NationStates Jolt Archive

Imagine my shock yesterday when I picked up a paper and saw headlines about a train derailment (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1123100064270_118509264/?hub=Canada) and oil spill into a lake not far from where I grew up! It's not a particularly large lake, and they keep calling it a 'resort area', but we're talking shabby little cabins and a small town along it's shore. The majority of residents live there year round, not just for the summer. Frankly, I don't like the way they're spinning this story at all, though the article I linked to is the first reporting I've seen that is backing up the residents' claims that little is being done to contain the spill. This is a friggin' environmental disaster. I probably won't live long enough to see that lake recover! My dad went down to the shore and stuck a stick in...the sludge floating on top is six inches deep, and a lot of the heavier oil has settled to the bottom. No one is even speculating as to how this train derailed...not even as much to say, "We don't know". I hope CN pays for the whole cleanup (a joint Federal, Provicinal and CN venture that hasn't quite started) AND pays a huge fine. The drinking water is affected for kilometres around, and the oil could further contaminate the water table to the point where even my parent's place might be in trouble.

I'm very thankful no one was hurt, but someone made a stupid comment about how they were happy the spill wasn't toxic. This heavy oil IS toxic. Not immediately dangerous, like ammonia or other chemicals, but toxic nonetheless.

I can't even describe to you how upset I am about this. I never thought something like this would happen in my neck of the woods.

oil spills are terrible..wrecks the wildlife..terrible stuff fortunatly the rare bird rate of britain recoverd quite well and it is beggining to even improve after our last big oil spill :)

:(

That's terrible!!

oil spills are terrible..wrecks the wildlife..terrible stuff fortunatly the rare bird rate of britain recoverd quite well and it is beggining to even improve after our last big oil spill :)
Well this lake has been in rough shape anyway from emissions from the two power plants on its shores...this is like the coup de grace:( We just got the blue herons back too...