N.B. health officials say brief exposure to the substance unlikely to lead to health risks
A mysterious yellow substance appeared outside Fredericton, N.B. last week, coating several stretches of highway, making the roads appear bright yellow. Around 900 litres of chemicals were spilled on and around the Vanier Highway and the Trans-Canada Highway, leaving a 14 k.m. yellow streak. The substance contained hexavalent chromium, which is often associated with increased cancer risks, though N.B. Health officials emphasized in a March 10 press release that serious negative effects were unlikely. The chemical spill led to the closure of several roads around Fredericton and cleanup efforts lasting multiple days.
The spill was first reported by drivers late on Wednesday, March 4. Fredericton reported the spill to the New Brunswick Government the following day. Tests of the substance found it contained sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxide, as well as hexavalent chromium. According to the provincial Department of Health, the spill did not impact Fredericton’s drinking water or local wells. In a March 10 press release, N.B. Health officials emphasized that despite the risks associated with hexavalent chromium, brief exposures were unlikely to be dangerous. “If you did not come into direct contact with the chemicals and do not have yellow or orange residue on your car, your health risk remains very low,” the release read. “While this chemical may cause cancer when someone is exposed to it over a long period of time, this is not the case in the current situation,” it continued. Fredericton residents were also advised to avoid touching the yellow substance or its residue and to wash their hands for over 15 minutes if they were exposed.
On Friday, March 6, the province closed sections of the contaminated roads to allow for cleaning to begin. A biohazard car wash was set up near Vanier Drive to prevent further contamination. The N.B. Government called for all those who had driven through the area before the roads were closed to bring in their cars to be decontaminated. Many car owners had already noticed yellow residue on their vehicles, and some had tried to clean it off themselves. Public health officials advised those who had already washed their vehicle themselves, or those living outside of Fredericton, to contact EFI Global’s emergency spill line to deal with residue left in their driveway or garage.
In a March 11 press release, the N.B. Department of Environment and Local Government said that XL Plating and Machining, a Fredericton-based company, had “been identified as the responsible party” of the spill. The Government had not previously discussed the spill’s origin. Possible fines could range anywhere from $1,000 to $1 million dollars. According to N.B. Deputy Environment Minister Charbel Awad, XL Plating and Machining will also be held responsible for the costs of the cleanup. “The respective parties will evaluate appropriate enforcement actions, which may include charges and fines,” Awad said in a March 11 press conference.
The spill’s long-term consequences are still unclear. In a press release, Local Government Minister Aaron Kennedy, currently stepping in for Environment Minister Gilles Lepage, said “a long-term plan to sample soil and drinking water in the affected area is being established, and if, through this process, we identify information that changes our understanding of the health risk, the public will be advised.”