Algoma Steel oil spill poses public health challenges along St. Mary's River

An oil spill that started at Algoma Steel's wastewater treatment plant on the St. Mary's River on Thursday poses a public health challenge, said the acting medical officer of health for Algoma Public Health.

"When there's a chemical released into the water that may have health effects it's a lot more difficult to control because you can't do some of the usual measures that we would do, such as a boil water advisory," said acting medical officer of health Dr. John Tuinema.

"If you were to boil the water when there's a chemical in there, it doesn't get rid of the chemical."

Tuinema said the municipality of Echo Bay has been most affected by the oil spill.

Public health has advised residents not to drink the local well water. They've also been advised not to swim in the river or consume any local fish.

But Tuinema added most people who live near the river get their drinking water from sources not affected by the spill.

Ministry of the Environment spokesperson Gary Wheeler told CBC News last week that the oil was an industrial lubricant called 460 gear oil.

Wheeler confirmed Algoma Steel deployed contractors to contain the spill with absorbent booms on the river.

The U.S. Coast Guard also sent vessels in the area and used drones to assess the extent of the spill downstream.