CN Rail to continue oil spill clean-up near Gogama, Ont.

After months of lobbying and protesting by people in the small northern Ontario town, CN Rail has agreed to do further clean-up of an oil spill near Gogama.

"I was ecstatic for sure," says Gogama fire chief Mike Benson, who was recently elected as the chair of the local services board, the government in the unincorporatedtownship.

Benson says he was surprised to find out Monday that CN Rail wants to do further dredging on the Makami River and remove more soil from the river bottom contaminated with oil from the fiery train derailment in March 2015.

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He and others in town have been calling on the company to continue the clean-up after spotting oil in local waters this summer.

CN Rail had refused for months, saying further dredging could further damage the environment and accusing the townspeople of ignoring test results that repeatedly came back showing safe levels of contamination.

'Developing a plan'

But CN Rail is now saying although not in a recorded interview that recent tests came back prompting the change of direction.

"Analysis of the latest testing data indicates that three specific areas by the derailment site show slightexceedancesof oil presence beyond acceptable limits," reads the CN rail statement.

"CN is developing a plan to complete sediment removal in those areas while protecting fish habitat, and seeking regulatory approval to do so before the river freezes. The sediment removal would begin as soon as possible and take place over the coming weeks."

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The railroad did not share thetest results with CBC,but Benson says this has less to do with new test results and more to do with the company bowing against public pressure.

"It's not new test results. Those tests have been coming back like that since June of 2015," says Benson.

"Those results have always been there and that's been our argument. There's been areas in the river that have always been above provincial standards, but the [Ministry of the Environment]hasbeen sitting on its hands like watch and see."

The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Environmentsaythey are working to expedite the permit process so the dredging of the Makami River can be done before winter.