Cargill Release of a Fire Fighting Foam including PFAS

The City of Camrose and Cargill are collaborating on the cleanup of an accidental chemical release of CHEMGUARD 3% AFFF (C3B), a fire fighting foaming agent. C3B contains polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which have been observed to have adverse environmental and health effects.

In a Statement for Camrose City Council dated June 22, 2023, Blair Taylor, Cargill’s Regional Operations Leader, stated, “We recently had a leak of fire suppression foam at our facility. We discovered the leak quickly and have worked diligently with the City of Camrose to manage the situation as quickly and effectively as possible. We will continue to partner with the City to address this matter.”

At approximately 13:30 June 19, 2023 Cargill identified a leak on a pipe fitting on piping downstream of a foam tank, during regular operator rounds. Immediately, the valve on the tank causing the leak was isolated to stop the leak. The duration of the leak is unclear. Cargill estimates that approximately 50 to 100 gallons of C3B was released.

Within approximately 20 minutes of discovering the leak, Cargill’s waste water lift station was shut down. Under the belief that the material had been contained to the industrial site, Cargill sent an email notifying the City of the incident on the evening of June 19. The email was received by Camrose’s City Manager, Malcolm Boyd, on the morning of June 20,2023. The City immediately attempted to reach Cargill for more information, but without success, and was forced to shut down the City’s waste water lift station dedicated to Cargill at 08:27.

Camrose City Manager, Malcolm Boyd states, “after observing visible foam between the Cargill and City lift stations, fortunately the City was able to isolate the potentially contaminated waste water to one specific lagoon (Cell B). This action has prevented the contamination from progressing through the wastewater treatment system.”

Since June 20, 2023, Cargill and the City have been collaborating to determine the extent of the release and the concentration of PFAS from the C3B into the City’s waste water lagoon. Water samples taken from Cell B show levels of PFAS in the water, between 0.2 µg/L and 0.40 µg/L.

Regulations concerning PFAS are evolving, however the City’s primary goals are to protect the health and safety of our residents and be a steward of the environment. Cargill, in collaboration with City Administration, is investigating options for remediating all of the affected infrastructure to ensure no environmental impacts will occur due to this chemical release. The City continues to seek expert advice on acceptable levels of PFAS, if any, in both drinking water and the environment.

Boyd states, “The City’s top priority is to ensure that no PFAS from this release work their way into the environment or into our drinking water supply. The steps we have taken to contain the contaminated waste water into Cell B will prevent that. We are all tracking costs related to this operation to ensure that they will be covered by the responsible party”.

Taylor stated, in the June 22, 2023 Statement for Council, “Cargill notified Alberta’s Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas (EPA), both in writing and verbally.  

Cargill is a proud and long-standing member of the Camrose community. We will continue to partner with the City to address this matter. Cargill is appreciative of the collaboration with the City of Camrose on this matter and values our partnership.” 

According to the Government of Canada (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) - Canada.ca), PFAs are “a group of over 4,700 human-made substances that are used in a wide range of products such as lubricants, cosmetics, surfactants, firefighting foams, non-stick cookware, food packaging materials, repellents (for dirt, water, and grease), and textiles (carpets, furniture, and clothing).” These chemicals have known environmental and health effects.

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For More Information:
Patricia MacQuarrie
General Manager, Community Development
City of Camrose
(780) 678-3025
pmacquarrie@camrose.ca