Urban oil spills as a non-point pollution source in the Golden Horseshoe of southern Ontario

Being the economic engine of Canada and the home of 5 million people, the e nvironmental health of the Golden Horseshoe is very important Among various pollution sources into the lake, urban oil spills as a non-point pollution source have not caught the attention of most residents. These spills can c ause terrestrial impacts by poisoning animals and plants, groundwater conta mination by infiltration, and surface water pollution by algal bloom and fi sh kills and destruction of freshwater invertebrates and vertebrates. In or der to investigate the significance of this pollution source, 10 years of s pill records in the Golden Horseshoe have been compiled. On the average, ab out 1050 L per day of oil escaped to the land, water and air environment in this region. About one-third of these spills eventually entered Lake Ontar io. Among various types of spilled oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fue l and furnace oil accounted for the highest reported volume. The former Met ropolitan Toronto led the frequency and volume of spills, while Hamilton-We ntworth followed closely. Spills frequently occur on roads, at service stat ions and at electrical transformers, while the highest spill event volumes occur at bulk plants/terminals/depots and at refineries. The predominant ca uses of spills are related to leaks from containers, pipes and hoses, and c ooling systems. However, the principal reasons for oil spills are human err or and equipment failure. The transportation, public and petroleum sectors are responsible for 60% of the reported spill cases, while the petroleum se ctor alone accounts for nearly 50% of the reported spill volume. Given the significant volume of spilled oil, it is important that all levels of gover nment and private industries increase their effort to promote pollution pre vention such as preventive maintenance, improved employee training and/or r efraining, and proper vigilant supervision. Additionally, control devices s uch as oil-water interceptors should be sized properly and implemented at s trategic location across the Golden Horseshoe.