Sask. First Nation concerned about massive oil leak from train derailment

The chief of a Saskatchewan First Nation is worried about environmental impacts from a train derailment last week. 

An estimated 1.5 million litres of crude oil spilled out of a Canadian Pacific train on Dec. 9 near Guernsey, Sask. — just over 100 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon.

Tom Dustyhorn, chief of the Kawacatoose First Nation, says CP Rail should have been in touch right away.

The First Nation is about 75 kilometres southeast of Guernsey, but Dustyhorn says the environmental consequences could be serious and long-lasting.

"As treaty hunters, we hunt in that area, and we don't know what kind of impact it will have with the wildlife, our plants, our traditional medicines that may grow around in that area," he said, or the effect on underground water systems.

He says he did hear from the federal government following the derailment, but only after he put out a news release.  

"Does it have to take us to come to the media to get things done, or shouldn't that be one of their protocols that these big major companies should have in place for the impact areas?"

CP Rail said it plans to contact the First Nation. 

Wes Kotyk, assistant deputy minister of the Saskatchewan Environment Ministry, said it's too early to know what the environmental impact of the spill will be, but from a cleanup perspective, CP Rail is doing what it's expected to do.

"They are doing a site assessment currently to identify the extent of any subsurface contamination," Kotyk said.

"And once that is known then we would be in a better position to know what is the risk and what cleanup activity needs to happen."