Cleanup of mysterious sludge continues after 'illegal spill' into Etobicoke Creek

Environmental cleanup continues after an unknown material was discharged into Etobicoke Creek.

City of Toronto crews can be seen along the river at Marie Curtis Park, monitoring the progress of the mysterious sludge as it gradually flows toward Lake Ontario, deploying booms as part of containment efforts.

In a written statement, the city said, in part, “an oil-like material was found in a catch basin on private property near Dundas and East Mall. The city has cleaned up the fishing basin, and the Etobicoke Creek cleanup is ongoing. … The City continues to evaluate the cause of this illegal spill.”

The Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks told CityNews about the incident on Monday afternoon and they are continuing to monitor the situation.

“The material is unknown at this time, but samples have been taken and results are pending.”

Passersby reported that the spill smelled of fuel.

The Toronto Wildlife Center tells CityNews that relatively few animals have been harmed by the spill, but they have confirmed that there has been at least one rescue.

Last August, a large industrial fire at a chemical plant north of Etobicoke accidentally spilled into Mimico Creek, causing an oil-like slick to affect local wildlife. As a result, the cleanup took several months.