Communities shut water intake from B.C. lake after fuel spill reaches 80,000 litres

A local official says small communities on Kamloops Lake in British Columbia have been shutting down their intakes from the waterway after it was revealed that more than 80,000 litres of aviation fuel spilled on its shores in a train derailment last weekend. The province’s estimate of the spill size was increased more than six-fold late Wednesday, prompting a request for water-quality results from Michael Grenier, director for Area J of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District. Grenier says the spill is “substantially larger” than what was “originally anticipated,” creating a concern for communities that draw water from the lake and downstream. He says he’s anxious to see water test results that the district was “insisting on” on Wednesday. B.C.’s Environment Ministry says results from samples collected on Sunday and Monday have…

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