Table Of ContentSPILLS ACTION CENTRE
SUMMARY REPORT OF 1994
SPILLS
NOVEMBER 1995
@
Ministryof
Ontario Environment
and Energy
ISSN1192-5078
SPILLS ACTION CENTRE
SUMMARY REPORT OF 1994 SPILLS
NOVE®MBER 1995
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PIBS2744E02
ABSTRACT
TheOntarioMinistryofEnvironmentandEnergy's SpillsActionCentrereceivesand
initiatesresponsestoreportsofspillsandotherurgentenvironmentalincidentsona
24-hourperdaybasis. Thisreportprovidesasummarizedreviewofspillsreportedtothe
Ministryduringthecalendaryearof1994,andcomparesthisinformationtothatobtained
inpreviousyears.
The SpillsActionCentredocumented 13 529occurrencesin 1994. Spillsaccovintedfor
5 007oftheseoccurrences;theremainderincludedacombinationofMinistry-required
notifications(otherthanspills),andenvironmentalcomplaintsfromthegeneralpublic.
ThenumberofspillsreportedtotheMinistryin 1994increasedby3 percentfrom 1993.
Thisisthefirstincreaseinthenumberofreportedspillssince 1989. Thenumberof spills
towaterandspillstoairaccountedforsomeofthis increasewhilethenumberofspillsto
landremainedvirtuallyunchanged.
Oilsandfuelsaccountedfor55 percentofspilledmaterials;chemicalsandchemical
solutionsaccountedfor 17percent;wastesandwastewaters 18percent; gaseous
emissions6percent;whileotherandunknownmaterialsaccountedfortheremaining4
percent. Alargeproportionofthereportedspillsinvolvedsmallvolumes. Cumulatively,
20percentofthespilledmaterialsinvolvedvolumeslessthan 10litres;55percentwere
lessthan 100litres;and86percent werelessthan 1 000litres.
All occurrencesreportedtotheMinistry,includingspills,aredocumentedona
computerizeddatabasemanagementsystemcalledtheOccurrenceReportInformation
System(ORIS). TheinformationstoredonthissystemisusedtoassisttheMinistryand
others, suchasEnvironmentCanadaandtheInternationalJointCommissionontheGreat
Lakes,inidentifyingandevaluatingenvironmentalconcerns.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
i
INTRODUCTION
1
Ontario'sSpillsLegislation 1
The SpillsActionCentre 1
TheOccurrenceReportInformationSystem 2
SPILLS-- 1994SUMMARY 3
Yearly Spill Totals 3
SpillsToLand, Water,AndAir 3
SpillsByMunicipalLocation 3
TypesAndVolumesOfMaterialsSpilled 6
EnvironmentalImpact 10
Spill Cleanup... 12
SpillsBy SectorAndSource , 14
SpillsByCauseAndReason 18
SPILLSTOTHEGREATLAKES SYSTEM 21
PLANNINGFORSPILLCONTINGENCIES 25
TheCanada/UnitedStatesWaterQualityAgreement 25
TheCanada/UnitedStatesJointMarinePollutionContingencyPlan 25
TheCanadianMarineContingencyPlan 25
TheProvinceofOntarioContingencyPlan
ForSpillsofOilandotherHazardousMaterials 25
TheProvinceofOntarioNuclearPlan 26
TheCanada-OntarioAgreement(COA) SpillReductionCommitment 26
MOEE'sContingencyPlaimingOffice 26
APPENDIXI -SampleOccurrenceReport
APPENDIXII -SectorandSourceMatrix
APPENDIXIII -CauseandReasonMatrix
APPENDIXIV -DefinitionsandReportingExemptions
LIST OF TABLES
1.
SpillsActionCentre SummaryReportof1994Spills
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
TheOntarioMinistryofEnvironmentandEnergy'sSpillsActionCentrereceivesandinitiatesresponses
toreportsofspillsandotherurgentenvironmental incidentsona24-hourperdaybasis. Thisreport
providesasummarizedreviewofspillsreportedtotheMinistryduringthecalendaryearof1994,and
comparesthisinformationtothatobtainedinpreviousyears.
