The Ministry of the Environment staff are continuing to monitor the area in Port Hope where a where emergency crews responded to a CP Rail freight train fire.
On August 4, 2021 the Ministry of Environment was notified of the incident in which three railways cars at Hope Street South crossing were on fire. The three rail cars were carrying hundreds of used railway ties. Railway ties are typically treated with a preservative, such as creosote, and ministry staff will confirm the type of preservative stated the Ministry.
The train was heading eastbound towards Port Hope when the fire was first identified and the train came to the first rail crossing in Port Hope in order for fire-fighters to access the rail cars.
The fire site is located on the east side of Port Hope, approximately 150 metres north of the Lake Ontario shoreline.
Northumberland County Paramedics and Port Hope Police were on scene while members of the Port Hope Fire and Emergency Services worked on extinguishing the fire.
Fifty gallons of fire-fighting foam concentrate was used to prepare an estimated volume of approximately 5,000 gallons of fire-fighting water solution which was used at the initial location in Port Hope.
After the fire was largely extinguished in the rail cars, the train and rail cars were moved to a second location, at the Pentecostal Road railway crossing just east of Cobourg, to off-load the rail ties and extinguish any remaining hot spots.
No public evacuations were issued.
Railway lines/companies are regulated by the federal government through Transport Canada.
Ministry of Environment said there was runoff of fire-fighting water to the roadway and ditches which entered nearby storm water catch basins/sewer lines.
Impacted catch basins were vacuumed out early the next morning on August 5, 2021, and will be further assessed as part of any ongoing remedial efforts.
After the fire was largely extinguished in the rail cars, the train and cars were moved to the Pentecostal Road railway crossing, just east of Cobourg, to off-load the rail ties and allow fire fighters to extinguish any remaining hot spots within the cars. Approximately 9,000 gallons of water (without fire-fighting foam) was used at the second location to finally extinguish hot spots, east of Cobourg, although there was some residual fire-fighting foam within the rail cars.
Ministry staff attended the site to meet with CP Rail’s Environmental Staff on the afternoon of August 5th to review the incident information, potential environmental impacts and clean-up status, and to determine what further environmental assessment and clean-up actions are required.
Ministry staff said they are ensuring that the fire site is properly cleaned up to prevent environmental impacts and to protect drinking water supplies.
Ministry Drinking Water staff are contacting the municipal drinking water systems managers for the Port Hope and Cobourg drinking water systems to ensure they are aware of the incident and to inquire about potential impacts and corrective actions, if anticipated.
Ministry of Environment will be working with CP Rail to ensure that an assessment of the environmental impacts and clean-up work are completed, as appropriate.
Agencies involved in the emergency were Port Hope Fire Department and Public Works
Hamilton Township (Cobourg) Fire Department
Towns of Port Hope and Cobourg
Environment Canada (notified)
Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks Spills Action Centre and Peterborough District Office
Provincial Emergency Operations Centre
Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit
Source Water Protection
The two areas where the burning cars were extinguished are located in the Ganaraska Region Source Protection Area.
The initial fire-fighting area is located within Intake Protection Zone #2 for the Port Hope municipal water system that draws from Lake Ontario.
The second location (east of Cobourg) where the cars were subsequently taken and the hotspots finally extinguished is located just outside of the Intake Protection Zone #2 for the Cobourg Drinking Water System, a large municipal water system that draws from Lake Ontario.
The second location is also located approximately 200 metres from the Lakeshore Pentecostal Camp’s water treatment plant, a regulated small non-municipal drinking water system serving a designated facility.
No impacts on source water quality have been reported by the owners and operators of the regulated drinking water systems.
The Ministries role is the ministry’s role to ensure that appropriate actions are taken to contain and clean up spills, and to ensure that any environmental impacts are mitigated.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
