Teck fertilizer plant shut down after reported acid spill near Trail, B.C.

An acid spill has been reported from the Teck operations in Trail, B.C., less than a year after a pair of spills from trucks leaving the company's smelter damaged hundreds of vehicles.

A statement from the Ministry of Environment said that acidic solution flowed into the Columbia River, but has since been diverted into an onsite reservoir. It said reports of the spill came in early Tuesday, and Teck's fertilizer operations plant has been shut down since then. 

A spokesperson for Teck Resources Ltd. says "a low pH incident" happened at an outfall at the Trail location. 

He says the company immediately informed Emergency Management B.C., B.C.'s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

"An investigation was started immediately following the incident to determine the cause and initial actions have been taken to prevent a reoccurrence," said Trail spokesperson Chris Stannell. 

"Based on an initial assessment, the release does not create any health or safety risk to people, fish or wildlife other than potential short-term impacts on the aquatic life immediately at the outfall point."

"There is not expected to be any long-term impact on fish or the environment given the duration of the incident and the nature of the discharge," Stannell said.

Environmental assessment planned

Stannell says the fertilizer plant has been temporarily shut down, and a third-party independent environmental impact assessment is planned.

Teck produces fertilizer from its zinc and lead smelting operations in the city.

An Environmental Emergency Response Officer (EERO) has been assigned to monitor the spill.

On April 10 and May 23, 2018, tanker trucks owned and operated by Westcan spilled sulphuric acid from the Teck complex along a stretch of highway near the city.

The roadway is a busy commuter route and the ICBC said about 450 vehicles were written off after driving over the acid.