The Comox Valley Regional District (CVRD) has been onsite at the float plane crash investigating potential fuel spillage into Comox Lake near the Cumberland Lake Park.
“There is no evidence based on close visual inspections by the fire department, RCMP and CVRD water operators of leaking fuel or oil from the plane and we are confident there are no issues with drinking water,” explains Marc Rutten, General Manager of Engineering Services. “Public safety is of utmost importance as Comox Lake provides drinking water to over 45,000 residents within the region.”
CVRD staff have deployed a boom around the plane as a precautionary measure to mitigate potential leakage during the plane’s removal, which is expected to occur today.
“It is precisely for unexpected scenarios such as this that water operators develop emergency response plans,” said Dr. Charmaine Enns, the local Medical Health Officer for Island Health. “The CVRD is appropriately putting their planning and preparation into action to ensure the public that drinking water is not negatively affected by this incident.”