From: Earth Island Journal
As
they try to cope with the trauma of losing so many of their neighbors,
friends and family members, residents of Lac-Mégantic have been forced
to grapple with another ordeal: fear that the oil train accident may
have done long-term damage to the area’s environment.
Lac-Mégantic is situated on a gentle slope that follows the contours
of an old streambed and eventually drains into the lake, for which the
town is named,
and the Chaudière River. On a map of Lac-Mégantic Rejean Campagna shows
me where the streambed was located before the area – once a swamp – was
filled in to build the town. When the oil spilled it basically followed
that drainage path, Campagna says.
photo by Axel Drainville, on FlickrLac-Mégantic, August 2013.
Because so much of the oil burned it has been difficult to determine
the precise quantity that ended up in the river. According to Quebec’s
Ministry of Sustainable Development, Environment, and Parks, more than 1.5 million gallons
of oil were released on the morning of July 6. At least 26,000 gallons
ended up in the Chaudière River, which eventually flows into the St.
Lawrence River near Quebec City. Drinking water bans were issued for
towns located more than 50 miles downstream. (Lac-Mégantic draws its
water from municipal wells beneath a layer of clay and there is no sign
that they’ve been contaminated.) The environment ministry says that more
than 11,400 gallons of oily water were removed from the river alone;
another 12.98 million gallons of oily water were taken out of the
sewers, lake, and surrounding land. In addition, between 20,000 and
29,500 gallons of soil were contaminated. MORE
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