Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Chemical Spill Cleaned Up

Supplied photo
A rail car that toppled over Friday on Resolute Forest Products mill property in Fort Frances has now been emptied and hauled away.

Some of it's contents, hydrogen peroxide, spilled, but crews had it contained by Saturday.

The chemical is used in the bleaching process at the mill, but officials says it posed no risk to the public at any time.

Roads that had been closed during the incident have now been reopened.

Mock Emergency Planned

Area emergency personnel will be put to the test next Tuesday as they participate with Energy Fundamentals Group or EFG in an exercise simulating a natural gas leak.

EFG's Michael Pelletier says it's being done in conjunction with Union Gas and the town of Fort Frances.

The exercise is also being evaluated by the National Energy Board.

Highway Accident Kills Five

OPP continue to investigate a horrific crash on Highway 17 near English River Saturday night involving a transport and a pickup truck that claimed five lives.

Provincial Police have released the name of the transport driver killed as 43-year old Sukhwinder Thandi of Cambridge, Ontario.

The names of the four men killed in the pick-up have not been positively identified.

Two oth
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er vehicles were involved in the accident, although none of the occupants were injured.

Operation Impact Numbers Revealed

The numbers of this year's Operation Impact Campaign are in.

OPP Constable Dave Shaw says all of their statistics were down from last year.

Police still laid 244 speeding charges, one stunt driving charge, 34 for seatbelt violations and 4 distracted driving charges.

The month long campaign ended last Sunday.



Forest Fire Season Winding Down

The forest fire season in Northwestern Ontario continues to be a quiet one.

Ministry of Natural Resources Spokesperson Deb MacLean says the last fire was in Red Lake, and was put out last Wednesday.

Two prescribed burns in the Sioux Lookout area are still active, but are listed as being held.

The official end of the forest fire season is October 31.