CN Rail derailment, March 7, 2015 near Gogama
CN Rail derailment, March 7, 2015 near Gogama

By Angela Gemmill

Clean-up continues in Gogama after a train came off the tracks, early Saturday morning, causing a huge fire and several tankers full of oil to fall into the nearby river.

CN Rail says two dozen of the 38 cars have been cleared from the site, but an undetermined amount of crude oil remains in the water.

The rail company has containment booms in the river to ensure product doesn’t flow downstream.

Ministry of Environment spokesperson Kate Jordan says MOE investigators remain on site to ensure impacts to the environment are properly addressed.

So far tests of air and water have found no issues, but Jordan says they’ll continue to monitor both.

As a precaution, the Sudbury & District Health Unit has a drinking water advisory in effect for those who draw from the Mattagami River System.

Nickel Belt M-P-P France Gelinas toured the site over the weekend and remains in close contact with residents there.

She says despite the railway reassuring residents the oil hasn’t compromised drinking water there is still concern about its impact.

Gelinas says what she’s heard from residents in her riding is they want the railway to remain, but they want safer government oversights.

She’s looking into ways government legislation can help them.

The Transportation Safety Board is looking into the cause of the derailment.

(Picture: Courtesy of Transportation Safety Board of Canada; CN Rail derailment March 7/15 near Gogama)