Months of environmental assessments still lie ahead for a lake on Revelstoke's Frisby Ridge, seven months after a snowcat operated by the local snowmobile club ended up in the icy water and spilled several dozen litres of diesel.
The snow-grooming vehicle, belonging to Revelstoke Snowmobile Club (RSC), made a wrong turn at the upper end of the Frisby Ridge trail and entered the lake next to Glacier Station Cabin last December, according to RSC general manager Liam Marshall.
In an email, he said efforts by volunteers, local stakeholders and RSC members got the snowcat quickly recovered from the water. B.C.'s Ministry of Environment and Parks subsequently visited the site, with RSC "in contact about the cat香蕉视频直播檚 removal, ensuring that we were adhering to all suggested protocols."
Marshall said those on site used oil booms, absorbent rags and removal of contaminated snow to contain the diesel leaking from the vehicle into the lake, though the ice impeded the many hands on deck from carrying out a fuller cleanup.
A 27-minute documenting the snowcat rescue on Frisby shows a couple dozen people working day and night Dec. 6 with shovels, ladders and multiple other groomers to safely break the ice and haul out the vehicle. Sitting about 12 feet deep in the lake, the snowcat wouldn't be fully rescued until Dec. 7. Posted Dec. 13, the video to date has half a million views.
Seven months later, Marshall says RSC is pursuing thorough cleanup and remediation of the diesel spilled by working with the provincial government and an undisclosed environmental consultant, to protect Frisby's "pristine alpine environment."
"The spill was considered minor in volume as the equipment was not actually damaged during the incident but there were residual fluids that were lost as the cat slowly sank into the lake," he explained. "We, of course, recognize the ecological significance of the area and are fully committed to restoring the lake to its natural condition."
Last April, once warmer conditions allowed for environmental assessment, an absorbent broom and snow trench were used at the lake's outflow to intercept spring runoff and sample water quality. Initial results from April 21 found the water up to provincial standards, according to Marshall, but given that 11 feet of snowpack remained, this was taken with a grain of salt.
With the snow fully melted this month, more sampling happened last Sunday, July 13.
"During this visit, visible signs of hydrocarbons (organic compounds found in petroleum and natural gas) were observed on the north side of the lake," Marshall said. "We are awaiting lab results to better understand the extent of residual contamination and are working with the environmental consultant to adhere to best practices."
He noted RSC remains in the "early stages" of this work, and is visiting the lake twice weekly to change out the oil-absorbent pads and check the oil booms. This will continue through August and September, with further water sampling planned for September and the environmental consultant "confident" remediation will finish that month.
RSC has also developed a comprehensive environmental action plan this month, to be updated monthly, Marshall said. All recovered and contaminated materials are being stored at Glacier Station Cabin until next winter, when they can be transported out by snowcat.
In a recent Facebook post announcing the seasonal opening of Frisby, the Revelstoke Cycling Association said that the groomer had been "promptly removed" in December but that the lake remains unsafe for swimming or drinking.
RSC "will let us know as soon as their sampling confirms the water is safe," the association said.
However, Marshall countered its claims, saying they contained inaccuracies.
"The environmental consultant to date has not confirmed that the water is unsafe for swimming or consumption," he said, while adding that "we do encourage users to practice caution if swimming and consider filling up drinking vessels from other water sources."
He clarified that while the snowcat itself sustained minimal damage, "the contaminants resulted from water ingress and subsequent phase separation occurring in the fuel lines and engine after the vehicle was submerged."
This has made it challenging to determine how much diesel was spilled, but Marshall said "it was in the 10s of litres." Regardless of the amount, safety signage was installed at the Frisby parking lot on Tuesday, July 15, and more signage was slated to be posted at the lake itself on Thursday.
"These signs advise against swimming or drinking from the lake while cleanup is underway and will be removed once it is confirmed safe to do so," Marshall noted.
To prevent similar incidents going forward, RSC is also enhancing staff training, updating protocols, improving GPS route mapping and installing permanent signage identifying water bodies along operational routes, he said.
Though the spill "could've been way worse" for RSC, Marshall told Black Press Media by phone, "we have to own this" in the ensuing assessment and cleanup by "making sure we deal with it in the most structured and efficient way possible."
Prior to December, the last time the Revelstoke area experienced a substantial diesel spill was when two CPKC trains collided parallel to Greely Road, a few kilometres east of town, on Feb. 16, 2024. Diesel spilled from the derailed locomotives, but was contained with berms before it could flow into the nearby Illecillewaet River. Environmental assessments and water sampling followed.
"The responsible person or spiller is legally required to clean-up or manage the clean-up of a spill," the provincial government states. "In incidents where the responsible person is unknown, unable or unwilling to manage the cleanup, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy may assume the role."
