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Gitiideineigi111111 Emergency Preparedness Protection civile I 411 Canada Canada cv:T ■ e FIRE IN A WAREHOUSE CONTAINING PCBS AT ST-BASILE-LE-GRAND AUGUST 23, 1988 FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT TH 9446 .C5 F57 1988 FIRE IN A WAREHOUSE CONTAINING PCBS AT ST-BASILE-LE-GRAND AUGUST 23, 1988 FEDERAL INVOLVEMENT DECEMBER 1988 PREFACE The Honourable Richard Grisé, MP for Chambly and the Prime Minister's representative on the disaster site, kindly provided the following note, as a preface for this report. Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister Chambly, October 14, 1988 Mr. André Tremblay Regional Director Québec Region Emergency Preparedness Canada 250 ouest, Grande Allée Suite 701 Québec (Québec) G1R 2H4 Dear Sir: Subject: Fire at a PCB warehouse in St-Basile-le-Grand I take pleasure in accepting your invitation to preface the report of the federal government's participation in the regrettable event that affected three municipalities in my riding on August 23, 1988. When asked by the Prime Minister's Office to provide liaison between the federal, provincial and municipal agencies on the site, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that under your co-ordination, a ll the federal agen- cies that could provide any support were already at work and were supporting very effectively the efforts of our colleagues from the three municipalities and the province. Throughout the event, and until this day, I have nothing but praise for the managers, specialists and other federal parties who dedicated themselves at all hours, without seeking the limelight, to ensure that the public would not suffer too greatly from this deplorable situation. Please allow me, Sir, to reiterate publicly my admiration for the professionalism of the federal public servants and the quality of the federal image they projected in my riding. Please accept my sincere gratitude. I hope to be able to meet you under more pleasant circumstances. (Sgd) Richard Grisé MP CONTENTS Introduction Situation Reports of Emergency Preparedness Canada 1 Reports of Departments 25 • Environment Canada 27 • Communications Canada 55 • Employment and Immigration Canada 61 • National Defence 73 • Health and Welfare Canada 87 • Agriculture Canada 97 • Canada Mortgage and Housing 109 Summary of Costs 118 Recommendations 119 ANNEXES 121 1. Area evacuated 123 2. Photos 128 INTRODUCTION On August 23, 1988, at 8:40 p.m., a fire broke out in a warehouse containing about 3,800 barrels of PCBs or various products contaminated with PCBs. The following minutes saw the largest emergency operation that the south shore of Montreal had ever known. The town firefighters knew this warehouse and its contents. At the outset, they made every effort to extinguish the blaze, but because of explosions in the warehouse and the toxicity of the products that were burning, it was decided to call on firefighting experts from the Canadian Forces Base St-Hubert. At about 4:00 a.m. on August 24, the fire was finally extinguished through the combined efforts of every- one involved. During this period of more than seven hours, the resources of Beloeil, St-Bruno and St-B asile-le- Grand fire departments were mobilized. Municipal police forces, assisted by the Quebec Police Force, barricaded the site and evacuated more than 3,800 residents of St-Basile-le-Grand, St-Bruno de Montarville and Ste-Julie. The areas evacuated were selected in accordance with a plan developed with the assistance of the Atmospheric Environment Service of Environment Canada, which produced a model for the circula- tion and dispersion of the toxic cloud. Schools were opened to accommodate evacuees who required shelter. Other evacuees moved in with relatives or friends or found room in hotels. The experts from Environment Canada, Conservation and Protection, went to the site during the early hours of the fire and immediately agreed with Environnement Québec, the Quebec Police Force and the Municipality of St-Basile-le-Grand concerning the extent of the disaster and began to prepare and carry out a sampling program. In the morning, laboratories available for this type of testing were mobilized and the first samples were sent out. The field laboratory was also deployed during the night and began to analyze a group of samples to give the officials in charge a preliminary idea of the situation. These results were very useful during the first days, helping to redefine the evacuation area and instrumental in proposing subsequent sampling plans. Almost 1,200 additional residents had to be evacuated during the following five days. The Government of Quebec assigned the responsibility and control of emergency operations on or around the site to Environnement Québec and the Quebec Police Force. The federal government depart- ments participating in the operations did so either at the request of provincial agencies, Environment Canada or Emergency Preparedness Canada. All the agencies involved kept a journal of their operations during the disaster and subsequently produced an internal report describing their participation and justifying their expenditures. They also agreed to prepare the summaries outlined in the following chapters. I wish to thank them for their dili- gence. As Quebec Regional Director of Emergency Preparedness Canada, and co-ordinator of the federal participation on the municipal and provincial committees at St-Basile-le-Grand, I should hereby like to emphasize the professionalism shown by representatives of the Canadian government during this crisis. Their considerable availability, understanding of the meaning of government assistance to the public and recognition of the difficulties facing provincial and municipal governments resulted, in my opinion, in the federal government's assistance being exemplary and as complete as could be hoped for during this inci- dent. Although this document professes to be as accurate as possible, it cannot, under any circumstances, be used to establish the federal government's actual or intended liability in the support it provided to the Government of Québec during this disaster. The aim of this report on the role of the federal govenunent at St-Basile-le-Grand is simply to trace the history of this support. The few recommendations contained herein are made with the sole aim of sug- gesting that emergency plans and procedures, albeit satisfactory during this occurrence, could still be improved. This report was compiled by the Québec Regional Office of Emergency Preparedness Canada by: Mr. André Tremblay, Regional Director Miss Louise Rousseau, Assistant Regional Director Mr. Conrad Robin, Secretary December, 1988 SITUATION REPORTS EMERGENCY PREPARDNESS CANADA Fire at St-Basile-le-Grand - August 23, 1988 Around 20:30 hrs., Tuesday, August 23, a fire started in a warehouse storing 20,000 gallons of contami- nated oil (PCBs). The warehouse was located on Road 116, at St-Basile-le-Grand, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, approximately 50 km east of Montreal. 3,800 residents of St-Basile-le-Grand, St- Bruno and Ste-Julie have been evacuated, covering a 14 sq. km. zone of evacuation. A command post has been established by the municipality of St-Basile-le-Grand. Provincial departments involved are Environment, Health Community Services, BPCQ, QPP, Hydro-Quebec. Envi- ronment Canada (EPS) installed its Mobile Rescue Unit on the site of the disaster. EPC and other federal departments offered their support (AGR, CC, CMHC). An inquiry has been ordered by the Quebec Minister of Public Protection on the cause of the fire. Evacuees have been informed Thursday night that they will have to stay away from their homes until next Monday, at least. The results of the tests revealed that there is a certain amount of contamination in the zone affected by the smoke and fallout from the blazing PCB warehôuse. The federal Ministers of Environment and Transport visited the disaster site, on Thursday, and gave a press conference. The EPC Executive Director also visited St-Basile-le-Grand on Thursday. The EPC RD Quebec travelled to St-Basile-le-Grand on Wednesday and Friday. Further reports will be sent separately. Visit of the EPC Executive Director Our new Executive Director, Mr. Ted Finn, accompanied by Mr. Bill Snarr, visited our office Thursday morning. Unfortunately for the Quebec staff, Mr. Finn had to leave at noon, at the request of the Minister of National Defence, to go to the site of the ecological disaster at St-Basile-le-Grand. 3 St-Basile-le-Grand August 29, 1988 Situation Report - Ecological Disaster Site No 1 Co-ordination is now assumed by an Associate Director General of Quebec Provincial Police (QPP) Mr.