The SpillsActionCentredocumented 13 529occurrencesin 1994. Spillsaccountedfor5 007ofthese
occurrences;theremainderincludedacombinationofMinistry-requirednotifications(otherthanspills),
andenvironmental complaintsfromthegeneralpublic.
ThenumberofspillsreportedtotheMinistryin 1994increasedby3 percentfrom 1993. Thisisthefu-st
increaseinthenumberofreportedspillssince 1989. Thenumberof spillstowaterandspillstoair
accountedforsomeofthisincreasewhilethenumberofspillstolandremainedvirtuallyunchanged.
Oilsandfuelsaccountedfor55percentofspilledmaterials;chemicalsandchemicalsolutionsaccounted
for 17percent;wastesandwastewaters 18percent; gaseousemissions6percent; whileotherand
unknownmaterialsaccountedfortheremaining4percent. Alargeproportionofthereportedspills
involvedsmallvolumes. Cumulatively, 20percentofthespilledmaterialsinvolvedvolumeslessthan 10
litres; 55 percentwerelessthan 100litres;and 86percent werelessthan 1 000litres.
About 18percentofthespillshadaconfirmedenvironmentalimpactidentified. Two-thirdsofthese
involvedsoilcontamination,andlessthanone-fifthinvolvedwaterpollution. Eightspillswerereported
tohaveconfirmedhumanhealthandsafetyconcerns.
Fiveindustrialsectorsaccountedforthemajorityofreportedspillsin 1994: transportationaccountedfor
18percent;pefroleumfor 10percent;metallurgicalfor7percent;generalmanufacturingfor6percent;
and,chemical for4percent. Publicsectorspills, including spillsfromelectricutilitiesandsewage
utilities,accountedfor 18percentofreportedspills. Motorvehicleswerethelargestsourceofspills,
accountingformorethan26percentofreportedspills. Spillsfrommanufacturingandprocessing
facilitiesaccountedfor21 percent.
In 1994, 1217 spillswereeitherentirelyorpartiallydischargedtowatercourses. Ofthese, 164involved
oilorchemicalspillstotheGreatLakessystem, including: 51 toLakeOntario,24tothe St.Lawrence
River,22toLakeHuron,22tothe St. ClairRiver, 16toLakeErie,and 10toLake Superior. The
remaining 19 spillsweredischargestotheDetroitRiver, St. MarysRiver,NiagaraRiver, andWelland
Canal. Overalltherewere2morespillstotheGreatLakessystemin 1994ascomparedto 1993.
AlloccurrencesreportedtotheMinistry,includingspills,aredocumentedonacomputerizeddatabase
managementsystemcalledtheOccurrenceReportInformationSystem(ORIS). Theinformationstored
onthissystemisusedtoassisttheMinistryandothers,suchasEnvironmentCanadaandthe
InternationalJointCommissionontheGreatLakes,inidentifyingandevaluatingenvironmental
SpillsActionCentre SummaryReportof1994Spills
Usingthistypeofinformation,theMinistrydevelopsandmodifiespollutionabatementprogramsand
spillpreventioninitiativesastrendsorconcernsareidentified. TheMinistryiscurrentlyworkingwith
EnvironmentCanadaundertheCanadaOntarioAgreementstopreventandcontrol spillsbyimproving
federalandprovincialspillprevention,preparedness,andresponseprogramsinpriorityareasacrossthe
province(suchasthe St. ClairRiver). Fiveeducationalworkshopswillbepresentedtoindustrialand
municipalgroupsinthesepriorityareastopromoteawarenessoftheenvironmentalconsequencesof
spills. Inaddition,theMinistryisinvestgatingthefeasibilityofaone-windowapproachtofederaland
provincialspillreporting.
TheMinistryisactivelyinvolvedinplanningforspillcontingencies. TheMinistry'sContingency
PlarmingProgramprovidesadviceandassistancetoindustryandothergovernmentagenciesthat
respondtospills. TheMinistryisresponsibleformaintainingtheProvinceofOntarioContingencyPlan
forSpillsofOilandotherHazardousMaterialswhichprovidesamechanismtodealwithmajorspills
underprovincialjurisdiction.
