Public Health Sudbury & Districts advising of fuel oil spill entering Ramsey Lake

On January 17, 2023, Public Health Sudbury & Districts received notification from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) that a fuel oil spill that originally occurred on January 14, 2023, at a residence on Gennings Street, Sudbury, has now migrated to the shoreline of Ramsey Lake in Greater Sudbury. Public Health has directly notified residents in the affected area.

“Currently, the risk to the public from the spill is low. However, fuel oil floats, and it can move under the ice and potentially affect private drinking water intakes,” said Burgess Hawkins, a manager in Public Health Sudbury & Districts’ Health Protection Division. “We are advising residents who draw their drinking water directly from Ramsey Lake via a private drinking water intake to monitor their water. Contaminated water may have a petroleum odour and a glass of water may have an oily sheen on top,” said Hawkins.

Fishing should also be avoided on the lake in the area of Gennings Street.

Public Health notified immediate neighbours of this incident on January 14, 2023, following initial notification from MECP of the spill, the source of which was a residential fuel oil tank. At that time, the MECP advised Public Health that Ramsey Lake was not impacted by the spill, as the oil was confined to the property.

The spill is not in the vicinity of the David Street Water Treatment Plant intake, and according to MECP poses no risk to the municipal drinking water system at this time. The City of Greater Sudbury is also aware of and monitoring the situation.

If you have any questions regarding potential health risks associated with the fuel oil spill, please contact Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705.522.9200, ext. 464 (after-hours 705.688.4366) or the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks at the Sudbury District Office at 705.564.3237.