate in the ground.

The members of the Regional Environmental Emergency Team (REET) met again Thursday evening, July 18, to analyse the preliminary test results from water taken in the area and to discuss the ongoing efforts to control and contain the release of any additional material.

On July 18 members from the Department of Environment and Labour and the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans erected a cofferdam at the mouth of the Little Sackville River to impede the migration of the material from proceeding further down stream.

In addition, water from the holding pond that feeds into the river has been removed and is in storage for further treatment and disposal. Water entering the holding lagoon from a storm drain and an adjacent pond has been diverted from entering the holding pond to prevent the release of additional contaminants. The remaining sediment in the holding pond will be collected and temporally stored pending further analysis.

As part of the ongoing remediation efforts, pockets of the coagulated material have been removed from pools along the river. Department of Fisheries and Oceans staff have also placed a barrier net at the mouth of the main Sackville River to temporarily prevent adult salmon from returning upstream to spawn.

The latest test results from water samples have been shared with the medical officer of health for the Capital Health District. Dr. Robert Strang has determined there is no indication that there is a health risk to the public. As a precaution he advises that children be kept from touching and playing with dead fish in the area while additional information is collected and analysed.